Working hard, eating well, not getting results. Need advice.

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yutabaga84
yutabaga84 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I run 25-30 miles per week at an average pace of 9:00 per mile (give or take, I change it up with distance/speed). I also do 90-minute yoga sessions 3-4 times per week. I do a 60-minute spin class once a week. I mix in tennis, hiking, and some base workouts here and there (abs, push-ups, free weights, etc). Summary: I'm very active and kill myself working out (and love it).

I eat a gluten free diet because of thyroid issues, but outside of that even, I eat pretty well - oats, fruit, yogurt, eggs for breakfast, turkey, veggies, maybe some gf bread, nuts, low fat cheese for lunch/snacks, and chicken, lean ground beef, quinoa, veggies, sometimes sweet potatoes or gf pasta for dinner. For a treat, I'll have whole fruit frozen bars or stovetop popcorn or a couple pieces of dark chocolate. I eat about 1800-2000 calories on an average day and maybe 2500 on a splurge day (with a couple glasses of wine). I track everything I eat, even "free" foods like raw spinach. I use a kitchen scale to weigh everything.

I'm 5'4", pear-shaped, and weigh 146 lbs. it's so frustrating to work so hard and not lose weight. Even when MFP says I should be losing weight, I don't. I'm fairly well informed regarding nutrition, etc, but at this point, there must be something more scientific that I'm missing. Anyone have any advice? My goal is to weigh 130.
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  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    You're either eating more than you think or over estimating your exercise calories. So go back to basics check all your figures on how much you should be eating and check that you are weighing and measuring accurately. Also you have a relatively small amount to lose so it will be slow so you dont actually say how long you've been eating like this so it could just be a case of patience as you have thyroid issues that could be even more pertinent.
  • karmasays
    karmasays Posts: 82 Member
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    Make sure you're getting enough sleep and water too! Try for 7-9 hours of sleep and 8 glasses a day, your body needs adequate rest and hydration.

    Do you have a heart rate monitor, FitBit, BodyMedia arm band? If not, one may be a good investment for you to ensure that you aren't over estimating the amount of calories you're burning.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Do you know your body fat %? 130 may be rather low for you, if you are very muscular. I am also 5'4 and 125 was the lowest my body could tolerate and that was as a 20 year old.

    How long have you been tracking your food? You aren't going to lose fast when you are already in a healthy weight range. A half pound a week wouldn't even show up on my scale.
  • Ashes_To_Beast
    Ashes_To_Beast Posts: 378 Member
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    You're mostly doing cardio.. Have you concidered lifting weight?

    Try to find this recent post on MFP. It might inspire you to try it.

    -For me, *this* is why WEIGHTS over CARDIO is KEY!
  • ProudMom2Jade
    ProudMom2Jade Posts: 18 Member
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    I have no advice really to give you, but I feel your pain. In the last 2 weeks I lost 5 lbs on paper, but only 2 according to the scale. Last summer I got really upset because every night I would hit that stupid button and get told if every day were like today I'd be at my goal and it never happened. The first 90 I lost came off steadily and I didn't work nearly as hard! The last 15 are taking longer to lose than the first 90...and are taking a lot more work! The first 90 I ate 1800 a day and walked, first 2 miles and gradually increased until I was walking 6-10 miles a day. Then I found myself at that 6-10 miles a day, eating 1800 a day and doing more vigorous exercise as well.( I wear a BodyMedia band that tracks my activity level.) I ended up gaining back about 10 lbs and it has come off really slowly even though I've been working really hard. At first I thought it was because I'd started drinking diet soda and wasn't drinking much plain water. Then in November I gave up soda--it didn't make a difference. Now I'm trying going wheat-free because I think that wheat is a trigger for me. The only difference I've noticed is that PMS I don't get the psycho food cravings when I don't eat wheat. You are already gluten free so...
    I suspect that my body may have adjusted to what I was doing so it stopped working and I should just be thankful it happened later rather than sooner! Read Break The Fat Loss Code--it talks about how you need to mix it up. If you do the same thing the same time every day, or always the same thing and if you always eat the same calories your body adjusts--otherwise people with labor intensive jobs would have starved to death! Think about bailing hay. If you went and bailed hay for an hour it would be a great workout, but if farmers got the same workout day after day they would have starved to death--now they wouldn't becasue we have so many calories available, but 200 years ago when everything was done by hand if our bodies didn't adjust then they would have not been able to eat 5000 calories a day or whatever. You need to periodically shock your body with something new. Try a different workout. This is my problem--I tend to fall into habit. I've also read that zig zagging can help. My armband says I burn around 3000 a day with the stuff I do so 2 days a week I should eat 3000 calories. Supposedly in the end you lose more doing that than eating 1200 a day which will put your body in starvation mode after a while. I've heard some even do every other day so for me that would be alternating 3000, and 1200. I'm scared to try that so I might do 2500 and 1200. Right now I am just doing 2 splurge days (Monday and Friday) but I may try the every other day thing to see if it gets my metabolism firing again.
    I'd try cutting out the wine--alcohol can slow your metabolism.
  • yutabaga84
    yutabaga84 Posts: 5
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    Thanks, everyone. I've been exercising/eating the same for years now, and my weight fluctuates between 144-148 lately. I've been actively tracking since late December, about six weeks. According to my tracker, I'd be losing 1/2-1 lb per week (or 3-6 lbs over last six weeks), but that's not happening. My scales goes up and down by decimal points, but for the most part, I weigh the same (145.8-146.8).

    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    All I can say is.... hold on tight. With so little to lose (are you sure you have a realistic goal in mind? MY goal is 140 and I'm only 5'2....) you are likely to have a harder time. I myself have been doing "all the right things" and the scale hasn't budged but quarters of a lb in the last month. Hang in there... everyone gets plateaus....
  • gregs_gal
    gregs_gal Posts: 18 Member
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    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.

    Some gyms allow group training sessions. See if yours does and ask a friend (or two) to split the cost.
  • thegeorges11202004
    thegeorges11202004 Posts: 26 Member
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    I am 5'4" as well and the lowest I got (in my twenties) was 145. I was a size 4. That was pretty skinny for me (I feel like I am more muscular). of course, now I have a lot more weight on me and three babies later, so I would be content with 170-174. It could be that your body is happy at the weight you are?
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 764 Member
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    Thanks, everyone. I've been exercising/eating the same for years now, and my weight fluctuates between 144-148 lately. I've been actively tracking since late December, about six weeks. According to my tracker, I'd be losing 1/2-1 lb per week (or 3-6 lbs over last six weeks), but that's not happening. My scales goes up and down by decimal points, but for the most part, I weigh the same (145.8-146.8).

    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.

    Have you tried throwing the scale out the window and buying a tape measure.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
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    You are probably eating to much - can you open your diary so we can see? if you are eating 2000 a day + 2500 on weekends you could be eating at maintenance.

    With only 15lbs to lose you could be just at maintenance - maybe try lowing your cals to 1900 every day - No splurge days or if you do balance them out so you eat 1900 as an average.
  • yutabaga84
    yutabaga84 Posts: 5
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    I'm currently a size 6 from the natural waist up but an 8/10 below. At 130, I fit comfortably in size 4/sometimes 6 jeans. It's really not that small on my shape/frame.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.

    Look into bodyweight exercises.
  • amdarosa619
    amdarosa619 Posts: 98 Member
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    Thanks, everyone. I've been exercising/eating the same for years now, and my weight fluctuates between 144-148 lately. I've been actively tracking since late December, about six weeks. According to my tracker, I'd be losing 1/2-1 lb per week (or 3-6 lbs over last six weeks), but that's not happening. My scales goes up and down by decimal points, but for the most part, I weigh the same (145.8-146.8).

    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.

    Im in a similar situation. Losing has always been a struggle, and then I get discouraged when Im putting in the effort and not seeing results.
    If you've been doing the same thing for years, it could be that your body is just used to the same thing. Try mixing things up! A cost-effificient alternative to weight lifting with a personal trainer is home videos. Start with resisitance bands. They usually come with guides and/or videos, and are less abrasive on the joints for beginners. Comparatively speaking, a much cheaper investment then a personal trainer.
  • cpusmc
    cpusmc Posts: 122
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    Good posts all, I would only add that you might want to see your Dr., if you have not done so recently and get your blood work checked to confirm that there is no chemical imbalance that could be causing you to retain the weight despite your best efforts. If that checks out as all good, than by all means take note of all the solid advice proposed so far, pick something you have not tried to day and give it a go... The body adapts very quickly to both diet and exercise and if we are not throwing it curveballs on a fairly consistent basis we will plateau.

    Good luck...
  • threshkreen
    threshkreen Posts: 79 Member
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    Well - going back to basics and checking your numbers is always the first thing to do - I agree with fatdoob.

    You are also doing a whole lot of exercise and it could be that your body is just hanging on to what you have for dear life. Definitely, I would make sure your calorie burn is correct and that your are measuring and logging everything.

    One nutritionist I went to had this tray with a sprinkle of goldfish, 1/2 an oreo and assorted other pieces of odd ball snacks. She called it the mother plate or something. The calories on the place of assorted things one may pop into their mouth while clearing the kids' lunch added up to almost 500 calories. Blew me away - I know I used to never count little things like that but it made me realize that those little nibbles add up!
  • yutabaga84
    yutabaga84 Posts: 5
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    Also, I'm always on my feet and am burning 500-1200 calories per day in just exercise. I consider myself "lightly active" so I can put in all my workouts. I round down with them, though (like I know I don't burn more than 100 calories per mile, no matter what MFP estimates, so I always round my runs down). I appreciate everyone's feedback;I'm definitely gonna work in some more weights.
  • jasonpclement
    jasonpclement Posts: 146 Member
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    Your doing a lot of cardio.

    For some people they seem to be able to cardio the weight away. I also seem to see lots of foiks who lean toward doing lots of cardio, and their body really becomes to efficient to lose weight easily.

    You might find that by significantly cutting the cardio back, and maybe doing some strength training, that you your results will come.


    I know for me, when I first introduce cardio back into my lifestyle it works great... but only initially.
  • Ashes_To_Beast
    Ashes_To_Beast Posts: 378 Member
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    I'd love to start lifting weights but would have no idea where to begin without a trainer. That's not really in my budget, but I've been thinking about how to squeeze it in.
    [/quote]

    Well here is something I would recommend to my personal friends, it's free and it would give you some insight on where to begin at the least for weight training.

    http://freebodybuildingworkoutprogram.com/y8g5g7ygn49slxf73sc7/
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    Your doing a lot of cardio.

    For some people they seem to be able to cardio the weight away. I also seem to see lots of foiks who lean toward doing lots of cardio, and their body really becomes to efficient to lose weight easily.

    You might find that by significantly cutting the cardio back, and maybe doing some strength training, that you your results will come.


    I know for me, when I first introduce cardio back into my lifestyle it works great... but only initially.

    I agree. When I would "re-start" my workout/weightloss routine I would lose weight at first and it would stall. I was losing weight pretty consistently doing nothing but lifting but now I'm stalled again..... you probably just need to find a good balance. As far as not knowing where to start... maybe look into New Rules of Lifting for Women. I've been following the program since November on my own at home and have been doing pretty well with it. Some people tend to think it gets "overly complicated" as you go through but you can always make adaptations so it works for you. Nothing saying it has to be done exactly as it was written :) Good luck!

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