Help please! I'm going insane!

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chellseaworley101
chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've lost 27 pounds since May of 2013 & this past month & a half, I've hit a plateau. Some times I think, "Who cares!!! I'll always be fat. Nothing is working!" & then the next I'm really determined. I eat less than 1500 calories a day , do 20-30 min of cardio/aerobics, & go on 30+ minute walk. I'm in classes at lone star north Harris & I walk fast to class everyday & practically run up the stairs. Plus I work at a daycare & I'm up & moving the whole time I'm at work. My boyfriend of 4 years is not underweight, but he is a healthy weight & eats horribly. He's always taking me out to eat & stuff & can't understand my goals. He's a guy & has a much higher metabolism. I'm getting frustrated with my stomach fat mostly. My legs have toned up & my arms have lost fat but my stomach won't go away. At all. It's hard not to look in the mirror without crying. I'm 19 years old, 5'5" & 158 pounds. I take a few supplements that helped me at first but now I don't know? I am currently taking Green Tea, Coffee Bean Extract, Biotin, & Women's Complete Vitamin. All of them boost metabolism in a way. Girls who weigh what I weigh are always much skinner! I do not understand?? This plateau is the most frustrating. Maybe it's stress related? Work & classes are stressful, could this be affecting anything? I don't know what to do.

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  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,154 Member
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    How are you managing all that on so few calories? If you have decent health insurance perhaps you could get a referral to a nutritionist to figure it out, maybe get your blood work done to rule out thyroid. You shouldn't plateau at that calorie and activity level if you have even a few pounds left to lose on you.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
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    A couple of things pop out at me. Are you weighing/measuring your food to be absolutely certain you know how much you are eating?

    If so, that really doesn't sound like many calories for all the activity you are doing. I am 5'9, weigh 145 ish and eat close to 2000 calories a day and still have a deficit.

    You are doing a lot of cardio (which isn't a bad thing and will burn calories so you can eat more) but you aren't doing any strength training. You can do body weight exercises at home which will up your metabolism so your body burns more calories at rest and will help you "tighten" up those areas you want to fix. Somebody will chime in with some links to YouTube vides with good exercises to do at home if you don't have access to a gym. I work out at a gym so can't help with at home stuff but trade in some of that cardio time for strength work.

    As far as your boyfriend is concerned, that's on you. He's not force feeding you so don't eat the stuff that doesn't fit in YOUR calorie goals and if you go out to eat choose healthier options on the menu. My husband is always wanting "fun food" and sometimes I eat it if I have the calorie room and sometimes he eats it and I eat a healthier option.

    Good luck!
  • chellseaworley101
    chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
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    I did strength training 2-3 times a week at my gym but saw no results! Unfortunately my gym recently closed down. But I have dumbbells & use them in my cardio. I do a kickboxing class Mon & Friday. I use work out videos Tues-Thurs, Sat, & Sun. I switch it up, but some are "strengthening & toning" videos or cardio & strength together. I feel like my exercising is pretty good. I make sure to document everything I eat. I haven't had soda in almost two years & the only thing I drink is water & coffee. I go to starbucks & get a skinny latte. It's only 67 calories iced, & 100 hot. I drink tons of water! I drink it in class, at work, at home. I always have a cup with me. I'm really controlling of my calories.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
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    It has to be your food intake then. It also doesn't appear you have that much left to lose so your body is going to fight you tooth and nail to hang onto that remaining weight. This is when weighing your food really is important.

    There are a couple of great threads on here you should read. I'm on my ipad so it's hard to find the links and post them but a basic search will turn up the threads.

    There is an open group called eat-train-progress and they have TONS of good information in there for just your situation. Start reading!
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    Yup. Food intake. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but add more calories and see if you can't break through the plateau! I typically eat 1600 calories just to MAINTAIN my weight at 113 pounds.... 5'3" and 42 years old to boot....
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Looked at your diary and my concern is your intake, not just your net, is very very low. Very low. You say less than 1500 but it's more averaging (at least from the dates I looked at) to be more like 900.

    Although I do agree with the person who suggested weighing your food to get a better read on your intake and stop with the quick adds...I am concerned about your intake goals as it seems..not to mention the fact you are exercising to attempt netting even lower. Doing what you are 'trying" to do is just going to damage your metabolism..at the least.

    I'm going to leave this here just in case:

    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support


    Best of luck OP. I hope that you can get to your goals and be healthy in all ways. :)
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
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    Your food diary as well as your training program really isn't structured to support lean body mass. This is probably why you say that other girls who weight the same as you look much skinnier.

    Also could just be a skewed perception that makes you think they look skinnier when in reality they aren't.
  • hopper602
    hopper602 Posts: 204 Member
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    not enough calories going in
  • KariOrtiz2014
    KariOrtiz2014 Posts: 343 Member
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    Your body IS screaming for more fuel. When I hit a plateau, I yo-yo my calories for a few days and it broke the plateau for me. You can try that, if you'd like. But you might need to just up your calories and work from there to see what is best for your body.
  • kaylynmartini13
    kaylynmartini13 Posts: 1
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    Oh my goodness, I am going through the exact same thing. I'm 5'6 and I am stuck at 161 pounds. I lost 35 pounds last year and now I'm stuck! I am also in a long-term relationship as well and he constantly wants to go out to eat! My goal is to eat around 1200 calories a day but I keep going over that to like 1600 calories a day. I'm going insane too though because it seems like the only times I lose weight anymore is when I'm sick and can't eat! It's ridiculous! One day I'll eat really well though then the next day when my boyfriend and I go to Texas Roadhouse for example, my mind says, "I ate well yesterday, so I can eat bacon cheese fries with ranch for dinner" and I feel so guilty after..but I'm stuck in this repetitive pattern!
  • chellseaworley101
    chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
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    Same! I hate the "I did good yesterday so..." Feeling!
  • chellseaworley101
    chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
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    How will eating more calories make me lose weight? That confuses me. I don't even like eating more than 1500 calories; it freaks me out.
  • chellseaworley101
    chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have okay health insurance. I'm thinking about going to a doctor. I just don't have a lot of money at the moment. I have bills to pay and I'm a broke college kid.
  • oliviaohair
    oliviaohair Posts: 27 Member
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    The first thing you should do when you is hit a plateau is reevaluate your exercise. You might be doing a lot, but if you are doing to same thing semi-regularly, your body will become used to it and stop progressing. You will have to change up the exercises you do and try to work different body parts.
  • chellseaworley101
    chellseaworley101 Posts: 16 Member
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    I know that! The walking is the same of course because it's just walking, but I change up the videos regularly & I even ordered more 2 weeks ago. I make sure to switch it up and try new things.
  • eelamme
    eelamme Posts: 1,135 Member
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    How will eating more calories make me lose weight? That confuses me. I don't even like eating more than 1500 calories; it freaks me out.

    Because with as much as you are working out, you need more fuel ((aka calories)). At this rate, your body feels like it is starving and doesn't want to let go of any of weight. IMO.
  • CleverClone
    CleverClone Posts: 45 Member
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    How will eating more calories make me lose weight? That confuses me. I don't even like eating more than 1500 calories; it freaks me out.

    This is one post that might help explain things (not the only way to do things, but seems to be working well for most who try it): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    How will eating more calories make me lose weight? That confuses me. I don't even like eating more than 1500 calories; it freaks me out.

    It's not going to help you lose more weight, but it will help you retain lean body mass (your muscles, bones and organs) and lose fat. Especially if you pay particular attention to protein. 1g/kg of body weight at least.

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