Why can't I lose these last 10 lbs?!?!?!

AliDarling

I'm no where near my goal weight, but I am 10 lbs away from pre pregancy. I haven't really changed my eating habbits from when I first started. I walk and jog around work 6 hours a night, 5 nights a week, do 1/2 30 minute work outs, slim in 6 at home every day, and the past few days i've been going to the gym after work and hopping on the eliptical for 30/45 min, 420/601 calories burned.

no, i'm not eating my cal goal of 1780, if i'm not hungry, even nuts, i'm not going to force it down. if you look at my food diary, and all the Panda express, i just pick at the veggies. a lot of times i don't know how many cals so i enter the most fattening thing like orange chicken and i burn it off.

I have been 214 for almost 2 months, and as happy as i am to not be 243, it's like C'mon! move!!
I also drink 8-12 glasses of water a day.

I know i'm not building muscle, still can't do a push up or even a fake one. getting a little more tone, but no inches are getting lost either.

rileysowner

I know you don't want to eat when you are not hungry, but if you are not eating your calories that is likely your problem. Perhaps you need to start adding some more calorie dense foods in or cook your food in healthy oils.

I looked at your diary, You really need to eat more, and likely better as well. That is where your problem lies.

kevin3344

You don't have to eat 1,780, but you should at least eat 1,200. Some days of your diary are really low. I would start there.

nkziv

Set your goal weight loss to 1 or 0.5 pounds a week. Then eat a little more. That's how I lost vanity pounds--it worked for me. And it is difficult to lose weight when your BMI is already low, so take my word for it!!

Aviendha_RJ

Quick & easy answer... you're starving yourself.

Eat more. It sucks... it's hard. I have to fill in calories with chocolate milk some nights before bed, but you have to eat back ALL of your exercise calories, or your body JUST WON'T lose the weight.

I don't know what else to tell you... other than maybe see a doctor? It could be a thyroid issue or something?

oceancity

You're thinking about it too much! It's a mental block not a physical one. I was wanted to lose my last 5 pounds to get me out of 200 and was doing everything I possibly could to lose it! One day I just told myself to shut up, stop trying to force it, when it's ready to come off it will. Plus, I think being over 200 lbs my whole life, I was kind of scared to be below it, and as soon as I realized that I was keeping this weight on me by that kind of thinking, (even though I thought I was ready, deep down I wasn't) and accepted that I was going to be perfectly fine, over the next week, I lost 6 lbs. Just don't stress! You'll lose it eventually! Figure out if anything is hindering you, mentally or physically, and find a way to take care of it if it is(: Hope this helps!

kevin3344

I also think your exercise calories are skewed. First, only count those calories where you specifically work out, like at the gym or doing a fitness tape, not while at work. Also, get a HRM to more accurately count what you are actually burning. A 3-mile run for me may be different for someone else.

As previously mentioned, you have to get your calories up. Try protein shakes, healthy snacks during the day, apples, oranges (something you can take with you). That way even if you're not hungry you can have something small.

redfroggie

I'm surprised at the amount of calories you are burning daily. You said you walk and run 6 hours a night at work, do you count these as calories? Is it part of your regular job? If it's something you have always done, you can't count these as your body is used to it. Looking at your diary you don't eat regularly or at regular intervals and it seems like it's a lot of processed food. I agree you should maybe change your amount to lose a week down to .5 or 1 lbs. That's what I did when I stalled and I lost 1.8 lbs this week after 3 weeks of nothing.

melaniecheeks

Your diary is very erratic - lots of gaps and lots of diner foods.

Try to eat 3 small meals a day - eggs, oatmeal or yoghurt for breakfast, soup or salad for lunch, lean meat and salad for dinner.

Drink lots of water.

Not sure where you are getting your 2000+ calorie burn each day, but there is no need to do so much cardio, in fact it may be detrimental long term. And do some strength training instead.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Like a few other people mentioned, its really important to reach your calorie goal or close to it! When you don't eat enough your metabolism slows down to a dangerously low rate - which is very bad. The faster your metabolism, the more fat you burn.

This is what I would try: instead of eating just 3 meals a day with some snacks, make it a commitment to eat every 2 hours. By doing this, you're not allowing your metabolism to slow down because you're constantly giving it more food to digest. The harder your metabolism is working, the more fat you'll be losing.

I credit this method a great deal for helping me to lose my initial 10 pounds at the start of college last year.

Good luck, sweetheart!! Don't give up. I'm an exercise science major with a minor in food sciences. If you have questions or need support, message me on MFP!

guitboxman

I'm by no means an expert, but I can share an experience a friend of mine encountered. In his goals on this site he has his normal daily activity set to VERY active, which gave him quite the calorie goal bump. He also rides his bike to work, 6 miles a day. He struggled to achieve his calorie goal during the work week and gained weight all week. Then on the weekends he would eat everything in site because he was so hungry and completely blow out his calorie goal. THIS is when he noticed his weight DROP.
Everything I have read says that you need to set a realistic goal (max 2 lb a week loss), figure out the calories for that goal, and add calories for all activities "earned" through excercise. If not, your intelligent body will 'go into lockdown' causing undesirable results. I hope this helps!

Oishii

Your diary is very erratic - lots of gaps and lots of diner foods.

Try to eat 3 small meals a day - eggs, oatmeal or yoghurt for breakfast, soup or salad for lunch, lean meat and salad for dinner.

Drink lots of water.

Not sure where you are getting your 2000+ calorie burn each day, but there is no need to do so much cardio, in fact it may be detrimental long term. And do some strength training instead.

This is all what I was thinking too. I looked far enough back to see empty days and deficits in the 2000s.

Why not give the cardio a bit of a break and concentrate on logging thoroughly and eating well?

sweetNsassy2584

Plain and simple its your diet.

kevin3344

I'm surprised at the amount of calories you are burning daily. You said you walk and run 6 hours a night at work, do you count these as calories? Is it part of your regular job? If it's something you have always done, you can't count these as your body is used to it. Looking at your diary you don't eat regularly or at regular intervals and it seems like it's a lot of processed food. I agree you should maybe change your amount to lose a week down to .5 or 1 lbs. That's what I did when I stalled and I lost 1.8 lbs this week after 3 weeks of nothing.

This is exactly what I was trying to say. Try and be consistent with your meals. Add fruits, veggies, etc. and less processed food.

AliDarling

thanks everyone for the advice and tips. I know a big problem is me not eating enough, but when i cook, i dont use ol. i've only been cooking mostly bell peppers in the oven with black beans and such. bake them in the oven for 20 min. i do put a little mozzeralla cheese on them some times, but other than the hot dogs (12 am after the gym) and 2 biscuts yesterday, i don't cook that often anymore.

with panda express, i dont eat any of the meat. i take a toothpick and pick out some veggies like mushrooms, broccolie, red bell peppers, onions, pineapple and even some cashews. i just dont know how many cals are in them so i just put orange chicken.

the chocolate milk seems like a good idea.

I know that at work, my body will get used to the walking, so i change it up with sprints back and forth, and making sure i move when i clean the dining area, as well as the sprinting on the eliptical as a change up.
I put spinich in just about everything, and i can''t handle more than 12 glases of water a day.

I'll try some of your sugestions and maybe pick up some unsalted almonds or walnuts. thanks everyone