Why am I not losing :( Please help!

Options
ccbloom1
ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Background: I started MFP 96 days ago. I would like to lose about 60lbs total, and I'm 5'3". I started and completed 90 days of a TurboFire/Turbojam hybrid. I did not lose a single pound for the first 21 days but kept going. I finally started to lose and dropped 24 lbs with consistent weekly losses...until a month ago. I've been at a plateau, going up and down the same 2 lbs for the past 4 weeks. It's driving me crazy!!

I feel like my diet is pretty good, I drink a ton of water. Honestly, I'm not really sure what to do.

This past week, I started doing 30DS with a TurboJam once or twice to try and change things up, and I increased my calorie intake slightly from 1200 without exercise calories to 1400 plus some of my exercise calories and still nothing. It's not like I'm close to goal and trying to lose that last 10, I still have a good 40lbs to go.

I would love if I could get any feedback or suggestions so that I can get the scale moving in the right direction again!
«13

Replies

  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
    Options
    I'm in the same boat!! Increased exercise, decreased food and STILL 170lbs! Surely something should have shifted!

    B x
  • mmaggio80
    mmaggio80 Posts: 15
    Options
    My opinion is that you are trading body fat for lean muscle. Since lean muscle weighs more then fat it appears your not going down in actual weight. How are your clothes fitting? are you losing stomach, arm and hip sizes? thats how you can tell your trading fat for muscle.

    This has happened to me I hit the Gym hard and eat right and I actually gain weight or stay the same for a bit then I drop.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Options
    You're food diary looks way better than mine lol! Anyway, maybe its time to get hard core about excersisng? The 30 Day Shred type videos are nice, but I think some of us need more. Not necessarily more intensity, but more time spent exercising.
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    bump!!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Options
    When I plateaued I upped my calories from 1200 (like you) and it took a couple of weeks, but the scale did start moving again. Give your body time to adjust. You probably weren't eating enough and messed with your metabolism a little, or at least that was what my problem was. It took about 3 weeks but the scale started moving again for me. Your diary looks good, so I would just give it some time.
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    Unfortunately, since hitting the plateau, my clothes are not fitting any differently :(
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    Yeah, slow down a little on the excercise. Make sure you eat your exercise calories and increase your intake a little. Look up zig zagging too. That worked for me.
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    My opinion is that you are trading body fat for lean muscle. Since lean muscle weighs more then fat it appears your not going down in actual weight. How are your clothes fitting? are you losing stomach, arm and hip sizes? thats how you can tell your trading fat for muscle.

    This has happened to me I hit the Gym hard and eat right and I actually gain weight or stay the same for a bit then I drop.

    So if this is a true statement, we should be able to see a % loss in body fat correct?
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    You're food diary looks way better than mine lol! Anyway, maybe its time to get hard core about excersisng? The 30 Day Shred type videos are nice, but I think some of us need more. Not necessarily more intensity, but more time spent exercising.

    Yeah, the 30DS is just a break and to add some weight training...I did TurboFire for 90 days prior to this, burning 400-600 cals per workout. Working out more than 60 min per day really isn't an option. :/
  • Atthea
    Atthea Posts: 53
    Options
    HI there !
    First of all congratulations on all your hard work you have lost a good deal and are in an amazing shape so well done!!
    I just broke a plateau of 5 months!!! Very tough and frustrating but I have more muscle definition and I eat a bit of everything so that is cool !!

    I would say maybe up your protein intake and lower the sodium...For me these are the 2 details that broke my plateau...

    And give it more time...I know it sucks BUT it probably is strue. And you will probably lose more in a while like you did at first.

    Do you have rest and stretch days? Give your system time to recuperate and then hit the fat burning area again ! YAY!!

    Don't stop you are on the right track for sure!!!
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    are you doing measurements??

    I haven't seen the scale move in going on 2 months, but I know can see the inches coming off each month!!
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    When I plateaued I upped my calories from 1200 (like you) and it took a couple of weeks, but the scale did start moving again. Give your body time to adjust. You probably weren't eating enough and messed with your metabolism a little, or at least that was what my problem was. It took about 3 weeks but the scale started moving again for me. Your diary looks good, so I would just give it some time.

    This is what I'm hoping, and that's what I was thinking (I actually believe it was your post that got me to evaluate my calorie intake). It can really be discouraging, though.
  • mmaggio80
    mmaggio80 Posts: 15
    Options
    My opinion is that you are trading body fat for lean muscle. Since lean muscle weighs more then fat it appears your not going down in actual weight. How are your clothes fitting? are you losing stomach, arm and hip sizes? thats how you can tell your trading fat for muscle.

    This has happened to me I hit the Gym hard and eat right and I actually gain weight or stay the same for a bit then I drop.

    So if this is a true statement, we should be able to see a % loss in body fat correct?

    Yes that's the way I have seen for me, when I trade fat for muscle I will get a little more cut but stay the same weight for a bit then start dropping lbs.
  • mmaggio80
    mmaggio80 Posts: 15
    Options
    are you doing measurements??

    I haven't seen the scale move in going on 2 months, but I know can see the inches coming off each month!!

    Are you doing a lot of weight training?
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    Options
    What is your current BMI? What is your weight loss goal setting (lose 2lbs./1.5lbs/1.0lb per week)? How much more weight do you want to lose?
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    are you doing measurements??

    I haven't seen the scale move in going on 2 months, but I know can see the inches coming off each month!!

    Are you doing a lot of weight training?

    3 x a week & cardio 4 days...
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    I was not doing a lot of weight training, but I have started 30DS and will do Day 6 of that today. Prior to that it was basically cardio for for 40-60 min for 6-7 days a week.

    I did not take my measurements in the beginning (dummy!); however, my clothes are not fitting any differently than they were a month ago.
  • ccbloom1
    ccbloom1 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    What is your current BMI? What is your weight loss goal setting (lose 2lbs./1.5lbs/1.0lb per week)? How much more weight do you want to lose?

    Current BMI is 33. Weight loss goal setting is custom at 1.2 lbs per week. I would like to lose another 40lbs.
  • dru_howard
    dru_howard Posts: 47
    Options
    I hit a 3 week plateau and went into maintenance mode for about 2 weeks (I was also sick so that kind of forced me to do so) but after 2 weeks of slowing down my workouts and eating a 300-400 hundred calories more a day...I lost 3 lbs. I went right back into exercising hard core - way more strength training than cardio and upped my calories from 1200 to 1400 daily and have been seeing steady 1-1.5lb losses/week. Everyone's different and I think you just have to try different things until your body responds and go from there.

    Congrats on your success so far - that is fantastic!!
  • DeniseGdz
    DeniseGdz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    I was not doing a lot of weight training, but I have started 30DS and will do Day 6 of that today. Prior to that it was basically cardio for for 40-60 min for 6-7 days a week.

    I did not take my measurements in the beginning (dummy!); however, my clothes are not fitting any differently than they were a month ago.

    Well it's never to late to start taking measurements!! if you get a minute today, make a note and take some measurements!! If you can swing some pics do that too...

    I'm a very visual person. I don't see the # on the scale but I do see them on the measuring tape & definitely see the changes on the pics!

    Good luck to ya! :happy:

Categories