Please Help!!!

brunitink

Okay so I am a little depressed. I have been dieting for weeks now and there has been barely any change in my weight. Is it hard to lose weight when you're not overweight?

I am 5'8" and I weigh 140. I would love to drop 15 lbs. Can any one please help me? I work out and I diet and nothing. Some days I even wake up with a pound or two on!!!!

Please help. Is it just that I have to stick to it for a while? Has anyone experienced this? Do you start loosing weight again after a while?

Thanks so much for all your input!

now_or_never13

Can you open up your diary so we can see what and how much you are eating? It would help to make suggestions.

What is your weekly weight loss goal set at? It should be 0.5lbs per week since you don't have a lot to lose. When you don't have a lot to lose and have a large deficit a lot of your loss will come from lean muscle instead of fat. Also, since you don't have a ton to lose your body won't want to allow you to take it off quickly.

Also, since you don't have a lot to lose one option would be setting your goals to maintain and increase your protein while lifting heavy weights. Muscle will change your body a lot more than straight cardio will. More muscle also means a lower body fat percentage. Should you go this route stay off the scale as you will be retaining water from muscle repair.

At 125 you can actually look bigger than at say 140 but with weights and muscle. Muscle takes up much less space than fat so while you may weigh more you will actually look smaller.

mhk0719

Perhaps change things up...I am not sure what exercise you are doing, but do something totally different. Are you eating foods with alot of sodium?

rchltrrs

i agree that you should try changing your exercise routine. if you usually run, try the elliptical or the bike.
Also, be very careful of your calories. make sure you're not over estimating the calories you burn or underestimating the calories that you're eating. but even when you're doing everything right, sometimes plateaus happen. Don't lose hope! try add a cup of green tea every day or adding more fiber to your diet.as long as you're honest with your food diary and you don't rely on extra cals from exercise too much, you will lose weight!

SanteMulberry

Okay so I am a little depressed. I have been dieting for weeks now and there has been barely any change in my weight. Is it hard to lose weight when you're not overweight?

I am 5'8" and I weigh 140. I would love to drop 15 lbs. Can any one please help me? I work out and I diet and nothing. Some days I even wake up with a pound or two on!!!!

Please help. Is it just that I have to stick to it for a while? Has anyone experienced this? Do you start loosing weight again after a while?

Thanks so much for all your input!

Are you eating processed food? I can tell you from experience that it will slow your weight loss to a trickle. Processed food is full of chemicals (MSG is just one of them and MSG is associated with weight gain) and sugar. Are you on anti-depressants? Most of them are notorious for causing weight gain (or lack of weight loss while on them). Not that you should go off them "cold turkey" ---you could end up in the E.R. Are you sure that you are tracking everything you eat correctly? Some here will tell you that you can eat sugar and simple carbs and still lose weight but it has been my experience that I cannot---my metabolism is simply not wired that way. Maybe yours isn't either. Just some things to think about. Read the thread here on why 1200 calories just won't work--by a personal trainer guy. It's called "1200 and why it won't work"---an excellent read.

brunitink

Thanks all, so I have not been using my diary because I've been really busy to log thigs in but here's what I eat in a nut sheel:

1200 cals per day - everything included carbs, proteins, sugars... I just mix it up and try my best to buy low fat foods. I don't eat junk food at all... Everything is home cooked or home prepared and mostly organic stuff. I usually have a sandwich with cheese in the morning or oats and whole grain rice cereal with almond milk and blue berries and coffee. Around lunch time I cook some tofu or meat with vegetable or chicken with veggies or similar and then for dinner I blend a small banana, 3-4 strawberries and one spoon of honey and half a cup of milk. I make sure no matter what, it all adds up to 1200 cals a day.

I jog/fast walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes every other morning and do Pilates twice a week....

What do you suggest? I would really like to weigh less like in the 120s at least. and also I would like to tone up my butt and thighs.

I'm just soooo discouraged at this point. It seems my body just won't let got of the fat.

I would also like to note, that I am not looking to build any real muscle. I like the slender look, I don't like any muscle to actually show. Especially not on my arms. oh and I don't know if that helps at all but I am 25.

Thank you again!

brunitink

I don't eat processed food, I don't take any kind of medication. i am mentally/emotionally and physically healthy. I just want to look good! As vain as that sounds

astrampe

Thanks all, so I have not been using my diary because I've been really busy to log thigs in but here's what I eat in a nut sheel:

1200 cals per day - everything included carbs, proteins, sugars... I just mix it up and try my best to buy low fat foods. I don't eat junk food at all... Everything is home cooked or home prepared and mostly organic stuff. I usually have a sandwich with cheese in the morning or oats and whole grain rice cereal with almond milk and blue berries and coffee. Around lunch time I cook some tofu or meat with vegetable or chicken with veggies or similar and then for dinner I blend a small banana, 3-4 strawberries and one spoon of honey and half a cup of milk. I make sure no matter what, it all adds up to 1200 cals a day.

I jog/fast walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes every other morning and do Pilates twice a week....

What do you suggest? I would really like to weigh less like in the 120s at least. and also I would like to tone up my butt and thighs.

I'm just soooo discouraged at this point. It seems my body just won't let got of the fat.

I would also like to note, that I am not looking to build any real muscle. I like the slender look, I don't like any muscle to actually show. Especially not on my arms. oh and I don't know if that helps at all but I am 25.

Thank you again!

Why would you eat so little? Eat more, start strength training, you will not build muscle and look bulky....And it willalso "tone" up your butt and thighs....
Also -140 is already in the healthy zone for 5'8.....And keep the diary - without it it's all guessing.....

now_or_never13

Weighing in the 120s is most likely too low for your height. You are at a good weight for your height. I am three inches shorter than you and weighing in the 120s would make me look ill. I would imagine your issue is body fat percentage which is most likely high. The key to fixing that is muscle.

How do you know you are eating 1200 calories in a day if you are not logging? You never really know how much you are eating without writing it down. You would actually be surprised at how things add up that don't seem like it. Portions are small and we commonly underestimate how much we eat in a day. If you are serious about losing weight you need to find the time to properly measure.weigh and record your foods and exercise.

By the sound of your diary you are not getting enough calories, fiber, protein and too much sodium.

1200 calories is too low.. you need to be eating more. Set your goal here to 0.5lbs per week and eat that. The best bet would be to forget about the scale, eat at maintance and lift heavy weights. Women do not bulk up without using some form of drug. Look at pictures of normal women who lift weights... you can only see definition and a smaller look.. you don't see any real muscle.

brunitink

I'll try lifting weights, I'm about to try anything to just look smaller!

The way I know I am eating 1200 is because I read labels, weigh food, add up calories in all my dishes. I also have a pretty good idea because I logged calories for a while and it stuck with me, what meals have how many calories. And as obsessed as I am with losing eight right now, I add anything, even strawberries and little calorie food I eat.

And I mean I'm not so much obsessed with the numbers as much as I am with the shape. The only reason I have my mind set on 125 is because I looked up models (yes ridiculous, I know!) my height and looked up their weight and thought okay that's my goal... I know it sounds naive and silly. but even dropping 10 lbs would make me feel much better.

To burn fat, what I started doing is running 30 minutes (a combination of running and walking fast) for 30 minutes every morning before breakfast. In order to consume fat instead of calories.... Does anyone else do that?

I am also very interested to hear from people who have similar measurements and who have lost weight. You always hear about people working on pounds because they're overweight but rarely hear about normal-weight folks who are trying to lose weight to look a certain way.

I just want to do it the healthy way of course. Also please don't judge me, I realize this might be sounding ridiculous and vain :-)

Ailorn

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

Models are not healthy. Men in general prefer curves (waist to hip ratio) with a healthy store of fat enough to produce children. I don’t know if you're after male approval or to feel attractive or what, but the standard women hold themselves to is statistically lower weight wise to what is deemed healthy and attractive(by the opposite sex). This is not a place to encourage disordered eating. If you truly want to be healthy and fit please educate yourself. Food is not an enemy it is a necessary tool for continued existence.

astrampe

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

Models are not healthy. Men in general prefer curves (waist to hip ratio) with a healthy store of fat enough to produce children. I don’t know if you're after male approval or to feel attractive or what, but the standard women hold themselves to is statistically lower weight wise to what is deemed healthy and attractive(by the opposite sex). This is not a place to encourage disordered eating. If you truly want to be healthy and fit please educate yourself. Food is not an enemy it is a necessary tool for continued existence.

This...And you stated that you know it's silly, you know it's ridiculous to be 25 and get stuck on a number because thats what underfed and malnutritioned models look like, and that you want to do "it" the healthy way...

There is no healthy way to become underweight with very little lean muscle..... You won't find people on this site who want to help you with developing an eating disorder. I really hope you grow up soon and not develop and eating disorder .....

brunitink

wow... so angry... maybe you need to have a pizza or something ;-)

I am not developing an eating disorder, If I weighed 125, my BMI would be 19, which is in the healthy range, just slender...

Anyway thanks for your help everyone!

brunitink

And no... I am not doing it for a man... I just think it is pretty. But either way, thanks for your input.

now_or_never13

I'll try lifting weights, I'm about to try anything to just look smaller!

The way I know I am eating 1200 is

If you want to build muscle and not lose it you need to eat more in addition to lifting weights. You will only preserve muscle eating at a deficit and lifting.

The only reason I have my mind set on 125 is because I looked up models (yes ridiculous, I know!) my height and looked up their weight and thought okay that's my goal... I know it sounds naive and silly. but even dropping 10 lbs would make me feel much better.

Why do you want to look like the models? They are far too thin and are for the most part not in a healthy weight range. You are shaped differently than someone else so you will not look the same as some model. Don't strive for someone else's body.

Stop focusing on the scale. Losing even 10lbs will put you on borderline underweight. Forget the scale and work on eat at maintance and lifting heavy weights to reshape your body.

To burn fat, what I started doing is running 30 minutes (a combination of running and walking fast) for 30 minutes every morning before breakfast. In order to consume fat instead of calories.... Does anyone else do that?

Whether you consume food before or after exercise it doesn't change anything but how much effort you can put into a workout. You burn the same amount of calories whether you work out with an empty stomach or you have food in your stomach. It all comes down to a calorie deficit total.

I just want to do it the healthy way of course. Also please don't judge me, I realize this might be sounding ridiculous and vain :-)

I"m not judging you when I say this however you are striving for goals too low. Be happy with yourself and stop focusing on the numbers. Losing 10lbs will put you dangerously close to underweight which can come with a lot of health problems.

Stop focusing on models as well. They are the reason why there are so many issues with young women and their body imagine these days. The media is brutal and gives women an unrealistic view of what beauty is.

concordancia

Yes, it is very hard to lose weight when you are not overweight. 125 is at the very bottom of a healthy weight for a person your height. That means that you would have to have a particular frame and body composition to get there and maintain your health.

If you are unhappy with your body, look into resistance training.