No weight loss in 1.5 weeks -- schedule change?

klackey23
klackey23 Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been steadily losing weight, with the exception of maybe one or two 7-day stretches, for the past 7 months. (Not all 66 pounds lost are from those 7 months, btw -- I split it up over two years).

My scale claims I have not lost any weight since Jan. 7. In that time, my schedule has changed from 2-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs. to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs-Sun. I think I also went through ovulation this week and I've had some spotting. I am still getting 8 hours of sleep.

I am stuck at 129.2 pounds (height is 5'5'') and I really wanted to get down to 125 as my goal weight. I'm starting to think of throwing in the towel. I'm fairly happy with my weight -- still a little pouch in the stomach, but I'm taking care of that through strength training. Still, it would be nice to reach the goal I set!

I'm wondering what could cause this not losing weight to happen though when I haven't been eating at maintenance and have been exercising.

Here's my calories for last week. It was a fairly typical week, perhaps a bit harder exercise than usual and I didn't go over as much on my "cheat days", when I usually eat 1800 calories:
Thursday (1/17): 1,318 - 250 exercise
Wednesday: 1,337 - 444 exercise (semi-cheat day)
Tuesday: 1,537 - 360 exercise (cheat day)
Monday: 1,686 - 600 exercise (cheat day)
Sunday: 1,225 - 275 exercise
Saturday: 1,325 - 304 exercise
Friday: 1,215 (day off no exercise)

Any thoughts? When I'm not losing weight while doing these things, it makes me nervous to eat at maintenance and to eat back all my exercise calories!

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Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Replies

  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Eat more... You really are not netting much at all. Based on what you put you are normally netting under 1200 calories. Set your goal to 0.5lbs per week and eat that plus your exercise calories back.

    Ensure you are eating fresh, whole foods. Not processed foods. Drink enough water.

    Vanity pounds are the hardest to lose... It will come off very slowly.
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    Actually medically speaking the biggest reason to eat at least 1200 cal a day is for minimal nutrition. Less than that you can't get enough nutrients without major supplementation. But when you hit that "plateau" your body may be making an adjustment your shape maybe changing or your losing inches. Keep on exercising and getting your fluids in, your body will again start to lose. Also watch your cheat days you may be eating more calories than you realize. It is not cheating if you are eating all of your calories including your exercise ones.
  • klackey23
    klackey23 Posts: 26
    I think I may bump up my calories to 1,500 and try to eat at least half my exercise calories back. After 7 months of eating at 1200 (and, honestly, eating at 1,050 to 1,100 for 5 days a week for several of those months -- bad, I know), eating more is daunting. So I'll just start by going up to 1,500 so I don't feel like I'm going to gain weight.

    One thing I hate is that I do not know *exactly* how many calories I burn a day not including exercise. I have a desk job, but I work out 5 days a week and try to get up and walk around to different peoples' desks throughout the day. I don't think I would qualify as 'sedentary', but do I fit into 'lightly active' or 'moderately active' category??

    Maybe I'll get a fitbit down the road.

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