What am I doing so wrong??? Advice needed pleeeease

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cmclean24816
cmclean24816 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I have hit a weight loss plateau and have been stuck at 124-125 for about 8 weeks. I am getting so frustrated and fed up that my hard work, determination and commitment is showing no results at all. I am 5ft 1 and looking to lose about 12-14 pounds.
I am religiously eating the recommended 1200 calories , 200 of which I have of low fat yogurt and fruit, and I have veg on top of this (which I don't count). I will sometimes drop to 123 but then the next week I am back up at 125. It is so infuriating. I do a body combat class twice a week as a minimum, I have tried a 2 week no exercise break and still no loss. I am now back at the classes as enjoy them and feel my self getting fitter but the scale won't budge. As for eating back the exercise calories, I rarely do this as this class burns nearly 600 cal and I do not have the appetite to do it. I would occasionally have an extra snack when I get in but that would be all. A few years back (before I had my children) I lost the same amount of weight and it came off very easily just sticking to 1200 and never eating back my exercise calories ( I didn't know this principle existed then). I feel ready to just give up and grab the big box of chocolates that are looking at me, but the guilt will follow and I will be in an even worse situation! Any help or advice would be very greatly appreciated x
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Replies

  • jessicahoyos
    jessicahoyos Posts: 10 Member
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    Hello,

    You could be eating WAY too low. Try upping your calories. You can search for the post on it here :

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But basically if you are eating 1200 calories then you are probably eating too little. Read the post in its entirety and try it out but give it time. And don't forget - some times you are losing inches which are WAY better to lose. I have a cousin who weighs 130 pounds but doesn't look like she weighs much more than 110. And its because of muscle (but she doesn't look super muscular - she is curvy but lean, if that makes sense)
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    Can you put another E in please????
  • ashleymcn01
    ashleymcn01 Posts: 108 Member
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    Hello,

    You could be eating WAY too low. Try upping your calories. You can search for the post on it here :

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But basically if you are eating 1200 calories then you are probably eating too little. Read the post in its entirety and try it out but give it time. And don't forget - some times you are losing inches which are WAY better to lose. I have a cousin who weighs 130 pounds but doesn't look like she weighs much more than 110. And its because of muscle (but she doesn't look super muscular - she is curvy but lean, if that makes sense)

    Beautifully put, I second her comments!!
  • downinaggieland98
    downinaggieland98 Posts: 224 Member
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    My first thought was a boost in calories also.

    Secondly, you could be gaining muscle, especially since you said you feel more fit. I initially was 14 lbs down, eating very well and working out constantly and I am now only 4 lbs down, smaller, and feel better than ever. The scale isn't always what is important.
  • ZipperJJ
    ZipperJJ Posts: 209 Member
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    If you're only getting 200 calories from low-fat yogurt (if it's a standard yogurt those kind of suck - they're all sugar) and fruit, and not counting vegetables (why?), what are you getting the other 1000 calories from?
  • kellijauch
    kellijauch Posts: 379 Member
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    You need to increase the intensity and/or frequency of your workouts.

    I don't think you need to boost your calories (I never agree with that).

    You DO however need to count your vegetables. You need to track EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Literally everything, even gum and beverages to have an accurate count.

    One other thing - you may look into a colon cleanse. Sometimes people have "putrified waste" stuck in their colons, and it will prevent you from losing those last few pounds. John Wayne died with 50 pounds of putrified waste in his system. The more protein you eat, the more likely you are to have it in your system.
  • cmclean24816
    cmclean24816 Posts: 9 Member
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    If you're only getting 200 calories from low-fat yogurt (if it's a standard yogurt those kind of suck - they're all sugar) and fruit, and not counting vegetables (why?), what are you getting the other 1000 calories from?
    [/quote

    Are you able to access my food diary to have a look?
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Do not adjust your calories until you have tracked your vegetables for awhile! As of right now, you don't really know how much you are eating.

    At 5'1, 1200 is over your BMR and is probably fine if you are only working out twice a week.

    You are at a healthy weight. Having those children changed your body. Carrying a kid around builds upper body strength! Make sure that you are being realistic in your goals.
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    You need to increase the intensity and/or frequency of your workouts.

    I don't think you need to boost your calories (I never agree with that).

    You DO however need to count your vegetables. You need to track EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Literally everything, even gum and beverages to have an accurate count.

    One other thing - you may look into a colon cleanse. Sometimes people have "putrified waste" stuck in their colons, and it will prevent you from losing those last few pounds. John Wayne died with 50 pounds of putrified waste in his system. The more protein you eat, the more likely you are to have it in your system.

    She's getting 600 net calories per day if she doesn't eat her exercise calories back. You think recommending she eat more is bad and then suggest a colon cleanse as a solution?

    Dafuq?
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    You could be eating WAY too low. Try upping your calories. You can search for the post on it here :

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But basically if you are eating 1200 calories then you are probably eating too little. Read the post in its entirety and try it out but give it time. And don't forget - some times you are losing inches which are WAY better to lose. I have a cousin who weighs 130 pounds but doesn't look like she weighs much more than 110. And its because of muscle (but she doesn't look super muscular - she is curvy but lean, if that makes sense)

    ^ Yes. Also, do track your veggies. They have calories, so they count.

    You need to increase the intensity and/or frequency of your workouts.

    I don't think you need to boost your calories (I never agree with that).

    You DO however need to count your vegetables. You need to track EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Literally everything, even gum and beverages to have an accurate count.

    One other thing - you may look into a colon cleanse. Sometimes people have "putrified waste" stuck in their colons, and it will prevent you from losing those last few pounds. John Wayne died with 50 pounds of putrified waste in his system. The more protein you eat, the more likely you are to have it in your system.

    ^ NO. (Except the track everything part. The rest is woo and nonsense.)
  • ZipperJJ
    ZipperJJ Posts: 209 Member
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    If you're only getting 200 calories from low-fat yogurt (if it's a standard yogurt those kind of suck - they're all sugar) and fruit, and not counting vegetables (why?), what are you getting the other 1000 calories from?
    Are you able to access my food diary to have a look?

    Nope.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
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    I second the recommendation to reevaluate your expectations. Try aiming for a body fat % goal instead of a weight goal. If you've been working out, you'll have to loose lean mass to get your weight lower.

    I do think you should at least look into eating TDEE-15%. Many people here have gotten out of plateaus by increasing their calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • Toadlily
    Toadlily Posts: 17
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    over the summer i found that post "in place of a road map" which led me to Fat2Fit radio and their podcasts. using their calculators and strategies - i broke the plateau i was on, or maybe i just figured out how much i should really be eating and exercising. i re-committed in february and since then i have been losing steadily - so it's a great and helpful post. hang in there - you don't have far to go. good luck
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
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    "John Wayne died with 50lbs of putrified waste in his system."

    #realfacts #actualthingsthataretrue #nobodymadethatupitsforreal

    http://snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/fecalcolon.asp
  • professorRAT
    professorRAT Posts: 690 Member
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    "I don't think you need to boost your calories (I never agree with that)."

    Really? Even if they were literally eating nothing? wow.

    "John Wayne died with 50 pounds of putrified waste in his system."

    Utter nonsense: http://snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/fecalcolon.asp
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Hello,

    You could be eating WAY too low. Try upping your calories. You can search for the post on it here :

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But basically if you are eating 1200 calories then you are probably eating too little. Read the post in its entirety and try it out but give it time. And don't forget - some times you are losing inches which are WAY better to lose. I have a cousin who weighs 130 pounds but doesn't look like she weighs much more than 110. And its because of muscle (but she doesn't look super muscular - she is curvy but lean, if that makes sense)

    ^^^This

    OP, when you don't have a lot to lose, you can't be as aggressive with your calorie deficit. To boot, your current weight would put you in the already healthy range and this weight loss is purely cosmetic. In such a scenario, your body is going to be hell bent on preserving what body fat you do have.

    If I were in your position (and actually, I am...just the male version of it) I'd eat to lose about 1/2 Lb per week instead of the 2 Lbs per week that I would guess you told MFP you wanted to lose. Incorporate a good resistance/weight training program into your fitness regimen...it will go a long way in improving your overall body composition and you may in fact look better at your current weight, just more "toned" and defined from resistance training.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Hello,

    You could be eating WAY too low. Try upping your calories. You can search for the post on it here :

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    But basically if you are eating 1200 calories then you are probably eating too little. Read the post in its entirety and try it out but give it time. And don't forget - some times you are losing inches which are WAY better to lose. I have a cousin who weighs 130 pounds but doesn't look like she weighs much more than 110. And its because of muscle (but she doesn't look super muscular - she is curvy but lean, if that makes sense)

    ^^^This

    OP, when you don't have a lot to lose, you can't be as aggressive with your calorie deficit. To boot, your current weight would put you in the already healthy range and this weight loss is purely cosmetic. In such a scenario, your body is going to be hell bent on preserving what body fat you do have.

    If I were in your position (and actually, I am...just the male version of it) I'd eat to lose about 1/2 Lb per week instead of the 2 Lbs per week that I would guess you told MFP you wanted to lose. Incorporate a good resistance/weight training program into your fitness regimen...it will go a long way in improving your overall body composition and you may in fact look better at your current weight, just more "toned" and defined from resistance training.

    I vote for this as well.

    For my last 15 lbs I did 1/2 a pound per week plus most of my exercise calories. I also tightened up a lot on my logging accuracy and I think that helped. Are you weighing your food with a food scale? Do you enter your own recipes?
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
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    You should read this thread if you have a chance:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    If you have several hours, you should read all the threads here: :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

    Good luck
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
    Options
    You need to increase the intensity and/or frequency of your workouts.

    I don't think you need to boost your calories (I never agree with that).

    You DO however need to count your vegetables. You need to track EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Literally everything, even gum and beverages to have an accurate count.

    One other thing - you may look into a colon cleanse. Sometimes people have "putrified waste" stuck in their colons, and it will prevent you from losing those last few pounds. John Wayne died with 50 pounds of putrified waste in his system. The more protein you eat, the more likely you are to have it in your system.

    Yeah no. Ignore that.

    Netting 600 calories after working out will definitely hinder weight loss. Go read the road map thread that other people have posted. I did it and though I was fine working out before eating more. Since upping my calories almost 500 per day my workouts are much more intense and successful. I have the energy and the will and the drive to do them.

    Go look up colon cleanses and their effects. Quite horrible. They are one of the worst things to do to your body. Maybe go buy some flax seed. I personally use the pre ground flax seed, not the whole seed or pills. I put it on salads and in soup...sometimes on meat and dinner. As my parents told me, flax seed is considered "natures natural colon scrubbers." They help remove excess weight without the damaging effects of colon cleanses.
  • callybobuffalo
    callybobuffalo Posts: 7
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    Ditto. You need calories to burn calories...

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