I need help losing more weight!

I recently lost 28lbs by eating smaller portions and eating healthier. I am female age 20 5' 3" and weigh 131. I want to lose about 6 more pounds, it's been about 1 month and a half and I haven't lost anymore weight. I weigh 131 pounds and I want to be at 125. my BMR is 1422, if i multiply it by my activity level which is 1.2 since I'm sedentary it goes up to 1707. I subtract 500 calories a day to have a weekly deficit of 3500 calories a week which would equal 1lb weight loss per week. I have been eating 1207 calories or less 6 days a week for a month now and I haven't lost anymore weight. This past week I gave up and decided that 131 is a good weight so throughout this week I have been eating around maintenance I ate between 1200 and 1400 a day, and then yesterday I decided to give it another shot and see if I can lose 6 more pounds. But I don't understand what was happening before, I was in a calorie deficit so I should have been losing weight right? I think i might have actually gained 1lb, how can I continue to lose weight? Will I be able to lose 6 more pounds by eating 1207 a day?

I don't really do much exercise, the treadmill we have broke and can't really afford a gym membership. But I can walk for an hour or 2.

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Shoot for 1/2lb a week at this point.

    quick numbers for you.....

    63inches
    age 20
    131lbs

    Shoot for 1600-1800/day and youll get there.
    Lift weight for better body composition.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    I would try walking 30-60 minutes a day 3 times a week.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I think because you are a smaller weight now your body's metabolism has adjusted to a lower weight. You probably should be focusing on body recomposition if you still aren't happy with how you look. Go for a 250 cal deficit and lift, even if you don't have a gym do body lifting exercises. Where there is a will there is a way ;)
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    you can't do a 500 deficit when you are that close to your goal, you need to shoot for a 250 and a 0.5 lb loss a week max. you also need to change something up to kick start your loss again, either change your exercise or watch your food... i am 5.2 ft and i hit stalls all the time, my last one was 2.5 months and i now started a new workout program and it is working
  • YOUCANDOIT165
    YOUCANDOIT165 Posts: 27 Member
    I would first weigh myself on a different scale. Then I would increase my water in take and since your treadmill is broke go to YouTube and find a exercise that fit you and do it once or twice a day and its free. Try walking as much as you can and continue your position control and you will be great. All the best and feel free to add me if you like.
  • mghanie
    mghanie Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks guys for the great advice! I'm gonna try walking a bit more maybe 60 min everyday and increase my calorie intake to 1457 a day, hopefully that will work
  • bump
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    If your BMR is 1422, you don't need to NET less than that since you are so close to goal. If you walk every day or even 6 days a week, you aren't really sedentary either. If you are going to try 1457, please make sure that's net (1457 + whatever you burn exercising). That should be more than low enough.

    Good luck!
  • mghanie
    mghanie Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks :) I won't really be doing rigorous walking, just normal walking around in my house or walking in place as if I were on a treadmill for an hour or outside at a normal pace.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    But I don't understand what was happening before, I was in a calorie deficit so I should have been losing weight right? I think i might have actually gained 1lb, how can I continue to lose weight? Will I be able to lose 6 more pounds by eating 1207 a day?

    The other part of the equation which is unanswerable is did you lose inches, meaning fat, while you may have gained water weight, meaning your weight didn't change?

    Because if nothing changed, then you really did not have a deficit, right?

    Why would you not have a deficit based on the numbers? Because the numbers aren't right? Why would your BMR be so far off that a 500 cal deficit wouldn't show up? Because the estimate is off.

    That BMR estimate is based on avg bodyfat for someone your age, weight, height. If you have a lot more than expected, your BMR and therefore TDEE could be a lot less, and you are eating at maintenance.

    The other reason, and certainly it could be combined with that reason, is your metabolism slowed down because of too much stress. Diet is a stress, too much and your body can just rebalance and go slower and wipe out that deficit.

    If all you can do is walking 60 min, that's great, do just that much.

    Change your Activity level to Lightly Active, your goal loss to 1/2 lb weekly. Log any exercise above and beyond that 60 min walking daily, and eat it back. That change of activity includes 60 min of walking already.

    Otherwise, stick with the 1670 that is given.

    But you might also see if the BMR based on age, weight, height is close enough to the BMR based on bodyfat to not worry about it.

    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtools.html
  • work it out more!
  • vannah2u
    vannah2u Posts: 8 Member
    There have been some very helpful posts so far, so I will try my best to help out without being too redundant. First, congratulations on your weight loss so far! Now for some tips...you have to keep in mind that your body has changed from your starting weight. So to keep losing weight, you would have to continue to recalculate your numbers. But of course...that's the tricky part because without a meter on your body 24/7, you really have no way of knowing what you actually burn in a day. To help out though, my stats are pretty much the same as yours and I have a bodymedia band that tells me what I burn. Below are my pointers for you:

    1200 calories/day for a female unless otherwise instructed by your nutritionist is the absolute MINIMUM.

    A calorie deficit over 500 is probably too large for someone so close to their goal weight as you are.

    No matter you calorie deficit, if you dont meet the 1200 minimum at least 5 days a week, your body will hold on to the fat.

    The key is to work out and eat healthy in a way to makes your body feel safe enough to let go of the reserves:Try aiming for several small meals a day. every 3 hours if you can. The best combination is to alternate protein, veggies and a carb, with just protein and veggies. and by small I mean 2-4 oz protein, 1/2 cup carb, 1-2Cups veggies. Eating frequently throughout the day helps to speed up your metabolism. You can easily add a 1/2 cup if you need more calories.

    The type of work out you do is also a factor, weightlifting builds muscle that burns fat, but also weighs more. You should rely on a measuring tape if you think you should be losing but the scale isnt budging.

    As mentioned by others, you numbers could be off...for starters, it is highly unlikely that you are sedentary (which means sitting down all day) Even on my laziest days (sleeping til 1pm) my minimum burn is 2300 calories a day. (Im 5'4" and 24)

    Cardio is your best option for burning the remaining fat. But be mindful of your intensity/heart rate. Aim for the 65% max heart rate to burn fat rather than sugar(energy). 45-60 minutes 5 days a week is all it takes.

    Drink plenty of water! you could simply be holding water weight if you dont drink enough.

    Lastly, your menstrual cycle could be holding you back. For a couple of weeks I hit a standstill and couldnt figure out why... til I remembered that it was approaching that time of the month. Your body goes through enough stress on it's own during this time and shouldn't be forced to lose weight. So if it's about that time...just hang in there and take it easy. As soon as mine ended, my weight dropped almost instantly to where it should have been heading the entire time.

    Hope this helped at least a little bit. If you need me to clarify anything that I may have confused you about, just let me know.
  • eileenchristine
    eileenchristine Posts: 228 Member
    Youtube has a ton of exercises! And some of the cable companies have exercise shows on demand (used to have it out east). My son introduced me to youtube on the xbox and he is even supportive when I do my zumba dvds. Granted he is laughing at me trying to keep up but its in a good way. Just keep pushing yourself for 20 min a day, if you don't like the one video find one you do like. Running up and down the steps is good too. Do 5 laps, doesn't take long but for me its a real effort and I certainly do not run them! Crawl would be like it but maybe in a few weeks I will be able to do lively up the steps!

    Just commit to logging and doing a bit of exercise daily. I was waiting for my girl to get off tv so I could watch my show and grabbed my weights and mat and worked out for 20 min. waiting for her show to finish. Just making those small choices that add up.
  • mghanie
    mghanie Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks for the wonderful advice! Today I'm starting to eat more and will try to do some dancing or walking or both as my exercise for the day. The only thing I'm finding hard is getting in all my calories, because I'm going over my fat and protein limit for the day is that a bad thing?
  • When I hit bumps or plateus I do the 3 day military diet...i lose weight and it jumps my metabolism...i personally lose at least 10 pounds doing this diet built in also a lot taller and heavier than you are too... but it should still help!!
  • vannah2u
    vannah2u Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks for the wonderful advice! Today I'm starting to eat more and will try to do some dancing or walking or both as my exercise for the day. The only thing I'm finding hard is getting in all my calories, because I'm going over my fat and protein limit for the day is that a bad thing?


    Going over your protein limit is not a major problem unless it is a significant difference. The fat, however, can be. Obviously, protein and fat go hand in hand, but you can aim to choose leaner meats. Ground turkey, chicken breast, and fish are excellent options. On the ground meats, always go for the lowest fat content. It's an easy way to cut the fat without sacrificing flavor. Stay away from dark meat as it has more fat. And red meat should really be limited to no more than 2 times a week.(depending on your body type) Just think lean meat= lean body. : ) To make sure you get your calories in, try filling in the gaps with whole grains for your carbs and doing 2 cups of vegetables with every meal. As a side tip: 1/2 grapefruit with your breakfast is wonderful for kick-starting your calorie burn for the day.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    trying changing something that isnt just your gravitational pull. A great body shape has nothing to do with how much the sculpture weighs.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    A smaller deficit may be the answer. Try 300...leaves 50 for error. X
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Shoot for 1/2lb a week at this point.

    quick numbers for you.....

    63inches
    age 20
    131lbs

    Shoot for 1600-1800/day and youll get there.
    Lift weight for better body composition.

    This ^^
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I also think Tdee is really hard to figure out without a ki fit or bmf or that kind of device x
  • vannah2u
    vannah2u Posts: 8 Member
    trying changing something that isnt just your gravitational pull. A great body shape has nothing to do with how much the sculpture weighs.

    This is a very good point also. Any advice I gave prior really means nothing unless you have a HEALTHY and REALISTIC goal weight.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    trying changing something that isnt just your gravitational pull. A great body shape has nothing to do with how much the sculpture weighs.

    True, true, true.

    Weight training reshapes your body and makes you smaller. You can do body weight exercises like lunges, squats, push ups and bench dips on a chair or table edge. No $$ required.
  • mghanie
    mghanie Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks for all the advice :) How long after I start eating more calories should I see results? Also is walking around my house for 60 min good exercise? not doing daily things but walking around for the purpose to burn calories.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    depends on when you start exercising.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Thanks for all the advice :) How long after I start eating more calories should I see results? Also is walking around my house for 60 min good exercise? not doing daily things but walking around for the purpose to burn calories.

    How long did it take your metabolism to slow down to the point you didn't actually have a deficit anymore?

    Double that time.

    Walking is fine. And with a more realistic deficit you don't risk losing muscle mass.

    Good exercise? 60 min could be spent a whole lot better, yes, if you have straight 60 min to give to something.

    Lifting heavy for you weight 3 x a week and jogging slow the other days available is better.

    But if walking is all you can do, any daily activity is the main fat burner and deficit creator to a diet to lose weight and hopefully just fat weight.
    Exercise is about improving the body and heart overall.
  • Yes, i think that would be enough exercise. it's good actually. but you can pair that good and balanced diet. you can check on some list of dietary foods that may be appropriate for you. Source: http://www.top-5-diets.info/