Please be nice.... I really need some advice

zoey4316

Okay before I even write this, please don't berate me, I am having a bad enough evening already.

I have seriously hit a plateau and by that I mean 5 months hovering around the same 10 pounds, sometimes I go down and then other times I go back up. I will admit me and my boyfriend moved recently I wasn't eating as disciplined as I was before (but the plateau began before we moved when I was still counting to the max), but I can say I have not stopped exercising. I have recently upped my workouts to 1000 cals a day (I go two times so it is not all in one sitting) but I still can't seem to make the scale move.

And when i would eat "bad" or at least worse I would never go over 2300 cals at the max. On a normal day I eat 1400.

I have tried eating back my calories and also tried not eating back exercise calories. Nothing seems to work. I am still very over weight - around 245 - 250. I just don't understand why the pounds are no longer coming off. I started losing weight last December when I was 306 pounds. I am wondering if there is something medically wrong with me and maybe I should go see a doctor. If you have any experience with something like this please let me know I am really needing a light at the end of this rediculously long tunnel.

glockster972

Have you measured yourself? Sometimes the scale is the devil, and you may not be losing weight, but losing inches.

abbigail_r

Are you getting enought water? Or maybe try staggering your calories? I know that can be frustrating. Maybe your making muscle instead of dropping weight, have you measured. Maybe change your workouts up or even your food? It will happen, dont give up!!

warmachinejt

easy if you weigh more than 200lbs and are eating 1400cals a day you're undereating by a big margin in my opinion

ansonrinesmith

Try taking a break from the exercising. You may be over-training. I talk to many people who lift weights who say when they reach a plateau in their workouts, they take a week off and come back feeling stronger.

vsetter

What are you doing for exercise? Have you changed your exercise routine over the past few months? Is 1000 exercise calories based on what MFP says or are you using a heart rate monitor?

warmachinejt

try this calculator and you will be surprised tell me the results please I will tell you how much you should eat
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html

rae_mayer

I was just having this problem! I am in the 250's and I was trying to eat 1400 calories a day. I was at a plateau for a month or I was going up. I finally upped my calories closer to 1900 and I lost 2.5 lbs the first week and it's been coming off pretty steadily since. Maybe you need to do something similar?

Usbornegal

My trainer says it's important to change up your workout routine on a regular basis. If you always do the same workout, your body adjusts and doesn't respond as much. You also might want to go with that physical and include a good blood sugar/insulin resistance test. I have IR and it totally reeks havoc on my attempts to lose weight at times.

:frown: So sad that you would need to ask not to be beat up on emotionally as you start your post. Aren't we all supposed to help each other on here instead of running into the negativity and fat bias we find everywhere else?

DesertSunsetRain

I would suggest giving your body a rest. Burning off +1000 calories at the gym is a lot.. You are only eating 1400 calories. I would imagine that's more than a 1000 calories a day deficit, which I guess is technically normally if you're trying to lose 2lbs a week, but it still seems like a lot Your body might just be holding on to everything. I would suggest either upping your calories by a lot or cutting down on the working out.

zoey4316

First of all thank you all for responding.

I do alot of cardio - I vary from the Crosstrainer (I think that is what it is called) to the eliptical to the treadmill, I get the calorie count from the machines by putting in my weight and age and by checking my heart rate at various intervals I don't trust MPF's calorie counts because mine always come in a lot lower.

How much should I be eating if 1400 is too little? I always thought you had to eat less and move more to loose weight.

I have not measured myself, I think I will do that....maybe that will give me some validation. I don't plan on giving up, it just gets super frustrating.

I usually drink only water, but I could probably drink alot more if I really focused on it.

I have never thought about taking a break, it scares me that I wouldn't want to go back or something (I used to be super lazy) but maybe I will give that a try.

iuangina

I had this problem. I got my thyroid checked. I didn't have a problem but the doctor told me that I should go see a nutritionist. I did and I found out that I was eating the wrong kind of calories. Not all calories are treated equally in my body. I also had to change up my workouts. I had to drop all processed foods for a while. They said that the sodium and other ingredients were causing a problem with my weight loss. It could also be that you are not eating enough on a daily basis. I started swimming and biking as well as weight lifting. I would go to the doctor to see if there is a problem because you don't want to keep getting frustrated.

BTW I got frustrated and gained a bunch back before I went to the doctor it sucks to have to start over.

LabRat529

First... congratulations on losing the weight you've already lost! 62lbs is nothing to sneeze at. You should be proud of yourself for that.

Second... another congratulations for not giving up. I think I would say **** this after 5 months, but you've kept trying, so give yourself some credit. That's really impressive staying power.

Third... it can't hurt to see a doctor and possibly get a referral to a nutritionist. They'll probably have a better idea how to help you than anyone here.

You've done wonderfully, and you've kept trying. You can lose the rest. You can. You've already lost 62lbs. Hang in there.

Rae6503

So are you netting 1400 or eating that total and burning 1000?

If you are burning 1000 and only eating a total of 1400 that's the same as eating 400 calories a day...

Contrarian

I suspect you need to eat more. Much more. I know is sounds wrong, but you aren't fueling your body properly.

aiyana1228

My thyroid levels were in the normal range but at the very bottom of normal and my Dr had me try thyroid meds. It made a bog difference. Definately worth a trip to the Doc. I also agree that the kind of food you eat can make a difference. I definately do better the less processed foods I eat.

zoey4316

Okay on

no activity it says: 1,995

Moderate activity: 2,577

These are to maintain weight right or are they to lose weight. Thanks for your help

crobinson0923

How many calories does mfp say you should eat? You can set it for u to lose 2 lbs a week. I would start there and then at least eat some of your exercise calories. I usually eat half of them back, that way I still feel like Im getting the benefits of the workout while fueling my body. Also, make sure you are drinking lots and lots of water since yur losing so much at the gym. Good luck and good for u for not giving up.

warmachinejt

maybe try 1800-1900 for 2 weeks and see what happens. I would go as far as saying try 2100 but that's up to you. I would go with 1800-1900 for now.
Weigh yourself the same day on the 2 weeks once a week. Preferably as you wake up.

flasportsfan

There might be two things you can try:

1. Detox yourself from all sugars and white flours for about a week. Try to eat foods that are natural. Nuts, veggies, fruits, etc. I'd stay away from ALL processed foods. If you can't do this for a week, try for 3 days. First 3 days are the hardest, but if you can make it past day 3, you will lose your cravings for sugar. You can do it. It's for a short period of time. The reason to do this is obvious, but most importantly, once in a while, you have to shock your body. And this will be a major shock to your body. After you've finished (hopefully more than the 3rd day), GRADUALLY incorporate more fun foods. Not talking Halloween candy here. I'm talking about whole wheat pasta, or a piece of cheese, yogurt, etc. I would incorporate ONE of these types of foods a day for a week. Then 2 fun foods on week 2. You don't want to have a love fest with Twinkies after detoxing for these days. Also, take a multi-vitamin while doing this and drink, drink, drink water!!!!

OR

2. You can shock your body by doing the following, which my doctor prescribed when I hit a plateau. It's for 3 days:

Day 1 - ALL FRUITS - no bananas. Try to eat water-based fruits like melons, peaches, strawberries, etc. WATER all day
Day 2 - ALL VEGGIES - start with a potato in the morning to replace your potassium levels. NO peas, corn or any other starchy veggies.
Day 3 - ALL FRUITS and VEGGIES - a combo of Day 1 and Day 2. NO potato and NO bananas.

Water on all days. If you drink coffee, that's fine, but drink it black (yuck) but it's only for 3 days!!!!

Good luck! Both of these are proven to break through plateaus. THE KEY IS NOT TO EAT LIKE CRAZY AT THE END OF THIS. Eat smart and your body will get off the sugar high its been on.

Sidesteal

I would recommend that you see a physician to get your thyroid hormones checked, and get a fasting blood glucose test done.

JacksMom12

It never hurts to ask a doctor. If only to rule out possible problems like PCOS or a thyroid problem. If I had health insurance, I probably would have my thyroid checked.. just to know for certain. I doubt there is a medical cause, but it would be frustrating to put in so much hard work when your body is working against you.

monet13

How 'bout cutting out some of the white flour products and load up on vegetable and protein - this really helped me to get it going - I had overgrowth of bacteria in my digestive system so needed to cut out all irritants - flour, caffeine, dairy, sugar. I can now have those things in moderation but the 6 - 8 weeks without really helped! I agree with everyone else - get evaluated by a doc and nutritionist - there are so many variables that could be impacting you - Good luck, youv'e come a long way already - don't give up!

AZackery

Hi Zoey4316,

I want to start off by saying, congratulation on your loss. You are doing good.

If you go to the doctor, ask him or her to check you for thyroids and diabetes. Some people are a diabetic and they don't even know it.

If I can suggest something to you, I would suggest you start tracking your body fat percentage. Why? Because the scale doesn't have to move, in order for a person to lose fat.

A person's body weight is divided into two categories. Pounds of fat and pounds of lean body mass.

To find out how much of your scale weight is from fat and how much is from lean body mass, use this formula.

Weight x BF% = Pounds of fat
Weight - Pounds of fat = Lean body mass

I don't know how often you weigh yourself, but to track body fat percentage, I would suggest you weigh yourself every week, every other week or every month. I weigh myself once a month.

By tracking your body fat percentage, you will see how your body is changing.

Scale weight doesn't determine what size clothes a person wear or even if they are healthy or not.

You can do this. Be Patient.

TLCEsq

I agree with everyone saying to improve your diet and EAT MORE :-)

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

mrrad

I agree with the "go see your doctor".

However if evererything is medically ok, I would try changing your exercise routine to every other day with the emphasis on building muscle. I would recommend a personal trainer they will push you to try new things even if you only have three sessions it is worth finding the money.

Food wise I am sure you are not eating enough. Try eating nearer 1800 but weigh/measure everything and eat unprocessed natural food. Try this for two weeks and see how your body reacts. Then you can adjust your calories as appropriate.

You have done amazingly well and this will pass, you will find a way.

Goos luck

vsetter

I'm with everyone else here. But you might also want to consider purchasing a heart rate monitor. I have found that the calorie counts on the machines are usually high (and mfp is even higher yet). By having a hrm, you will learn more about your body. Your body does get used to workouts over time (and you will see that with a hrm), so consider changing your routine. To break my plateau, I really had to push my limits (having the hrm helps me know what those limits are).