Stuck in my 160s!!!

I'm getting really REALLY frustrated with my weight at this point. Don't get me wrong I still work out religiously (I work out 6 days a week, at least 30 minutes per session). My workouts consist of doing Jillian Michaels Body Revolution 90 Day Program and doing the 5K to 10K running program. This past week, I will admit that I had some cheat days here and there but I still logged it in to be held accountable. But despite my crazy workout sessions, the scale will not let me get past my 160s. I drink at least 6 cups of water a day, most days it will be 10. I also have stayed under my caloric goal of 1200 to see if that would work but still nothing. I have not let it discourage me and I have still managed to push through it but it's getting really disappointing to see that it's not moving. Granted, I did a weigh in yesterday which had me at a loss (normally my weigh in is every Monday) but then I weighed in today and I gained weight! I try to eat fruits and vegetables and I measure all of my food but still no results. Someone please provide some insight on what I'm doing wrong. My diary is open for everyone to see.
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Replies

  • Irkalla
    Irkalla Posts: 9 Member
    How long have you been in the 160s?

    While it could be that you need to mix up your diet a bit more, maybe eat more smaller meals throughout the day to kick your metabolism awake, it could just be that you've been replacing fat with muscles.

    A lot of the time the scale doesn't give you an accurate picture of your health. Focus on if your clothes are looser! You could also try taping yourself to get your BMI (the height/weight formula is majorly outdated).

    Hope this helps!
  • Lishia1283
    Lishia1283 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for your input. I actually have been in my 160s for approximately three months now. It's almost like the scale is teasing me saying, "lololol I know you see the 157, 158 and 159 after your workout but you won't see me on your weigh in day." It's so annoying. I'm going to try to change up my diet routine and see if that helps. I try to aim to have my meals go from biggest to smallest, having breakfast being my biggest meal. That meal will be like around 500 calories or a bit over. I have a WW scale that measures my body fat, body water, bmi and all that stuff which definitely tells me I'm still overweight for my height (which I already know lol) but which is why I'm trying to lose weight in the first place. I'm 5'2 1/2 so it's a must that I get this weight off. But I'm at my wits end trying to get into at least my 150s. My overall goal is to be at 140 and I feel like it's so close but it's getting more difficult by the day.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    It was a hard 'decade' for me too. It took me 26 weeks to go from 169 to 159! the 150's seem to be moving much faster now. I aim for 1240 net calories and over the last 4 weeks have switched to only recording 65% of my workout calories to eat back. That seemed to get the scale moving again.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member


    While it could be that you need to mix up your diet a bit more, maybe eat more smaller meals throughout the day to kick your metabolism awake,

    Mixing it up is good as your body does get used to what you are doing after a period of time. Eating more, exercising more, higher intensity, etc.

    Eating more often throughout the day will not increase your metabolism though.
    it could just be that you've been replacing fat with muscles.

    First, you don't replace fat with muscle... and when you are a calorie deficit you will not gain muscle. Muscle needs calories. When you go on a deficit to lose weight part of those losses will be muscle along the way. The muscle loss increases if you don't lift heavy, don't get enough protein, and have too high of a deficit (and eating under 1200 cals a day is too high of a deficit).

    OP, switch up your exercise. Eat more. Research BMR and TDEE and eat somewhere between that.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Thanks for your input. I actually have been in my 160s for approximately three months now. It's almost like the scale is teasing me saying, "lololol I know you see the 157, 158 and 159 after your workout but you won't see me on your weigh in day." It's so annoying. I'm going to try to change up my diet routine and see if that helps. I try to aim to have my meals go from biggest to smallest, having breakfast being my biggest meal. That meal will be like around 500 calories or a bit over. I have a WW scale that measures my body fat, body water, bmi and all that stuff which definitely tells me I'm still overweight for my height (which I already know lol) but which is why I'm trying to lose weight in the first place. I'm 5'2 1/2 so it's a must that I get this weight off. But I'm at my wits end trying to get into at least my 150s. My overall goal is to be at 140 and I feel like it's so close but it's getting more difficult by the day.

    Keep in mind, those at home scales that measure body fat and such are not accurate. They are great to be used as a guide but don't think the numbers (minus your weight) are accurate. My body fat will go up when I have just drank some water.

    If your goal is 140, switch your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5lbs per week. The less you have to lose the smaller of a deficit you need to have.
  • tazzy2805
    tazzy2805 Posts: 25
    i stuck in the 190s so i know how u feel just cant break that barrier at all ;(
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    1200 calories with so much exercise doesn't seem anywhere calories to me. If you're burning 500 calories in your workouts, it means you're surviving at 700 calories net. You're ruining your metabolism, and it's holding on to fat. Eat more.
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
    I have been stuck in the 160s for 1.5 years.
    The ONLY time it moved into the 150s and I finally broke through that, was when I set my calories around 1500 and I eat my exercise calories.
    I try to exercise 5-6 days a week and am about to start (for the 2nd time) the C25K program and I will be doing that every other day and weight lifting every other day.

    Maybe you should reevaluate your calorie intake. I lot of people have had better results when they eat more, especially if they are working out a lot.

    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • cmcoyle776
    cmcoyle776 Posts: 20 Member
    You need to bump up your calories. Your body is holding onto the weight because it's starving. I'm 5'2, 164 and I'm doing Insanity 5 days a week. My scale wasn't really moving when I was eating only 1200 or 1300 calories. The calculations in the Insanity Nutrition Guide showed that I should be having about 1850/day! I couldn't believe that could be right, but my coach told me to bump my calories up for a week & see what happened. Went up to 1500...lost 1.6 lbs that week. I bumped up even more & am still losing weight. Let's say you are burning 3-400+ calories per workout, and you're only eating 1200, you are left with 8-900 calories to fuel your body. Your body needs a minimum of 1200 per day...so, you are in a deficit, aka starvation mode. Bump up the calories....keep them clean (meaning, don't eat 300 calories worth of junk) this week & see what happens. I was hesitant to do this, but I feel SO much better & have the energy I need formy workouts, AND I'm losing weight. Good luck!
  • jreeves628
    jreeves628 Posts: 123 Member
    I am also 5'2 1/2 and stuck in my 160s. I must admit I havent been super strict on my diet but it has been hard getting through these ten pounds. I totally understand how you feel! Today I start working out with a trainer. I hope that helps.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    First of all, you need to cut back on the sweet. You are having honey and then 3 tbs of sugar for breakfast - that's a lot of sugar, and then sodium from the prepared foods. I would seriously cut by sodium to 2000 per day and reduce the prepared food, drink lots of water to release some of the sodium in your body.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013?hl=road+map+2013

    And eat 20% below your TDEE. You are eating far too little, that's why you aren't losing weight.
  • Ghlt4
    Ghlt4 Posts: 241 Member
    I have been stuck in the 170,s for over 6 months. Like you I was eating 1200 calories. Three weeks ago I did a lot of reading and decided to increase my calories. The first week I went to 1300, the second week 1400, and now I eating 1500-1600. I plan on increasing again to 1700, but while I appear to be losing again I'm staying at 1500-1600. I did it slowly because I didn't want to see weight gain. This last week I lost a pound, and I'm showing I've lost another one, but I don't want to log it till weigh in day...lol.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I don't see any reason for you to UP your calories. You're eating at 1200 NET, but on your workout days, eating up to 2,000 gross. For me at least, eating at 1240 NET is very close to the same thing as eating TDEE-20%. So just keep doing what you're doing. Switch up your exercise a bit, try to make better food choices, and hang in there.
  • alisonsurf
    alisonsurf Posts: 92 Member
    I am 5'4" and stuck between 160-162 since April 28th. I do 30DS and ran a 5k for the first time in years on May 5th. I totally feel your frustration - I'm trying to clean up my eating a little and make sure I get my water in, but after a lot of reading and research I upped my calories to 1950 on Friday. It is too soon to tell if that is having any effect yet, But I measured this morning since I am halfway through 30ds and I have lost a lot of inches.
  • ktully93
    ktully93 Posts: 160 Member
    Bump to read later.
  • justwanderful
    justwanderful Posts: 142 Member
    Looking at your diary, you appear to be eating back your exercise calories.
    When I did that, I didn't lose any weight. It was very discouraging.
    When I adjusted my calorie intake back to pre-exercise numbers, I began to lose again.
  • Dfracassa
    Dfracassa Posts: 318 Member
    I've been stuck in my 160s for about a year and a half now, and I am almost resigned to just being this weight forever. I started doing Intermittent Fasting, particularly 5:2, and I have lost three pounds in two weeks, which is huge for me. I'm of the impression that unless I simply go without food, I will not lose weight, and that appears to be true. I have tried upping my calories and working out more, changing them from day to day, eating back exercise calories, not eating back exercise calories...nothing. IF has worked for me, and I think you should give it a try, too! Friend me if you want, and we can encourange each other. Also, there's a great 5:2 group on here that is really helpful. And if it's anything, here are my stats: 29 years old (as of this July 31), 5'7", current weight of 155.6 (lowest in for frigging ever).
  • Lishia1283
    Lishia1283 Posts: 20 Member
    Wow! Thanks everyone for all of your input. The thing is I am eating back my exercise calories. For example on Saturday, I burned a 1,000 calories (I only did this because I was having dinner at a friend's house and she had some indulgent foods). I ate those calories back and even went over that amount. But most of the time I will have between 250-600 calorie burns on my workouts and I will eat most of them back. I will sometimes purposely be between 10-50 calories under so I can lose weight but there will be times where I will be at my NET goal or go a little bit over that goal. But I remember there was at one time where sometimes I would go 100 or 200 calories over my NET goal and I still wouldn't lose weight which was also very discouraging. Someone also mentioned about me having too much sugar, it's raw sugar and the honey I will have half a tablespoon. But my sugar intake for the most part is very low. The sodium I'm still working on though lol. But I'm trying to drink more water. I have (on a good day) 10 cups of water to flush out all of the toxins and sodium in my body. Maybe I should try slowly (and I do mean slowly) increasing my calorie intake. I will probably start with 50 calories and continute to increase by 50 calorie increments and see if that works. I just appreciate everyone chiming in and offering their advice. Thank you so much!
  • staplebug
    staplebug Posts: 189
    The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it is to get the pounds off! I know exactly how you feel. Jillian Michaels wrote this book called Making the Cut that is great if you can find it at a library or on amazon. You should probably up your calories (I know everyone here freaks out that you HAVE to eat your exercise calories back, but I don't...I just make sure I'm eating more than 1700 calories a day and the exercise calories are just a bonus).
  • mponzio88
    mponzio88 Posts: 4 Member
    From what I saw from your food diary you're eating the right calories and eating the calories your exercised calories... btu I saw you're not consistent with drinking water.. you're supposed to drink at LEAST 8 cups a days.. I also heard you are supposed to drink half you weight in ounces. so if you are 160 you drink 80 ounces or 10 cups.. I'm also around 160 and I drink around 10 glasses a day, 9 minimum, and I have seen some pounds come off.. 160 was always my plateau but since drinking more water I've just recently lost 4 pounds and am down to 156. Hope this helps you!!!!
  • Lishia1283
    Lishia1283 Posts: 20 Member
    Yeah i will admit, I haven't been consistent with drinking water as much as I should. In my previous post, I said that I at least get in 6 cups but I know it should definitely be more than that. I noticed that I drink more water out of all places at work lol. I stay more consistent there but once I get home or it's the weekend or an event, I fall off track. So that's going to be a goal of mine to get in 10 cups of water this whole week and see if this helps. Also last week, I just came off of my TOM and from what I read, that can also have a lasting impact on weight loss resulting in a gain so maybe my body is trying to adjust off of that. Who knows! Also, I will have to check that Jillian Michaels book. But when I'm doing my goals, you know setting up my activity level, I always put sedentary so I can do the food and exercise separately. I like knowing that once I exercise I have those calories as an extra bonus. Is it possible that I should set my activity level to lightly active or moderately active and just not eat back my exercise calories?
  • InspiredSAM
    InspiredSAM Posts: 98 Member
    Maybe changing your weigh in day to Friday would help too. Weekend food has a nasty way of showing up on Monday morning and artificially inflate the scale.

    There are some really great suggestions for you on this thread! Hope something works for you.
  • mmwiseman
    mmwiseman Posts: 3 Member
    I just did a search for carbnite and the user about me commented with the link, which isn't super helpful but I will say, CARBNITE WORKS! I did insanity and was on a 1200 calorie diet for 2 months and lost 6 lbs. I started CarbNite about a week ago and I have already lost 4 lbs but my before and after pictures just from last Monday to this morning (Tuesday) looks like 8-10 lbs because I have gained so much muscle and burned fat. I am doing a kickboxing class 3x a week that I love but to get out of a no-weight-loss-rut, I have never experienced anything better. There is a book called CarbNite Solution that you can buy on Amazon for around $18 but I just read blogs and started following people on Instagram that post photos with recipes. I've heard it explained a couple of different ways but here is goes as I understand it.

    The goal is to put your body is a state of ketosis so your body is burning your stored fat for fuel rather than carbs/sugars that you consume. You eat mostly all protein so you can lose weight while gaining muscle mass. For the first cycle, consume less than 30 net carbs every day for 10 days. Most of your carbs should be from vegetables. I eat pepperoni for snack sometimes, make bacon wrapped asparagus baked in the oven, omlets, and a lot of greens. EAS makes a chocolate protein shake called AdvantEdge that is great for a sweet tooth because it tastes great. 17 g of protein and 3 net carbs (4 carbs - 1 g fiber). They only have 110 calories so they're better as a pre- or post-workout snack vs a meal replacement but still a good supplement to use.
    On the 11th day of your first cycle, starting at 5 pm (or about 6 hours in the evening), you get to carb load (or have your "Carb Nite")! Basically you can stuff your face with whatever sweets, pasta, pizza, ice cream, doughnuts, that you want. This will shock you metabolism and supposedly amps up your fat burning in the long run.
    After your first cycle, you start over but do the high protein/low carb for 5 days and on the 6th day you can have your Carb Nite.

    I have heard 2 different things on the scheduling. First cycle is 10 days and 5 pm til bed is your Carb Nite on the 10th day or how I explained it here, 10 days diet, 11th day Carb Nite. But I figured the longer I keep my body in ketosis the better.

    You can look it up on YouTube. I found a review video of a girl who lost 18 pounds in a month. Crazy results.
    I do know that they only recommend doing this diet for 6 months at a time (I'm assuming because really high protein is harder on your kidneys) but I know for myself, I can maintain like nobody's business. I just have such a challenge getting where I want to be.

    In a week on this diet, I have accomplished 2/3 of the results that I accomplished in 2 months of Insanity and low calorie dieting. So I would definitely recommend it to anybody who has hit the dreaded plateau.
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
    I think you are most likely eating too little. Try this:

    Find a TDEE calculator online and figure out your TDEE.

    Find a BMR calculator online and figure out your BMR.

    Multiply your TDEE by 0.8 (that's zero point eight). Eat that many calories. Never eat less than your BMR.

    If this new number is significantly more than 1200, add 100 calories/day for a week until you are at the new number.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    I suggest you rest more..stop working out six days a week and eat a bit more. When i hit a plateau.. that is what worked. I ate off my diet... then in a week or so.. hit it again..and the scale moved.
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
    I think you are most likely eating too little. Try this:

    Find a TDEE calculator online and figure out your TDEE.

    Find a BMR calculator online and figure out your BMR.

    Multiply your TDEE by 0.8 (that's zero point eight). Eat that many calories. Never eat less than your BMR.

    If this new number is significantly more than 1200, add 100 calories/day for a week until you are at the new number.

    To add some reassurance, when I was stuck for quite awhile I followed the advice I gave you above and started losing again. Currently 3 lbs under my original goal weight - started in September 2012, lost the weight by mid-May, and doing maintenance now.
  • JamieM8168
    JamieM8168 Posts: 248 Member
    I've been stuck in the 160's for a while too! I'm thinking about carb cycling/low carb for a week or two to mix it up
  • You need to eat a lot more if you're working out a lot. MFP already has a deficit built in, so you're suppose to net zero.

    Alos, are you tracking calories lost with a fitbit, bodymedia, or hrm? If you're using MFP to calculate calories burned, you're not burning that many, they overestimate way too much. I was at a plateau for 4 weeks and once I got my fitbit and started seeing I wasn't really burning calories the way they said I was I started dropping weight again. I also upped my calories and the weight is coming off much easier now.
  • Momma2Beauties405
    Momma2Beauties405 Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks for your input. I actually have been in my 160s for approximately three months now. It's almost like the scale is teasing me saying, "lololol I know you see the 157, 158 and 159 after your workout but you won't see me on your weigh in day." It's so annoying. I'm going to try to change up my diet routine and see if that helps. I try to aim to have my meals go from biggest to smallest, having breakfast being my biggest meal. That meal will be like around 500 calories or a bit over. I have a WW scale that measures my body fat, body water, bmi and all that stuff which definitely tells me I'm still overweight for my height (which I already know lol) but which is why I'm trying to lose weight in the first place. I'm 5'2 1/2 so it's a must that I get this weight off. But I'm at my wits end trying to get into at least my 150s. My overall goal is to be at 140 and I feel like it's so close but it's getting more difficult by the day.

    I haven't looked at your diary but from this post, your story is almost identical to mine! My physician suggested that I NET a MINIMUM of 1200 cal/day. I have been trying to meet 1200 intake on my "rest" days, 1350 on my "weight training" days and 1500 on my "cardio" days. Since I started that, I have consistently been losing 0.5-1 pound per week. For me, this is the best - it is an actual lifestyle change and not so much a diet. And when I am adjusting my lifestyle mentality, I will keep it off!

    Best of luck to you! Once you find what works for you, stick with it - even when you have a bad day (or week!) - AND NEVER GIVE UP!!!