Calories, exercising, percentages... confused all over.

Hi all!
I've been trying to lose the last few pounds for over 3 months now, and they just won't go away. Whenever I start to finally lose some weight and start seeing a difference, I gain the weight right back up! I'm getting frustrated since I don't indulge myself too much and I just can't seem to get past my 118 pounds... I already lost 15 so I CAN lose weight, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
I'm 5'0 and I would like to be around 110, I don't think that's too low for my height. I exercise 6 days a week: 45 minutes cardio (usually running or elliptical), and around 50 minutes of strength training at the gym with the trainer.
I was eating around 1200 calories total, but maybe that was too low, so I started eating 1500 about a week ago, is this too much? was I eating too little? Because when I enter my goals here it says I should be eating max 1210... :S See my confusion?
Also I have a low tolerance for carbs :( and am insulin resistant, so I try to eat around 35% carbs, 35% fat and 30% protein...
Please help! I really have no idea what I'm doing wrong and I'm really starting to get discouraged.

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Do you know your body fat percentage? Maybe what you really need to do is focus more on that, and less specifically on your weight.
  • falale
    falale Posts: 3
    My body fat percentage is around 22%, so that's not too low either...
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    My body fat percentage is around 22%, so that's not too low either...

    If you were my sister or someone I loved, my advice to you would be to stop worrying specifically about your weight and maybe focus more on your body fat %. Set a goal of something like maintaining current weight, while lowering your body fat % to 19 or 20. Try that for 3 months. Maybe you'll be happier with your body then, even at your current weight.
  • DrFeelG00D
    DrFeelG00D Posts: 5 Member
    Don't follow the MFP calorie recommendations. Try eating 1500 calories, as you were, and perform your normal exercise routine and see what happens week to week. Don't freak out if you gain a couple of pounds to start because that is most likely water weight or your body adjusting to your new calorie intake. After a week or two, see where your weight goes and adjust from there (weight goes up = calories come down slightly, etc...).