Getting Frustrated and Discouraged

MartinaC32

I have been stuck at the same weight for the last month to 6 weeks. I fluctuate up and down about 1 lb. I am getting discouraged and am beginning to think this is where I'll be forever.

My eating habits are not bad. I log all my calories. I rarely ever eat MORE than I'm supposed to. I try to eat what MFP tells me to eat. I exercise at least 4 times a day in the form of walking (2 times a week 10K through the woods up hills etc) I wear my HRM which tells me I'm burning between 400 and 800 calories each time I walk (depending on where I walk).

Some people say I should eat back your calories I burn during exercise, others say no. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It doesn't make a difference because the scale stays the same.

What I really need is for someone to tell me in point blank words how many calories I should be consuming with and without exercise. I am not a stupid person but my brain does get overloaded with too much information and I get confused.

I've been told to check my TDEE (I think) and something else but honestly I just need someone to explain it to me in the simplest terms to get me back on track.

I'm 60 cm tall
43 years old
157 lbs (fluctuates to 159 and back down)
I exercise as stated above - during the winter I do weights and circuits. Summer I walk outside. Can't stand to be in the gym during the summer.

Currently I eat as close to 1200 calories as possible according to MFP. Some days I eat a little more, some days a little less.

What can I do to jump start my weight loss again. I can't stop here. I've come toooo far to quit.

TIA

Christi6604

Ok. Deep breathes.

Most people hit a plateau. It sucks. So does being heavy. It'll pass. Lots of people will say this isn't a plateau because it hasn't been two months..and your weight isn't stuck...it "fluctuates up and down about a pound". I'd probably call it a plateau too.

I wish I was one of those math people for you. I'm not.

I found this article helpful in breaking my six month plateau: http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

Couple things:
- You don't sound very consistent. Hard to tell if something isn't working if you change it up too much. "Sometimes I eat my exercise calories back, sometimes I don't", etc.

- I know FOR SURE that you can break the plateau though. That if you continue to eat healthy and exercise, you can't have anything but good results.

- I'd probably look at intensity of the workouts, number of workouts and calories. To break my plateau, I had to decrease my cardio a bit and then up my calories by about 100 a day. I'm currently upping my cardio again.

Good luck!

MartinaC32

Thank you! This week I am going to eat back all the calories I exercised and see what happens.

Christi6604

Thank you! This week I am going to eat back all the calories I exercised and see what happens.

Let everybody know if it works. Good luck.