New and determined

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I have been logging for about two months now. I've always had some extra weight that I wanted to get rid of but never had the motivation to do it. I've tried eating healthy and have had no scale dropping results. I thought I would never count calories and measure things out, but it works!

When I saw I weighed nearly 160, my personal number that sets off alarm bells, I decided that I needed to do something about it. My original goal was to lose 10lbs, a number that I yo-yo to and from throughout a typical year. 150 is a comfortable weight for me but I would like to lose another 10 - 15 to be at my ideal weight.

It seems that I have already reached my plateau. In my first 4 to 5 weeks of logging, I lost 10 lbs. At first, I kept a calorie goal of 1,200/day but it was unrealistic for me. I upped it to 1,440 but decided to give myself more leeway on active days and set my goal at 1,640 (1/2 lb/week). On less active days, I ate 1,200 - 1,400. On more active days I ate 1,400 to 1,600. Because I haven't lost anything for 3 weeks (aside from 1/2 lb) while following my goals, I decided to try to eat at maintenance level (1,900/day) in hope that it will get me out of my plateau once I reduce my caloric intake again.

I am short - 5'3" and would love to fit into smaller clothing! My goal sizes - more important to me than the numbers on the scale! - are a size 6 jeans/pant and a size small top. I am currently a size 8/M.

The General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum has been very helpful. I appreciate any and all advice posted! It keeps me on track and on the path to a healthier, more fit me.

Replies

  • Christi6604
    Christi6604 Posts: 245 Member
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    I'm 5'3 too and also resisted calorie counting for a long, long time (I have no idea why!) I found a link to this article very helpful: http://www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    I've come to think that everybody is different and you just have to keep tweaking things until you find what works for you. The amount of calories you're on makes me gain at this point...but in a couple weeks, I might have to up my calories to lose again. It's frustrating. The important thing is to just stick with it. Don't let yourself lose hope. You can totally figure this out. Good luck. Feel free to add me if you'd like. :smile:
  • om3guz
    om3guz Posts: 48
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    I'm 5'3 too and also resisted calorie counting for a long, long time (I have no idea why!) I found a link to this article very helpful: http://www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    I've come to think that everybody is different and you just have to keep tweaking things until you find what works for you. The amount of calories you're on makes me gain at this point...but in a couple weeks, I might have to up my calories to lose again. It's frustrating. The important thing is to just stick with it. Don't let yourself lose hope. You can totally figure this out. Good luck. Feel free to add me if you'd like. :smile:

    Thanks for the link! It has given me a few ideas of how to make this plateau move. Primarily, doing more cardiovascular activity might be a better solution for me. I still hate exercising, aside from going for 20 - 30 minute walks 2 - 4 times a week. I am working on that though! One day I will run--I just need to take baby steps to get there.

    Some days it is hard to eat 1,900 cal/day when I am used to eating less based on my activity level for that day. But consuming extra food has never been a problem in the past, thus why I am here.

    Thank you for the motivation. I wish you luck in accomplishing your goals! :happy: