Why am I not losing?

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Skinand
Skinand Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I started out at 196 last March and have gotten down to 140. However, I am not losing anymore. I am exercising at least three times a week (racketball and swimming) and walk around campus for at least a half hour 5 days a week with a 20 lb backpack. But I am not losing anymore despite this and it is really getting to the point where I just want to give up. I was doing great and losing until about a month ago and I just stopped. I just cant seem to get started again no matter how hard I try. Any advice from people who have similar situations??
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Replies

  • englangrover
    englangrover Posts: 21
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    Everyone goes through plateaus and some last longer than others. Have you tried changing up your diet and exercise routines a little? Don't give up, you will make it to your goal, just keep trying :)
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
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    Wow.. You have lost 56 pounds.. Great progress.. I started in march too with mfp at 173 pounds and am now at 149 pounds since a month :) but in my case, only I am to blame.. Lol
    Anyway, maybe time to mix up your calories and also start with more weights?
    Good luck
  • itsscottwilder
    itsscottwilder Posts: 317
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    Looks like your eating habits are all over the map. Most days a little on the light side calorie-wise. Then crazy days (Buffalo Wid Wings). maybe not so hit or miss?

    Your body is evolved to be efficient. Try changing up your activities.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    My main advice would be stick at it. I, too, was stuck at 140 for 5 months after Christmas this year. I tried all the usual suggestions but none of them seemed to work. I decided to stop worrying about it for a bit and carried on counting calories but with no other major changes, and eventually it just started coming off again.

    The usually suggestions on these threads are eat more and change what exercise you're doing. I think eating more would be particularly pertinent to you as if you're logging correctly you're eating quite a low amount considering how much you're exercising (even if you weren't exercising you're eating a low amount each day). When I hit a plateau before that one I tried going from 1200 a day to 1600, and the weight started coming off again immediately. Remember, it's a goal, not a limit. You're meant to eat all your calories each day.

    As for changing your exercise, the body adapts to be better at things you do regularly, so when you've been doing the same thing for a while it gets less effective. Try something new and you might start to see a change.

    Also, how long haven't you lost for? If it hasn't been more than 2 weeks, I wouldn't worry about it, everyone has times when they stop losing for a week or two. If you want to read a bit more try doing a search for 'plateau', you'll find loads of threads on this.
  • ailbheoconnell
    ailbheoconnell Posts: 48 Member
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    Looks like your eating habits are all over the map. Most days a little on the light side calorie-wise. Then crazy days (Buffalo Wid Wings). maybe not so hit or miss?

    Agree with this ^^. I had a look through your diary, and there are an awful lot of days with nothing logged, I only went back as far as July 28. Also an awful lot of quick add calories. A digital food scale is cheap and essential. Without it you don't know what you are eating. Guessing and eyeballing is a waste of time to be honest. I don't think measuring cups are very good either. check out why here -

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

    try to focus on having lots of protein with your meals.
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    Thank you guys so much :)

    Usually my weekdays are the same, i don't really vary. On the weekends, the family i live with loves to eat out which is detrimental to me, obviously. That's why it seems all over the map. I will definitely try to cut back on that (not sure how, but i will lol). I dont have a great deal of time for change up since I dont even have time to myself during the semester (thats what i get for picking the course load i did while working and trying to keep my family together). But i will definitely see what else my campus has to offer :)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Exercise is great but it won't outweigh bad eating and a lot of things that you do become really routine for your body and it becomes really efficient at doing them.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Are you logging everything? You have cereal no milk?
    What do you drink during the day?
    How do you measure?

    I'd also stop logging your school walking as exercise. If just choose the lightly active activity level.
    I also wouldn't log showering, food prep or cleaning.
  • schaapj2
    schaapj2 Posts: 320 Member
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    Thank you guys so much :)

    Usually my weekdays are the same, i don't really vary. On the weekends, the family i live with loves to eat out which is detrimental to me, obviously. That's why it seems all over the map. I will definitely try to cut back on that (not sure how, but i will lol). I dont have a great deal of time for change up since I dont even have time to myself during the semester (thats what i get for picking the course load i did while working and trying to keep my family together). But i will definitely see what else my campus has to offer :)

    Can you pre-plan what you will get before you go out? If you can choose a "healthier" option at each of these restaurants and pre-log it, I've found that helps me. That way I know what I need to order and know that it fits in to my calories for the day. Try not to stress about it. The stress will make your body resistant too. Just relax, and make sure you are logging accurately and the weight will come off again. Try taking measurements too. I find even though I may not be losing weight, I'm losing inches.

    Keep up the good work. It'll happen!
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    DemoraFairy, I haven't lost for about month. During the summer I spent a lot of time hiking and swimming since we were camping(hence the lack of some diaries since there is no service or internet in the mountains). Starting last Monday, I started getting back into using the gym at my university since the semester started back up. My boyfriends mother, who has been a nurse for 32 years, believes i have a thyroid issue that may be playing a part in it.

    ailbheoconnel, the blank days are due to being in the mountains and honestly a lack of desire to log it in after a week lol The quick calories come from no nutritional info being available on some of the items I was eating, even when i would scan the barcode. I have a food scale and use it religiously.
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    Thank you guys :) A some of the places I eat, there is no nutritional info anywhere (through the restaurant itself or the internet). The family is a great fan of the small diner type places that have never been heard of before lol The thing is that i never eat all of the portions i am given. i usually only eat bout a third of my plate at the most. At places I can find the info, i do prelog and do research to see what i can get.
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    Why wouldnt you log the school walking as exercise? Walking around large campus at a brisk pace with a 20lb backpack gets the heartrate up for a prolonged period of time hence calories are burned. it is no different than hiking long distance with a backpack. The other ones I understand, but not that one.
  • celadontea
    celadontea Posts: 335 Member
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    My life is super crazy, too, with full time work and a couple hard core uni classes. Whats been keeping me in check lately is cooking up my meals on the weekend (look up meal prep Mondays for ideas). I make 5 lunches and 5 dinners everyday. Here and there I swap them out for a meal with friends, but it has REALLY helped keeping my nutrition habits in check with this crazy schedule. I also make appointments for exercise on my calendar. Good luck!
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    I have time set aside for exercise. I workout at 8 every morning since my first class isn't until 10:00. I do make my lunches in advance since I dont have time during the week but the dinners aren't a possibility due to the family i live with. I'm not even home for dinner for two nights of the week and the other three i usually just cook when i get home from class. Its not what i cook for dinner that is the problem but what they cook that tends to be an issue or unhealthy lol It's just difficult when not everyone in your house has the same goal
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Why wouldnt you log the school walking as exercise? Walking around large campus at a brisk pace with a 20lb backpack gets the heartrate up for a prolonged period of time hence calories are burned. it is no different than hiking long distance with a backpack. The other ones I understand, but not that one.

    It's up to you really, log what you want. The way I read your OP it was an accumulation of walking for a total of a half hour. And it's everyday. I would have just chalked that up to daily activity, similar to if you had a job as a waitress, you would include that in daily activity.
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
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    I would assume that your loss has slowed because you've adjusted to such a low calorie intake. It happens to people on here all the time. Try eating more to keep your metabolism going. Calculate your TDEE, then try a 20% cut of that for a while and see how it goes.
  • Skinand
    Skinand Posts: 16
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    Its not everyday, only the days when i am on campus and i do see your point but since it isnt a routine part of my everyday life, i figured it was extra.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    Have a couple 3000 calorie days this weekend. Ignore the slight spike in the weight. go back to eating on plan. within 2 weeks, you should find yourself at an all time low.
  • Zero_excuses
    Zero_excuses Posts: 9 Member
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    Could it be that you have gained on muscle mass? Do you log any measurements? You may find that maybe you've lost inches around, say, the waist but gained hiking muscles?

    xx
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing


    read this...

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