Not losing weight. What am I doing wrong?

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hereitgoesagain
hereitgoesagain Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!

Between May of 2012 and April of 2013, I lost 30 pounds on a 1500 calorie diet and 60 minutes of exercise 4 times a week. The weight loss was slow and relatively steady, but there were certainly weeks when I ate too much and ran too little. In May, however, I hit a plateau and actually gained weight that I haven't been able to get rid of.

I'm a 20 year old female, 5'6", and currently 143 pounds. MFP calculates my daily calorie requirement to be 1,950 with my BMR around 1450.

When I was losing weight, I didn't "eat back" the calories I burned through my 500 calorie-ish running workout, but I hit a plateau in early May around 138 lbs. Because of a knee injury, I stopped running around this same time and switched to swimming (2 sessions of 45 minute interval workouts, roughly 900 calories) 5 times a week. When this changed nothing, I tried (separately!) reducing my calories to 1200, zig zagging, 24 or 16 hour fasts no more than once a week, and eating back my exercise calories, but that only lead me to gain 5 pounds.

Two weeks ago, I went back to my old pattern of eating 1500 calories without eating back the calories burned during exercise, but my weight still has not budged.

The numbers just don't add up, and I'm really beginning to get frustrated. I don't know what else to try. I'm nervous to try eating more, since I'm fairly certain that's what lead to my weight gain. Does anyone know what's going on?







Just some more info:
- I'm very careful with calories. I always read labels and measure things to make sure my calorie counts are as accurate as possible.

- I aim for 150 g daily of carbs, 42 g of fat, and 131 g of protein. I am usually close to these goals and generally eat very healthy (complex carbs, fruits and veggies, lean meat)

- I drink 2 - 3 liter of water a day

- I've been on amitriptyline, a drug known to cause weight gain, for several years, but in the past few months have brought my dose down from 100 mg to 50 mg.

- While some of the weight gain may have been muscle when I began swimming, I'm pretty sure I see an increase in fat too. I certainly haven't lost any fat.

Thanks so much for any help!! Sorry for the long post.

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    If you maintain on 1950 and are eating 1500(gross)-500(exercise)=1000 net calories, you are trying to maintain a 950 calorie a day deficit, which is nearly 2lbs a week. This is far too aggressive for someone who is so close to their goal weight.

    I know you mentioned you"tried" to eat your exercise calories back, but the weight you gained in 1 week is not fat, it's water and waste from upping the amount of food you eat.

    Netting 1000 calories is also too little and way below your BMR. This is increasing the amount of lean muscle mass you are losing, lowering your metabolism and doing you no favors.

    Please consider a less aggressive goal of .5lbs - 1lb a week.
  • britgirl20
    britgirl20 Posts: 3
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    I'm in a similar situation. I need to lose about 30lbs. I am on 1500 calories per day and burn off 375 cals each day through cardio. I have not lost any significant weight for about 3 weeks. Feeling really frustrated. I'm hoping it's just I'm just going through one of those plateaus.

    How are you getting on now?
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Try setting your weekly loss goal to 0.5lbs/week (I'm guessing because due to your current weight and height you do not have a ton left to lose). Eat your exercise calories back. You need a small deficit and slow weight loss now since you are closer t your goal.

    Another option would be to switch to maintain and start lifting heavy to build muscle. You won't really build any while in a deficit. More muscle will give you a much better look than losing a few lbs will.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    With only 12lbs to go set your weight loss goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and eat back most of the cals burned from exercise. Otherwise you risk a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not the fat you want to lose.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
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    If you maintain on 1950 and are eating 1500(gross)-500(exercise)=1000 net calories, you are trying to maintain a 950 calorie a day deficit, which is nearly 2lbs a week. This is far too aggressive for someone who is so close to their goal weight.

    I know you mentioned you"tried" to eat your exercise calories back, but the weight you gained in 1 week is not fat, it's water and waste from upping the amount of food you eat.

    Netting 1000 calories is also too little and way below your BMR. This is increasing the amount of lean muscle mass you are losing, lowering your metabolism and doing you no favors.

    Please consider a less aggressive goal of .5lbs - 1lb a week.

    Yep, she said it before I could.

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