Why so hard to lose 10 lbs

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jaz050465
jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
I'm towards the top of the healthy BMI range but want to lose about ten pounds. Why is it so hard?? I am constantly losing and then gaining the same pound or so. I've just started running and Jillian Michaels Body Revolution and have read that the water retention by repairing muscles can prevent weight loss but I'm FED UP of not getting any nearer to my goal. Any advice?
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Replies

  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    Hey girl...saw your post when I clicked on title to open. I also am just looking to lose a NOW 20 lbs. It WAS only about 15 a few months ago. I also am frustrated about how slowly it comes off. I am also getting in a lot of activity. For me, I think PMS time sets me off and negates all of the work I do the rest of the week or WEEKS I'm doing well. I have my loss set at a half pound loss per week...but feel like it's not going anywhere. Just really trying to find the balance between not eating too much but eating enough to not be obsessive about food 24/7. I think I'm getting there...just need to work on not eating later at night, I think.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    I'm happy with a pound a week, as long as it doesn't go back. Do you eat the calories MFP says. Do you also eat your exercise calories. I also can get obsessive and then binge.
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
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    Yep. I'm in this boat too. Up and down the same 3 pounds. Let me know when you find a magical answer!
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Why don't we REALLY try to set ourselves a goal and try to message each other regularly to keep us on track.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    Hmmm, you aren't logging, so not sure what to tell you, but I can tell you that unless you are smaller than I am (5'3" 108 lbs.) then MFP isn't giving you enough calories. Figure your TDEE (google it or go to any of the sites I list below) and eat 500 calories per day less than that number. Or give me your stats (height, weight, age, body fat if you know, how often you work out) and I'll figure it for you.

    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    I'm actually trying to do the whole TDEE thing...mine is about 2200 AT my goal weight of 155, so I'm eating at about that or around 2000. This is why it's going to take longer...but like you said, if the scale is going down each week then I'm happy. I get my period every three weeks or so, which tends to put me into a binge more often. It's a struggle. My daily calories for today is just under 2200...but I got in over 400 cal of exercise and it's already calculated into my TDEE...so I know I can't really eat more than 2200 cal/day if I want to keep losing. But then I also get frustrated because the scale isn't moving, so I'll try to limit my calories but then I get hungry. I'm really trying to stick to about 2000 cal/day so I don't binge. If you also see my diary...there isn't ANYthing that I'm cutting out...just trying to stay within my calories and watch the sodium for the most part. I figure this is how I'm going to be eating for the most part unless I marry a guy who LOVES to cook. :)
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
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    Why don't we REALLY try to set ourselves a goal and try to message each other regularly to keep us on track.

    Definately happy to do this - feel free to add me as your friend and we can try and help eachother! I have (duh) just figured out that my beloved chocolate seems to cause me to break out with zits... so that's motivation enough to keep me away from chocolate. I had a wee binge on chocolate on the weekend of 20th/21st and the next day I woke up and my face looked like a pizza.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Hmmm, you aren't logging, so not sure what to tell you, but I can tell you that unless you are smaller than I am (5'3" 108 lbs.) then MFP isn't giving you enough calories. Figure your TDEE (google it or go to any of the sites I list below) and eat 500 calories per day less than that number. Or give me your stats (height, weight, age, body fat if you know, how often you work out) and I'll figure it for you.

    http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I'm female, 5 ft 8 and 150 pounds. Activity varies from day to day which doesn't help. Had a fitbit but sent it back due to syncing problems.
  • liannedana
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    I lost 5 pounds earlier this summer, and then gained it all back a month later... it's so frustrating. My 23rd birthday is coming up in 3 weeks, so I'm really hoping I see some progress by then am definitely up for some group motivation - I want to commit to losing those ten pounds I'm always claiming to be dieting for.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
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    I only lose weight if I am fully committed, meaning logging everything I eat and recording exercise. I do eat back some of the exercise calories, if I didn't then I wouldn't lose any weight. So it really depends on how much you binge...I don't think once a week would hurt but it may derail you a bit. You have got to commit! Log on and record your food. Personally the whole tdee thing didn't work well for me, if I stick to 1200-1400 a day it's a guarantee. Everyone is different, and I hope you find a balance that works for you.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    With the TDEE I'm looming at about 1400 to 1500 plus exercise but I don't see to loss at that. Maybe I need to try lower.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I only lose weight if I am fully committed, meaning logging everything I eat and recording exercise. I do eat back some of the exercise calories, if I didn't then I wouldn't lose any weight. So it really depends on how much you binge...I don't think once a week would hurt but it may derail you a bit. You have got to commit! Log on and record your food. Personally the whole tdee thing didn't work well for me, if I stick to 1200-1400 a day it's a guarantee. Everyone is different, and I hope you find a balance that works for you.


    This is good advice. I think that once I am within the 10 pound mark, I seem to ease up too much.
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
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    Have any of you tried doing intermittent fasting? I only just heard about it yesterday and thought I could give it a shot to see if I can shake off the last of my fattyness..

    My scales seem to have being going up and down the same few numbers for the past month...although at the moment on the way back down (yay). I thought if they go back up again I might give the intermittent fasting thing a go.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
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    I have heard of IF. I'm trying to do that between 9pm and 11am or so. I seem to be a snacker late at night...so that would cut out like 500 calories right there! I was doing it for a bit, then just stopped. I guess I tend to rebel or get bored easily. It's like once I start to see progress, I stop doing what's working. It's like I know how to do it, so what's the rush but then I go and gain 5 lbs and then decide to take it off again. Now if I could just get down to GOAL weight first and THEN do that.
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
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    So from what I understand one of the methods is that you pick a 16 hour window where you don't eat, and then during the 8 hour window for the rest of that 24 hour period you have about 20% of your usual calorie intake. Then, the next day you eat normally, then the day after you go back to your 16 hour window of not eating stuff?

    Or have I got that all wrong?
  • theglencoegirl
    theglencoegirl Posts: 69 Member
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    i had about 15 to lose!! i do go up or down by 3 pounds or so--but b/c i am sooooo close to my goal- i try not to sweat it! i find now that i am toned i don't "notice" a difference in the mirror or in the way my clothes fit!
    our wt can fluctuate due to sooooo many different reasons i think as long as its not going up constantly then we are doing things ok!!
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    With the TDEE I'm looming at about 1400 to 1500 plus exercise but I don't see to loss at that. Maybe I need to try lower.

    Um, your TDEE for sedentary is 1944, so you can eat that as long as you burn 500 calories thru exercise, or you can eat around 1700 and only burn 250-300 from exercise average and still lose weight. If you are freaked out by that much food, try adding about 100 to 150 calories daily for about a week. If that works for you, add another the next week until you are at at least 1700 unless you don't exercise at all.

    I know it doesn't sound right, but it worked for me. I'm 5'3" and 47 like you, and I started at 134 lbs. eating 1650 per day and only exercising heavy on weekends--just walking on weekdays. After 4 months, I upped my workouts to 6 days a week and my calories to 1850. In 6 months, I had lost 20 lbs. and I'm 9 years post-hysterectomy, so plenty of hormonal issues that should be causing a roadblock. Since then, I've lost another 6 or 7 lbs. without really trying, and eating even more.
  • kooltray87
    kooltray87 Posts: 501 Member
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    I'm in the same last few pounds boat! I'm currently doing Insanity and have seen VERY slow progress since upping my cals to 1800 a day. I only have 5 more lbs to lose but it feels like its taking forEVER! I really want to bring in the new year at my goal weight. Feel free to friend me if you want any peer motivation! :-)
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    With the TDEE I'm looming at about 1400 to 1500 plus exercise but I don't see to loss at that. Maybe I need to try lower.

    Um, your TDEE for sedentary is 1944, so you can eat that as long as you burn 500 calories thru exercise, or you can eat around 1700 and only burn 250-300 from exercise average and still lose weight. If you are freaked out by that much food, try adding about 100 to 150 calories daily for about a week. If that works for you, add another the next week until you are at at least 1700 unless you don't exercise at all.

    I know it doesn't sound right, but it worked for me. I'm 5'3" and 47 like you, and I started at 134 lbs. eating 1650 per day and only exercising heavy on weekends--just walking on weekdays. After 4 months, I upped my workouts to 6 days a week and my calories to 1850. In 6 months, I had lost 20 lbs. and I'm 9 years post-hysterectomy, so plenty of hormonal issues that should be causing a roadblock. Since then, I've lost another 6 or 7 lbs. without really trying, and eating even more.
    But I presume that 1944 doesn't allow for wight loss. What calculator did you use
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Sorry katevarner, didn't read your post properly. Just saw the bit about 500 cals if exercise.