I did it unhealthy, lost weight. Now healthy, NOTHING

Options
In June 2011 I decided to lose weight. I was 120lbs at 5'0"
I got done to 102.8lbs by Decemeber. (6 months)
I did NOT do it the healthy way. I ate under 1200 cals and exercised about 300-400 about five days a week.
I did NO strength training, it was ALL cardio.
Well summer 2012 I gained 18lbs of it back.
Since Septemeber I've been on and off trying to lose weight again.
This past month (since beginning of Decemeber) I finally got back in the groove.
I use to be OBSESSED with what I ate and exercising.
I didn't want to feel like that again so I've been trying the healthy way
Eating 1200 - 1500 cals a day and exercising about 200 -250 off about five days a week.
I have lost NOTHING since then.
I bench, squat, dead lift, and powerclean and that doesn't even help.
I see no difference whatsoever. What am I doing wrong?
I heard it's carbs but could it be something else?
PLEASE HELP

Replies

  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    Options
    How much has your body fat % changed?
  • robiinhood
    robiinhood Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    It hasn't really changed.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    Options
    Maybe your ideal of your idea weight and your body's ideal of it's idea weight are two different things? I don't know if you lift, but maybe try starting a good program like 5x5's and eating close to, or slightly above maintenance and just work on body composition rather than weight.

    EDIT- I see you do lift. Try eating at maintenance or above it while you lift to gain some muscle.
  • rn000
    rn000 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    These are my thoughts... Initially you lost weight because you were taking in less calories than you are now, and burning more calories from your cardio.
    Cardio is a great tool to burn those extra calories, however is it useless when it comes to building muscle. Your strength training should be helping in building muscle, however this is a lengthy process and results are slow, but more muscle means a higher metabolism = more fat loss when resting. Last year (2012) i dropped 20kg and for the most part did no cardio at all.
    In my opinion, I think that your caloric intake is possibly too high, try staying at 1200 calories for a couple weeks, weigh in, if it hasnt changed, drop 100-200 calories and weigh in in another 2 weeks
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Options
    Read Staci's story; she's amazing. And there are plenty of others like her.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Stop focusing on weight and look at body composition. Since you are relatively small and you have probably lost a fair amount of lean body mass, it may be easier to do cycles of bulking to build muscle and cutting. Also when you are lifting you'll need to fuel your body. If you note, Staci typically eats about 3000 calories a day to fuel her workouts. And if you look at the last comparison photo, she looks much leaner after eating more and lifting heavy, but she weighs 11 pounds more. Sometimes the scales will just shoot you in the foot.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    One part of the 'problem' is that your weight is in the healthy range do it automatically harder.

    Second have you done measurements?
  • Zommbunny
    Options
    Maybe your ideal of your idea weight and your body's ideal of it's idea weight are two different things? I don't know if you lift, but maybe try starting a good program like 5x5's and eating close to, or slightly above maintenance and just work on body composition rather than weight.

    EDIT- I see you do lift. Try eating at maintenance or above it while you lift to gain some muscle.
    this plus i think your aiming for too small a weight
    any inch loss??
  • robiinhood
    robiinhood Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    How do I measure inches?