Not losing anymore weight.. I'm stuck!

Hi,

I'm hoping you guys can help me out.. I have been on MFP for a few months and I use the guided weight loss tools which have helped me lose some weight but it's taken me A LOT longer than it should have, and now I seem to be stuck at the same weight and I'm really wanting to just give up :(

Right now I weigh 135 lbs, I am 24 but will be turning 25 in about a month, and I am 5'5". My goal I am trying to get to is 120 lbs. I am eating 1200 calories a day, which to me feels like nothing. With every lb I lose it has me drop 10 calories from my daily calories but it stopped at 1200. Why? Maybe this is why I'm not losing anymore weight?? Ahhh I'm so frustrated!!!!

Any advice I will greatly appreciate!

Replies

  • amyplaysflute
    amyplaysflute Posts: 91 Member
    MFP will never have you eat below 1200 calories, so that's the reason for that.
  • mallen404
    mallen404 Posts: 266 Member
    Hi,

    Weight loss is 80% diet, are you eating only healthy foods? what does your diet mostly consist of?

    How often are you exercising?
  • 1200 calories is already quite little, you might have gone into starvation mode as your body panics at the high amount of energy it needs and the little you give it. I would suggest eating around 500+1000 calories more every 3-4th day so your body stays out of starvation mode. 1200 calories is way too little with an active life.
    If you keep yourself in that low calorie range much longer your body will take EVERY chance it gets to put weight back on when you stop the diet, and you might permanently lower your metabolism forever. Eat 5 meals a day, make sure you eat alot of protein, the food that needs the highest amount of energy to digest.
  • katiepbee
    katiepbee Posts: 24 Member
    I tend to eat a bowl of cereal with milk for breakfast, a salad or a wrap/sandwich for lunch, and then snack on fruits, veggies, yogurt, granola bars throughout the day.. Dinner is usually whatever is easiest I will admit. I work 3:30-midnight so I consider my "dinner" to be really late at night. I eat most of my foods on my lunch break around 6 pm. Maybe it's the time of day I am eating??

    The only reason I am eating 1200 calories a day is because that's what MFP has me set at to lose 1 lb per week. I have a desk job so I am not moving around really at all when I work. I workout at most 5 days per week.

    I will be honest, it is extremely hard for me to stay below 1200.. a lot of times I am 200 calories over but even that would have me losing some weight. I've lost none in a while.
  • katiepbee
    katiepbee Posts: 24 Member
    Oops, I replied under your post but I think I hit the wrong reply button. Sorry, I'm new to this posting stuff!
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Set your weight loss to .5lbs a week......since you have only a bit of weight to lose, that is more reasonable.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    Eat back all your exercise calories.
    Work out your TDEE and BMR and never eat a total LOWER than your BMR (google or look around these threads for more on these) ...
    Log it all in here to get a closer estimate of what you should be eating back.
  • katiedidit1
    katiedidit1 Posts: 39 Member
    I have way more weight to get rid of than you but I asked my nutritionist about eating less than 1200 and she said it would slow the metabolism way down. So eat up with in reason and don't give up;) She also said that if you are going a long time without a scale move to concentrate on how your clothes are fitting or measurements. Sometimes these will change but not the scale.

    Good luck! I hope you find the info you need.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Set your weight loss to .5lbs a week......since you have only a bit of weight to lose, that is more reasonable.
    This. You do not have enough fat mass to be on a 1 lb a week plan.
  • MFP isn't always accurate, they don't take into account alot of factors that you need to consider

    For example, they have me set at 1350 cal but that is below my BMR so I customised it to 1500 and hey presto I started losing weight again!

    check out this site to maybe figure out your own BMR and set your own, accurately calculated calorie goal

    http://www.builtlean.com/2011/01/18/how-many-calories-should-you-eat-to-lose-weight/

    Also a really good site to figure out body fat % is Fit 2 Fat radio, just follow the links to find which calculator you want to go for (theres the standard or military version)

    Also, maybe if you are only doing cardio/weightlifting try switching it up, i tried this too and it worked for me

    Good Luck :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    How long have you not been losing for and how long have you been on a deficit?

    Do you 'eat back' your exercise calories, and if you do, how much does this average to and what are you using to calculate the calories expended.

    Are you measuring and weighting your food and how accurately are you logging?,
  • maqsmj
    maqsmj Posts: 697
    ok so this what i id personally

    i went to this website

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    used the advanced option, and choose the equation with BF% and got my calories with 3 days of work out

    i never eat my work out calories back

    and as u lose weight and gain uscle your calorie needs may change, and the minimum i saw in my life was 1200

    as well as a lady keep an eye on your fat intake because getting less in it may cus hormonal issues which will effect you mentally and physically badly

    i wish i could help
  • maqsmj
    maqsmj Posts: 697
    BTW some times u do not lose weight but you lose inches
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    What are your macros like on a typical day?
  • katiepbee
    katiepbee Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks everyone! I will definitely check out these websites and change my weight loss to .5 lb per week and see if anything changes.

    I haven't lost weight for almost a month. I do measure every food I can and am very honest with logging. I run/walk for cardio for about 45 minutes which I log as walking or jogging and other days I do Jillian Michael's Level 2 of Six Week Six Pack which I log as circuit training. I burn about 250ish calories during these workouts and I do eat those calories back. Maybe I need to eat more healthy snacks at night, since it's usually another bowl of cereal or something quick and high in carbs.
  • wifealiciousness
    wifealiciousness Posts: 179 Member
    Hey, plateaus are annoying and I'm sure people have mentioned NSVs- size, dress size, measurements, feeling better, developing muscle etc etc. I plateaued for about 3 months but I persevered and it worked :) and I'm now dropping slowly again!