Incredibly stuck at 9st8

Ooci
Ooci Posts: 247 Member
edited November 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been stuck at this weight for a year! I lost three stone (42lb) to get here by eating around 1750 a day. Now, I know I have to eat around 1400 -1500 to get to goal of 8st7. I'm 5ft and half an inch and 42years old. I do around 12,000 - 15,000 steps a day , sometimes more, and play a lot of tennis and do a lot of heavy gardening and house renovations. Everything gets counted or I'd naturally swing back up to my old weight of 12,7 in no time.
If I eat just 1500 I lose weight successfully but the hunger keeps me awake and I find it pretty impossible. It's like my body is saying "no more, thank you". I've also got quite severe endometriosis which I'm pretty sure will be operated on again. It really works against me.
I really really want to hit goal as I looked amazing at that weight in my 20s and early 30s. But I'm losing confidence it's physically possible for me.
Anyone else going through this?

Replies

  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    have you tried weight training?
    as gaining a little muscle (and i'm not talking about a lot) will but burn more calories for free ... plus it will help you get stronger to beat your husband at tennis!
    if you start by adding in a leg day you'll be using your biggest muscles, and thus using the most calories, and see more potential results.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    Hi. Im 5ft0, 39 years old and i know i can only lose if im on about 1100 a day. Maybe its time to re evaluate your cals and think about allocating more to fat and protein to keep you full.
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    How many steps are you doing Whitezombie? I would lose a pound and a half on 1100 I'm sure. I am active!
    Thanks for your reply Rupert! I have the ketltebells in my home gym and have never used them :s I am muscly as I do cardio tennis which is lot of squatting and planking and throwing medicine balls at the wall and the house renovating has been heavy work for 7yrs. I have abs and nice muscles but they're covered with fat!! Must share some befores and afters -I know I've done so so well but there's this last little bit that will not budge!
  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    how long have you been doing your cardio tennis??
    cause i think i'm beginning to see a pattern... does your cardio tennis have set exercises that you just swap in an out ?
    you might find that you need to try something new as you body sounds like it might be used to all that your currently doing!
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    I do take your point Rupert and when I started tennis and cardio tennis in April 2014 I lost wonderfully well - I lost 16 lb in a few months actually. And now I dash round that tennis court with way less effort and I do billions of squats and lunges and my body is strong and tireless. I went on a skiing holiday for the first time this year and everyone said my muscles would kill and they didn't hurt any more than from my hard mornings of tennis. Less really. In the summer I was playing around 7 hours per week, slightly less now. You are right I made a really efficient body that can do all this and stay stuck at 9.8/9 on what I eat.

    I just feel that the answer isn't more exercise or different exercise but to eat a lot less and that's what I find so hard. Just had 2 rashers of bacon though as the 35g porridge didn't touch the sides and I'm feeling a bit less hungry. xxx
  • rupertspenser
    rupertspenser Posts: 567 Member
    ok if its diet you want to change zombie is right, try to eat more protein and fat for your calories to feel fuller, personally it might be a case of dropping a small amount of calories from your lunch or evening meals... that way over a longer period you might see a difference.
    either way what you've done so far is fantastic... don't give up you're nearly there!
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    Fabulous Rupert - thanks for your reply - I see you're coming back from injury, I know how that feels, I wish you well. We can do this B)
    I've got no intention of quitting! I'll see 8.7 even if I have to be 56 yrs old and lose just one lb a year by god I'll do it! :D
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    Maybe you need to find more filling foods, or redistribute your calories through the day so you're not hungry at night.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    @Ooci you said 'everything gets counted' in your initial post.
    Do you weigh all your solids on a food scale, liquids with cups and spoons for liquids?
    Do you double check the entries on MFP against the mfg, or the USDA?
    Do you weigh pre-packaged foods for accuracy?

    I ask these questions because your calorie estimate of 1500, if this includes exercise, is a little low.
    You should be able to eat more if you are physically active during the day and walk over 10000 steps. This has you in the MFP active, not sedentary level.

    If you are logging your cardio and tennis through MFP you should really eat back at least 50% of the allotted calories.

    With only 15lb to lose, a .5-1lb loss per week is a reasonable expectation. Set MFP to that goal.

    If you are hungry most nights up your calories for a slower loss.

    Cheers, h.
    (5'1, 100-105lb maintaining at 1200-1400)
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    Hi Ooci i have no idea about my steps as lm not particularly active. I work 11 hour days 4 days a week and do 30ds twice a week. I also try to swim 2 hours a week but have had an ear infection for 6 months so i dont always. I ned to work more weights into my routine next year.
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    Thanks for the replies. Good luck white zombie girl and take care on those low low cals. You look beautiful in your profile pic and at a lovely weight.
    I also find that low cals gives me persistent infections and poor immunity but that may be the endometriosis which is known to weaken immunity even when you're strong and fit!

    @middlehaitch - I'm 95% accurate in logging I'd say. Yes I use the accurate food scale and I measure almost everything but I don't bother logging the weensy bit of skimmed milk in my tea and if I've spent half an hour hard digging I might skip off logging a date or plum rather than bother entering the digging. Checking the weights of pre packed things, I've done it now and again to verify my scale but not much. It's an interesting idea.
    I do think 1700 or 1800 cals per day will be my maintenance at 8st 7 but 1500 to get there. It's hard. No one ever said it would be easy though!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I would encourage you to start a weight training programme of some sort, it really helps us lose inches and get 'toned' for want of a better word!

    I was similar to you and found it really hard to get the last 5lbs off - it ended up taking me several months because I refused to eat lower calories. I'm active like you are 15k steps a day by mfp standards is active. I lost around 1/2lb every other week, so it was really slow and some weeks I stalled but I simply wasn't going to starve myself.

    I'm 5ft 2 (46 yrs) and I can lose 1/2 lb per week eating 1800 calories.
    I maintain on 2100-2300 cals. I put that decent TDEE down to having more muscle mass as I consistently lift weights 3 times a week as well as being active.

    Keep on logging your food as accurately as possible - you will get to your goal, be patient and keep up the great work :smile:
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    Ooci wrote: »
    I've been stuck at this weight for a year! I lost three stone (42lb) to get here by eating around 1750 a day. Now, I know I have to eat around 1400 -1500 to get to goal of 8st7. I'm 5ft and half an inch and 42years old. I do around 12,000 - 15,000 steps a day , sometimes more, and play a lot of tennis and do a lot of heavy gardening and house renovations. Everything gets counted or I'd naturally swing back up to my old weight of 12,7 in no time.
    If I eat just 1500 I lose weight successfully but the hunger keeps me awake and I find it pretty impossible. It's like my body is saying "no more, thank you". I've also got quite severe endometriosis which I'm pretty sure will be operated on again. It really works against me.
    I really really want to hit goal as I looked amazing at that weight in my 20s and early 30s. But I'm losing confidence it's physically possible for me.
    Anyone else going through this?

    This video will help explain some things for you

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7KgGxVaE5Q
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    rupertspenser wrote: »
    ok if its diet you want to change zombie is right, try to eat more protein and fat for your calories to feel fuller, personally it might be a case of dropping a small amount of calories from your lunch or evening meals... that way over a longer period you might see a difference.
    either way what you've done so far is fantastic... don't give up you're nearly there!

    and this ^^
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    Check my thread on the success page, I've also been stuck for a year bit the pics show how my body has changed but stayed at the same weight! Down to weight training (lightly! )
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    I really must do the weight training. I worry about more muscle though, I don't want any more I just want less belly fat! However the thought of being able to maintain a slight weight on a lot of cals is very alluring!! Congratulations on your journeys both ARGriffy and RunRuthee run! ARGriffy I checked out your success page and you look fabulous in all your pics but I can see how hard you've worked to get the dream bod of now.
    Thanks for the video tedebearduff - very illuminating!

    Will try to upload some pics of me now

    03il6zofpwzr.jpeg


    51m2zc9ghx6n.jpg


    And one from the 12.7 days

    s90x960bj7uw.jpeg


    But then the Holy Grail of 8.4 10 yrs ago - I'm in the middle and my just right petite size.
    iva7wil7tuqm.jpg

  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    Tedebearduff wrote: »

    This video will help explain some things for you

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7KgGxVaE5Q

    Thinking about the advice in this. I can completely see that if your goal is more about body composition, building muscle, it would help to have a break so the exercise gets more surprising again and therefore effective. But if you want to lose a stone of belly fat, and you don't have a huge daily allowance anyway at 5ft 0, if you cut the exercise you'd really have to eat around just 1300 to achieve the deficit!! Too hard! I take the point but it's the exercise I do that enables me to have three proper meals!
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    You just made my year by using the words "dream bod" reminded me I need perspective sometimes sorry just a side note! Xx
  • Ooci
    Ooci Posts: 247 Member
    Aww glad I made your year! You really have done super super well and have an enviable natural defined waist which many sculpted ladies do not.
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