I stopped losing weight, I'm stuck! :(

jmadyun21
jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I changed my eating habits and have been exercising (just walking 2.5-3.0 mph on the treadmill for a lil over an hour or outside on the walking trail) and at first I was losing a pound every other day just doing that so I stuck to it because its easy on my body but a good work out at the same time. I've only lost 15 lbs since april ( i have took some weeks off before since then, mainly because i was out of town) I recently went out of town again for 3 weeks and ate whatever i wanted, just not large amounts.. still payed attention to calorie intake and not to go way over my limit.. I DIDNT gain any weight on my break. I've came back home and started eating really healthy, being really strict, drinking my water, and walking with a friend and at home and NO weight loss!!!! How can I get my body back going again? Please help, I want to lose atleast 5-10 lbs before the month is over.

I weigh 260

trying to get back to wonderland by jan.2015
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Replies

  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    How long has it been since you started back up? How much are you eating per day. Can you open your diary? Are you accounting for everything you put in your mouth? Weighing and measuring all of your food?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    soooo.... you lost 15 lbs since april, with taking some time off and not logging, etc.

    eating healthy doesn't always guarantee losing weight. You're not losing weight for a few reasons.

    Most likely? You're eating more than your burning. The easy answer would be to eat less.

    The other thing is that you're expecting instant results. Weight loss doesn't work that way. It isn't instant.

    Last point I'll make. We're halfway done with the month. Wanting to lose 5 lbs in 2 weeks isn't unrealistic, but setting date restrictions is silly. What if you only lose 4 lbs by the end of the month. So what, are you not gonna be invited to some awesome "I lost 5 lbs, you didn't!" party? No.

    Log everything accurately. Get yourself a scale. Set realistic goals and stick to them.


    ......and be patient.
  • CarrieBeard
    CarrieBeard Posts: 117 Member
    I am hoping you get some helpful advice... I've been "STUCK" for months. I am getting tired of 1200 or less calorie days... same type walks as you are doing.... and the scales are stuck. I avoid wheat products (allergy). ... no rice, no potatoes... STUCK!
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    I started back up on the 1st of the month. I do measure my food so i can know how much im taking in.
  • HellaCarriefornia
    HellaCarriefornia Posts: 102 Member
    Stick with it. Less than two weeks really isn't much time in weight loss world.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I started back up on the 1st of the month. I do measure my food so i can know how much im taking in.

    Measure how? With a food scale? Or with cups and spoons?

    What's your calorie goal?

    Is there any reason you could be retaining water this week? (New workout, your period, etc.?)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I started back up on the 1st of the month. I do measure my food so i can know how much im taking in.

    measure or weigh your food? Solids should be weighed, liquids measured.
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    Nah, I eat 1400 a day like recommended but honestly sometimes I cant even hit that goal and my intake be 1100-1200. I avoid a lot of foods and try to stick to just fruit, veges, whole wheats and protein but they are not high in calories so its hard to hit goal sometimes.
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 762 Member
    Five to 10 pounds is not realistic in 2 or 3 weeks. What is your daily goal?
  • BramageOMG
    BramageOMG Posts: 319 Member
    Typical reason: Not burning more calories than you are taking in.

    I would also recommend: Open Diary That allows people to see what your deficit is and what exercise is adding to the equation. Eating my standard deficit and doing the same level of exercise everyday, I drop about 4 lbs a week.. continuously.

    Friday will be 8 weeks since start.. So your goal is aggressive, but do-able.

    One thing that can throw you off track quick:

    "I wont log this little ______ " Accurate tracking is a key. Good Luck!!
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    measuring cups. I do not own a food scale. Where can I buy one?
  • jessieleah
    jessieleah Posts: 204 Member
    Patience is key. If you've checked and double checked all of the above advice and you're positive you're on the right track (calories in < calories out, etc) then keep doing what you're doing and the weight will come off eventually. You could be retaining water, if it's your TOM, your weight fluctuates (usually up, which is frustrating!). I was stuck in the low 160s for a good 2 months, but I finally broke into the 150s today! Also, the scale isn't always the only/best indicator of weight loss. Take pictures & measure yourself (I usually do this monthly). I've found that despite not losing much in the past 2 months, my body actually looks pretty different due to exercise.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    measuring cups. I do not own a food scale. Where can I buy one?
    walmart. amazon. target. anywhere.
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    i burn 500 calories with my workouts sometimes 600
  • jessieleah
    jessieleah Posts: 204 Member
    measuring cups. I do not own a food scale. Where can I buy one?

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/14770-cuisinart-precisionchef-kitchen-scale-stainless-steel-bowl.html

    I got this one for christmas last year & I love it. I'm sure there're cheaper options out there.
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    Your exactly right. I just need to be patient because I know I'm doing the right things. Just going to keep going. I don't care if I lose 2 lbs just SOMETHING lol
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    i burn 500 calories with my workouts sometimes 600
    using a heartrate monitor or MFP numbers... because it matters. If it's MFP numbers, it's overestimated.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Your body gets used to walking any slow steady cardio. So months down the road you do the same walk for a hour long with no increase in anything the calories burn will decrease from how it was on day one.
  • jmadyun21
    jmadyun21 Posts: 17 Member
    thank you so much! :smile:
  • jessieleah
    jessieleah Posts: 204 Member
    Your exactly right. I just need to be patient because I know I'm doing the right things. Just going to keep going. I don't care if I lose 2 lbs just SOMETHING lol

    That's the hardest part, I totally understand! I really try not to set hard deadlines for myself, like lose X amount of weight by X time. If I don't meet it, it just ends up making me more frustrated. My mantra as of late has been "If I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll lose the weight eventually" because I know I'm eating the correct amount of calories and working out 5x a week. :)
  • aligatorwww
    aligatorwww Posts: 48 Member
    Try adding some resistance exercises along with all the walking. Squats, Planks, kettlebell swings, lunges, one arm dumbell overhead presses, pushups, leg lifts, etc. Go heavier with your weights as you go. Your body is getting used to all the walking and now you have to change it up and freak it out by using more and different muscles.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Your exactly right. I just need to be patient because I know I'm doing the right things. Just going to keep going. I don't care if I lose 2 lbs just SOMETHING lol

    Seriously, buy yourself a food scale. It's the most useful kitchen tool you can own, especially if you are preparing a lot of your food yourself. I got an OXO brand one from Target for about $17 two years ago, and I haven't looked back.

    Also, read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    like with weight training progressive overload is how you get stronger and burn more calories at rest. Same goes for cardio especially slow steady. If you are doing the same workout over and over there is no way it will burn as many calories as it did on that very first workout.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    measuring cups. I do not own a food scale. Where can I buy one?

    you can buy a food scale almost anywhere. walmart, target, bed bath & beyond. you can go cheap (i did and it works just fine) or you can go fancy just depends on your needs. weighing food is much better than measuring cups. you'll get more accurate amounts by weighing. good luck.
  • kanona_42
    kanona_42 Posts: 8
    The biggest thing that I've found with getting stuck is not changing up your exercise. If you've hit a plateau, try changing up your treadmill walk to a faster speed or add some incline. If you can't add incline, add some arm weights (even a couple of large cans of soup or full water bottles, if you don't have 3-5 lb dumbbells) and do overhead presses, bicep curls, and raise your arms out in front of you and out to the sides (flies). It may be enough to convince your body you're still working out and burning calories. What's most likely happened is that your body now sees what you've been doing as the new normal, so it needs a challenge. Consider adding some short spurts of running (30 seconds at a time, here and there throughout your walk), that may help as well.

    Good luck and best wishes!
  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
    i burn 500 calories with my workouts sometimes 600

    are you eating back some of your calories? based on your previous msg about it being difficult to eat 1300 calories a day and some days you were eating only 1100 calories, you might be putting stress on your body. You should be eating back 1/2 of your exercise calories along with getting in your basic caloric needs (1300) - yes a heart rate monitor will help with getting a true measurement of calories burned.

    Perhaps you start adding in some basic exercises to help build muscle along with the walking you're already doing (squats, modified push-ups, lunges, shoulder press, etc.). This will help develop muscles so that when you've lost weight, there's some muscles there. It will also help increase your BMR so you burn more calories even when you're doing nothing. Make sure you're eating enough protein as well to maintain those muscles. MFP sets our protein requirements too low IMO.

    Great job on your losses so far but you'll need to mix it up to continue with the losses you've had already!! Good luck :)
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    i burn 500 calories with my workouts sometimes 600

    are you eating back some of your calories? based on your previous msg about it being difficult to eat 1300 calories a day and some days you were eating only 1100 calories, you might be putting stress on your body. You should be eating back 1/2 of your exercise calories along with getting in your basic caloric needs (1300) - yes a heart rate monitor will help with getting a{b] true measurement of calories burned. [/b]

    Perhaps you start adding in some basic exercises to help build muscle along with the walking you're already doing (squats, modified push-ups, lunges, shoulder press, etc.). This will help develop muscles so that when you've lost weight, there's some muscles there. It will also help increase your BMR so you burn more calories even when you're doing nothing. Make sure you're eating enough protein as well to maintain those muscles. MFP sets our protein requirements too low IMO.

    Great job on your losses so far but you'll need to mix it up to continue with the losses you've had already!! Good luck :)

    How true is a heart rate monitor when you cannot put in body fat % and lean body mass?
  • JeralynSh
    JeralynSh Posts: 139 Member
    Stick with it. It's a process and not a quick thing. Actually the slower you lose weight, the more likely you are to keep it off.

    If you want to rev it back up, switch up your routine a bit and shock your body. Ride a bike, lift some weights. For no reason at all in the middle of the day, quick do some burpees! Or some jumping jacks. Sometimes I'll put on some loud music and dance for 20 minutes or so.
  • Julibug86
    Julibug86 Posts: 21 Member
    i burn 500 calories with my workouts sometimes 600

    I'm by no means an expert, but I don't think you'd burn that many calories just with an hour of walking (even at a fast pace). Are you doing something else in addition? I'm not the best at tracking my food and exercise correctly (although I'm working on it! who knew that curry powder had calories in it?) and it can be so easy to accidentally over estimate calories burned and under estimate calories consumed.
  • Supertact
    Supertact Posts: 466 Member
    You're eating at least 2000 calories a day to not be losing at 260 pounds.

    Try(log) harder,

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