Stalled on the scale, help?

xmissjasmine

So my scale hasn't moved for a while. If it has it's only been by like .something of a pound. I'm eating 1200-1300 calories a day and getting anywhere from a 20-45 minute workout in at LEAST 4 times a week, most of the time more.... I'm not sure what to do here....
Do I increase exercise, decrease or increase calories?

Also, I've got PCOS as well (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for those of you getting read to ask) which can also make weight loss MUCH more difficult due to insulin resistance issues (which oddly enough I don't have insulin resistance but still have trouble) and elevated hormone levels....

So I'm trying to figure out what to do here.. Advice anyone?

hdtoolgirl

Eat more! worked for me.. I'm becoming a believer in eating back some of those exercise calories.

Also, change your routine while working out also helps.

tbresina

Eat more! worked for me.. I'm becoming a believer in eating back some of those exercise calories.

Also, change your routine while working out also helps.

I am also stalled but this scares me, are you sure eat more????? Im too scared to start the scale in the opposite direction I really want!

TanyaCurtis

Up ur calories, eat 1500 a day, see how that helps. U will most likely start losing weight again, and faster!

secogeni

Could be muscle gain slowing you down. Try using a measuring tape instead of the scale, or take note of how tight/loose your clothes are.

GibsonDarlin

Mine stalled for a month, I changed my exercise up and ate a bit more!

JEDIMASTER1

Yes, be sure to eat your exercise calories, I noticed it really works for me. It is just a one day at a time process sweetie, the weight will come off if you stay consistent and disciplined. Don't get discouraged, the scale stalls for all of us from time to time, just keep moving and eating your calories.

smccb

I was always raised to believe that eating more = gaining weight. "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" was my mother's favorite saying.

I too exercise 4-6 times a week, and for months and months was stalled at 135 lbs. I am 5'3". I was terrified to follow everyone's advice to up my calories - it went against everything I believed. But I tried it. After a month I weighed myself and weighed in at 122 lbs!

I literally eat three times as much as I used to. And I find that when I fall back into old habits and don't eat well, the weight stalls again. Also, the fitter I become, the more calories I seem to need to keep the weight coming off.

Try it! Your body will thank you!

RGonVSH

I completely believe in the old saying: "If nothing changes, nothing changes." The point being, in this case, that you need to make some changes in how you eat and how you work out.

Two suggestions:

1. Take a look at your food. What kinds of food are included in those 1200-1300 calories? Are you eating enough vegetables? Can you reduce your fat intake? sugar intake? As I am sure you know, all foods are not created equal, and with PCOS, you will probably want to eat a little more. But if you are going to eat more, you will want to eat more of the right foods. And those right foods are whole foods (not from a package or can) and especially more vegetables... You can eat a lot of veggies for few calories.

Just avoiding packaged foods can reduce your sugar intake, but you should seriously consider doing three weeks of NO sugar (except whole fruit in moderation). Eating low on the glycemic index can help a lot here. If three weeks of no sugar and increased vegetable intake doesn't get your program re-started, then you may need to look at other foods.

2. The funny thing about working out is that after a while our bodies get used to whatever it is that we do. So look at your workouts. Vary them more. For myself, after a certain point, I have become more fit and I have to really notice that I am not getting into my target heart rate area. Stepping up the intensity of my workout is really important.

Are you weight training? If not, you need to be; weight training will help you boost your RMR. If you are already weight-training, add more weight or more reps or more sets or all three until you feel that burn.

The key is to keep on keeping on. Do the best you can and don't stress. And don't forget to eat your calories because you don't want your body to go into starvation mode either.

deksgrl

You need to eat more. A week or so ago you said that MFP set you at 1600 for a 1 pound a week loss. Are you expecting different advice this week? Do you WANT to eat LESS? Why? Try the increased calories for 3 weeks and see what happens.

xmissjasmine

I think I'm super nervous to put that many calories in my body in fear of seeing the scale do the opposite, but I will go ahead and try it....Starting today....Here's hoping it works out!

deksgrl

As long as you keep it mostly healthy, you should see a big difference. RGonVSH had good advice on food.