I've struggled for 2 months now--about to wave white flag

BeeRobin

It's been two months since I have had a steady weight loss.

Since 10/12 I have gained and lost the same 3-5lbs weekly. I know my body has taken a tremendous hit loosing the amount of weight that I have, but I am so discouraged.

I have seriously tried to hang in there, thanks to the support of my MFP friends, I keep exercising and keep faithful to my food program...but I am at a loss.

I don't want to go back to being the seriously overweight and unhappy person I was. I know the definition of stupid is doing the same thing and expecting a different result--so am I being stupid with the same exercise and food plan?! It worked for so long why not now?

HELP!

FitBeto

Weight loss is 90% diet, so if you are stuck at a weight with your current intake, I suggest increasing your calories, or eating back your exercise calories. Log everything you eat (at least for a month) and if you still have no change then increase more. 1200 cal isnt really the magic number, plus thats your goal, your minimum for the day.

A good strength training routine will help you too.

nikilis

most people are going to say the same thing:

1.
your cals are too low - there's an 85% chance of this and you aren't always eating back your exercise cals. you should probably go to maintenence for a while (try going up by 100 a week to 1400-1500) and eat that for a week or two and see what effect that has on your weight loss.

2. you arn't logging your food diary consistantly - how do you really know if you are over or under if you don't record it. you dont. you could easily be eating 300 more cals a day without realising. you have to track this properly. end of story.

3. its time to ease back down to a healthy weekly weight loss - 1200 is probably too extreme for you now, you are at a healthier weight so u need to slow down to 1/2 - 1lb a week AND eat back your exercise cals.

4. are you seeing changes in your body, does it look different, are your measurements changing? I havent lost much weight recently, but my body is changing. might be time for you to focus on how you look and making sure you are loosing fat not muscle.

4 points to address. answers on the back of a postcard.

tbrp

I can relate to your post because I went through a very similar things. I lost steadily for quite sometime and then it seems like I went into what was a 3 month plateau. I just put A clear focus on logging carefully and staying with in my calorie limits and that seem to get me pass the plateau. I tried eating more calories I tried eating less calories bottom line 1200 calories seems to be the magic number for me. Just keep doing the right things and eventually you will break past this plateau

Brieyonce

I know how you feel about wanting to wave the white flag but don't do it! If it helps at all I am proud of you for the weight loss you have had so far. You've just hit a plateau.. DON't GIVE UP!!! Keep on keepin on!! Just play around with different things until you find something that works again.

ChristyRunStarr

I agree...you probably need to eat more. I'm 30 years old, female and I eat more than you do a day. Have you checked out helloitsdan's post? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 If not, I suggest you do, it helped me when I wasn't losing for a bit

deb3129

DOn't give up, you can do it. Look around at all the other people here who have done it. There is nothing special about any of them, other than that found what worked and stuck with it. Think of how you will feel if you give up, as opposed to how you will feel if you stick with it and succeed. I would suggest that you log your food every day, as it seems you do not log on weekends. I also noticed some really low calorie days, around 600 or 700 where you either did not eat enough or you just did not log. Log everything you eat. Figure out how many calories your body needs, and do not eat too few. This really can make a difference. I was losing weight real steadily for a while and then hit a giant plateau. I used the TDEE and BMR calculators and figured out how much I should be eating, and raised my calories. I am now losing regulary again. Hang in there!!

mmddwechanged

Always log your food. I log honestly, even when I'm 1000 calories over , then I am in control of my deficit or lack thereof not the scale. I've been losing .2 of a pound a week for the last month... On the scale it looks like I keep gaining and losing four ponds or more! I am so glad I don't pay attention to this and I am confident that I eat to maintain or lose every week.

Amazonbella

Switch it up! And Remember, No one said it will be easy all the time. If you aren't having any luck with the program you are visit a nutritionist or see a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to see if they incorporate something new that you haven't tried or thought of yet. Do you do the same cardio? Try something you never have; ie. always on the treadmill try the rowing machine. Don't give up, remember it's a LIFESTYLE and regardless if the scale is moving you are doing healthy things for your body by eatting right and working out...which has benefits all of it's own!! Stay with it!

kiekie

The same thing has been happening to me for the last 5 months or so.

Last week I upped my calories from 1300 to 1500 and, like magic, lost 2.4lbs and a couple of inches too.

You need to read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I never believed all the "eat more to weigh less" talk on here until I was brave enough to try it for myself. It works!

Captain_Tightpants

Honestly, it sounds like it's time for you to pack the scale away for a while and just keep on chugging.

mmddwechanged

Captain tight pants! What a terrific name:)

StefPayne

Don't give up you have came way too far!! Change things up a little...for me I had to add a few more steps to my day and change what a was eating a little...both wee little changes but it sure paid off!! Hang in there, keep fighting because it is well worth it!!

17ChargerGirl17

I had the same problem two months ago.
I went to the gym and worked out 6 days a week and stuck to my food program on here and for a long time kept losing and gaining the same 6 lbs over and over.
So I changed my exercise routine too 3 to 4 times a week and started eating a low carb diet.
I started losing weight again within a couple of days and have continued for almost three months now.
I am down 25 lbs since I started doing this. I think my body just needed something different.
I already know that people are going to say about the whole carb thing. But it works for me and I feel great.
Don't give up, you can do it.

meggonkgonk

Flicking through your diary 2 things occur to me:

1) You need to be more consistent in your logging. It's important to be honest about what you eat. Not just for the accountability but also to not feel as though you are hiding what you eat from yourself.

2) It looks like you are kind of consistently under eating when you do log. The combo of undereating during the week and then what I would guess is over eating on the weekends is likely part of what's got you stuck. A better bet (I've found) is to slowly increase your regular calories- 1200, 1250, 1300, 1350, 1400 - up to maintenence and try to eat up to those. If you go a little over on the weekends don't beat yourself up. Then drop back to 1200 or 1250 and repeat until you are at your goal weight.

JanaCanada

The same thing has been happening to me for the last 5 months or so.

Last week I upped my calories from 1300 to 1500 and, like magic, lost 2.4lbs and a couple of inches too.

You need to read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I never believed all the "eat more to weigh less" talk on here until I was brave enough to try it for myself. It works!

^^THIS!!!! It worked for me, too.

testease

giving up when things get a little tough, that gets you places.

Cranktastic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEHQ9tzJpYA

BiscuitsNDavy

Don't just simply lose weight, aim for BODY RECOMPOSITION. Google how to achieve that.

frosty73

WOW! Congratulations, I just looked at your profile picture.... what a wonderful change I see in you! I'll bet all your friends and relatives are either 1.) very proud, or 2.) extremely jealous!

I agree with what many are saying, it's time to increase your calories! I lost a lot of weight at 1200 calories for the first couple of months, then it stopped working. Your body needs fuel to repair your muscles after exercise, and without the fuel you'll be stuck in a rut lower than a snake's belly. Good luck, I know you can do it!

axialmeow

We have close to the same amount of weight left to lose.I just decided to switch from 2lb loss a week to 1.5lb. Maybe you should try this too. You dont have much left. Great progress!!!!! But I know how frustrating this is. Do not give up. You are sooooooo much healthier now.

Mylolamia

You have done so well...don't give up. I was stuck at 20 lbs. over my goal, bad metabolism. No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to work. Joined this site, logging all calories consistently, getting at least 10,000 steps in with mostly walking...I know I need the exercise because the weight will not come off otherwise, made lots of supportive friends and now the weight is consistently falling off. Also noticing a big change in my shape as a result of the exercise.

You can do this, just give yourself the chance. Log your calories, do some exercise, even a couple of half-hour walks each day or more if you can. You can friend me if you'd like.

BurtHuttz

You are not eating enough by far.

DopeItUp

So. Looking at your profile it looks like you lost 29lbs from 7/24 to 10/12. That's almost 12lbs a month, which is a pretty extreme amount of weight to be losing. Furthermore, you lost 65lbs prior to that, I will assume at a similar rate.

Given your extreme rate of loss I assume you're probably starving yourself. A look at your diary seems to indicate the same. I would say that half the time you are netting 200-500 calories a day. The other half, you're either not logging at all (or not eating at all I suppose) or you're reaching maybe 1000 calories.

The problem with that kind of intake is that it does work - but only for a while. You're crash dieting, starving yourself, and eventually your body is just going to give up. I only went back 2 weeks in your diary but I assume this has been going on for quite some time.

If my assumptions ring true, my suggestion would be to calculate your maintenance calories (google it). Eat at maintenance for a minimum of 2 weeks (MEET that number, no deficit!). A month would be even better. You might put on a little weight, it's okay. Then utilize a small deficit. Shoot for something reasonable, 1lb a week (500 calorie a day deficit).

Long story short, I'm guessing you've probably destroyed your metabolism by starving yourself for too long. The body will adapt and eventually the weight loss will slow down or stop. People post about it about 50 billion times a day here, it's nothing new but it can be fixed. Eat more!

hanniejong

You know I am where you are, I lose some weight and then it is back, I do log EVERYTHING I eat or drink and I do EXERCISE everyday, some days more so than others. It is frustrating and I have been here for 9 months and lost bugger all. I get frustrated and fed up, but I won't GIVE up. One day I will hit the right menu and get all this excess weight off, my one drawback is the medications I am on, one I know for sure makes me gain weight, nothing I can do about that one it is essential to my health.

Keep going no matter what, if you want it bad enough it will happen.

mmtiernan

Hey there - sure seems like a lot of work sometimes, doesn't it? Certainly not something we'd ever think we'd have to be so focused on after 50, but here we are - and it's a good thing to be 50 and rockin' a healthy body! So, if you haven't already, give yourself a huge pat on the back because you have done absolutely fantastic work!

I don't know about you, but I have found this whole thing to be a lot harder once the hot flashes hit. I can't decide if it's the age... or THE age, if you know what I mean, but I can tell you one thing, I'm going down swinging and will stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can!!

Having said all of that, I've learned a few key things that may help point you in the right direction - here's what works for me:

1. Eat the right foods 90% of the time. I know there are folks online that say "a calorie is a calorie", but in my personal experience, that just ain't so. For a couple of reasons: the healthier food have less calories, so I can eat more and be satisfied, the healthier food is so much better for my body - and I'm planning on needing it for quite a few more years yet! and I just plain feel so much better when I eat healthier food. So, 90% of the time, my meals consist of a lean protein (chicken, fish, etc) and some healthy vegetables. Pretty simple and it works. If you find you need a healthy 'plan' to follow, check out "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno. She's a 50 something too and her advice is absolutely sound.

2. Get enough sleep. Sounds silly, but believe it or not, it really makes a difference, especially as we get older. Don't know why - I was one of those sleep deprived do it all kids in my 20s and I was perfectly lean, but now, if I don't get my sleep, it seems like the weight just creeps up even if my food and exercise are right on.

3. Lift heavy things and put them down. Seriously. I read in a Dr. Oz post (and a few other places as well) that after the age of 30 you begin to lose muscle at an accelerated rate - unless you do something about it. That's a problem for a couple of reasons: your metabolism will drop so your body does not burn as many calories naturally and you are losing natural stability - meaning that if you happen to fall, you run a higher risk of breaking something. Lifting heavy weights helps keep and even increase your bone density (fights osteoporosis), helps keep your joints stable (balance), allows you to recover better from a fall (lessen the chance of breakage) and...keeps your metabolism humming along (you burn more calories). It's a complete win. I lift three times per week, which is the recommendation and you only lift every other day to give your muscles a chance to recover and repair. And no, you won't look like a she-Arnold. Women who have that over muscled look have to really work at it because it doesn't normally come naturally.

That's it. Three things that are the magic formula (for me, anyway). You'll still want to do some cardio for your heart a few times per week - it could just be walking or a cardio type workout, if that's what you prefer. You'll want to do your cardio on the days that you don't lift.

The folks who were mentioning eating enough were right too - your body needs fuel. Somebody gave a link a while back to an MFP post that talks your through figuring out how many calories you should be eating.

Sorry for the novel and I really do hope that this helps you! Congratulations on your success so far - you look fabulous and I know that if you stick with it, you'll reach your final goal!

2abnorth

I don't want to go back to being the seriously overweight and unhappy person I was. I know the definition of stupid is doing the same thing and expecting a different result--so am I being stupid with the same exercise and food plan?! It worked for so long why not now?

HELP!

Other than the wisdom already imparted by others, which I strongly agree with (You need to eat more!), I can sympathize with your fear. But, you didn't gain the weight overnight, will not lose it overnight. As well, the closer you get to your goal weight, the slower it will come off. You've come too far to wave the flag. You need to also review your accomplishments. The best thing you can do right now, is throw out the scale. You are more than the sum of the numbers it's throwing at you. Take measurements, pictures, and also see if you can test your percentage of body fat with calipers.

Right now you sound very unhappy, even though your slimmer. Don't just become a smaller version of unhappy. 1200 cals is very difficult to maintain, and is pretty drastic. It may have gotten you this far, but the stress your feeling can be a by-product of what you are NOT eating. Feel free to friend me.......know where you've been!

lisabinco

I'm going down swinging and will stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can!!
1. Eat the right foods 90% of the time...
2. Get enough sleep...

All good advice here. I would just change the 3rd item to read:
3. Move that body! Find something you love to do that doesn't feel like exercise and then do it. You may have to try a few things before you hit on that thing you like to do but once you find it, it won't be so hard to get moving.

I personally LOVE to swim and it's perfect for someone like me with broken-down knees. Now that I don't scare myself in a bathing suit anymore, it's even more fun.

Good luck to you on your journey. It's like the old Nike ad -- just do it!

mmtiernan

All good advice here. I would just change the 3rd item to read:
3. Move that body! Find something you love to do that doesn't feel like exercise and then do it. You may have to try a few things before you hit on that thing you like to do but once you find it, it won't be so hard to get moving.

I personally LOVE to swim and it's perfect for someone like me with broken-down knees. Now that I don't scare myself in a bathing suit anymore, it's even more fun.

Good luck to you on your journey. It's like the old Nike ad -- just do it!

I would say "move that body" as a number 4. Don't discard strength training. It is absolutely the best thing you can do for you boady at every age! If you aren't keen on weightlifting, take up kettlebells or use resistance bands. Swimming is also a form of resistance training. Try some bodyweight exercises just to get started - but absolutely DO it!