Dealing with a weight loss plateau and an unsupportive environment

cherrieblossom2015
cherrieblossom2015 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 27 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 19, 5'10", medium/large frame, primarily pear shaped. I went from 182 to 142 my freshman year of highschool and settled around a healthy 155. By the end of my (very stressful) highschool years in 2014 I hit 165 and was never able to drop below 160. Come this fall semester of college and I (unintentionally) lost weight and dropped to 157, my first time in the 150s in 4 years. Living alone in my own apartment, I had complete control of what I ate and when I worked out so the weight came off naturally. Now, come Thanksgiving and a very hellish last month of school with nonstop testing, work, and an internship and I gained all the weight back. I am now 162 (in the mornings) and it may not seem like a big gain, but it is just so frustrating considering I have been trying for the past 4 years to get back into the 150s with no success. I am back at home over winter break surrounded by unhealthy food, a mother the tells me to gain weight every 5 minutes and a morbidly obese sister that always wants me to eat and be sedentary with her while making snide remarks about my body (how skinny my arms are, how fat my thighs are, how squishy my stomach is, etc). I have no alone time other than in the morning when I work out, and I pretty much am just constantly stressed out when I'm at home, which makes it harder to lose weight. I hate the way I look and feel at this weight and am studying abroad in Korea next summer and want to be as fit as possible before I go. Is there anyone in a similar situation with an unsupportive environment and how did you overcome it? Also, what are ways you have broken through a weight loss plateau? I primarily run and do pilates when at home and weight lift when I'm in school.

Replies

  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    What a frustrating situation, going from all that independence to feeling stuck! I can't relate to that specifically, but I can relate to eating poorly due to outside circumstances. I work in education, so I'm also on break and have been letting the lack of routine really affect my eating habits. And in fact, for the past couple months I've been half-assing it about working out too. I'm back at the gym now but still not doing so well with my food, and while I'm feeling kind of bad about it, I've been reminding myself that I'll be back to my regular routine in a week. That'll help me get back to my healthier habits. My suggestion to you would be to remind yourself of the same thing and try to just ride it out. My guess is that your sister makes comments based on how she feels about herself, not you. With your mom, I'd guess it's either the same thing or just that motherly instinct to feed your kids! As for a plateau, this doesn't sound like that. It sounds like you simply stopped the healthy habits, so if you pick them back up again when you get back to school, you should start seeing results again. Good luck!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    You are 19. Your body shape of 4 years ago was that of a child. Your calorie needs of 4 years ago where that of a still growing child.
    So, forget whatever was happening back then, it is an age you are not going to return to. Whatever worked for you back then, it is not happening again, since most probably you are done growing. Numbers on the scale from the past are meaningless.Give yourself time to learn to like your adult body. Forget what was happening when you were still growing, and forget weights the scale showed back then.
    Not saying you should not lose weight if you want to, but you need to stop comparing with your younger self. Weight might need different strategies to come off (since you are no longer using calories to grow), your body shape is now settling to that of an adult, so which parts get to be more round or squishy will not the be the same as a few years ago and your "happy" weight, for your activity level, might be now different.
    A few lbs more or less are normal fluctuations. Do not obsess about it. No one is e.g. exactly 157 lbs every day. Even if this is your average weight, there might be days you will be 4-5 lbs more or less, usually dpendign on your cycle too.
    If you believe e.g. you would be happier with 10 lbs less, make a long term plan, focusing on diet changes. It will not happen in a month and it will not be ruined by a couple of weeks of change in routine, do not panic.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Keep doing the pilates at home and look forward to the weight lifting when you get back to school. Many of us have environments that are not ideal. We manage.
    If you find being home stressful, work out things so that you can be away more often -- a second study abroad trip, internship out of town, . . .
  • monkeygirl32
    monkeygirl32 Posts: 7 Member
    Your body is changing. This is very common right at your age through your early twenties. My breasts changed significantly and I got my hips. My weight changed slightly but I was still the same jean size. I just couldn't wear juniors clothes anymore and went into women's. People think all these changes with their bodies occurs in your teens, but for me it didn't happen until my early twenties. My body changed somewhat around 14-15, but really happened in my early twenties.

    Just eat right and don't put complete stock into that number on the scale. Look at your waist size and where you are storing your fat. It stressful living on your own for the first time and college. I moved out at 18 and I remember all of that. Just keep eating healthy and exercising so you can get a calorie deficit each day.
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