Help! Trying SO hard, haven't lost in 8 months!!

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Replies

  • EviieAlexandra
    EviieAlexandra Posts: 5
    I have read all af this and it seems rather interesting. I know you've tried raising the food level, but I'm interested to hear how many calories you consume per day. If you go under 1200, you'll be putting your body into 'starvation mode', which will prevent you from losing any further weight. If you have heard this before, then sorry! I'm just trying to help. Try seeing your doctor!! :wink:
  • sum12remember
    sum12remember Posts: 3
    Okay I don't want to be a kill joy but is it all about weightless? What kind of inches have you lost? Why you have likely stopped losing is that you are gaining muscle. Muscle weighs much more than fat so you can gain while losing inches. What the weight charts don't do well is measure muscle mass. They compare the average figure and face it people are seldom average. We are unique. So if you have built muscle along with fat that is a difficult challenge. I know not everyone agrees with atkins diet. But for muscular people who have a high need for protein it can be utilized with great results. They have a quick start that burns incredibly well. Another diet to look into is "Eating for you Bloodtype". The majority of the population are O+. If you are an O blood type you can bet you will do well on Atkinson. Just for two weeks on the "Quick Start" you eat all protein plus one good salad a day. You will get your limited carbs with your salad. This will put you into ketosis so drinking plenty of water is important. This is not intended for longer than two weeks. Read up on it so you don't do yourself in. But if you have been as dedicated as you express, this will be easy for you. But one bite of a carb can throw your weight loss off. Read up on the Quick Start rules...you will lose! On the other hand, you have done your body and heart GOOD with all your hard work and dedication. Enjoy where you are and your good health! Good Luck!
  • shesapear
    shesapear Posts: 77 Member
    Perhaps your body doesn't need to lose any more o.O

    ^^This^^ I lost a year of my life obsessing over this dilemma. I lost 90 lb, I was wearing a size 8, I was so focused on getting myself to the magical 145lb in my head (5'7") I am a whitewater kayaker, I lifted weights, took 4 spin classes a week, and mountain biked 2 times a week. I could not cut any more calories without creating an unhealthy deficit, leaving me incapable of performing the above listed activities. I stayed at 153 for over a year. I've since gained back 60lb after surgery and meeting/marrying a man completely uninterested in fitness. Now Im struggling to lose again, and looking through pictures, I'm unsure what the hell I thought I had to do. I was, not to put too fine a point on it... perfect. I had definition, I was strong - easily comprised of mainly muscle, sadly looking in the mirror all i saw was the stomach that had the skin left over from being obese. I didnt "see" the definition, only the "pooch", and I didn't think an 8 was enough, not when the damn scale still said I was 8lbs overweight. I ate clean, ate frequently, and burned a ton of calories..... sometimes you are exactly what you're supposed to be even when you aren't whatever your perceived goal is.... numbers aren't always right, and the numbers that are suggested that we be are based on an average, sometimes you really are the minority. Good luck, and be happy - a size 10 on the right build is nothing to be ashamed of.

    Thank you for this. I do struggle with this exact thing. Ive come so far, and completely transformed myself. Im so proud of what Ive been able to do and Ive inspired many of my coworkers. Im strong, Im healthy, and sometimes I even let myself think I look cute. ;) Back when I was 204, I'd have given anything to be 175. Then I reached goal after goal and made it to 144. I guess if I had never seen 144, I wouldnt be this freaked out about it. But I did. And now Im sitting on 150-152 and no matter what I try, I cant get back to 144. I guess I just dont know when enough is enough. When do I stop TRYING to get back to a certain number? When do I give up on that and accept the fact that Ive busted my butt for 8 months with no change? I dont mean "give up" on fitness...because Im not going to stop striving to stay fit. I just mean, stop living for a goal.... But sometimes, I think a goal is what keeps me going so hard...

    Maybe you can change the goal to something besides weight loss. Maybe try maintainence for a month or two and try weight loss again.
  • ultracatgirl
    ultracatgirl Posts: 8
    perhaps do measurement of your body to see what it is doing change wise. I find that losing weight off your hips or bust which seems to be the last to go and is the more difficult fat to get rid of. I get why it is hard to get rid of but still is frustrating. The other thing I have found as i am trying to lose weight is that after 30 years old- it doesn't go away as fast as it did before I was 30.

    I don't know what your stress is like but that is another factor in making weight loss difficult. The pounds may be sticking around for that reason too. I have noticed in past when I am no so stressed, I lose weight easily.

    be continue to be patience with yourself. i know you will lose the weight!
  • ljaroch
    ljaroch Posts: 64
    I'm wondering too if you should change up the workouts you are doing. Like someone else said maybe start doing some lower heart rate workouts - strength training with the cardio that Insanity or P90X adds and/or yoga. Those things build muscle while helping to lean you out. It could be too that the stress is causing you to hang on to extra pounds. Eating the correct amount of calories for your body, changing your workouts to be less intense and finding a way to de-stress could really help you.

    Also, it sounds like you don't want to go to a Dr. because you think they will think you are coming in with excuses? Doctors are here to help us and if you just talk with one you might learn exactly whats going on with you. It couldn't hurt!
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    bump!
  • konerusp
    konerusp Posts: 247 Member
    Try intermittent fasting(IF), It will help you break through any wall
    ^^This i agree.
    I have done everything under the sun like you.
    Finally I cut back on cardio/cut a little carbs from grains-i still eat fruit and veggie carbs.
    One day a week im doing Fasting- I have no clue what it does but the scale seems to be moving.I read this on one of the forms from a personal trainer with a lot of credentials-when you have a good lean mass and the only weight you have left to lose is fat to get to your goal weight-IF is a good method to retrigger fat loss.

    Make sure you still eat the same amount of calories through the week.I eat an average of 1700 a day-so leaving the day i fast i distribute the 1700 to the rest of the days to even it out.
  • sum12remember
    sum12remember Posts: 3
    Okay I don't want to be a kill joy but is it all about weightloss? What kind of inches have you lost? Why you have likely stopped losing is that you are gaining muscle. Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. What the weight charts don't do well is measure muscle mass. They compare the average figure and face it people are seldom average. We are unique. So if you have built muscle along with fat that is a difficult challenge. I know not everyone agrees with atkins diet. But for muscular people who have a high need for protein it can be utilized with great results. They have a "quick start" that burns incredibly well. Another diet to look into is "Eating for you Bloodtype". The majority of the population are O+. If you are an O blood type you can bet you will do well on Atkins. Just for two weeks on the "Quick Start" you eat all protein plus one good salad a day. Your carbs come from your salad. This will put you into ketosis so drinking plenty of water is important. Read up on it so you don't do yourself in. But if you have been as dedicated as you express, this will be easy for you. But one bite of a carb can throw your body off. Read up on the Quick Start rules...you will lose! On the other hand, you have done your body and heart GOOD with all your hard work and dedication. Enjoy where you are and your good health! Good Luck!
  • mom2dms
    mom2dms Posts: 152 Member
    It would be helpful if we could see your journal to see what you're eating and when. Just a couple of things that I would say off the top of my head...
    1.You may want to have your thyroid checked out. When you lose a large amount of weight, it can go into a kind of "shocked" phase and stop working properly because it simply can't keep up with the needs of your body from the chaining diet to the increase in workouts.
    2. Keep varying your TBB workouts..they will, if nothing else, change your mass from fat to muscles and while they weigh the same (1 pound of fat is = 1 pound of muscle..muscle just takes up less space), you'll see the difference in your body shape and size.
    3. You may want to look into the TBB Ultimate Reset. It is an AWESOME program that will get your body reset to a healthy state. This will also give your body the rest it needs from exercise since you don't workout for the 21 days on the reset. It is a little pricey, however, (VERY WORTH IT) the reset itself only takes 21 days and you have a 30 day $$ back guarantee on the program. You can message me if you want more details, I'd be happy to help you with any questions you have.
    4. Make sure that after you workout, you are feeding your body a high lean protein snack within 45 mins of completing your workout. This is very important to muscle recovery and can affect weight loss.

    I know plateaus are frustrating! I'm there with you! Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help...those of us who've been there can feel your pain!
    Good luck
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I was stuck at 135 between Jan and May. Nothing was happening...except I kept exercising hard, throwing in more cardio..etc.

    I echo what someone else said. I cut out half my workouts, lowered my carb intake...and the scale started moving down again. I am now 120. But it didn't start going down until the end of May!

    You look amazing! I am so inspired.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I am facing the same dilemma and need to read through this thread.
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    First off, great job losing all that weight!

    Next, plateaus happen to pretty much everyone. There are a number of ways to break through them and many have been mentioned in this thread already. Instead, I'd like to bring up a point that gets overlooked a lot.

    The less body fat you have, the harder it is to lose it. Your body knows how much fat you're carrying on you and as your fat stores start to get lower and lower, your body kind of panics. Especially if it happens quickly. At least one study has shown that maximum amount of fat oxidation you can achieve per day is around 22kcal/lb of body fat/day. What this means is that as you get closer to your weight goal, the amount that you can lose and hence your daily deficit you can run per day goes way down. If you have 30lbs of fat on you, you can only run about a 600 cal per day deficit, which comes out to be just over a pound of weight loss per week. Also, your TDEE goes down as your weight goes down, so there's a double whammy effect in play.

    The first thing you need to do is calculate your TDEE and BMR with your new weight. Also, get as accurate of a reading of your body fat% as you can. Now, take your weight*bf% to find your fat weight, multiply by 22 to get your maximum deficit (MD). Take TDEE - MD and if that is above BMR, then eat that many calories. If that's below BMR, eat at your BMR and add some extra exercise to compensate. Adjust this often as you continue to lose fat (I'd suggest recalculating it every 3-5lbs of fat loss or as needed if you stall). You simply cannot expect to lose 2lbs of fat per week forever. Eventually your body is going to say no to that and you're going to plateau and no amount of cutting calories or increased exercise will get it to relent. You will have to eat more and lose fat more slowly.
  • Valera0466
    Valera0466 Posts: 319 Member
    Sounds like you are building a lot of muscle. If you are you will have to go more by how you look than by how you weigh. A person with good muscle tone can be the same size at 140 as someone at 120 without. I saw some pictures of women on the internat that you would think were fat by theur weight but they looked awesome.
  • davisrl0
    davisrl0 Posts: 93 Member
    Thanks guys. To answer a few questions from the last page...

    I plateaued 6 lbs short of my goal....and then started gaining. With no change in my lifestyle. I didnt start eating poorly, I kept exercising, etc. Im now back up to 152-154. To know that I am 8-10 pounds higher than where I was is VERY frustrating, knowing that Im still working very hard. Yes, I am certain that some of it is muscle, but I dont really have a way to know how much. When I plateaued was right about themt ime I was starting my second round of p90x and Ive done that program for a while still....so I know IM building muscle. I can SEE it. Also, with Insanity, I know Ive built some large muscle groups. But can a woman gain 8-10 pounds of muscle in 8 months? Im not a hard core lifter or anything. I did also start drinking protein shakes around that time too, and I know that can help with muscle tone.

    Im the same size I was at 144. I am more tone than back then. I have lost a *little* bit in inches, but Im not seeing a fat loss in some of the major areas I tend to hold lots of fat. In fact, my waist is an inch bigger than it was back at 144.....but Im still confortably wearing the same size. How's that??? (I also know that there can be some discrepancies in WHERE I measure. If it's not the exact same place as the previous measurement, the numbers can be inaccurate.

    BUT...after reading through all of this, talking with friends, talking with my husband..... I can rest easily knowing Ive tried really hard and if my body is refusing to change, then so be it. This is my lifestyle and Im going to continue to strive for health. But I am letting go of being a certain number on the scale. I'd rather be a toned 150 than a "skinny fat" 138. I can work out with the best of them...I can go out and run without dying...I am healthy, Im strong, Im average. I'd love to see more fat gone, but if this is what I am, then this is what I am. I can be ok with that.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Let's see that diary of yours. Would also be grand if you would be able to tell us your BMR and TDEE at sedimentary.

    sedentary...

    lol

    Aye. Calories are better added in after the work out and determined by the work out, not just assumed with a simple multiplier that TDEE Calculations use. The most accurate determination of TDEE goes from sedimentary and adds exercise in per day.

    But, since she has still to open her diary to the public, I cannot offer any meaningful advice to her predicament that has not already bean said. I have noticed both good advice, and bad.
  • davisrl0
    davisrl0 Posts: 93 Member
    There. Now the diary is open. THe thing is....Ive not had a good couple of weeks, so dont judge my habits by the past weeks of diary entries. And there for a while, I didnt even log on this site. I know Ive been complaining of not losing weight, and my complaint is a general statement about the past 8 months.
    That's the reason Ive been hesitant to open it to the public. Im not consistent with logging because I know what I eat. I eat the same things all the time, so I just stopped logging it for a while.
    I dont eat perfectly. But I'd say I ate pretty clean 90% of the time.
  • arw4
    arw4 Posts: 51 Member
    I would up your protein intake. Cut out breads and eat more meat, fruit, and vegetables. I recently had trouble losing and by experimentation I found that this seems to work. Good luck!
  • cmccorma
    cmccorma Posts: 203 Member
    Let's see that diary of yours. Would also be grand if you would be able to tell us your BMR and TDEE at sedimentary.

    sedentary...

    lol

    Aye. Calories are better added in after the work out and determined by the work out, not just assumed with a simple multiplier that TDEE Calculations use. The most accurate determination of TDEE goes from sedimentary and adds exercise in per day.

    But, since she has still to open her diary to the public, I cannot offer any meaningful advice to her predicament that has not already bean said. I have noticed both good advice, and bad.

    The lol, I am assuming, is because sedimentary is a rock form. Sedentary is the word that you would use for activity level.

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