Another one of these threads...

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uwdawg07
uwdawg07 Posts: 372
in Health and Weight Loss
I know there are "I'm not losing weight!" threads all over on here, but I'm hoping by making a specific one for me, I can get some help.

I cannot lose any weight! It's incredibly frustrating. I'm trying to lose about another 5 pounds. I've lost 93 in the past (almost) 2 years. I lost about 73 the first year, and 20 this past (almost) year. As you can see, it drastically slowed down.

Anyways, no matter what I do, I can't lose any more weight.

I've tried increasing calories, decreasing calories, increasing exercise, decreasing exercise, increasing strength training, switching up exercises, etc.

I count every calorie I eat so I'm not overeating. One day a week I track for half a day, and then go out to dinner and don't exercise. I leave about 1000-1300 calories for dinner and dessert, and probably eat about 500 - 600 calories more than a normal day.

Right now I walk 6 days a week for 60-65 minutes, at a pace of 14-15 minutes per mile. 3 days a week I do high intensity cardio and 3 days a week I do weights/cardio. I'm up to a 15 pound dumb bell, I started at 3.

I've built up some awesome muscle, but they are covered up by this layer of fat I cannot lose!

What else can I do?!!
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Replies

  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
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    I you have tried all other avenues maybe see a doctor? You could have a thyroid or hormonal issue.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    ditch most of the cardio and focus on 3x a week full body strength training.

    and log EVERY day so that you know exactly how many cals you are over. with very little to lose you only want around a 250 cal deficit, which is easy to negate with one big meal if you dont track everything. look at your weekly net cals.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Have you tried a full diet break? Sometimes it's helpful if you're been on a deficit for a long time.

    The other thought I have is to log everything even if you know you're going to go over. I don't have cheat days anymore because as I've gotten close to my goal weight I have a lot less deficit to work with and it seems like I've really had to tighten up on weighing/measuring in order to lose. Instead I still go out to eat and stuff but I try to stick close to my TDEE on those days, and if I do go over it's not by too much.
  • cw1710
    cw1710 Posts: 8
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    1000+ for dinner is high. It is the end of the day and you probably do not do enough after dinner to burn those calories. That also means that you are probably not eating enough for breakfast and lunch, which is when you need it to keep you going. Too few calories for the first two meals puts your metabolism in more of a conservation mode to keep it going. Switch up your eating routine. Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a peasant at dinner. 1000 for breakfast isn't bad, and it jumpstarts the metabolism. Try to avoid OJ for breakfast though, as it gives your blood sugar a spike and makes your body work to digest the sugar first, and not the food.
  • _CowgirlUp_
    _CowgirlUp_ Posts: 585 Member
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    Bump.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    1000+ for dinner is high. It is the end of the day and you probably do not do enough after dinner to burn those calories. That also means that you are probably not eating enough for breakfast and lunch, which is when you need it to keep you going. Too few calories for the first two meals puts your metabolism in more of a conservation mode to keep it going. Switch up your eating routine. Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a peasant at dinner. 1000 for breakfast isn't bad, and it jumpstarts the metabolism. Try to avoid OJ for breakfast though, as it gives your blood sugar a spike and makes your body work to digest the sugar first, and not the food.


    This is almost completely wrong. Time of day of consumption of Calories is irrelevant. It's overall intake vs. overall outgoing.


    Toadie (may I call him/her that?) has it right - you need to track everything - including the day you go out to dinner. You might be surprised at how many calories are in that meal - especially if you're having dessert. I was shocked to find out that the carrot cake at Outback is considered 2 servings, and there's a lot of Calories in only one serving (491 per serving, IIRC). Thus, almost all of those 1000 Calories (were you to eat all this carrot cake, for instance) would be gone - even without the "real" dinner.
  • ozznando
    ozznando Posts: 36 Member
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    1000+ for dinner is high. It is the end of the day and you probably do not do enough after dinner to burn those calories. That also means that you are probably not eating enough for breakfast and lunch, which is when you need it to keep you going. Too few calories for the first two meals puts your metabolism in more of a conservation mode to keep it going. Switch up your eating routine. Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a peasant at dinner. 1000 for breakfast isn't bad, and it jumpstarts the metabolism. Try to avoid OJ for breakfast though, as it gives your blood sugar a spike and makes your body work to digest the sugar first, and not the food.

    I agree with this. I eat most of my calories for breakfast, lunch and after workout snack and eat a very light dinner. I also eat dinner no later than 6 PM. That helped me reached my goal weight. I leave "1 lb to go" on my counter because there is always "1 lb to go." You hit your goal, then splurge 1 meal a week and it is back and by the end of the next week it is off again. Hope that helps! :)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    1000+ for dinner is high. It is the end of the day and you probably do not do enough after dinner to burn those calories. That also means that you are probably not eating enough for breakfast and lunch, which is when you need it to keep you going. Too few calories for the first two meals puts your metabolism in more of a conservation mode to keep it going. Switch up your eating routine. Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a peasant at dinner. 1000 for breakfast isn't bad, and it jumpstarts the metabolism. Try to avoid OJ for breakfast though, as it gives your blood sugar a spike and makes your body work to digest the sugar first, and not the food.

    I agree with this. I eat most of my calories for breakfast, lunch and after workout snack and eat a very light dinner. I also eat dinner no later than 6 PM. That helped me reached my goal weight. I leave "1 lb to go" on my counter because there is always "1 lb to go." You hit your goal, then splurge 1 meal a week and it is back and by the end of the next week it is off again. Hope that helps! :)

    Good that it works for you but it's not based on any universal weight loss principles. When you eat and how you divide it up is irrelevant except for your preferences and what makes it easier for you. Your metabolism does not shut off nor does it need to be jumpstarted in the morning.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Eat maintenance for a week or two. Just to give the body some rest from all the dieting.

    From there, your weight loss goal should be no more than 0.5 pounds a week. Adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

    Of course, high protein is very helpful. And eat back some of the exercise calories. Not all, but some.
  • SteveT59
    SteveT59 Posts: 47 Member
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    You mentioned these muscles you have now built up, you do know of course that muscular tissue weighs more than fatty tissue?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Right now I walk 6 days a week for 60-65 minutes, at a pace of 14-15 minutes per mile. 3 days a week I do high intensity cardio and 3 days a week I do weights/cardio. I'm up to a 15 pound dumb bell, I started at 3.

    I'd say up the intensity of your workouts. Maybe try walk/run intervals instead of just walking. If the high-intesity cardio does not include some HIIT workouts, start including them. They are not easy, but make a big difference in calorie burn and conditioning. And keep working on the weights (great progress so far BTW!!).

    Also, I'd suggest adding some calisthenics. Pushups, dips, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks, etc. These are great for burning calories and toning your body.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    1000+ for dinner is high. It is the end of the day and you probably do not do enough after dinner to burn those calories. That also means that you are probably not eating enough for breakfast and lunch, which is when you need it to keep you going. Too few calories for the first two meals puts your metabolism in more of a conservation mode to keep it going. Switch up your eating routine. Eat like a King at breakfast, a Prince at lunch, and a peasant at dinner. 1000 for breakfast isn't bad, and it jumpstarts the metabolism. Try to avoid OJ for breakfast though, as it gives your blood sugar a spike and makes your body work to digest the sugar first, and not the food.

    This is not true for everyone. I often eat 1000 calorie dinners and lost just fine, and I maintain just fine. I do not need a king's breakfast to sit at my desk all day. I like to have a big full meal in the evening, so that's what I do. After I work out, shortly before bed. I lost just fine, I sleep just fine, I am rarely hungry and my metabolism is cranking along just fine.

    There is nothing wrong with eating the way you describe if it keeps you happy and on track. But, there is no "best way" to portion your calories throughout the day, except the way that keeps you within your goals.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Eat maintenance for a week or two. Just to give the body some rest from all the dieting.

    From there, your weight loss goal should be no more than 0.5 pounds a week. Adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

    Of course, high protein is very helpful. And eat back some of the exercise calories. Not all, but some.

    ^^ This.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    have you tried one method and then stuck with it for 5-6 weeks before making any other changes. I would suggest normal workouts and eat at maintenance for 3-4 weeks, then decrease cals again into a deficit, with a goal of 0.5lbs/week.
  • Lipstickcherry
    Lipstickcherry Posts: 122 Member
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    bbc how to be slim part 1 out of 6 parts: (very cool info to know!!!)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSm1dWjMGeM

    They used science and it's all very entertaining to watch and informative. They helped a lady lose a good amount of weight and got her through her plateau.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    What are your stats? It is quite possible you are over extending yourself in terms of weight. And the vanity weight may not be obtainable or would require you to lose muscle.

    But I would agree a diet and exercise break to allow your body to regulate hormones and repair muscles would be optimal. I always take one during xmas for 2 weeks.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    Something quick to try is to track like a beginner. After you've been at this for a while, it's easier to get more lax in your tracking and measuring. I recommend weighing everything for just a week or two and see if that helps. Since you've been at this for so long, I'm sure you know what you are doing, but sometimes coming at it with fresh eyes again can help.

    Also, I would probably cut back on cardio and work more on weight training. By doing this, you may be able to change your body composition and be happier with your body even if you are at a higher weight. I would also recommend checking your body fat % and focus more on the body fat % than the scale weight.

    Finally, you do have to consider that some of your excess weight may just be extra skin. When you've lost a significant amount of weight, you are probably going to have some excess skin. My BIL had his excess skin around just his stomach removed after maintaining a 120 lb loss for years and it weighed 8 lbs.
  • cw1710
    cw1710 Posts: 8
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    This is almost completely wrong. Time of day of consumption of Calories is irrelevant. It's overall intake vs. overall outgoing.


    Toadie (may I call him/her that?) has it right - you need to track everything - including the day you go out to dinner. You might be surprised at how many calories are in that meal - especially if you're having dessert. I was shocked to find out that the carrot cake at Outback is considered 2 servings, and there's a lot of Calories in only one serving (491 per serving, IIRC). Thus, almost all of those 1000 Calories (were you to eat all this carrot cake, for instance) would be gone - even without the "real" dinner.

    Depends on the person I guess. But my 23 lbs of loss in 12 weeks and body fat drop from 19% to 13% in the same time would say its working for me, so it can't be wrong. Eating the big meal at night should make your body work harder to digest that during its valuable reparation time and MAY effect quality of sleep. Just another option for someone who has tried a lot of stuff already it would seem. No need to worry about trying to negate other comments folks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    This is almost completely wrong. Time of day of consumption of Calories is irrelevant. It's overall intake vs. overall outgoing.


    Toadie (may I call him/her that?) has it right - you need to track everything - including the day you go out to dinner. You might be surprised at how many calories are in that meal - especially if you're having dessert. I was shocked to find out that the carrot cake at Outback is considered 2 servings, and there's a lot of Calories in only one serving (491 per serving, IIRC). Thus, almost all of those 1000 Calories (were you to eat all this carrot cake, for instance) would be gone - even without the "real" dinner.

    Depends on the person I guess. But my 23 lbs of loss in 12 weeks and body fat drop from 19% to 13% in the same time would say its working for me, so it can't be wrong. Eating the big meal at night should make your body work harder to digest that during its valuable reparation time and MAY effect quality of sleep. Just another option for someone who has tried a lot of stuff already it would seem. No need to worry about trying to negate other comments folks.

    But scientifically speaking, meal timing and meal frequency has zero to do with weight loss. If calories where consistent, you would have seen the same results if you switched your meals, ate less or more meals or did a program like interim fasting. And your bodies metabolism is constantly working; whether it's maintain your organs, digestion or repairing muscles. Overall, you will burn the same amount of calories digesting food regardless of when or how often you eat. That's the point.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    This is almost completely wrong. Time of day of consumption of Calories is irrelevant. It's overall intake vs. overall outgoing.


    Toadie (may I call him/her that?) has it right - you need to track everything - including the day you go out to dinner. You might be surprised at how many calories are in that meal - especially if you're having dessert. I was shocked to find out that the carrot cake at Outback is considered 2 servings, and there's a lot of Calories in only one serving (491 per serving, IIRC). Thus, almost all of those 1000 Calories (were you to eat all this carrot cake, for instance) would be gone - even without the "real" dinner.

    Depends on the person I guess. But my 23 lbs of loss in 12 weeks and body fat drop from 19% to 13% in the same time would say its working for me, so it can't be wrong. Eating the big meal at night should make your body work harder to digest that during its valuable reparation time and MAY effect quality of sleep. Just another option for someone who has tried a lot of stuff already it would seem. No need to worry about trying to negate other comments folks.


    You are obviously confusing correlation and causation. Weight loss, as pointed out by others, is simply calories in vs. calories out. Congratulations on finding something that you could stick to. But the reason you lost the weight and fat is because you consumed fewer calories than you expended. While the timing helped you consume the fewer calories, it wasn't the timing that made you lose the weight.

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