Can't seem to lose anymore weight

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frxnkz
frxnkz Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
My stats are female 5'4 153 lbs. I started using mfp about 3 years ago kind of on and off. I started weighing somewhere around 170-175 and I lost about 20 lbs when I first started. Ever since then I haven't been able to lose any weight. I did get down to 146 at one point but about three months later I'm back between 152-155! I carry almost all my weight in my stomach so 153 lbs doesn't look so good on my 5'4 figure. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... I eat 1200 calories a day if I don't exercise, and if I exercise (I usually burn minimum 300 calories) I eat my calories back because I've heard it's unhealthy to net under 1200. I don't really do much strength training because the closest decent gym is an hour away. I do work on my upper body with light dumbells and do ab exercises and leg exercises ocassionally. I do cardio probably about 5 days a week.. My goal weight would be 130 lbs and to get down to a size 4/6 I am currently a size 9/10 so it's really depressing being stuck at the same weight for so long when I'm workin so hard. Any advice and help appreciated!

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    You'll need to open your food diary for any of us to be much help.
  • markjacobs1987
    markjacobs1987 Posts: 162 Member
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    You might want to try looking into doing some more strength training. Muscle will help burn fat and also if you are doing the same routine your body might be used to that so you might need to switch it up. Tony Horton's YouTube channel is a great place to start. Plenty of strength workouts there that are free and you can do them at home. As for nutrition you are right that you don't want to eat below 1200. For a female you should try being around 1600 calories a day. Also what macros are you eating at? For shredding fat you should be at either a 50/30/20 or 40/40/20 ratio (protein, carb, fat). I hope this helps!
  • frxnkz
    frxnkz Posts: 4
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    @mark thanks I'll look up the channel!! And yes I figured I might need to change my workout up a bit because I lost the first 20 pounds using the treadmill. I'm always so scared to up my calories because I'm afraid I'll gain weight. But should I slowly up to 1600? It seems like so much to me!! And wow 40g of carbs? I was just following the goals mfp automatically gave me and it's at like 40g fat, 150g carbs, and 50g protein... does that have something to do with it?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    You'll need to open your food diary for any of us to be much help.

    This ^^

    How are you calculating that you're eating 1200 per day? Are you weighing & measuring everything?
  • frxnkz
    frxnkz Posts: 4
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    @vismal how do I do that? I eat pretty clean- I eat lean meats and lots of veggies and fruit, I try to limit processed food and sugar, just sugar from fruit. I only drink water and green tea and lots of it!! hope this helps
  • frxnkz
    frxnkz Posts: 4
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    @ceoverturf yes measuring out everything, weighing everything on a scale. some days I may be over maybe like 50 calories but not usually more than that. I burn it off if I do
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    @vismal how do I do that? I eat pretty clean- I eat lean meats and lots of veggies and fruit, I try to limit processed food and sugar, just sugar from fruit. I only drink water and green tea and lots of it!! hope this helps

    Settings > Diary Settings > Diary Sharing > Public
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    @vismal how do I do that? I eat pretty clean- I eat lean meats and lots of veggies and fruit, I try to limit processed food and sugar, just sugar from fruit. I only drink water and green tea and lots of it!! hope this helps

    You can open your diary by going here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Towards the bottom of the page choose "Public" and then save changes.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    Need to get on a real strength training and cardio program. Since the gym is far away, you can set up a home gym. Get your equipment on Craigslist. I literally paid 10 cents on the dollar for my stuff (squat rack, 400 lbs of weight, rowing machine, heavy bag, chinup bar, various bars and dumbells).
  • oksanatkachuk
    oksanatkachuk Posts: 149 Member
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    Small cal deficit,
    training with weights, there is plenty of options
    good amount of protein per day.
    Water
    Sleep
  • jenniferbystrom
    jenniferbystrom Posts: 3
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    Hi there- I feel your pain, but I did a medically supervised weight loss program hosted by Kaiser, my health provider. I was on Optifast for 30 weeks and lost 100 lb. Here are some of the things they taught us in the weekly classes we had to attend. They asked us to exercise 45 minutes, no more, no less, each day, alternating cardio and strength training every other day, with one day off. The strength training builds lean muscle, so you don't want to try and build muscle. You can do this with exercise bands, they are very inexpensive, and for cardio just walk building up to 45 minutes. Take your time and move at a good pace as you can. We were taught all sorts of things about how much fat, carbs, protien, but my instructor said it really comes down to calories in-calories out. It takes 3500 calories eaten to gain a lb or 3500 calories off to lose a lb. Eat 6 small meals a day, you have to have enough protein to lose weight, so eat eggs, cottage cheese, a small serving of fruit, etc. Mix it up. Aim for about 150 calories for the first 5 meals and for your dinner meal eat the remaining calories up to 1200. This is very important to keep your blood sugar even so you don't get hungry. If you can do this, I think you will start losing. I take Bipolar medications which are a double whammy, they make me hungry and they hinder my weight loss, so I have to be super careful not to gain. When I go up 2-3 lbs I ease up on my eating until I'm back down. I carry all of my weight in my stomach too, so I know how that is. Just 10 lbs will start making that stomach disappear.Let me know how you are doing along the way. Oh one other thing. Eat food that is as close to its source as you can. An egg is a perfect food. It goes from the chicken to your mouth. Try to buy food that has as few ingredients as possible and don't eat non fat foods. They are a rip off Hioe all of this helps..
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    @vismal how do I do that? I eat pretty clean- I eat lean meats and lots of veggies and fruit, I try to limit processed food and sugar, just sugar from fruit. I only drink water and green tea and lots of it!! hope this helps

    "eating clean" doesn't necessarily mean you are eating at a deficit. Open your diary.
  • MegSommer
    MegSommer Posts: 539 Member
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    Dont be afraid to eat! Im 5ft, 135 lbs and i eat near 2000 calories a day and im dropping weight pretty regularly. If you are eating properly, which it sounds like you are, your body will thank you for the extra fuel.

    My advise, is to up your calories for a week or 2 (maybe 1400?), follow others advise and do more strength training (get some resistance bands if you dont have access to weights/bench) vs cardio and i bet you will see the scale move in the correct direction. Hope this helps.
  • vahuja24
    vahuja24 Posts: 2
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    jenniferbystrom wrote: »
    Hi there- I feel your pain, but I did a medically supervised weight loss program hosted by Kaiser, my health provider. I was on Optifast for 30 weeks and lost 100 lb. Here are some of the things they taught us in the weekly classes we had to attend. They asked us to exercise 45 minutes, no more, no less, each day, alternating cardio and strength training every other day, with one day off. The strength training builds lean muscle, so you don't want to try and build muscle. You can do this with exercise bands, they are very inexpensive, and for cardio just walk building up to 45 minutes. Take your time and move at a good pace as you can. We were taught all sorts of things about how much fat, carbs, protien, but my instructor said it really comes down to calories in-calories out. It takes 3500 calories eaten to gain a lb or 3500 calories off to lose a lb. Eat 6 small meals a day, you have to have enough protein to lose weight, so eat eggs, cottage cheese, a small serving of fruit, etc. Mix it up. Aim for about 150 calories for the first 5 meals and for your dinner meal eat the remaining calories up to 1200. This is very important to keep your blood sugar even so you don't get hungry. If you can do this, I think you will start losing. I take Bipolar medications which are a double whammy, they make me hungry and they hinder my weight loss, so I have to be super careful not to gain. When I go up 2-3 lbs I ease up on my eating until I'm back down. I carry all of my weight in my stomach too, so I know how that is. Just 10 lbs will start making that stomach disappear.Let me know how you are doing along the way. Oh one other thing. Eat food that is as close to its source as you can. An egg is a perfect food. It goes from the chicken to your mouth. Try to buy food that has as few ingredients as possible and don't eat non fat foods. They are a rip off Hioe all of this helps..

  • vahuja24
    vahuja24 Posts: 2
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    thanks! i just started optimist and this is great info ...pleaase keep sharing your experience.

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