Please help! Been trying to lose 15 lbs since August 2013!!

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ochibi91
ochibi91 Posts: 115 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I need some advice and feedback on my situation because I have been trying to lose 15 lbs since August 2013. I managed to lose 6 lbs over 4 months which is very slow. Unfortunately I gained 3 lbs back over the course of Christmas and New Year and gained back 1 inch on my hips and thighs. I also wasn't keeping track in December because I had to fly overseas to attend a cousin's wedding and stayed for a family vacation for 2 weeks.

Here are my stats:
Age: 22 years old
Height: 5 ft 1
Current weight - 116 lbs
Goal weight - 100 lbs (16 lbs to go)
Body fat % - 25% (calculated based on the formula here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/)

Net daily calorie goal - 1200 kcal
About my calories, I do try to count as accurately and as often as possible and have recently started measuring. I do try to stick to 1200 kcal as the minimum but sometimes I cannot hit 1200 kcal because of appetite. As for nutrition, I try to eat as cleanly as possible with the occasional cheat meals. FYI, I am highly sedentary. On most days, I hardly walk over 2,000 steps, sometimes not even 1000 steps on my pedometer. Thus, I chose 1200 as my net calorie goal.

Exercise - I just started Fitnessblender's 8-week fat loss program on 1/1/2014 which incorporates a blend of cardio and strength training. I personally prefer strength training so I substitute some cardio workouts for home strength training workouts. I now workout at least 5x a week. Previously from August 2013 - November 2013, I just strength trained at home using various bodyweight exercises and some 5~10lbs dumbbells 3x a week, 30 minutes each session. I dislike cardio so I seldom did those.


Goal for 2014: I really want to achieve my goal of 100 lbs this year by 31st December 2014 with 18-20% body fat; a shorter term goal would be 105 lbs by June 2014 . I am relatively new to dieting and exercise and I still have plenty of doubts as to whether I am setting my new calorie goal correctly. Is 1200 kcal per day too low? Or should I eat back calories? I hardly starve myself as I don't binge and always eat till I feel full during meals. My occasional snacks in the afternoon and post-dinner are roasted almonds and peanut butter.

I know my current weight is considered low enough however I have always looked pudgy and round, especially on the lower body (pear shape). I also have a lot of belly fat (I can squeeze a whole bunch of it when I sit down).

Any help/feedback/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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Replies

  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
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    do you really need to lose weight? You are already low. Maybe your body is just telling you what level it wants to be at?
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Please tell us your age since you have your profile hidden. Age does make a difference usually with how low a woman should go weight wise. I'm 5"2 and older and if I go below 119lbs my face is too skinny but the rest of me ok so we have to weight all these things up. Younger women can handle being a bit lower I think but up to the individuals choice.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    From the 91 at the end of you profile name I'm guessing 22 :)

    I know you are short, but not that much shorter than me and I do think 100lb is very light (even at your height). There is no picture of you but I am guessing you are absolutely fine the way you are and your body is trying to tell you that. You will find that if you eat too little and exercise your body will think it is being starved and stop burning calories as quickly (body's clever way of surviving). Trust me if you eat more maybe 1300 - 1400 and do some exercises it will be much better for you. I eat 1600 and don't eat back exercise cals and as long as I stick to that I lose and I am only 1.5 inches taller than you.

    I was there at your age trying every diet in the book, trying to look perfect, all you do is screw with your metabolism and end up putting on weight. I speak from experience, sadly. Years from now you will look back and kill to have the figure you have now, trust me lol. Probably all you need to do is a bit of exercise to tone the bits up you are not happy with.

    Sorry if I sound like I'm lecturing you but I just hate seeing anyone going down the same road I did. Took me a long time to learn it was as simple as eat healthily and do a bit of exercise.
  • doIlhands
    doIlhands Posts: 349 Member
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    If you really are at 25% bodyfat you would only need to drop down to ~110lbs to be 20% bodyfat. If you got down to 100lbs and retained your lbm (theoretically) you would be at 13% bodyfat which is dangerously low for women.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,206 Member
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    Based off of your diary there are three problems...

    1. Your salt is too high! This causes you to bloat and store water making you appear heavier. Keep it closer to 2000mg a day

    2. Your calories are too low! You cannot have a well balanced diet when you are eating 700calories a day :(

    3. I didnt see any fitness logged. Keep in mind, weights change body composition, cardio changes the scale. If your primary focus is to see the number drop quickly on the scale stick to cardio. If your primary goal isnt the scale and your more concerned with muscle definition, and cellulite issues I would stick with weights.

    Personally your weight seems low already so imo it sounds like you want to change your body composition and lift weights rather than eat less and do cardio. But its your call
  • ochibi91
    ochibi91 Posts: 115 Member
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    @sarahslim100 My BMI is considered healthy though I'm pretty sure I have some fat to lose. Have been this round, chubby kid since puberty D:

    @mockchoc I'm 22 years old, turning 23 this year.

    @Poods71 yes, you guessed right. I'm 22 years old :) I have thought of increasing my calorie intake to 1300 though I'm afraid that with my sedentary lifestyle, I would be eating too much.

    @dollhands okay, will take that into account. Thanks!

    @soldiergrl_10 I do notice my sodium intake is very high on some days. I'm trying to keep it below 1,500 on most days. I don't think I go as low as 700 cal/day as I would be too ravenous. I'm more concerned on looking lean (i.e dropping inches) than the scale so I opt for strength training exercises than cardio. Personally, I hate cardio XD Thanks for your advice!
  • Michuka
    Michuka Posts: 3
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    I wonder how many people you know think you need to lose weight? don't over do it!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    If you really are at 25% bodyfat you would only need to drop down to ~110lbs to be 20% bodyfat. If you got down to 100lbs and retained your lbm (theoretically) you would be at 13% bodyfat which is dangerously low for women.

    this... you need to focus on lowering your bodyfat, not losing scale weight...
  • ochibi91
    ochibi91 Posts: 115 Member
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    If you really are at 25% bodyfat you would only need to drop down to ~110lbs to be 20% bodyfat. If you got down to 100lbs and retained your lbm (theoretically) you would be at 13% bodyfat which is dangerously low for women.

    this... you need to focus on lowering your bodyfat, not losing scale weight...


    Yes, I am focusing more on lowering my body fat since that's my main problem, not my weight. I have huge saddlebags and lots of jiggly fat on my legs which show very clearly when I wear dresses and short pants. That's why I always wear jeans to cover them up.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    If you really are at 25% bodyfat you would only need to drop down to ~110lbs to be 20% bodyfat. If you got down to 100lbs and retained your lbm (theoretically) you would be at 13% bodyfat which is dangerously low for women.

    this... you need to focus on lowering your bodyfat, not losing scale weight...


    Yes, I am focusing more on lowering my body fat since that's my main problem, not my weight. I have huge saddlebags and lots of jiggly fat on my legs which show very clearly when I wear dresses and short pants. That's why I always wear jeans to cover them up.

    so ignore MFPs 1200 cals, workout your TDEE and take of 10% and start a decent lifting programme.

    ensure you are getting enough protein (100g a day) and you will lose the jiggle. ditch the scale and take progress pictures each month... oh and be patient!
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    @Poods71 yes, you guessed right. I'm 22 years old :) I have thought of increasing my calorie intake to 1300 though I'm afraid that with my sedentary lifestyle, I would be eating too much.


    Even with a sedetary lifestyle you will lose on 1300. I do bit more more exercise than when I first started on here but wouldn't say I exercise a lot, mostly walking, and I have an office job (so on my bum most of the day lol). When I first started on here I at 1200 (as directed by MFP) and I did lose but I was hungry all the time and a bit grumpy lol. If saw a lot of posts about eating more to lose more and was interested, cos I like my food :D. I upped gradually 100 every so often as was scared of putting weight back on, until I found the magic number that suited me (everyone is different). I am on 1600 just now as I am so close to goal so don't really need to lose quickly.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    so ignore MFPs 1200 cals, workout your TDEE and take of 10% and start a decent lifting programme.

    ensure you are getting enough protein (100g a day) and you will lose the jiggle. ditch the scale and take progress pictures each month... oh and be patient!
    [/quote]


    I would listen to this advise and with a bit of patience and sticking to it you will get where you want to be. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • rslcarson
    rslcarson Posts: 35 Member
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    Embrace your curves!
    I too think you have set your goal of losing weight too far. it sounds like you actually want to achieve a toned body. Strength training should do this but heavier weights may be needed. Doing strength training at home might be the probelm, having a training partner or trainer will push you further and help you lift heavier weights focusing on glutes (bum) thighs and lower abs.
    Ditch the scales though if you do this because your body weight may gain as your muscle grows. your stats show that there really can't be much fat to lose, get the muscle toned but re-evaluate your goals.
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
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    hey ochi :)

    as someone who is 5ft and weighs 104lbs, i can totally understand where you are coming from!

    shape is as important as weight, and like you, my weight seems low but i have hips, thighs and a tummy. if anyone saw me naked, they'd agree that i could lose weight!

    i've put on weight again but what helped me before is a good clean diet (i went lower on the carbs, and tried to cut out processed foods and sugar) and added in some exercise. our bodies needs a shake up - diet alone only goes so far.

    all the best :)
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
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    Embrace your curves!
    I too think you have set your goal of losing weight too far. it sounds like you actually want to achieve a toned body. Strength training should do this but heavier weights may be needed. Doing strength training at home might be the probelm, having a training partner or trainer will push you further and help you lift heavier weights focusing on glutes (bum) thighs and lower abs.
    Ditch the scales though if you do this because your body weight may gain as your muscle grows. your stats show that there really can't be much fat to lose, get the muscle toned but re-evaluate your goals.

    agree with this - great advice
  • ginamc04
    ginamc04 Posts: 113 Member
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    I prefer to use www.fat2fitradio.com to figure my calories. MFP seems to put all women at 1200.

    Please do not starve yourself. at 22, you are in a great place to really educate yourself about living a healthy lifestyle. Turn to weight training, whole food meal plans and body fat, not the scale. Seeing ribs is not attractive or healthy, muscles are!!! :)
  • ochibi91
    ochibi91 Posts: 115 Member
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    @Poods71 Noted. I am recalculating my TDEE and I have to admit, since I'm losing at such a slow pace (started off at 120-ish lbs in July 2013) I am losing patience, but weight loss is basically a mind game. :)

    @rslcarson I like how you phrase it: "Embrace your curves" I have a pear shaped body so my bum is kinda big. I've always felt terrible about it but sometimes, I look better in dresses than my stick-thin sister :)

    Currently, I'm lifting as heavy as I can. There is no proper gym in my area, unfortunately, and the closest one is 1.5 hours away. With my schedule as it is, I cannot afford to go all the way there to work out. Thus, I am forced to resort to home exercises and strength training workouts.

    @Skinny_minny_ Hey there :) I'm glad there's someone on the same boat as I am. After reading numerous articles/forums, I believe I'm skinny fat. My biggest problem areas are my huge saddlebags (The left image is exactly how my legs look and it's hideous! - http://www.perlmanmd.com/images/liposuction-thighs-APRussnew.jpg)

    @ginamc04 I too, like to use fat2fit ratios and find that they're not as idealistic as MFP's :) I naturally have a small waist but flabby abdomen due to a high fat % so it's actually natural for me to "feel" my ribs very easily when I'm lying down sideways.
  • ochibi91
    ochibi91 Posts: 115 Member
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    Hey guys/girls, I would like to thank each and everyone of you who replied to my question and offered some advice/suggestions. I really appreciate it. Now, I've up-ed my calories to 1,300 cal and changed my goal to 105 lbs. Will see how it goes. I will try to be more patient as well since mental discipline is one of the most important factors in weight loss/body recomposition :)

    That aside, I was reading through this topic on MFP (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet) and got a little confused halfway through when the topic was on TDEE. I have selected 'sedentary' for myself because I sit in front of the computer all day long and barely walk over 1,000 steps on most days. However, as the topic explains:

    If you sit all day and barely walk and dont workout, Sedentary.
    If you workout 1-2x a week, Light.
    If you workout 3-5x a week, Moderate.
    If you workout 5+, active/very active.

    The thing is, I workout 5x a week, so should I change my activity levels to 'Light~Moderate'? At this rate, my daily cals will be in the range of 1781~2007cals per day (based on http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/) and I simply do not have the appetite for that. I actually have been trying to eat at 1200~1400 for over a year so could it be that my body has adjusted to that intake level?

    That being said, I am also wondering whether I've been eating at maintenance level for most of the time (over a year) since I have barely lost the weight that I wanted to. Moreover, if I only ate at 1,200 kcal a day and not exercise, theoretically speaking, I should've reached my goal by now or even last year.

    Right now, I am convinced my main issue is that I'm skinny fat because even though I am at a normal weight I still look very flabby and have jiggly fat all over (http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-skinny-fat-find-out-why.html). My main problems are my flabby belly, arms and fat legs (saddlebags, muffin tops etc). This picture (the one on the left) http://www.perlmanmd.com/images/liposuction-thighs-APRussnew.jpg really looks like my legs.
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
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    I'm almost in the same boat as you: I'm 4'11, 117lbs, lifting heavy and eating 1400 a day. I personally have been on 1200-1500 cals for the last year and realised that scale weight isn't that important, I'm working on being more active and losing body fat, and ignoring the scale, because I think progress is so slow at this point it's just discouraging to look at the scale. I've started to take progress pictures instead.

    I honestly think you should try and be less sedentary if you want to eat more, just going for a walk would help. I don't know how intense your workouts are/ how hungry you are after working out but I'd suggest upping calories slowly until you reach your desired calorie level (I'd aim for sedentary and assess based on your results). You also need to get a good lifting routine in place if you want to see changes, I'd recommend getting a barbell at the very least, maybe a few more dumbbells and read new rules of lifting for women or starting strength. If you really can't do that then look at the app you are your own gym. It's not easy to drop body fat, especially when you're limited, so you'll need patience.
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
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    If you really are at 25% bodyfat you would only need to drop down to ~110lbs to be 20% bodyfat. If you got down to 100lbs and retained your lbm (theoretically) you would be at 13% bodyfat which is dangerously low for women.

    this... you need to focus on lowering your bodyfat, not losing scale weight...

    she dosnt "need" to concentrate on lowering her body fat percentage at all! This a perfectly healthy body fat percentage for a young woman her age. Now, if she wishes to, that is another matter altogether.

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