Stuck! Please Help!

CongoClark81
CongoClark81 Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my journey January 6, 2013 at 215lbs. I am 5ft and 32 yrs old, mother of one. I am now down to 170lbs but its been holding steady at that for quite some time now. I did great in the beginning and lost about 34lbs within the 1st 3 months. After that, I hit that dreaded plateau which lasted about 4months. Nothing was happening anymore. I changed everything to see if there would be any changes and still nothing. So I finally went to see my Dr for any help and also had my Thyroid and Hormones checked. Everything came back normal. So he put me on Phentramine. After the 1st month I lost 11lbs. Well, I was on it for another 2 months and again no changes. So now he has me taking Phendimetrazine which I start tomorrow. I'm not too sure how this is going to help anymore then the Phentramine but I will give it a shot. I was hoping to get down to 115lbs but I'm starting to think that's unrealistic. I would like to at least get to 130. I just don't know what to do anymore. Nothing is really changing at all no matter what I do. My Dr said that I have done everything already that he would've told me to do. I work out everyday and burn a minimum of 500 calories a day and eat 1200 calories a day. I eat lots of fruit, veggies, yogurt, meat, water. I make sure to get enough protein and fiber and I watch my calories and carbs and stumped here. I would really like to not have to take pills to help with this process. My Dr said the only other thing could possibly be is surgery and I would rather not do that either. Does anyone have any advice or anything to help here. I'm by no means giving up but I'm just getting so tired of trying so hard and making no more progress.................

Replies

  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    How accurately is your logging? Weighing everything, measuring only the liquids? Itemised logging? Double checking entries?
  • CongoClark81
    CongoClark81 Posts: 95 Member
    Everything should be pretty accurate. I'm kind of OCD about these kinds of things
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    This sounds like an uncommon problem, but I hope you don't mind if I ask all of the common questions first.

    Could you open your diary?
    How are you measuring your food? Have you invested in a cheap food scale yet?
    How are you measuring your calorie burn? MFP/machine estimates or a heart rate monitor?
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Congratulations on the great weight loss to date...! You say that you are eating about 1200 calories per day and burning 500 from exercise. Are you eating back those 500 calories? If not, you are only netting 700 calories, which is not enough. Can you clarify?
  • loriq41
    loriq41 Posts: 479 Member
    I suspect you are not eating enough actually..are you netting 1200? That still seems a bit low even if you are. The two times I have plateaued was due to not eating enough. Also, overestimating calorie burn is a bigger problem than people realize..I see it all the time..unless you have a heart rate monitor (which is still not perfect) the numbers people think they are burning are just insane. I would look into doing TDEE-20% so you do not eat back your exercise cals cuz it is already built in. I would also start weights if you are not already. Hopefully this helps!
  • CongoClark81
    CongoClark81 Posts: 95 Member
    I do wear a heart rate monitor to track my calorie burn. And I may not be eating enough because 1200calories is what I eat and then I burn about 500calories at the end of the day after all food has been consumed for the day. I never find myself feeling hungry though. But I have also upped my calories to about 1700 per day and downed them to about 1000 per day, changed up my workout routines and food I eat and still no changes so I went back to the 1200 per day. Ive been doing Insanity and T25 along with a few other 10min workouts Ive found just to add a bit extra. I don't measure everything like on a scale because what I eat is pretty much all fruits and veggies and yogurt. Chicken, Steak and Turkey is individual servings so I go by whats on the package. I have my protein shakes which I measure everything out for. I only drink water, at least 64oz a day. Take all my vitamins, get enough sleep. Ive got friends that are fitness instructors and body builders and Ive done everything they told me to do and nothings working anymore. I'm holding steady at my weight so I cant complain too much but would still like to lose at least 40lbs more. I have gorged and I have starved myself, I have worked out insanely and did not work out at all. And I just cant seem to budge past this 170 and even not working out and eating more, I'm not gaining either. I have tried everything I can think of and have been told to do. I was just hoping someone else may have been thru this or may offer some new advice.
  • CongoClark81
    CongoClark81 Posts: 95 Member
    Honestly, I don't even know anymore. My goal was to stick with one for at least a month at a time to see if anything changed. And that was after my 1st 2months solid of a plateau. But I have pretty much stuck with the same plan for the last 2months
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member

    I don't measure everything like on a scale because what I eat is pretty much all fruits and veggies and yogurt. Chicken, Steak and Turkey is individual servings so I go by whats on the package. I have my protein shakes which I measure everything out for. I only drink water, at least 64oz a day. Take all my vitamins, get enough sleep.

    I'm holding steady at my weight so I cant complain too much but would still like to lose at least 40lbs more.

    Since you can be reasonably sure about your burns, it means you are eating at maintenance. Perhaps have a couple of weeks where you weigh absolutely everything on a scale even the stuff that comes in individual packets, measure only the liquids. Enter even your vitamins. Be as accurate as you can be ... double check the entries.

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

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