i can't get below 152 :/

gizmik
gizmik Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
hi there
i've started my journey 3 months ago and since then i lost 24 pounds. Before i took a serious step in losing weight, i remember to have weighed 185 lbs. I was at 175 when i finally decided to do something.
It was so far so good mostly. But then i decided to give a try to low carb diets. Huge mistake, though. Not only i lost only 2 pounds ( 154 to 152) i started to look more than i weigh, it was mostly my belly. Then i went on a holiday, could not care less about what i ate. I went back home with 4 pounds extra. I managed to lose that in a week but the moment i took a breath of relief, period came! I instantly got those 4 pounds back. Now period is over, i'm still as heavy! And yes, i might have overeaten on these days, but i believe i made up for it by exercising even more. Those 4 pounds is not definetely going away! I swear, I'm not having more than 1000 calories a day, and working out 6 days a week ( mostly cardio) I saw 151 on the scale only once and back then i almost had a flat belly. But now, at 152, i look like a 5 month pregnant lady. During my period, scale even said as high as 158! It's so frustrating to weigh the same as i did 1.5 months ago. It makes me feel like i completely wasted this summer.
What do you guys think? My goal weight is 145 till 20th of September ( there's this concert of my favourite singer and i promised myself i would not wear my mini dress if i am heavier than 145 this day). Do you think it is still possible? And, ladies, after how many days do you lose the weight you gained on your period? Mine took a lot of while this time!


Oh, i stand at 5'10, by the way.

Replies

  • gizmik
    gizmik Posts: 11
    UP!
  • keflexxxx
    keflexxxx Posts: 25 Member
    a few thoughts:

    - stop agonising over the number, and focus on how you look. 145 was an arbitrary goal that you set for yourself based on nothing; you would have had no real idea what you were going to look like at 145 when you started out, so why does it matter? so many people focus on the number and then when they get there feel like they've failed because they're still not happy with how they look. so don't set yourself up for that failure.

    - there's a good chance your leptin levels are low. after a prolonged period of caloric deficit, leptin levels in the body begin to drop. that's often the cause of stalling when losing weight. now many people use that as justification to eat even less, or do more cardio or w/e and that's not going to solve the problem; it'll just drive cortisol levels up. what DOES solve the problem is a day or two of eating at maintenance or a slight surplus to get leptin levels back to baseline. this is probably why you were able to lose those 4 pounds so soon after your holiday.

    i guarantee that a large part of your problem is mindset. i mean come on, you set yourself an ultimatum based on an arbitrary goal, and you're planning to punish yourself if you don't hit it? that's insanity! weight loss doesn't have to be this adversarial relationship; it can be an opportunity to learn more about healthfulness & vitality & making yourself a better person. it's all in how you perceive it.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    WEAR THE MINI!!
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
    At 5'10, I can't possibly imagine there's THAT much difference between how you look at 145 and how you look at 152. Relax. Also, I think that you are down at the low end of a healthy BMI range to begin with so maybe your body just doesn't really want to go that low. Sometimes it's best to listen and not put yourself through histrionics just to see a particular number on the scale!
  • cosmosgirl91
    cosmosgirl91 Posts: 72
    that's probably where your body is comfortable..
  • obwize
    obwize Posts: 102
    a few thoughts:

    - stop agonising over the number, and focus on how you look. 145 was an arbitrary goal that you set for yourself based on nothing; you would have had no real idea what you were going to look like at 145 when you started out, so why does it matter? so many people focus on the number and then when they get there feel like they've failed because they're still not happy with how they look. so don't set yourself up for that failure.

    - there's a good chance your leptin levels are low. after a prolonged period of caloric deficit, leptin levels in the body begin to drop. that's often the cause of stalling when losing weight. now many people use that as justification to eat even less, or do more cardio or w/e and that's not going to solve the problem; it'll just drive cortisol levels up. what DOES solve the problem is a day or two of eating at maintenance or a slight surplus to get leptin levels back to baseline. this is probably why you were able to lose those 4 pounds so soon after your holiday.

    i guarantee that a large part of your problem is mindset. i mean come on, you set yourself an ultimatum based on an arbitrary goal, and you're planning to punish yourself if you don't hit it? that's insanity! weight loss doesn't have to be this adversarial relationship; it can be an opportunity to learn more about healthfulness & vitality & making yourself a better person. it's all in how you perceive it.

    Yup. Eat more. Doesn't need to be enough that you are gaining weight for a full month... but eat enough that your body is getting the nutrients it needs and isn't turning on itself for protein. There may be some initial weight gain as your body adjusts. It ISN'T a waste of this past summer though. It is simply a transition to healthier weight loss.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    I am about the same height and weight and have been trying to get that last 10-15 lbs off since the beginning of this year. The last ones are the hardest and so instead of getting obessive with numbers, I started doing circuit training to get good muscle tone.

    THROW OUT YOUR SCALES (or at least give them to someone else to look after for a while). Your entry above sounds like you are driving yourself batty, fixated on a number and weighing yourself every day. From day to day every person's weight will fluctuate due to lots of factors (how much they have eaten/drunk, when they last went to the loo, how much salt etc).

    1. Take your measurements instead of weighing.
    2. Get strength training - Jillian Michael's DVDs on Youtube are a pretty good place to start.
    3. WEAR the damn mini to the concert and have a great time.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    You are young, active and starving your body. With as active as you are 2000 calories per day would be more appropriate. Since you are under fueling your body, you probably lost some good muscle. You can prevent more muscle loss if you eat more protein and start weight training. You will not gain any muscle by doing this but you will help preserve what you have.

    I would recommend you set your goal to 2000 calories, macros to 40% carbs and 30% protein and fats, do 3 days of weigyt training (full body is fine to start) and then 3 days or less of cardio. Overally worry about composition not weight loss

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