Help! I seem to be stuck!!

beautiful_decay

I'm 5'7" and weight 156 pounds.

I've been using MFP since April 17 of this year. I have it set so that my calorie consumption is 1200 and I want to loose weight at 2 pounds/week. I work at a desk job but I have been getting on an elliptical almost daily for minimum 20 minutes/day or walking for over 40 minutes. I try to never eat back my burned calories because to me that seems counter-productive. I've lost 4 pounds. My diary is public and as you can see, I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks in between. I eat lean meats, and no red meats. This doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm not sure if there's something I'm not doing that I should be doing or something I am doing that I should be doing more of. I've tried increasing my calories to 1350 and that hasn't made a difference. I went from working out in the pm to the am and that hasn't made a difference either. I had my thyroid checked 2 years ago and the tests came back negative. I do suffer from low blood sugar from time to time so a fast is out of the question. I've thought about doing a 2 day cleansing diet to "clear" out my system and see if that could maybe jump start the weight loss but I'm not sure. If someone can take a look at what I'm doing and tell me if I'm doing something wrong, that would really help me out! I'm willing to do the work, get in shape and be at the weight that I have been dying to be at since I was in high school! Everyone's success stories are my motivation to get thin! Haha! I would love to be a part of those success stories too

75Juniper

I glanced at the last week of your diary - I don't think you're eating enough. Your net calories aren't reaching the 1200 calorie goal you set for yourself. And 1200 calories is too low. Your BMR according to this site calculator is 1475. That means you need to eat at least that many calories, plus I would eat back your exercise calories.

beautiful_decay

I did increase to 1350 but that was only for a week or so. Maybe I should stick with it longer and see what happens. You say that eating back burned calories is okay? I always seen it as counter-productive and when I looked online some people said yes to eating them, some people said no, and others said that they eat some back. It's really confusing! Do you think it would be wise for me to increase my calories from 1350 to 1475? I would be afraid of gaining weight eating that much!

Goal_Line

I agree with Juniper, eat more and exercise more. Studies have shown that your BMR will increase with more food consumption. Now that means you must exercise more as well. To lose 2 lbs a week requires a deficit of 7,000 calories, to get there you must exercise significantly more than you are.

By my calculations your BMR is 1,521 multiply by 1.2 for your activity level we get 1,825 as your break even calorie input. To lose 2 lbs a week you need a 1,000 calorie per day NET deficit from 1,825. If I were you I'd try to burn at least 500 calories per day and eat no less than 1,350. I suggest a 30 minute BRISK walk first thing in the morning, then do at least 30 minutes on the stairmaster to 60 minutes on a bike when you normally work out, and then a brisk walk in the evening.

Looking at your diary, I'd avoid the garlic bread and peanut granola bar. Both of these are very caloricaly dense. If it were me I'd replace the fat and carbs in these 2 items with lean protean.

Goal_Line

YES stick with it. Your body takes time to react. Eat 1,350 and work out as much as you can.

beckysummer

Hey - Its nice to find someone like me. I'm 5'7" and 155. I started increasing in weight about 3 months ago for no apparent reason. I'm stuck at around 154-156. I'm scared that I am going to keep gaining weight but I typically eat at or under my calorie goals. Its frustrating.

beautiful_decay

Thanks for the great tips and good advice! I wish that weight loss was as easy as weight gain! Loosing weight is very frustrating but at least now I have a better idea as what I should be doing. I will put forth more effort to eat more and work out more! Thanks again

ProTFitness

Start first with cleaning up your foods. All calories are NOT created equal. It is about the quality of the food you put in your body. Its more then just counting calories.

Eat Whole Natural foods in there whole form. Stay away from high fat fried foods, Fast foods processed foods ect.

sweetpea129

I just wanted to add that 2 lbs a week may be too high of a goal considering that you dont have much to lose. Maybe try switching it to 1?

Finchtastic1

I am also having a hard time losing. I can't break 115 at all! I am 5'4 and I upped my calories to 1350 and there are days I either exercise way more or way less...i am pretty busy with a show at the moment. Any advice on how i could break through this number. I don't mind making my food diary public. Thanks!!!