In tears and discouraged

You say that you only had 5 lbs to go - it is possible that you have reached the ideal weight for your body. This is hard to hear when you had a specific goal in mind, but if it is so, you might lose that 5 lbs only to be constantly battling it, versus being able to hold steady where you are!

First of all, to be within 5lbs of your goal weight it sounds like you're doing fantastic! It makes sense that you're losing weight more slowly now because your basal metabolic level is less as you weigh less. With a goal of .5lbs/week that might be difficult to see differences on a weekly basis as something like not peeing before you get on the scale will seem to eliminate all the work you've done in the past week.

I'd recommend taking a good look at your food and exercise diary and double checking that it's completely accurate (I've been known to round down calories at times....) and making sure that you're logging your exercise appropriately (i.e. not including breaks). If that's the case then stick with your plan and consider spacing out your weigh-ins to every 2 weeks.

Hi,
I see your a nurse and on your feet alot....I am a pharmacy tech and am also on my feet alot.... and so I wear a pedometer at work , I use this as part of my exercise (walking all day at work), I work in a HUGE pharmacy so I walk ALOT ! If you were to get a pedometer and wear it while on your shift at work, you would be amazed at how far you actually walk and how many calories you burn ! The other day by the end of my work day , I had walked over 4 miles !! How much fruit do you eat in a day and how much water do you drink ? I carry a 32 oz water bottle with me to work and I try to make myself drink at least two of those , that way I know I have gotten my 8 glasses of water for the day .... I also bought myself the WII FIT, it really helps me in the evening when I get home from work, even when I am so tired after work .... I do some of the exercises on there and it gives me more enerngy.... these are just some suggustions for you..... I know after I started doing the WII FIT , I have lost an inch in my waist !! Keep me updated on your situation.... Good Luck !

When you switch to a higher calorie intake, it's normal for your body to "hold onto" a couple pounds because you've been starving it so long. Keep at it for SEVERAL WEEKS and then you should break through the plateau. Put away the scale for the next couple weeks!

Edit, gah I am a terrible reader sometimes.

You might be gaining a little muscle too. You said you were "gradually" introducing higher calories, so that several weeks still hasn't been at your max calories.

Something else to try is to calculate your basal metabolic rate on another site's calculator. I like to recommend wolframalpha.com - just input "age, female, weight, height, basal metabolic rate" in the box and it'll tell you your BMR and average calorie expenditure for your day.

1200 is pretty low for anyone, and even 1500 is low, unless you're 5'0". I still say stick with what you're doing a few more weeks!

You might be gaining a little muscle too. You said you were "gradually" introducing higher calories, so that several weeks still hasn't been at your max calories.

Something else to try is to calculate your basal metabolic rate on another site's calculator. I like to recommend wolframalpha.com - just input "age, female, weight, height, basal metabolic rate" in the box and it'll tell you your BMR and average calorie expenditure for your day.

1200 is pretty low for anyone, and even 1500 is low, unless you're 5'0". I still say stick with what you're doing a few more weeks!

Sorry to hijack the thread, but you say 1200 and 1500 are too low? I'm 23, about 5'6" and currently weigh about 145 lbs. MFP set me at 1290 cals a day to lose 1 lb a week, and my weight loss has been really sluggish. If 1200 and 1500 are too low, how much should I eat?

Well, I'm no where near my goal weight and haven't been in more years than I care to think about, but something came to mind when I read your post...

Have you ever been "intimate" and getting close to "goal" and the harder you try the more frustrated you get? Sometimes, you just need to relax and let your body get there in its own time without so much pressure. You've obviously done great getting as far as you have, so give yourself a break, relax and enjoy the ride for a while and maybe when it's ready, your body will respond more to your satisfaction. :flowerforyou:

Best of luck. Don't forget to de-stress and enjoy the rewards of all you've accomplished!

Stop doing INTENSITY immediately. Don't plan on doing p90x.
Stop using MFP for your caloric recommendations.

When did you start dieting? How much did you weigh then and how much do you weigh now? How tall are you?

Do you have any medical problems (i.e. hypothyroidism)?

Also post your daily caloric intake along with your macronutrient intakes.

How many calories are claiming to burn from the workouts? I'd Google a bunch of different resources and take a really hard and honest look at how many calories you're probably burning before you overeat back all of that hard work. Starvation mode is bad for your body and makes you lose weight at a slower rate, but the common misconception here is that it completely STOPS you from losing weight. If you research it you'll see that that's a lie. If you aren't losing anything for a few weeks it's likely because something is off in the simple equation of cals in - cals out.

I realize that at least one person is going to bash me for being honest, but it's something you should know. You work in a hospital. Ask a few doctors/nutritionists/etc. If that's too embarrassing, Google it. Get info from MULTIPLE reliable sources. I could register a domain name called: youcanttrusthrmreadingsforcaloriesburned.com if I wanted to - doesn't mean I know what I'm talking about. :-D

You're correct that starvation mode doesn't completely inhibit weight loss. So what? She needs to implement structured refeeds into her diet and perhaps a "Full Diet Break" (2 week maintenance period). This will actually help her out both physiologically and psychologically and it will HELP her lose weight faster (i.e. up-regulate certain hormones that were lowered due to dieting).

Hi, sorry you sound so bumed....How much are you suppose to weight based on height, weight and BMI?

I haven't heard of this INSANITY program. But it doesn't sound very good to me.

If you're toning up, keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat, but it's a good kind of weight. The idea here is health. I agree with other posts that you might be in a healthy zone right now.

I've lost a lot of weight (about 90 pounds) and I haven't had to torture myself with exercise to do it. Moderate exercise and slim calorie deprivation will always do the trick.

First, consider your basal metabolic index. If you're eating slightly under it, then you simply must lose weight over time. It's possible that you're not counting foods accurately. You should weigh or measure items precisely to make sure that you are counting things accurately. A lot of people let themselves believe that they only use a *little light salad dressing or condiments etc.

Every time I've plateaued, it's because I'm not counting foods accurately. I did it with microwave popcorn, with potatoes, with beans, with salad with light dressing, and the list goes on. Back in those days, I used WW. But every time I didn't lose when my program said I should've, I went back to my diet and re-examined how I was counting foods.

Don't get upset cause you're in a plateau. The truth is, if you're within 5 pounds of your goal, you're extremely close. A lot of us have a lot farther to go. I started weight-loss at 318 lbs. It was daunting, but you're aim is health, not necessarily a number on the scale.

I don't like the sound of this INSANITY program. You're body WILL lose weight if your body uses more calories than you eat. It is simply not possible to short your body on calories and not lose weight. The only times it may seem that way usually have a very rational reason: water retention, eating a lot the night before a weigh-in, not counting things accurately, etc.

You should also read _Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Weightloss_. It is a good pick-me-up when you're down on yourself. You can't eat perfectly for the rest of your life. You need to indulge every now and then. Just be on program a heck of a lot more often than you're not.

During the holidays, during vacation, and my honeymoon, etc, I allowed myself to eat quite poorly. A special occasion (if it is rare and not an every week thing) is a fine reason to treat yourself. The pitfall is creating *special occasions on a weekly basis.

Good luck and don't get down because you're not losing at the moment. I've had lots of upsets but I remain committed to my goal.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight" - Japanese Proverb