Frustrated...

LisaB39
LisaB39 Posts: 9
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've been actively trying to lose weight since the end of October and have lost 15lbs. I have not lost ONE pound in several weeks! I am 5'3" 149# and eating around 1100-1200 calories. I confess that I rarely workout but I am super active on my job. I want to get down to about 135# but am completely stuck at this weight! I am torn between thinking I am eating too many calories or too few calories. When I first started, I stuck to 1100 calories but stopped losing so went up to 1200 and lost again.

I work full-time, go to college full-time, and have two busy sons. Could stress be the problem?

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • traceytoo
    traceytoo Posts: 163
    I am having the same problems, trying everything uping calories, lowering calories, zig zaggin, upping exercise ... just stick with it, it will happen I hope - maybe open up your food diary if it isn't already, someone might spot something you cannot see.

    good luck :bigsmile:
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
    So, I've been actively trying to lose weight since the end of October and have lost 15lbs. I have not lost ONE pound in several weeks! I am 5'3" 149# and eating around 1100-1200 calories. I confess that I rarely workout but I am super active on my job. I want to get down to about 135# but am completely stuck at this weight! I am torn between thinking I am eating too many calories or too few calories. When I first started, I stuck to 1100 calories but stopped losing so went up to 1200 and lost again.

    I work full-time, go to college full-time, and have two busy sons. Could stress be the problem?

    Any suggestions?

    I can't say to much about the food and see if there needs to be changes there to help. I can suggest if you do have time to get a great intense workout in do it. You may need to eat a little more not much 100 calories or so. Stress yes can be a Huge problem and cause you to release cortisol the stress hormone which can cause weight gain or slow weight loss. If you can find time for at least 30 min or intense workout. Great DVDs you can do at home like 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels or Jackie Warner has great one too.
  • LisaB39
    LisaB39 Posts: 9
    Good to know I am not alone! :sad:

    I will try opening my food diary but am also afraid that someone will quickly see what I am doing and I will feel silly! LOL
  • LisaB39
    LisaB39 Posts: 9
    Thanks, Tonya! Yes, I do need to find time to workout, or should I say MAKE time to workout! I just bought a few Tae Bo DVDs that were on clearance and I have WiFit and Jillian Michaels for the Wii also. I have to do something!
  • pascalg
    pascalg Posts: 1 Member
    Make sure that you have all food groups at the recommended servings in you daily diet, your body could be missing something and that could be why you have stoped losing weight. It could be time to not only watch your calorie intake but also what you are eating.
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    When you get close to your goal weight or have very little fat to lose, you will have to fight your body to get it off. Your body wants to keep a certain amount of fat for "just in case". There are certainly alot of factors that you have mentioned. Being active isn't really enough to get it done. Your body can get used to any amount of physical activity. Stress certainly will slow your weight loss. Not eating enough will slow your weight loss as sure as eating too much.

    My suggestion is to open your diary to allow others to see what and how much you are eating and exercising in order to give a more informed estimate of what might need to be changed.
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
    Works once try again! Raise caloric intake to 1300,this makes body guess what your going to do next. Also the stop line is 1200 calories, your body needs at least this much for production.
    Try some intensity exercises 10-20 mins to get heart rate up. This increases your metabolism to burn more cals while your working.
    One last thought, try to stager your caloric intake week to week, example 1200 wk 1, 1400 week 2, 1300 week 3 & so on. Same with exercising, walk 20 mins , sit ups,pushups, trendmill, walking steps etc this also keeps body confused thus will burn calories.
    Good job with weight loss so far! It took time to gain the weight,will take time to lose it,& will stay off if you do a "Healthy Lifestyle":wink:
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
    Do really care what others think that you don't even know? Could be said, the same with others you do know! You learn by making mistakes & listening to people who are educated in that area.:wink:
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
    I would echo what a lot of people on here have said. Open your food diary because that could be the problem. Too much sodium? Not enough water? Not enough calories? We don't know how to help you if we don't know what you're doing. And don't worry about feeling "silly" about people looking at your diary. This is the most supportive, non-judgemental site I have ever seen and if you get any criticism about your diary, I'm sure it would be constructive and designed to help.

    The other thing is GET SOME MFP FRIENDS!!! We all have our support systems at home and that is a huge help for many people. But, I can tell you that despite having solid support from friends and family, my MFP friends really motivate and inspire me. There are a ton of very admirable, knowledgeable and/or inspirational people on here. Take advantage of that. I promise it will help. But remember, if you add someone to your support system, you also become part of theirs so don't forget to encourage them too.

    Good luck and please let me know if I can help you in any way!
  • LisaB39
    LisaB39 Posts: 9
    Okay, food diary open! The only thing I do not list in the diary are vegetables because when I lost about 70lbs 6 years ago, I was told never to count fruit or vegetable calories and that stuck with me.

    I'm heading to work and will check in when I get home!

    Thanks!
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    From what I can see, you eat pretty close to your goal all but the one day you were around 800. What I do see is alot of processed foods and/or eating out. These things are high in sodium and other things that are unhealthy as far as weight loss goes. Didn't see any water logged either. Weight/resistance training is a good way of toning up and by adding muscle you up your metabolism. Portion control will only get you part of the way. Exercise will be needed to lose the last of the weight you are trying to lose. Eating back the exercise cals may sound silly to some people but I can tell you it does work for most people. It's simple math really.

    1200 cals for your goal. Eat the 1200 and burn off 600 and your body only gets 600 to run on when it needs a total of 1700 - 1900. Too big of a deficit is the usual culprit when your weight loss stalls. I just went through this last month and wrote a blog about it. Here's a link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/runningneo122
  • Mary830
    Mary830 Posts: 64
    So, I've been actively trying to lose weight since the end of October and have lost 15lbs. I have not lost ONE pound in several weeks! I am 5'3" 149# and eating around 1100-1200 calories. I confess that I rarely workout but I am super active on my job. I want to get down to about 135# but am completely stuck at this weight! I am torn between thinking I am eating too many calories or too few calories. When I first started, I stuck to 1100 calories but stopped losing so went up to 1200 and lost again.

    I work full-time, go to college full-time, and have two busy sons. Could stress be the problem?

    Any suggestions?

    First, I would suggest increasing the calories and the workouts. Also, I would pay attention to where your calories are coming from. A lot of the time it is easy for me to focus solely on tracking- and then my weight loss will plateau. When I start focusing on making sure I am getting enough fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy carbs, plenty of fiber, etc... I can usually break out a plateau. Good luck.
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
    I agree with runningneo. Chinese food, roast beef...things that have a ton of sodium. I would suggest adding sodium to what you are tracking since that could easily be derailing your weight loss.

    If you aren't drinking water, you need to start. Your body needs the hydration to function properly. Maybe you just aren't logging it right now, but shoot for those 8-10 glasses daily.

    Also, log your fruits and veggies. Yes, they are healthy calories but they are still calories. It's important to be accurate with this kind of tool.

    You're on the right track. You've done great so far and you'll get there with a few little tweaks to what you are already doing.
  • unckat09
    unckat09 Posts: 97
    Read this!! Please please please read it. It is an AMAZING post and it really helped me. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/181080-mfp-s-most-common-user-pitfall-to-avoid
  • unckat09
    unckat09 Posts: 97
    Another good one... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations
  • LisaB39
    LisaB39 Posts: 9
    thank you everyone for the suggestions! Sometimes when I log food, I chose something from a restaurant, not necessarily because I ate there, I just figure it is comparable. I guess I need to be more thorough with my entries.

    I am consistently over on my protein and it just set to the basic settings. Anyone have any suggestions for a good protein intake for my age and weight? I can't seem to find anything conclusive on the internet.

    Thanks, again!
  • Dawntodusk
    Dawntodusk Posts: 262 Member
    I read somewhere that if you completely cut out carbs for one week, this can push you out of a plateau. Haven't tried it, though.

    Another thought - you might be at your ideal weight (for you). Even if this is true, you can still lose inches (and maybe eventually weight) if you start strength training. As soon as you hit 30 you start to lose muscle mass. Muscle is much more efficient at burning calories, so the more you have, the more you can eat, and the more fat your will burn.

    I started strength training when I was 35 (I'm 49 now). It's the best thing I ever did. I don't have the flabby arm thing going and I'm basically fit and firm where it counts. Having said this, it it a long-term life-change and has taken me many years to figure out, and I'm still learning every day. However, I am convinced that in the long term it is what will help me stay fit and trim - much more than cardio. And certainly much more than just dieting.

    Good luck to you!
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    The rule-of-thumb that I've read you should strive for is 1g of protein for every 20 cals in the meal. 300 cal meal - 15g of protein. I have my macros set at 40C - 30F - 30P. When I eat properly, it works out fine for the ratio. You can set all those macros under "change goals" by selecting "custom" and hitting "continue".
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