HELP!!! Why am I not losing weight???

Eat more.
1200 works for a little bit but ultimately stalls.
You need to figure out tdee and eat that -10 or 20
Percent. Or set your profile to lose one pound per week
And eat back exercise calories.

Your body just changes once you have a baby. I think you are way over thinking this and worrying about nothing. You are putting way too much emphasis on the scale. If you are feeling good and your clothes are fitting nicely, just relax and it will happen. Good luck!

Yes, that is good advise from GODfidence. Also, as we age and have children, our bodies change and we can't get back to the same figure. Although you are a size 4 bottom, that is tiny! And you say you are muscular - that is why you weigh 143. I know you don't need me to tell you that musce weighs more than fat. I'm sure you look great! Let go of the idea that you will look the same as you did before having children. I also do not believe beer is fattening - just count the calories.

Are you counting every calorie accurately? With a scale?

Even drinking a few beers is fine, as long as it fits in your calories. It might be worth it to switch to vodka on those nights though. Less calories, no sugar.

I was 130 pounds after I had my babies, it took about 18 months after the last one but I got down to 105 pounds. I did it mainly through accurate logging, and I would eat based on my workouts, so I never ate the same amount each day. I would eat between 1000-1500 calories a day. It took 4-5 months of being very strict but the weight came off. I also worked out 5x a week for 45 minutes each time, strength training and cardio. I ate as little processed foods as possible, and lots of lean meats, cheeses, veggies, nuts and eggs.

I am also 5' 2" and was where you were just a little over a year ago. I am a few years older :laugh: It took a long time for me to lose 12 pounds - almost a full year if not a little more. I tried the whole 1200 calories thing but it was not for me. I was always hungry and moody and the weight did not seem to be coming off. I ended up setting my profile to lose a half a pound a week which put my calories at 1450 for the day. I was much happier and not any worse off than I was when eating 1200. I am down to 131 pounds(most days at least) and am really struggling for the last pound. I am flirting with the doing the TDEE thing.

Does the weight on the scale really matter? If your clothes are fitting fine then what is the problem? The fact that you can fit back into your pre preggy clothes is a huge accomplishment. Not only is it very hard to move those stubborn last baby pounds but your body shape changes also. I also think you should eat more than 1200 cals, am sure you will get that response alot here.

If you are eating 1200 then make sure to eat back your exercise cals and do not go under 1200 cals, that is the important thing.

So add all your food to your diary and make sure you are adding ALL your exercise calories otherwise you will be under eating and this could create the problem for you?

I lost my weight on the 1200 cals a day plus exercise and you will get people that lose weight eating more, you have to find what works and feels good for you

Open your food diary. It will help people give a better answer as to why you may not be losing weight.

Maybe you could try some completely different workouts once a week or so. Maybe a kickboxing class or hot yoga? I tend to do the same routine a lot, so I am also trying to switch things up.

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

Go to Settings> Diary Settings

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

You are eating too little.

Chances are she is eating too little, however, without seeing her diary and knowing if she measures and logs everything you can't be sure which is why I asked about opening the diary. Many people underestimate how much they eat.

This is true. Good point.

What is eaten is just as important as how much and how many calories. Also adding weight training 3x a week on top of cardio is crucial. Muscle burns fat! Women are always so afraid to lift heavy weights because they think they'll bulk up and look like a dude, but that is so not the case. The more muscle gained, the more fat burned, the leaner the body gets. Changing up workouts every 4-6 weeks is another tip that not too many people understand. Doing the same thing every day, over and over won't get the body to burn fat and calories. Keep the body guessing, so it'll keep burning. HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts are the best, along with doing other fun things, like Zumba, hiking, biking, playing sports. The trick is to keep moving and keep the body guessing. But proper fuel for the body is key. No processed, out of a box, 'diet' foods are going to help. Clean, fresh, natural, whole vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds & lean meat is key, and limit dairy and grains. There are so many misconceptions about food, but coming from experience, the cleaner the diet, the more efficiently the body will burn fat and the better the body will feel. Lastly, quite obsessing with the scale! In fact, throw it away! Take your measurements, go by the way your clothes fit, how much energy you have, how clear your skin is, how clear your thinking is. Those are more important guides to how healthy one is, over what number the scale says.

Hey, Lori
It's not just weight on the scale. Muscle weighs more. It might take a while for the metabolism to "kick in" also. I highly recommend adding some weights. 3- to 5-lb weights and some basic upper and lower body workouts you can do at home might help jump-start. Your weight is probably shifted around; that makes a difference, especially after kids.
And it might just take TIME. It takes me a long time to lose weight...over 3 months for just 8-9 lbs, so don't despair. Beer does have lots of calories; be sure to count in everything that goes into your mouth when keeping track of food. And that includes the beer.
And most important of all, it is all about how you look and feel; not just what number shows up on the scale.
Enjoy those babies; will be grown before you know it.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. It is more dense, 5 lbs is 5lbs.