Stuck at 123 lb!

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fevermaps
fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello. I am not new to MFP. I have been dieting/eating healthy for 3months now and have lost 6lb but i have been stuck for 3 weeks at 123lb. Actually i have gained a1lb and i have switched up my exercise and i increased my calories to 1600 but it made me gain so i have dropped back to 1420. Does anyone have any advice?
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  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    Hello. I am not new to MFP. I have been dieting/eating healthy for 3months now and have lost 6lb but i have been stuck for 3 weeks at 123lb. Actually i have gained a1lb and i have switched up my exercise and i increased my calories to 1600 but it made me gain so i have dropped back to 1420. Does anyone have any advice?

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  • kgoodman0108
    kgoodman0108 Posts: 158
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.

    this, plus how long did you eat 1600 for? was this 1600 net?
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.

    I'm 123lb i'm 5'4 and i am not overweight but i could definitely lose a few more pounds. Want to get down to my goal weight of 115lb which is what i was a few years ago.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.

    I'm 123lb i'm 5'4 and i am not overweight but i could definitely lose a few more pounds. Want to get down to my goal weight of 115lb which is what i was a few years ago.

    i will give the same advice you have had in your previous posts - you dont need to lose weight, you just need to 'tone' up and lose a little bodyfat. this however takes time, and patience!

    stick to net 1600 cals and do a decent full body strenght programme!
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.

    this, plus how long did you eat 1600 for? was this 1600 net?

    I was eating 1600 after exercise.
  • kgoodman0108
    kgoodman0108 Posts: 158
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    How tall are you, and how much are you wanting to lose? At 126 pounds, I cant imagine you being overweight.

    I'm 123lb i'm 5'4 and i am not overweight but i could definitely lose a few more pounds. Want to get down to my goal weight of 115lb which is what i was a few years ago.

    I'm far from being an expert - but it sounds like you are already at a healthy weight. at 5'2, the smallest I could get was 112 and I was too thin. With the amount you want to lose, its going to come off very slowly. I think you should focus on exercise, and less on what you are eating.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    Couple of possibilities: if you recently switched up exercise, you may be stressing different muscles or stressing them in a new way. That can make them hold onto water for repair, which will mask actual weight loss.

    Also, what happened on Saturday? Did you not eat lunch and dinner, or just not log them? If you're going out on weekends, make sure you log your food and drink--it's amazing how quickly meals and drinks out add up.
  • Karenmddefl
    Karenmddefl Posts: 4
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    I know how frustrating that is! Ugh! You lost a good amount of weight over the 3 months. Kudos! Keep in mind that the body is programmed to retain weight--that used to be necessary in the ancient days. Now, it is a barrier to maintaining a healthy weight at times. The body will stick to a set point, and lower metabolism to stay there. Your body has decided 123 is it for now. I noted that you tried changing calorie count, but maybe not enough. This seems counterintuitive but when I get stuck, I splurge for a day or two and consume sometimes double my calorie allowance. That has tricked my body into revving my metabolism back up because it does not think it will starve. :-) It may not work for you, but you might have a pound to lose by giving it a try. Good luck and hang in there!
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    Couple of possibilities: if you recently switched up exercise, you may be stressing different muscles or stressing them in a new way. That can make them hold onto water for repair, which will mask actual weight loss.

    Also, what happened on Saturday? Did you not eat lunch and dinner, or just not log them? If you're going out on weekends, make sure you log your food and drink--it's amazing how quickly meals and drinks out add up.

    I went out and had a meal out with my daughter and husband but didn't know how to log it really!
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    I know how frustrating that is! Ugh! You lost a good amount of weight over the 3 months, and from your photo, you appear very fit! Kudos! Keep in mind that the body is programmed to retain weight--that used to be necessary in the ancient days. Now, it is a barrier to maintaining a healthy weight at times. The body will stick to a set point, and lower metabolism to stay there. Your body has decided 123 is it for now. I noted that you tried changing calorie count, but maybe not enough. This seems counterintuitive but when I get stuck, I splurge for a day or two and consume sometimes double my calorie allowance. That has tricked my body into revving my metabolism back up because it does not think it will starve. :-) It may not work for you, but you might have a pound to lose by giving it a try. Good luck and hang in there!

    Thanks for the advice! I will give it a try. It can't hurt too much!
  • dfonte
    dfonte Posts: 263 Member
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    Today is Wednesday....so on Friday eat double (3280) the calories you need to maintain.Go back to maintenance the next day which is probably around 1640. You'll weigh more for a few days which is just water retention.

    Do different exercises. Resistance training with bands, lifting free weights, even just running on a different terrain. This new exercise routine should start Saturday.
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    Heavy lifting. Compound lifts. You will build lean muscle and look great. The scale is not the determining factor in our overall progress. Look in the mirror and aim for being content with what you see.

    I am doing compound lifts at the moment. Will just continue and see what happens. Thanks!
  • sarahz1442
    sarahz1442 Posts: 136 Member
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    Weightloss is not linear and hits plateaus, especially since you are at a healthy weight now. 3 weeks is not a long time. It will probably start coming off again. Be patient.
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    Weightloss is not linear and hits plateaus especially since you are at a healthy weight now. 3 weeks is not a long time. It will probably start coming off again. Be patient.

    Thanks. I am trying to be patient. It's hard not to be disappointed when the scale hasn't moved and you're doing things right.
  • CariS001
    CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
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    I know how hard the last few pounds are!!! And how hard it is when people tell you to essentially "not bother". You are likely working against what your body wants and your body type if you are at 123 and aiming for 115... but that's not necessarily to say it's worth striving for (in my opinion). You might want to move the focus to body fat % though. Do you know what you are at right now?

    I agree with other posters that you want to probably jolt start your metabolism and up your calories a bit to make sure your body isn't trying to "hoard" the calories :P

    Keep at it! Maybe even put the scale away a bit to focus just on clean eating and lifting. Do you interval train for cardio or steady state? If you are steady, try interval. If you are interval, try other intervals (like Tabata, etc).

    Good luck! Stay strong :)
  • fevermaps
    fevermaps Posts: 162 Member
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    I know how hard the last few pounds are!!! And how hard it is when people tell you to essentially "not bother". You are likely working against what your body wants and your body type if you are at 123 and aiming for 115... but that's not necessarily to say it's worth striving for (in my opinion). You might want to move the focus to body fat % though. Do you know what you are at right now?

    I agree with other posters that you want to probably jolt start your metabolism and up your calories a bit to make sure your body isn't trying to "hoard" the calories :P

    Keep at it! Maybe even put the scale away a bit to focus just on clean eating and lifting. Do you interval train for cardio or steady state? If you are steady, try interval. If you are interval, try other intervals (like Tabata, etc).

    Good luck! Stay strong :)

    My body fat % is 25.6
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
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    I second upping your calories for a little bit. Since I have a smaller amount to lose, I tend to plateau for long periods as well. So for a week or two, I eat more calories (TDEE) or slightly above. I workout as i normally would. When I go back to restricting, I drop weight again. I seem to have to do this. Every 5/7 lbs.

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