I need help figuring out why I'm still losing on maintenance

mariposa224
mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I reached my weight loss goal of 140 lbs in mid-August. I set my calories to maintenance shortly thereafter. I did well with this for a while, my weight tended to fluctuate by a couple pounds or so here and there, but it was staying in the 140-143 range, and I was ok with that. I had thought at the time that I might shoot for 135 lbs... After seeing a photograph I had taken of myself where I felt like my face was starting to look far too thin and I looked old, I decided that I was really good with being right in that 140 lb range.

Over the last week and a half, I've dropped more weight, and it seems to be staying there. I've been eating a LOT of food. According to MFP, maintenance for me is 1770 calories. I'm 5'5". I've since upped it to 1850 and eat back my exercise calories and for the last several days have even been purposely going over, in an attempt to regain the weight. It's only about a pound, which isn't a lot, I know that. I'm used to my weight fluctuating up and down throughout the week, I only record it on MFP on Saturdays, but even that has gone down over the last month. Today my weight was 138.6 and TOM should be here within the next few days... Other than the 15th, which was most likely due to high sodium and low water intake, I dropped 1.4 lbs in September, though I didn't mean to, and with today, that would be another .8 off, for a total of 2.2 lbs.

Weight 09/29/12 139.4
Weight 09/22/12 139.6
Weight 09/15/12 142.0
Weight 09/08/12 140.2
Weight 09/01/12 140.8

I work out 6 days per week. I do Jillian Michaels 6W6P currently (did 3 of her other DVDs between April and now) M-F and usually a Zumba DVD on Saturdays. Once I finish with 6W6P, my intent is to drop down to 3 workouts per week, possibly 4, but I'm determined to finish this one first. I'm hypothyroid (ha! that's kind of funny, considering that should make this loss more difficult) and my doctor recently had to adjust my meds to a LOWER dose (at the end of July). The weight didn't seem to be "falling off" like this when I was actually working at losing. I don't know what else to do. I'm probably stressing about this too much, but I'm trying to be healthy and work on strengthening and toning my muscles more now... Not losing. I feel like I'm all ready eating copious amounts of food. Diary is open. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
    Same height as you, and 140 was my original goal, but I wasn't happy there, so I maintain around 128 and 133 (got down to 124 and it was just too thin for me -- and it made my knees hurt when I'd kneel!) Seems that your body either wants you to be thinner :happy: or your calorie burn is higher than you thought -- likely from a higher than normal metabolism.

    The other option is water weight. I can gain and lose 5 pounds in a single day without even trying, so you might have some water weight that you're shedding.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Remember these equations aren't precise - +/- 10% - and after a weight loss you probably have a reduced BMR below the standard equations. So adding some calories should sort it out.
  • summer8it
    summer8it Posts: 433 Member
    Just keep upping your calories until you stop losing. Maintenance is a trickier goal than simply losing, I think. It took me a few tries to find the right calorie level to maintain my weight.

    Edited to add that at my maintenance calorie level, MFP tells me that I should be gaining weight. I'm not.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i'm not being funny, but if you are still losing weight, eat more... it really is that simple... up your cals by 200 for a week, if u are still losing up them another 200... i have found that MFP is a bit low with its maintenance figure anyway... it says mine should be 1600 but in fact i net 1800 to maintain.

    just enjoy the fact that you can eat more!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    Same height as you, and 140 was my original goal, but I wasn't happy there, so I maintain around 128 and 133 (got down to 124 and it was just too thin for me -- and it made my knees hurt when I'd kneel!) Seems that your body either wants you to be thinner :happy: or your calorie burn is higher than you thought -- likely from a higher than normal metabolism.

    The other option is water weight. I can gain and lose 5 pounds in a single day without even trying, so you might have some water weight that you're shedding.

    According to the frame tests (wrist and elbow), I'm large framed. I know others at my height can weigh less, and when I was younger (a teenager) I did as well... But I'm working on keeping the muscle I've been working so hard to expose and I honestly don't think losing much more would look good on me. I'm all ready in a size 6 and size medium (misses sizing) tops are almost too big. I haven't worn a juniors medium in eons, it feels like, but they look good on me now.

    Yeah, I know how water and all that can cause weight fluctuations, that's why I only record my weight one set day per week here, so that I can actually see the trends a bit better.

    Thanks for the input. :smile:
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    Remember these equations aren't precise - +/- 10% - and after a weight loss you probably have a reduced BMR below the standard equations. So adding some calories should sort it out.
    I guess I sort of knew that about BMR, but hadn't taken it into this equation, only into the equation of what my HRM shows I've burnt when exercising. Thanks!
    Just keep upping your calories until you stop losing. Maintenance is a trickier goal than simply losing, I think. It took me a few tries to find the right calorie level to maintain my weight.

    Edited to add that at my maintenance calorie level, MFP tells me that I should be gaining weight. I'm not.
    Honestly, who would have thought that maintaining could be even more challenging than losing? lol Yes, it tells me I should be gaining as well. Thank you for your comments. :wink: I think I'm going to have to learn patience with this process just like I did with actually losing... :huh:
    i'm not being funny, but if you are still losing weight, eat more... it really is that simple... up your cals by 200 for a week, if u are still losing up them another 200... i have found that MFP is a bit low with its maintenance figure anyway... it says mine should be 1600 but in fact i net 1800 to maintain.

    just enjoy the fact that you can eat more!
    Yes, it is nice to be able to eat more. I'm all ready eating in the vicinity of 2000-2500 per day. I don't even know how to add more in. I all ready eat when I'm not particularly hungry, because I know that I need the calories. This should not be this difficult! lol :laugh: Thanks!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    try swapping some of your 'low fat' stuff for 'normal', see if that helps... then u arent eating more, its just a bit more calorific!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    try swapping some of your 'low fat' stuff for 'normal', see if that helps... then u arent eating more, its just a bit more calorific!
    That's an idea, for sure. I really never set out to be on a "low-fat" type diet as I know that our bodies need some fats. With the yogurt, I don't know if they make Greek yogurt with fat, do they? I'll have to look when I go to the grocery store. I buy it because it has so much more protein, actually. And sometimes I eat Yoplait light, reason for that was originally for lower calories, so that's a no-brainer there. I'll have to check out Breakstone's 4% milkfat cottage cheese. Again, I mostly eat that for the protein, but opted for the middle of the road with it, rather than the non-fat option. Yep, gonna have to change up the shopping habits a bit, so I can still keep things on a healthier level, but get the extra calories at the same time.

    If I still ate all junk, this would not be an issue! Hahaha :laugh:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I have only recently discovered Greek yoghurt, the full fat stuff is delicious and soooooo much nicer than the fat free stuff...!! Sadly I don't have the cals for normal Greek yoghurt so go for 0% fat, but if I had the choice I wouldn't go for fat free!!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    I have only recently discovered Greek yoghurt, the full fat stuff is delicious and soooooo much nicer than the fat free stuff...!! Sadly I don't have the cals for normal Greek yoghurt so go for 0% fat, but if I had the choice I wouldn't go for fat free!!

    It actually took some getting used to for me, as the texture was a bit much at first. I've always like regular yogurt, but Greek was just beyond me... lol I then tried it with granola and got used to it that way. After that I seemed to adjust to it and not need the granola anymore. :wink: I'll check when I go to the store. Thanks for the recommendation! :happy:
  • jonilynn70
    jonilynn70 Posts: 145 Member
    I feel like once you go to 3 times a week workouts instead of the 6 that the maintenance will be correct and it will take care of itself but right now your metabolism is still on fire and being stoked regularly with the 6x a week.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    Don't underestimate the effect that lowering your thyroid medication may have had on your metabolism. I'd advise holding your diet and exercise regimen steady for a few weeks. If at that point you find that you are still losing, I think I'd point my finger at the medication change.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    Don't underestimate the effect that lowering your thyroid medication may have had on your metabolism. I'd advise holding your diet and exercise regimen steady for a few weeks. If at that point you find that you are still losing, I think I'd point my finger at the medication change.
    Hypothyroidism means a lower metabolism. The meds make it right again. My dose was too high. This was actually mostly due to the doc not informing me to not take my Prilosec or iron or vitamins with the Synthroid, which causes it to lose its effectiveness. I figured it out on my own and with the help of a friend who is also hypothyroid. I had switched around the timing of all my meds to make sure they were all working right, and low and behold, they were and I needed a reduced dose. If anything, going on a lower dose should cause any weight loss to slow down, not speed up. I've been on the lower dose for 2 months now, have had blood work and the doc wants me to stay on this lower dose for at least 4 more months, when she'll check it again. I'm not newly diagnosed, I've been on Synthroid for just over 2 years now. This is my third dosage.

Categories