Petite Girl Trying to Lose Weight - PLEASE HELP!

I am trying to lose weight and it has been an EXTREMELY difficult journey for me! Please help!
Let me start off with my background info, and if you have additional questions please let me know, I will be happy to give you additional necessary info.
- I am 5 foot 1 inch, 112 lbs.
- My weight is within healthy range according to my BMI, but I don't exactly look lean. I have a somewhat thick body and have been told this by others before too, so I know it's not just my own thinking. I look like a medium build and would like to be just a bit smaller so I don't look so chunky. I do not have thick bones, just a lot of muscle/fat covering my bones.
- I do Insanity 4-6x a week, for 40min to 1 hour at a time. And it is VERY intense exercise for me. Even then, I NEVER pause the video, or take more breaks than allotted in the Insanity program. I have done Insanity for 8 months now, and prior to that, I was going to the gym 5 times a week.
- I have been about the same weight since high school (I am 20 yrs old now.) and have not been able to lose ANY weight despite relatively consistent exercising and watching what I eat.
- I have been counting my calories for the past 2 weeks, consuming a net of 1200 calories a day. (meaning I consider the calories that I expend from exercise) Despite this, I have lost NOTHING over the last 2 weeks, and have actually gained 2 lbs.:cry:
- I have tried eating a net of 1500 calories a day for 2 months prior to this (with consideration of the calories I expend from exercise) and I did not lose any weight then either. 1500 calories was what I calculated that I should eat according to my BMR and activity level.
- I try to balance my daily macronutrient intake to carbs 40%, proteins 30%, and fats 30%. Obviously, it's not exactly perfect every single day. But it is generally very close to these percentages.
- I eat 4-6 small meals a day. And NEVER skip meals.
- I try to eat as clean as possible, meaning I try to steer clear of processed foods. I mainly eat fruits, veggies, and the only meat I eat are fish & chicken.
- I eat out maybe once a week at the most; and in this case I will always cut my portions in half. In addition, I still count the calories from eating out. I NEVER eat fast food.
What am I doing wrong??:sad: :sad: :sad:
Please HELP! I really want to be around 95-100 lb. Please note that this goal is still within a healthy weight range for my height according to the BMI chart because I am really short. I am starting to wonder if I have hypothyroidism, or some type of medical reason that could be causing me to have such a hard time losing weight...All this dieting and exercising seems to be useless and I am really getting sad that despite how extremely hard I try, I have not lost a single pound. The ONE single instance where I have seen the scale drop is when I got EXTREMELY busy one time for school coupled with terrible insomnia, causing me to lose my appetite; I had very little to eat and lost 3 lbs in 3 days, but I gained it all back within the next day when I was eating normally again. Please help. I am desperate to lose that last 10 lb...

Replies

  • noles33
    noles33 Posts: 13 Member
    Assuming this isn't a troll post, I would guess that the best thing for you to do is realize that you are at a maintenance weight and become happy with your body. What is your frame size? That has a lot to do with your weight and how it's carried. It sounds as though you are at a healthy weight for your body and your body is telling you that by staying at its preferred weight.

    Pics might help some of the girls here tell you that they wish they were your size.
  • noles33
    noles33 Posts: 13 Member
    OR, start lifting, throw the scale out, and realize that your body can be tighter and leaner while still weighing more that you thought was proper!!! Muscles look great!!!
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
    Calorie counts on food (especially packaging and in restaurants) can be off by about 20%.

    Maybe try to measure everything really carefully, and try eating back (what looks like on paper) only ~half of your exercise calories for a while?
  • SillyC2
    SillyC2 Posts: 275 Member
    Pics would help a lot - at 5'1", whether 105 is or isn't reasonable really depends on your frame. I'm 5'2", and 120 - I have a large, stocky frame. When I whittled down to 95 (due to breastfeeding) I was a bag of bones and had no strength. I know from experience that if I drop below 110, I can't properly regulate my blood sugar and am passing out all the time.

    Take it from a short lady, though..... on some level, you're just going to have to accept that you're short and you're never going to get that lean look, because your body either doesn't have long legs or you don't have that length in the torso. Even IF you are 90 lbs. I've been there (after breastfeeding) and I still looked stocky and short, just stocky short and sick.
  • drew06
    drew06 Posts: 28
    Are you using a scale to weigh your food? Maybe you're under estimating how much you actually eat.

    It also sounds to me that you would be better off with a body re-composition than to lose more weight.
  • jenmom2myboys
    jenmom2myboys Posts: 311 Member
    95lbs for 5'1 would have your bmi in the underweight range.
  • It sounds like your weight is fine. But, if you are looking to be a little leaner, I suggest trying a low carb diet, where your calories mostly come from protein and fat. I would do this for 2 months or so and see how you feel and look. 1200 calories is also probably too little. I would up it to 1500 but when doing a high fat/protein diet, you don't need to count calories... just eat the basics and try not to go over 30 grams of carbs a day. Plain greek yogurt is fine, berries are ok, nuts are ok but only as snacks. Most of the food should come from fats like olive oil, fish, meats, eggs, bacon, butter, things like that. High protein diets typically give a body a leaner appearance.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    It doesn't sound like weightloss is really your goal, but rather body re-composition. I would suggest weight training with a trainer to get you started. Maybe pilates or yoga as well to focus on building lean muscle. Pure barre classes are a also ton of fun!