Weight loss slowing down - Need some advice

KCharron20

I began my weight loss journey on December 6, 2010 at 333 pounds. I am now down to 249 pounds. I am very happy with my loss so far but it seems like the losses are slowing down. I actually haven't lost anything in about a month. I keep gaining and losing the same 3 pounds.

I have my calorie count set at 1240 (MFP suggested) and set to lose 2 pounds per week. Most days I stay within my calorie count. I work out on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings doing Core & Cardio (bike and jogging intervals). On Saturday mornings I give myself what I call an all over strength training "butt busting". Then on Monday & Wednesday nights I work out with my trainer for 1/2 hour. I take Sundays off. I am 42 years old and am 5'6".

Any suggestions? Do you think I need to up my calorie intake? I do currently eat back my exercise calories.
Thank you for any suggestions!

uk_ja

You are not eating enough, If you follow the MFP suggested calories for the day you have to eat back any exercise calories. For long term weight loss you can only look to lose a maximum of 2lb a week BUT your metabolism still needs food to work with.

When you constantly eat 1200 a day calories over such a long time period, IE since Dec 2010 your body slows to compensate for the severe lack of food and now your body has slowed down enough to survive on the 1200 calories a day that you have fed it.

As a 5'6" 42 y/o Female weighing 249lb you have a BMR of 1848, that 1848 is the minimum amount of calories you need to eat a day to keep your body healthy and to keep your metabolism working at 100% If you eat about 1800 calories a day, maintain your workout schedule you''ll start to lose weight again in a few weeks once your metabolism starts to speed up again.

I know it doesn't make sense that you have to eat more to lose weight but the body does NOT like to diet so if you restrict the amount of food you eat by to much the body slows you metabolism down to compensate, this goes on all the time that you eat below your BMR level and the only way to fix it, IE speed up your metabolism is to start eating again at your BMR ( At least)

Also remember to re-evaluate your BMR every 20lb lost

If you want to start losing weight again I would suggest that you start eating 1848 + any exercise calories. Looking at what you said your week looks like I would eat around 2000 Calories a day.