I've been gaining and loosing the same 2 pounds all summer.

chasing_trains
chasing_trains Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to using MFP again. I weight (as of this morning) 174, and my goal weight is 140. All summer I've been fluctuating between 176 and 174, and just recently I've been going between 175 and 173. According to MFP, I should be netting 1200, which I've been doing. (Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower, because I only burn about 200 something calories.) I do eat back my exercise calories.
I exercise for an hour a day. 20 minutes walking, 20 minutes wii boxing, 20 minutes yoga and strength. The past two days I've been dancing using Michael Jackson just to break it up a little.
What am I doing wrong? I've been eating well, (fruits and veggies) and I exercise and log everything. I've been in the 176 range for the past two years. How do I jump start weight loss?

Thank you for your help!

Replies

  • mommasox
    mommasox Posts: 97 Member
    Sorry....I can't help you... But I have had the same problem and would like to also get some advice. I have been gaining and losing the same few pounds for three months. It is so frustrating. I just joined a gym and meet with a PT next week and I am also meeting with a dietician to see if that will help.

    I know I am getting healthier (BP and better heartrate now) but I would also like to lose some weight. I know everyone is different but all my friends seem to be losing like 10 pounds or more in this 3 month time. I have at least 50 pounds to lose so I don't think its a matter of only have a little to lose.

    Anyway... sorry for the rant. I hope someone can help out.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to using MFP again. I weight (as of this morning) 174, and my goal weight is 140. All summer I've been fluctuating between 176 and 174, and just recently I've been going between 175 and 173. According to MFP, I should be netting 1200, which I've been doing. (Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower, because I only burn about 200 something calories.) I do eat back my exercise calories.
    I exercise for an hour a day. 20 minutes walking, 20 minutes wii boxing, 20 minutes yoga and strength. The past two days I've been dancing using Michael Jackson just to break it up a little.
    What am I doing wrong? I've been eating well, (fruits and veggies) and I exercise and log everything. I've been in the 176 range for the past two years. How do I jump start weight loss?

    Thank you for your help!

    uh....eat way more than Net 1200, for one thing.

    Go to this Group, and read all the Posts at the top of the forum. Maybe join the group. If you haven't lost in two years, you're doing it wrong.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    track your sodium and your water. looking at your diary, so far there's a lot of processed foods; that's not as terrible as a lot of ppl think, but you do need to watch sodium. it will hold water weight.

    also - talk to your doctor about getting your ACTUAL BF% - not just BMI chart. b/c you said you're doing boxing, that leads to a lot of muscle, which might make the scale stay up when the tape measure goes down. if you have a higher muscle mass than you think you do, that could attribute to the scale not moving.

    while at the dr's office, talk to him/her about what your calorie goal should be. sometimes not eating enough can slow the weightloss.

    so, track the salt. DRINK and track the water. make your doc your advocate.
  • SparkleHorse224
    SparkleHorse224 Posts: 98 Member
    Are you...
    getting enough sleep?
    hydrating?
    being totally totally honest about your calories and how how you exercise?
    asking your doctor if there's anything wrong?
    stressed out?

    All of these things (and more!) will jack up your weight loss goals.
  • baycat107
    baycat107 Posts: 165 Member
    Me too....want to hear the answers....
  • surferfreak07
    surferfreak07 Posts: 221 Member
    Eat more. I went from 1200 to 1800 and dropped 3 lbs in the first week. Now I'm eating between 2100-2400
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
    track your sodium and your water. looking at your diary, so far there's a lot of processed foods; that's not as terrible as a lot of ppl think, but you do need to watch sodium. it will hold water weight.

    also - talk to your doctor about getting your ACTUAL BF% - not just BMI chart. b/c you said you're doing boxing, that leads to a lot of muscle, which might make the scale stay up when the tape measure goes down. if you have a higher muscle mass than you think you do, that could attribute to the scale not moving.

    while at the dr's office, talk to him/her about what your calorie goal should be. sometimes not eating enough can slow the weightloss.

    so, track the salt. DRINK and track the water. make your doc your advocate.

    Smart lady :flowerforyou:
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    Are you taking measurements? I haven't lost that much weight overall, but I've lost and continue to lose inches even though I'm now at my goal weight. Also, body fat % continues to go down.
  • mistigoodwin
    mistigoodwin Posts: 411 Member
    Drink WATER!!!!!!!! A lot of it. Watch your sodium! Maybe add some cardio to your exercise routine. You might need to eat more. A lot of people don't lose on 1200 calories. Good Luck!
  • The_Wicked_Bliss
    The_Wicked_Bliss Posts: 3 Member
    Having the exact same problem, and I too have no answers. I have tried all the advice, shake your workouts up, don't do the same workout, and I have been eating pretty decently. You are right, so frustrating! I feel your pain and you have my support. I have lost 42 lbs so far and I am 20 pounds away from my "goal" weight. It is super discouraging :(
  • Fit4_Life
    Fit4_Life Posts: 828 Member
    Gosh, I am glad that I am not alone on this. I have been fighting to lose the same 8 lbs 4 tiimes this summer! Yeah...it is very frustrating..but I am not giving up. My problem was stress and being lazy. Best advice...DON'T GIVE UP! Fight it....

    Good luck to you. :flowerforyou:

    And drink water!
  • Tenaciousleee
    Tenaciousleee Posts: 22 Member
    BUMP, same problem here
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Hello,
    I just checked your diary, and you ate nice foods...but you did not NET 1200...you net lower. So you are eating below your BMR.

    In other words, you are not eating enough.

    This will stifle your metabolism....your body won't want to drop the excess fat.

    Also I looked back a couple of weeks, and you were not even logging your food.....not on MFP anyway. So if you're not keeping track, how can you know what you are doing?

    Plug your stats in to MFP goals, opting for the 1lb/week weight loss.
    Eat back your exercise calories.
    Let your body work with this for a couple of weeks, then adjust from there.
  • Jog72
    Jog72 Posts: 8 Member
    You're not eating enough :o)

    Scary at first to up cals but it works!

    Try calculating your BMR (655 +(4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR) then x 1.55 for moderate exercise of 3-5 times per week...that'll give you your min cals per day. Create deficit of 500 a day to lose 1lb a week
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    At first glance, I would say your problem is in the kitchen. Looking through the last week of your diary, most days you have over 200g of carbs. I gain weight on that much, no matter what the calorie level is.

    I started working out in february, 90 minutes 3-4x a week...following the MFP suggestions, and only lost 7 pounds in 3 months. I spent 6 weeks of the time gaining and losing the same 3 pounds.

    then I decided to cut my carbs down to ~100g net per day ( total carbs minus fiber). The first week I lost 5lbs, the first month I lost 8lbs, the second month I lost 6 lbs, and the third month I lost 3-4lbs. I wish I could have stayed at losing 6lbs per month, but I am weight training too, so I assume I am building muscle and that is why the scale is moving so slow.
  • chasing_trains
    chasing_trains Posts: 10
    Thanks for the replies everyone! I was using a different tracker up until this week, which is why nothing comes up past Tuesday, I think. I have a doctor's appointment today anyway, so I'll talk to her about it. I've heard eat more to lose weight works, should I give it a try?
    I don't log my water, but I drink about two regular sized bottles a day. And I'll have to keep an eye on my sodium.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    While your exercise is okay, it's definitely an area that needs some improvement. You've probably plateaued on your exercise. Try and switch to a form of exercise that allows you to PROGRESS and is higher intensity. For example, with running, you can clearly see if you're getting faster or not. With Wii boxing, I'm not sure how you'd be able to tell if you're actually progressing.

    Second, I'm a bit skeptical that you're really working out an hour every day, and not burning fat on a 1200 cal per day diet. Either there are calories you aren't counting, or you've built a lot of muscle while burning fat.
  • ActTwoScene1
    ActTwoScene1 Posts: 4
    I am also in the same boat -- as far as gaining and losing the same 2 pounds for the past year! I don't have good advice for you. I can only share that, for me, I can see that I eat and drink back weight loss week-to-week because of lack of willpower.

    I have read that the tendency to hang on to every last pound was a superior trait for our very early ancestors (who didn't always have access to food). SO somewhere in our ancestry were people who were the envy of the other cave dwellers because they kept their weight on despite lack of food. ;)
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Thanks for the replies everyone! I was using a different tracker up until this week, which is why nothing comes up past Tuesday, I think. I have a doctor's appointment today anyway, so I'll talk to her about it. I've heard eat more to lose weight works, should I give it a try?
    I don't log my water, but I drink about two regular sized bottles a day. And I'll have to keep an eye on my sodium.

    frankly, you need to drink 2x that, minimum. the average water bottle is 16.9 oz, which is roughly 2 glasses. You need 8 per day. try drinking a water bottle with EVERY meal, and trying to have something to drink with every snack too. You'll want to pee constantly for a while, but then your body will adjust.

    if you are eating too much sodium, getting your 64oz of water a day is doubly important. The water is needed to flush the extra sodium out of your system!
  • skinnygurl02
    skinnygurl02 Posts: 176 Member
    I had this same problem for nearly 4.5 months. Finally upped my calories from 1200 to 1600 and changed up my exercise routine. Good Luck!
  • chasing_trains
    chasing_trains Posts: 10
    I upped my calories to 1440 and I'll try switching up my exercise. I do get to the gym sometimes with my mom, and I lift and use the treadmill. I'll see if we can go more often.

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