Wish I didn't have to ask...

Mallory0418

It's been about 2 months since I lost any weight. I usually eat between 1200 and 1350 calories and I work out 5 - 6 days a week. I do mostly cardio but I do incorporate a little bit of weight training every other day. Over the last couple of weeks I've started including circuit training (30DS) and sprints every other day for a HIIT workout along with a shorter version of my regular cardio routine. Now I have noticed I'm losing some inches and I'm really starting to firm up but I'm not losing any weight! This is getting very frustrating! Any help would be very much appreciated!

*I did lose 1 pound last week but gained it back this week. That might just be because its my TOM but that doesn't explain the last couple of months!

sarah44254

My first suggestion is to eat all your earned exercise calories. Do you do that already?

If yes - then the next step might sound a little strange... exercise less. Sometimes your body needs something drastic to help influence it to do something different. If you are very used to working out 5-6 days a week, working out 1-3 days a week would be a drastic change. And might be just what you need.

PatasDeGallina

I agree with sarah44254. Make sure you're NET calories are 1200 or over. If that doesn't work, talk to your doctor.

And keep up the good work! :happy:

TavistockToad

eat more! if you dotn eat your exercise cals, then start!

rainunrefined

I honestly think that you were on a plateau and now you have broken through that. But instead of just losing fat, you're gaining muscle as well. Keep doing what you're doing and I think you'll see the scale begin to move again. JMO.

shakybabe

Think I'll try that but opposite way around I usually manage 2 early morning intense workouts a day.. I might try going for a full week as my weight seems to have stalled too.

mrau719

Incorporate more weight training. And make sure you're getting a lean protein, starch, and plenty of veggies at every meal. It sounds like you've hit a plateau. Back off from the cardio a little bit for now. Sometimes our bodies just need that change. Maybe just cut back to cardio 3-4 x's or even just cut back a day.

theportkey

I am going to say exactly the same thing !!

Also, (years ago) while at WW I came to a standstill like that. When they checked my diary, there was very little fat intake.
Have you cut your fat out too much aswell.
I included some spreads... and lost just over 3Lb the following week !!

Our bodies can do strange things sometimes

aneumany

sounds like ur workin out alot (too much cardio) try doing less cardio and upping ur weight training and eating a lil more.. if ur doing all taht cardio u need to fuel ur body.. sounds like ur not eatin enough.. are u eatin bacjk ur exercise calories?.. u should.. not to mention.. over time.. u are going to stop losing weight and start toning and putting on muscle..idk how hard u weight train.. but..ive stopped losing weight.. dont worry about the scale so much as how u look and how things feel!

Mallory0418

See, I feel like I'll be eating WAY too much if I eat all of my exercise calories back! I work out hard and since I'm still up at 172ish I usually burn an average of 800 calories on days I work out. I'll give it try because this is one thing I definitely haven't tried yet but it's going to feel strange. Thanks for your help everyone!

blisterpeanuts

Exercise more. In the long run, it's about health, not looks.

No such thing as exercising less to achieve better health.

You could eat a bit more, or vary your diet more, perhaps.

I would definitely not try "exercising less" as a way to lose weight.

sarah44254

Start with trying to eat back half, maybe? But definitely you want to be eating more. If you are eating 1400 and burning 800, that is giving your body a net of only 600 calories to work with! Hopefully you can see how that can be an issue.

EpiGaiaRepens

Well, I wonder if maybe you don't really need to lose that much more weight. The closer you get to your goal, the harder it is. I would first suggest maybe considering that because you exercise so much, you may have more muscle on you than most people and your BMI may actually be lower than what you might think. From your pictures, you look pretty thin already.

Also, if you are toning up and not losing weight, it's because you're burning fat and building muscle at the same rate. What's wrong with that?

I do think switching things up is the trick. I hit a few plateaus myself and i barelled through them using things like calorie cycling and adding HIIT to my regimen. But mixing it up is good the closer you get to goal. Also, cardio is good for burning calories so you can eat more calories, but as you get closer to goal, I think it becomes less useful. I was doing all this marathon training and not losing weight at all...but i do HIIT and 30 DS and the weight comes off. I would suggest that perhaps you need to switch up how you do HIIT. Try doing it as jump rope or jumping jacks or anything other than running. Or try running up stairs. I think it's important to not have your HIIT be the same exact routine every time.

sarah44254

Exercise more. In the long run, it's about health, not looks.

No such thing as exercising less to achieve better health.

You could eat a bit more, or vary your diet more, perhaps.

I would definitely not try "exercising less" as a way to lose weight.

I'm just going to respectfully disagree and be on my way. I cannot argue my point with someone who claims 'no such thing'.

aneumany

eatin more does seem weird.. but ur body needs the fuel.. otherwise where does it come from.. think.. 800 calories is more than half ur daily intake.. u need to make uo for that.. and dont eat more as in just watever u want obviously.. i try to make those extra calories i eat the cleanest!.. the chicken breasts, the sweet potatos, the spinach..try to keep it really lean and clean!.. especially if u work out at night.. do u drink protein shakes? those are a great 140 calories PACKED with protein!.. u should open ur diary so we can get a better idea of ur daily intake!..

KiyaK

You are NOT on a plateau! You said yourself, you're losing inches. Be incredibly happy with that success. Becoming fit isn't ONLY about dropping pounds. Your ultimate goal is to look GOOD, correct? Well, if you're losing inches that contributes to looking good. Becoming fit, healthy and hott is about more than dropping the numbers on the scale.

I am MUCH happier with losing inches and having baggier clothes than having a lower weight Maybe you just need to re-evaluate the way you think about this.

missjessica83

I am having similar results at the moment...so i can understand how you feel.

I have had a rethink today and these are the things im going to try - this is NO judgement on YOU whatsoever just what ive found for me....

Although i stay within calories my food choices recently still include processed food and not enough fruit/veg/wholegrains and lean protein...basically i need to be eating 'clean'

If im exercising (like you i workout 5 days a week) i need to be drinking much more water because muscles retain it while they heal only way to lose it is to flush more through

I have been eating exercise cals as my activity level is sedentary so am going to try just eating 1/2 of them

Focus on measurements and how im feeling more than the 'scale numbers'

Take multivitamins inc B Vits for energy and metabolism function

Weigh and measure all food - eg. after so long i 'think' i know what 100g of pasta/cereal etc looks like however i might be overestimating this!?

Stay concious of my goals - write them down, break them into smaller goals and go over them every day

Use this site to stay motivated

Good luck

kducky22

See, I feel like I'll be eating WAY too much if I eat all of my exercise calories back! I work out hard and since I'm still up at 172ish I usually burn an average of 800 calories on days I work out. I'll give it try because this is one thing I definitely haven't tried yet but it's going to feel strange. Thanks for your help everyone!

I know it might be weird, but I think because you have such intense workouts your body is holding on to every little scrap of food you put into it. If you eat a little more, your body might relax and start to let go of the fat a little bit. Since I love getting in intense workouts, personally, I wouldn't change my workouts, I would change my eating habits.

I'm kinda in the same boat too. I haven't really lost weight since mid september, but I have noticed a little dress I own is looking waaaayyyy better on me. I'll take what I can get! :bigsmile:

Mallory0418

I really appreciate all of your help. Honestly, reading all of your advice is making me tear up a little bit because I have been so frustrated every time I get on the scale and not seeing a change. I think I'm just putting too much pressure on myself and am almost feeling a little panic-y at the idea of eating so much more than I have been.

ninerbuff

It's been about 2 months since I lost any weight. I usually eat between 1200 and 1350 calories and I work out 5 - 6 days a week. I do mostly cardio but I do incorporate a little bit of weight training every other day. Over the last couple of weeks I've started including circuit training (30DS) and sprints every other day for a HIIT workout along with a shorter version of my regular cardio routine. Now I have noticed I'm losing some inches and I'm really starting to firm up but I'm not losing any weight! This is getting very frustrating! Any help would be very much appreciated!

*I did lose 1 pound last week but gained it back this week. That might just be because its my TOM but that doesn't explain the last couple of months!

If cardio was your focus, then lean muscle gets burned at a higher rate too. By incorporating a strength program in, you MAY have gotten some of it back and may now have a higher resting rate. Focusing on the scale instead of you physique shows that the scale number is more important then losing the body fat. The scale can't tell you where the weight is from, just to total amount of amassed weight. Use the mirror as your best indicator.

Rilke

See, I feel like I'll be eating WAY too much if I eat all of my exercise calories back! I work out hard and since I'm still up at 172ish I usually burn an average of 800 calories on days I work out. I'll give it try because this is one thing I definitely haven't tried yet but it's going to feel strange. Thanks for your help everyone!

Yeah, if you are eating 1200-1300 and burning 800, you *need* to eat more.

Congrats on losing inches though.

sarah44254

I really appreciate all of your help. Honestly, reading all of your advice is making me tear up a little bit because I have been so frustrated every time I get on the scale and not seeing a change. I think I'm just putting too much pressure on myself and am almost feeling a little panic-y at the idea of eating so much more than I have been.

I had my goal set at losing 1 lb a week. Recently (last few weeks) I set it to lose 0.5 a week instead. This had me eating about 1700 before exercise, after exercise goal is usually 2200 or so. I just wanted to tell you that I have been eating 300-400 OVER goal on accident (been totally hungry lately!) so I am eating what feels like enormous amounts, 2500 cals.. 2800 cals!

And a few days ago, I lost a bit of weight for the first time in like a month so even though I am eating enough to have MFP claim I will gain weight in 5 weeks when I close my diary, the scale is showing smaller numbers. Pretty incredible!

TerraGirl17

Exercise more. In the long run, it's about health, not looks.

No such thing as exercising less to achieve better health.

You could eat a bit more, or vary your diet more, perhaps.

I would definitely not try "exercising less" as a way to lose weight.

I'm just going to respectfully disagree and be on my way. I cannot argue my point with someone who claims 'no such thing'.

I agree with Sarah, after working with my personal trainer for a few months he suggested I up my cals to 1600 and not eat back my exercise cals that way the days I worked out my cal intake would be slightly lower then the days I didn't. He also suggested making sure I took 2 rest days, lower my cardio workouts and incorporate more strength training, I found the weight didn't come off as much but i was losing inches and going down in clothes sizes. You can only work your body so much

Mallory0418

You are NOT on a plateau! You said yourself, you're losing inches. Be incredibly happy with that success. Becoming fit isn't ONLY about dropping pounds. Your ultimate goal is to look GOOD, correct? Well, if you're losing inches that contributes to looking good. Becoming fit, healthy and hott is about more than dropping the numbers on the scale.

I am MUCH happier with losing inches and having baggier clothes than having a lower weight Maybe you just need to re-evaluate the way you think about this.

You are right, and I know you are. I don't have much support outside of this site with my weight loss so pretty much any comments I get on my losing inches is negative, so I have to go by my own judgement. But then when I step on the scale and see the same thing every week, I start to think that maybe I was just having wishful thinking but I'm really not looking different at all... I know this is an issue in my head I'm just going to have to work through.

pandora520

To move off the plateu, I'd suggest cutting your carbs down to under 80 grams per day, and instead up your protein and healthy fat intake. As much as you excercise, you probably don't eat enough calories anyway. But if you average 1300 calories per day, your nutrients balance will then look more like this:
- 75 g Carbs (75g * 4 cal/g = 300 cal) or ~23% of your total calories
- 90 g Protein (90g * 4 cal/g = 360 cal) or ~28% of your total calories
- 71 g Fat (71g * 9 cal/g = 640 cal) or 50% of your total calories

You can customize your goal in MyFitnessPal to match this. It will not be exact, but closeset setting is 25% Carb, 25% Protein, 50% Fat. Check out this article for details and more info: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan.

I've lost over 40 lb after having 2 kids back to back eating this way, so for me it is a lifestyle at this point. But I do eat more calories since I lift weights.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

TerraGirl17

I really appreciate all of your help. Honestly, reading all of your advice is making me tear up a little bit because I have been so frustrated every time I get on the scale and not seeing a change. I think I'm just putting too much pressure on myself and am almost feeling a little panic-y at the idea of eating so much more than I have been.

I was like this too and the trainer told me to throw my scale away because I was stressing myself out over #'s and the stress would make me gain weight. He suggested (and it worked) using string to measure my success because then you aren't focusing on a #. What I did was get 5 envelopes and labeled them waist, hips, thighs, arms, and abs, I took a piece of string and put it around each body part and cut it off where it met, then once a week I would take it out and put it around the body part, any overlapping and I was losing inches.

Silvergamma

I would highly recommend checking out some of the pod casts at http://www.fat2fitradio.com/. You are doing so much good stuff, but you are eating WAY below your BRM which can be very hard on your metabolism. The Fat 2 Fit pod cast explain it really well. It's possible that if you up your calories, your body will have an adjustment period (up probably 2-5 pounds realistically), but as you repair your metabolism, those pounds will drop off fast. I'm not a fan of varying my calories based on how much I exercise, so I have a set calorie goal based on the Fat 2 Fit BMR calculator. It's what helped me get through some rough spots I had this last summer.

Good luck!

tulip07

See if cutting out some carbs (what pandora said) retrains your metabolism and helps move the scale a bit. I am doing the 17 day diet which is low carb for the first 17 days (no bread, pasta, rice, etc for the first 17 days), hot water with lemon when you wake up, lots of lean protein (fish, turkey, chicken breast, eggs), lots of veggies and 2 fruits (fruits before 2PM), 2 healthy fats (flax seed oil and olive oil), no-fat plain greek yogurt for the probiotics, go low on sodium, green tea 3 times a day and 8 cups of water. It's also very clean eating. You can add spice to your food in the form of pepper, garlic, ginger, herbs etc!!

That's the gist of the first 17 days. It's all you can eat protein and veggies, so that's how you would make sure you are getting your 1200-1300 calories.

If not following the exact 17 day diet, just changing it up a little by avoiding carbs for a few days may help you break the plateau. Hope that helps a bit! Good luck!

angelacasey736

If yes - then the next step might sound a little strange... exercise less. Sometimes your body needs something drastic to help influence it to do something different. If you are very used to working out 5-6 days a week, working out 1-3 days a week would be a drastic change. And might be just what you need.

I have to agree with this. I have been on here since May and have hit some points of stalling - my body got too use to my routine so i scaled back my excercising a bit and lost two weeks back to back. It is not a permanent reduction (of excercise) but your body definitely needs to have things switched up a bit. You could also look into zig-zagging your calories. I tried this for a week and had success as well.

bethdris

See, I feel like I'll be eating WAY too much if I eat all of my exercise calories back! I work out hard and since I'm still up at 172ish I usually burn an average of 800 calories on days I work out. I'll give it try because this is one thing I definitely haven't tried yet but it's going to feel strange. Thanks for your help everyone!

Im stuck too, (but techincally on maintainance)...I know im toning (smaller jean size), but that darn scale is stuck! Quite honestly I'd like to lose a few more pounds to get to 100 pounds even lost. Im trying to eat all my "goal" calories and forgetting about what I burn (for now) If I eat goal+burn Id be eating literally ALL time time, that would be like eating 2400+ cals a day.

blisterpeanuts

Exercise more. In the long run, it's about health, not looks.

No such thing as exercising less to achieve better health.

You could eat a bit more, or vary your diet more, perhaps.

I would definitely not try "exercising less" as a way to lose weight.

I'm just going to respectfully disagree and be on my way. I cannot argue my point with someone who claims 'no such thing'.

You can, actually. I'm here to learn and I have a thick skin.