Stuck at the same weight for weeks (venting)

jesso
jesso Posts: 8
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
And not really noticing any measurement changes. This is so discouraging.
Sorry for whining, I guess I just needed to vent to people who could relate.

I'm a SAHM, just had my 2nd C-section son 4 months ago..other one is turning 6 next weekend.

I'm very good on the calories, etc. Averaging around 1500 a day, I try and eat back all of my "exercise" cals.
Except for Football games on Sundays, I don't log, cause I couldn't begin to know what's in all of the tailgate food, but I'm still careful about how much I eat.

I "workout" around the house as I can, haven't had time to join a gym or whatever. But the amount of housework and stuff I'm constantly doing, and carrying this baby everywhere has to be burning something.

I'm eating 6ish meals a day, mixing it up, drinking all my water, watching sodium, etc.

I just don't get the plateau. In fact for about 4 weeks in the late summer, I didn't even care, as we were traveling around the country showing off the baby to family.. so I don't understand how I'm losing weight now that I'm back on track.

Any ideas?

(And just as background. I was 125 before getting pregnant...shot up to 210 at birth (June 30th), dropped down to 180 upon leaving the hospital, and I'm currently sitting at 151ish. I really wanted to be back down to the low 130's by Christmas, so I could by myself new clothes as a present )

Replies

  • jesso
    jesso Posts: 8
    And not really noticing any measurement changes. This is so discouraging.
    Sorry for whining, I guess I just needed to vent to people who could relate.

    I'm a SAHM, just had my 2nd C-section son 4 months ago..other one is turning 6 next weekend.

    I'm very good on the calories, etc. Averaging around 1500 a day, I try and eat back all of my "exercise" cals.
    Except for Football games on Sundays, I don't log, cause I couldn't begin to know what's in all of the tailgate food, but I'm still careful about how much I eat.

    I "workout" around the house as I can, haven't had time to join a gym or whatever. But the amount of housework and stuff I'm constantly doing, and carrying this baby everywhere has to be burning something.

    I'm eating 6ish meals a day, mixing it up, drinking all my water, watching sodium, etc.

    I just don't get the plateau. In fact for about 4 weeks in the late summer, I didn't even care, as we were traveling around the country showing off the baby to family.. so I don't understand how I'm losing weight now that I'm back on track.

    Any ideas?

    (And just as background. I was 125 before getting pregnant...shot up to 210 at birth (June 30th), dropped down to 180 upon leaving the hospital, and I'm currently sitting at 151ish. I really wanted to be back down to the low 130's by Christmas, so I could by myself new clothes as a present )
  • laine23
    laine23 Posts: 39
    Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah, I've began the diet like two month ago which means 1500 average (counting one fat day so the other day would be more like 1300) and sports for 1h30 3 to 4 times a week and still not loosing!!!!
    I know I gained weight because I was kinda anorexic before and now my body won't let me loose weight but now I've been okay for 2 years, I'm trying to eat healthy but pleasurably and doing sports and still no changes!!!! it is soooo frustrating for me as well!!!!
  • AmberElaine84
    AmberElaine84 Posts: 964 Member
    Are you nursing your baby? I always lost a lot of weight the first couple of months, and then I always plateaued. I nursed my baby for 16 months, and I didn't start seeing a change again in my body until right before I quit nursing her. I didn't gain any weight, it just stayed the same.

    I am also a SAHM, and you're right, we can't just get up and go to the gym...well, we can, but not without paying a hefty price for childcare there!

    As far as excersize, I luckily have a treadmill, which is VERY hard to do with 2 kids running around, lol, so I probably burn more calories by YELLING at them while I run! :laugh:

    My husband bought us a new weight set, so I just incorporated weights in with my cardio.

    It's really hard being a SAHM and finding any time at all for yourself to make a change. It all has to start small. Between taking care of your husband:grumble: and kids:explode: , sometimes a minute for yourself is hard to find, much less an hour!
  • jesso
    jesso Posts: 8
    No longer nursing. I tend to starve my boys...(I'm truly one of the like 3% who don't make enough milk) but I did try again this time around for the first month (had to supplement w/ formula for most of that though)

    I have had eating issues in the past, but those really haven't been an issue for a long time. Maybe that has something to do with it?

    I don't know..just frustrating as heck at this point, to be doing everything right (or so I think) and not to see any results.

    My waist has been stuck at 30 (26 before) since giving birth. (Although the hips/thighs have thankfully went down). I don't pretend that I'll have the same body after 2 kids, or that I'll ever be a size 0 again..but I'd at least like to get the waist to go into the 20's!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    I know that when you have a small amoung to lose, it is very slow coming off. What kinds of food choices are your making? SOmetimes high sodium foods are the culprit. I guess all I can say is that you need to be patient. I'm going on 3 weeks stuck at the same weight too, just have to keep on truckin:flowerforyou:
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
    it takes a long time. :) bear with it. Maybe you are overestimating your exercise calories?? I can relate, took me four months to lose 2 inches off my waist, and it will never be what it was before I had a baby. But it never hurts to add situps, you can do them anytime, and when you lose the weight, the muscle will be there waiting. There is no better feeling than seeing your ab muscles again :bigsmile:
  • jesso
    jesso Posts: 8
    Hmm, I wasn't thinking of that (the 17 days thing)

    I have it set to lose 2 lbs a week (1200 calories, the 1500ish is what I figure doing my "exercise", walking the baby/dog in the stroller, housework, running in place :P )

    But you're right when you sit there and add it all up.. it does work out to more like 2lbs a month.

    So should I try and go slightly lower a day? Or try and work harder exercises into my schedule. I do want to exercise, but I'm up at 6am with the baby..and my night doesn't end until around 10:30pm, at which time, I'm dead to the world, until I wake up 3-4 more times in the middle of the night..


    A typical day for me is..

    Breakfast: Sugar Free Quaker Apple & Cinnamon (made w/ water) and some fruit
    or
    Today I'm having
    Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail, and 2 pieces of Natures Own light toast Honey Wheat w/ a smidge of smart balance.

    Snack: Yogurt, rice cake etc.

    Lunch: Healthy Choice soup and/or Salad

    Snack: 90 calorie Granola Bar

    Dinner: Usually smaller counted out portions of whatever I make for everyone. I try to prepare it healthy so I don't feel like I'm not able to eat as well.

    Sometimes a night snack..not always, depends on how filling dinner was.

    As for drinks, tons of water, green tea, and coffee to help me get through the day ( I drink it black)
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
    sorry most people won't know what we are talking about, I changed my post, I didn't want you thinking I was some sort of know it all.

    I know it is hard with small children, I would probably drop 100 calories a day if you want it a little faster, or add something that will burn 100 calories and not replace it. You only need to eat your exercise calories if you are already only eating your BMR calories, if exercise takes you below that, then eat them, if not, then you are okay and can use exercise and lower caloric intake to lose weight. My BRM is about 1254, therefore if I only eat 1254 a day and exercise I need to eat the exercise calories. But if I was eating 1500 calories per day and exercise burned 250, then i would not replace them as it did not take me below my BRM. I stay around 1350 per day, and exercise, but never allow exercise to take me below 1350, as that is a good range for me and I don't get hungry. So I eat all my exercise calories.
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
    I will give you an average day for me. Because I have time, I plan my food in the morning (you may not have this luxury)
    bf - low sugar oatmeal w 1/2 cup skim milk or 1 sl ww toast with peanut butter 1 banana - or couple scrambled eggs 1 piece toast (appx 300 calories with coffee)

    snack - oatmeal to go bar 200 cal
    apple 80 calories (any fruit really)
    lunch - baked potatoe and 1/2 can of tuna mixed with miracle whip and some relish, veggies (120-150 potatoe, tuna 80 calories, miracle whip 40 cals relish 15 (sometimes salad with turkey try to stay between 250 - 300 calories)

    snack - 28 almonds 170 cal
    sometimes another piece of fruit

    supper - stir fry with chicken, shrimp and lots of veggies, on whole wheat pasta 450Cal (my recipe so I can control fat etc.)

    If I go over, and this is by about, 100-200 calories, then I will exercise (I run) burning about 300 calories, and will eat an additional100- 200 calories that night.

    It took me a while to find foods that would keep me full and satisfied. :)
  • jesso
    jesso Posts: 8
    Thanks.. I guess venting helped me think it out. :smile:

    I was just logging and going by what it said/how many calories I could eat, without thinking it out, and realizing what kind of deficit/weight loss I was having.

    I just looked at the Harris Benedict Formula, and it has me as 1794 a day to maintain.

    I'm gonna try lowering my calories a bit each day, and hopefully I'll start seeing stuff move again
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
    it was slowwwwwwwwww for me cause I didn't have that much to lose so I only lost 2 pounds per month too, it was discouraging, but it does eventually add up when you stick to it :)
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    Thanks.. I guess venting helped me think it out. :smile:

    I was just logging and going by what it said/how many calories I could eat, without thinking it out, and realizing what kind of deficit/weight loss I was having.

    I just looked at the Harris Benedict Formula, and it has me as 1794 a day to maintain.

    I'm gonna try lowering my calories a bit each day, and hopefully I'll start seeing stuff move again

    HI. The thing is lowering your net calories to less than 1200 a day (or like you said, 1500 a day if you're excercising away 300cals each day) is unhealthy and actually dangerous. That is why MFP has limited the amount you can lose by setting you at 1200 each day. Actually that may be another reason why you are not losing. Honestly you will not lose 2 lbs a week. You do not weigh enough for that. When I started here I was obese and yes I lost 2 lbs a week then, now that I am nearing healthy I am lucky when I lose 1 lb a week.
    you should check out this post: LINKS in MFP you want to read again (and again) under GENERAL DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS. The thread is always at the top. I recommend you read all of that before making a decision.
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