scale won't budge :(

vintagecrimes · February 2016

Recently back on here after a 3 year hiatus and trying this diet thing again; the healthy way this time. Currently I am 5'2 and 120lbs and 28 years of age. A bit of a back story about my weight history; my weight since I was a teenager yo-yo's between 100-130. My metabolism is a little slow. Medications have greatly influenced fluctuation. The lowest I have ever been was 83 and the highest has been 135. Exercise isn't really my thing now but in the past I was pretty active. I try and keep on my feet during the work day as much as possible, so getting those 10,000 recommended daily steps is no problem. A few years ago I went on celexa and gained 30 lbs in a month. I was previously on Adderall which kept me around the 90lb range and then on Vyvanse which maintained a healthier 100lb range weight. 2 weeks ago I went back on a lower dose of the vyvanse and a mood stabilizer Trileptal (weight neutral) On a side note this post is not about medication and weight loss; I just thought it was relevant to my weight history. Anyways...I started a few weeks ago at the 125 range, which has been a constant for about a year with zero fluctuations. I always ate what I wanted, (no portion control, no calorie counting) and was consuming chips, cheese, deli meats, white bread, condiments (basically all the foods you can think of that you shouldn't eat), a lot, a lot, ALOT of alcohol (wine and beer) almost daily. I also ate huge meals late at night. Still, eating like crap and consuming so many empty calories did nothing to make me gain anymore weight. I also had a horrendous sleeping schedule of staying up till like 2am and sleeping past noon and sitting on the couch all day on my days off. NOW...for the past few weeks I have been meticulous about my health. I am on a routine sleeping schedule waking up and going to bed early, being active both at work and around the house ( rarely sitting) and on a strict diet regiment. Everything I eat is high protein and natural, and I consume around or less than 1,000 calories a day. I eat a higher calorie breakfast, small snacks during the day, lower calorie lunch and a small dinner 2 hours before bedtime. I drink more than 8 glasses of water (always done this) and I quit drinking alcohol completely (haven't had a drop in 2 weeks) The 5lbs I lost after 2 days was water weight (my meds make me pee like crazy) So after this huge 180 turn around, can anyone shed light on what I'm doing wrong!? I am getting so frustrated!!!! I am only trying to lose about 10-15lbs which should seem totally easy after I made so many new lifestyle choices. I am aware weight loss doesn't happen over night but I should have seen at least a pound or two difference by now!

merryberry99 · March 2016

I recently asked a similar question, so I'll share what I learned.

Do you weigh all of your foods? The Community recently suggested that, although I weigh some foods and measure with measuring cups/spoons and scan packages, I may actually be consuming more calories than I think. Honestly, I didn't like this answer. LOL! Hello! I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, but after reading several blogs and hearing this from multiple friends, I decided they might be on to something. For the past couple of days, I've started weighing the majority of what I eat and my eyes have been opened. For example, I eat a cup of Raisin Bran every morning, using my little measuring cup to scoop out my serving. When I weighed my cup, I realized that I was eating more than a serving, so I'm consuming more calories than I had expected (just like the Community suggested). This is becoming pretty common with the majority of the foods I eat during a day, so even though I may be eating healthy, I'm eating lots of calories, knocking out the deficit I need to lose weight. I've just been maintaining, which is certainly reflected on the scale.

Of course, I'm still in the beginning stages of weighing everything, so I can't tell you the scale budged for me...yet. I'm certainly hopeful, though, and certainly more aware that even though I honestly thought I was tracking correctly, I wasn't and changing that will either help me achieve my goals or help me find something else that might be causing my progress to stall.

Good luck!

MattTheWaterRat · March 2016

Since you're food diary isn't public, I'm just going to guess that you're consuming way too much sodium, which causes you to retain water and hides your weight loss.

hopeandtheabsurd · March 2016

Do I have the basics here correct...you started a few weeks ago at 125, lost 5 pounds in 2 days (which has stayed off), but have not lost more since?

You already know the quick loss was water, and it is not uncommon to have a quick drop like that as water and then what feels like a stall as the water weight renormalizes but actual fat drops off (at least, it's not uncommon for me). The fact that you quit alcohol at the same time may have also caused some fluctuation since alcohol tends to be dehydrating.

I would stick with your plan for a few more weeks and see how things are looking. Given that you are already in a healthy weight range for your height, it may be slower going. You can't rush it too much or you will end up losing more muscle mass than you should and end up still unhappy even at a lower weight.

vintagecrimes · March 2016

Thanks so much for replying merry! Actually the main reason I got back on myfitness was because I remembered it had a food diary. My boyfriend had suggested (after hearing me whine) that I should start keeping track of my calories. I have been weighing everything and cutting down serving sizes. I do have to say when I wrote down the calories I thought I was consuming today, it was about a 100 calorie difference from what this website calculated. I didn't know little things like cinnomin and chia seeds had calories! Anyways I'm thinking that I was trying to hard to cut cals too quickly and my body started to go into conserve mode (from what I've read)

vintagecrimes · March 2016

MattTheWaterRat wrote: »

Since you're food diary isn't public, I'm just going to guess that you're consuming way too much sodium, which causes you to retain water and hides your weight loss.

I will see that I make it public. I'm at about 1,000 today for sodium. I try and stay away from it but the Trileptal I am on actually lowers the levels and I have to be cautious of consuming enough of it.

vintagecrimes · March 2016

*just made it public* if anyone can take a looksee and see what I need more/less of

db34fit69 · March 2016

[On a side note this post is not about medication and weight loss; I just thought it was relevant to my weight history.

Doesn't matter.

I always ate what I wanted, (no portion control, no calorie counting) and was consuming chips, cheese, deli meats, white bread, condiments (basically all the foods you can think of that you shouldn't eat), a lot, a lot, ALOT of alcohol (wine and beer) almost daily.

You can keep eating these things and drinking, as long as you log!

I also ate huge meals late at night.

Doesn't matter

Still, eating like crap and consuming so many empty calories did nothing to make me gain anymore weight.

Doesn't matter

I also had a horrendous sleeping schedule

Doesn't matter

I am on a routine sleeping schedule waking up and going to bed early, being active both at work and around the house ( rarely sitting) and on a strict diet regiment.

Great!

Everything I eat is high protein and natural

Natural is a misnomer, also doesn't matter, see rationalwiki.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature

I drink more than 8 glasses of water

Drink when you're thirsty, that's all that's important. 8 glasses a day is a myth started by the water bottling industry in the 40s: mentalfloss.com/article/52413/where-did-8-glasses-water-day-myth-come

I quit drinking alcohol completely

Why? Alcohol is awesome!1!

can anyone shed light on what I'm doing wrong!?

Weigh food, get a heart rate monitor, calories in < calories out!

vintagecrimes · March 2016

I drink more than 8 glasses of water

Drink when you're thirsty, that's all that's important. 8 glasses a day is a myth started by the water bottling industry in the 40s:

It's a habit. It started because of the cotton mouth side effect of stimulants and now it's like an OCD thing. As for the booze...I suddenly have 0 desire for it. Maybe the new meds? And even if I wanted to I can't drink on them...

Christine_72 · March 2016

I'm a bit hung up on eating around or less than 1000 calories and your lowest weight of 90lbs. Do you have a history of Anorexia?

vintagecrimes · March 2016

Nope Christine... just really small framed and petite. Average healthy weight is 91-110 for my stature. ( I'm actually a little under 5'2) Just trying to shed a little extra weight I gained. It doesn't look good on me. 1200 is what this site recommended for my goal...another one had me at 850.
oh and Anorexia is consuming 500 or less calories

scale won't budge :(

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