Urgent** Haven't lost in months 215-218lb. About to give up

hamburgerbetty
hamburgerbetty Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
January of 2013 I started my journey losing weight after being 100lbs over weight. I have gone from 279lbs down to 216lbs give or take. I've plateaued since June 2013. I work out 6 days a week (cardio i.e. treadmill, Boot Camp, Shred. Lift weights etc)

I use myfitness pal to keep track of calories (1980 calories per day). I have now entered a "Biggest Loser" contest at my gym. I weighed in at 226lbs I'm now 219lbs. I'm a 45 year old male with a 37" waist. I'm 5'9". It seems like EVERYONE has an opinion and a solution at the gym which never seems to work. I recently had a friend go on Atkins and easily shed nearly 20lbs and is down to a 33" waist.

I want to give up. I'm killing myself at the gym almost every single day.

Now to boot, my jeans are very tight and my butt no longer fits in my jeans.

What is going on? I'm about to give up!!! I think I look terrible. For a while I was on a role but it seems like my body is fighting me and deliberately getting fat as revenge for wanting to get healthy.

Please help.

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Would you be willing to open your diary for us to get a better understanding of how much you're eating and burning?

    Are you logging everything you eat? Including cheat days, condiments, fruits and veggies, etc.?

    Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing portion sizes?

    Are you eating back any of your earned exercise calories? If so, how are you estimating the calories burned through exercise?
  • mpjmmp
    mpjmmp Posts: 12
    In other areas of my life (I just started trying to lose weight 2 weeks ago after multiple spinal surgeries) and I struggle with where I am trying to get to, and maybe I lose focus on what I've accomplished. WOW - look at where you started. I look at your beginning weight and am hoping I can accomplish what you've done. So GREAT JOB because you have had phenomenal results. I absolutely understand hitting a wall (referring to the surgeries) and to be honest - my wife in those tough times asked me what options did I have? I could give up - OR NOT. Seems like you are in that spot, and I think the rewards for sticking with it will be well worth the effort. I hope there are people here a lot smarter than I am (I am so not the one to give dietary/exercise advice) that can help you over the hump. But for what it’s worth - I'm impressed with what you've accomplished.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    If your not losing you're not eating at a deficit. So either the numbers you're working from are wrong (eg exercise calories and TDEE) or you're not logging accurately. Are you weighing and measuring everything accurately? Are you using correct entries from the database (avoid ones with generic in front).

    remember all these numbers you work from are estimates so they may need tome adjustment over time. If you ope your diary people may be able to give more specific advice.

    Good luck
  • runner475
    runner475 Posts: 1,236 Member
    I plateaued for the longest time ... and this is what worked for me.

    Try this strategy for 4 weeks
    1) Log everything and I mean everything that goes into the mouth......
    2) Weigh everything IN GRAMS on the scale and then put it into that mouth
    3) Towards the end of the day be Calorie Deficit
    4) Be conservative with exercise calories if you do not gadgets to help you find the numbers for you. I don't have.
    5) Drink water.

    It has worked for me.

    GL
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    when I plateau, i go low carb to jump start the loss. i do that for about a week and then slowly bring them back in a week at a time. for example, week 1 - i will eat only lean protein every other day alternated with lean protein and veggies (of the green variety). week 2 - lean protein & veggies every day, fruit every other day. week 3 - lean protein, veggies, fruit daily. start to reintroduce whole grains. It seems to get me over those plateaus. It doesn't have to be long term if you don't want it to be. Sometimes just switching it up helps. Also, intermittent fasting or carb cycling are other ways I've been able to get past a stalled scale. Also, if you are working out like a mother, it could be muscle creation and/or fluid retention in your muscles. pay more attention to how your clothes are fitting. congrats on your successes so far!! you are an inspiration!
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Do you use a food scale?
  • Pirate_chick
    Pirate_chick Posts: 1,216 Member
    If your not losing you're not eating at a deficit. So either the numbers you're working from are wrong (eg exercise calories and TDEE) or you're not logging accurately. Are you weighing and measuring everything accurately? Are you using correct entries from the database (avoid ones with generic in front).

    remember all these numbers you work from are estimates so they may need tome adjustment over time. If you ope your diary people may be able to give more specific advice.

    Good luck

    Ditto this.
  • youngdreamer
    youngdreamer Posts: 65 Member
    Do you use a food scale?
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    I spent a year going up and down the same 5lbs. First of all, don't give up that's not why you are here. Second, think about the food choices you are making and if they are good nutritional choices. That's what finally pushed me out of my slump. When I make bad choices, I don't lose.
  • jnuchaeli
    jnuchaeli Posts: 13 Member
    try staying out of the gym for one week. yes seven days. it will be hard but maybe your body needs a break.
    maybe try calorie cycling or zig zag your caloric intake. freedieting.com has a calculator and at the bottom of the same page it has an explanation of zig zag calories.
    I just broke a plateau with WW. but then I came back to MFP because I was starving on 1000-1100 calories per day. much happier at 1600. lol
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    all i know isyou are like my male twin. i started at 278. got stuck for weeks at 216, then weeks at 213, then weeks at 211. i also work out at the gym 6 days a week. i upped my calories on march 12th and started losing again. now im at 205. :) good luck. it will happen just keep doing what you're doing.
  • juellmorning
    juellmorning Posts: 4
    I started at 220 lbs and am now at 185. I had to learn that although I work out almost every day, what I ate and how much are key roles in losing weight. I chose sugar as my villain and went on a 40 day sugar plan 12g or lower , or I don't eat it. Next I began to focus on my "extra" here and there, by changing my snacks say from a small bag of chips to kind bars, or raw veggies; I have been more successful. You must reduce what you eat , and eat smarter. You can do it !!
  • SBlizzardRob
    SBlizzardRob Posts: 11
    First - congratulations on your weight loss success. Question, if it is not your diet - what does your body look like? You are male, could you be building muscle (especially with all of the time you spend in the gym).
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
    I had pretty much similar. Stopped eating grains in the form of bread/rolls, cereal, oatmeal, rice, pasta, pie/pizza crust, crackers, tortillas, etc etc. That got me down 17.6 since February 14. I still get plenty of complex (and simple) carbs otherwise. Basically it was a cheap way to chop a lot of calories.
  • AceCC86
    AceCC86 Posts: 71
    First of all, congratulations on your huge accomplishment!! Over 50 lbs -- that's incredible.

    Could it be possible that you're building muscle and that's why you're not losing?
  • Minkekj
    Minkekj Posts: 5 Member
    Your body was on a role because it was in a constant caloric deficit and the exercise/cutting back in food was new to the system. Over these 6+ months, your body has adjusted. Your body has adjusted to all of the cardio/working out you're doing, thus you stop getting results. In order to start getting results again, you'd have to ramp up your cardio/working out even more (which I don't recommend cause it sounds like you're doing a whole lot already).

    The biggest mistake people make is they think they have to kill themselves in the gym to lose weight. That's the biggest fallacy ever. You have to eat in a manner that is conducive to your goals (whether cutting or bulking) and do a small amount of cardio.

    You're probably going to have to reverse diet/cut back on the working out in order to bring your metabolism up so that you can start getting results again without killing yourself. You'd end up gaing some weight, BUT it will be much better for you in the long run.

    I went from 340 lbs to 240 lbs (in roughly a year's time) simply walking on a treadmill and eating 2400+ calories. Unfortunately, what most people don't realize is that the more cardio you do early on, the more you'll HAVE to do down the road in order to get the same results.
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    As long as you are burning more calories than you are taking in you should lose weight . You're calories look low,i'm 188lbs @14% bf and i'm cutting at 2400 atm,losing about a pound a week. Don't give up just try diff things to kick start your weightloss again
  • kwwwebb
    kwwwebb Posts: 2
    For two weeks, make it simple---no Dairy, no Gluten. You can do that for two weeks.

    You could be overtraining, or your body could be in starvation mode---you could actually be eating too little so your body has slowed your metabolic weight.

    Good work so far...what worked before will stop working---adaptation has kicked in---so confuse the system---drop cardio and do resistance, and do the two weeks above with a 50% protein, 30% carb, 20% fat (good fats) and then re-post your results.

    Good luck!
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I had plateaued for months and it was because I wasn't netting enough calories.
    If you are working out that much, and you're not eating enough calories to compensate, you are most likely burning off TOO many calories, so your body is holding on to what is left, and you're not losing weight.

    Where did you get your calorie goal number from?
  • JackieRL55
    JackieRL55 Posts: 144 Member
    try staying out of the gym for one week. yes seven days. it will be hard but maybe your body needs a break.
    maybe try calorie cycling or zig zag your caloric intake. freedieting.com has a calculator and at the bottom of the same page it has an explanation of zig zag calories.
    I just broke a plateau with WW. but then I came back to MFP because I was starving on 1000-1100 calories per day. much happier at 1600. lol

    THIS. I hit a plateau once for almost 3 weeks so I stopped going to the gym and ate whatever I wanted for 3 or 4 days then I suddenly did some cardio blast workouts like HIIT and dropped my calories. My weigh dropped in a matter of days. Sometimes you just need to jolt your system. If you're really desperate though you can also try a fast or juicing. I'm not a fan but it's a means to an end and I think people just need to find what works for them.

    Good luck!
  • Kins10
    Kins10 Posts: 3
    63 pounds in a year!! WOW!! That's great! I want to lose 60 pounds by this time next year. You are doing great, only 37 more pounds to go!!!

    I've been reading a lot of different articles lately, trying different products, etc. and they all say the same thing, you're not eating enough and you don't need to work out so hard. I know that sounds like the complete opposite of what we have all been taught through the years, but this seems to be the new trend. I just started South Beach and I'm getting a good education on what foods to eat and when and how to combine them and about healthy snacking, curbing sugar and carb cravings. I eat well, just not sure how to eat and I need to start exercising. I used to be obsessed with working out and now I could care less!! UGH! Need a work out elf to prod me!

    Don't be so hard on yourself, you are doing great!!
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Before you change anything in your diet you need to know exactly what your are eating. Like others have said you are probably not in a deficit. Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
    and http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • lalaburgess3
    lalaburgess3 Posts: 5
    HEy! Do not give up! Here are some good ideas, I was a weight loss coach for 7 years and what I learned the most is that there are something's that anyone can and should do for optimal health regardless of what plan of action you are taking. 1/2 your body weight in oz of water daily. Don't feel like you have to over do that. For every other drink you have esp soda or coffee, tea..drink another glass of water. Consume half of you "IDEAL" body weight in grams of protein per day. If your healthy BMI puts you at 200 (easy math) eat 100 grams of protein daily. this includes plant protein. As we get older (as early as 30 yrs) the body cannibalizes 2-5% of your lean mass, including your heart. This doesn't mean you have to go after a no carb radical diet just feed your body what it needs to keep the "motor" alive to burn fat for fuel. Stay away from foods that cause fungus. BIGGEST: Peanuts, corn, pistachios, white potatoes, mushrooms. Try to get your body alkaline, not acidic. If your body is acidic, the natural response is for your body to create more fat, think of it like a fire extinguisher going off inside your body to put out a fire! Drink lemon water first thing every day. I drink 30 oz of luke warm lemon water (squeeze fresh lemon) everyday first thing. Great anti aging properties, great for alkalinizing the body and great for skin and cellulite reduction. Get off coffee, tea, pop, alcohol. Work out should be about fun and not stress. If you create oxidative stress, you create more fat producing hormones, cortisol. Do not go to the gym to sweat like a chubby kid at a free disco, go to breathe, stretch and strengthen. 5 min warm up, lift heaviest you can without injury only 5 times and cool down. YOu will be amazed at the results. As we age, we don't need 2 hours of cardio. Hope this helps!! :) Do not give up!!
  • BreannaHayes1
    BreannaHayes1 Posts: 122 Member
    For one, you do not look terrible! You are a very attractive man!

    I had trouble with losing as well. I hit a plateau for a little over a month. It was very discouraging. However, I found out that since I weighed 179 ish for almost a few years without gaining or losing my boy was just set to it. It took a lot of hard work, calorie tweeking, and encouragement.

    I continued to eat and excessive and didn't be up. Eventually the weight started coming off again. This is a journey it's not going to be easy. Take it one day at a time!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Do you use a food scale?

    No one ever seems to answer this question.
  • rmhufftx
    rmhufftx Posts: 9
    I see others saying the same thing - Don't lose sight of what you've accomplished just because you have a stall. Hell, you even dropped another 7 recently! Like anything, the farther in you go, the smaller the returns seem to be. As long as you're holding steady you're in a position to make the next push.

    I'm just getting started (again), so listen to others as far as possible food selections, etc. Me, I have to do remedial work on portion control, selection and getting my fat *kitten* up for even light workouts. Guys like you give guys like me a goal to shoot for. Keep fightin' because I'm going to be chasing you! :)
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
    This might be an unpopular opinion but for me, upping my calories has helped me with my plateaus. I've been at this weight loss thing for far too long and plateaus are pretty much the worst thing ever. Whenever I would have a serious stall, I'd up my calories and eat foods that I had not been eating. 3-4 days should do it, maybe a week. I believe our bodies get used to the exercise and diet we throw at it and it helps to mix things up. Anyways, it's what has worked for me.

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