Stuck and at the end of my rope...

kristinsnm
kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
in Motivation and Support
Almost 11 months into my journey and I have lost 90lbs following a metabolic plan. Up until three weeks ago, I have been on "phase 1"...the most restrictive phase....eating mostly proteins and veggies; no sugars, fruit, grains or dairy. Within the past few weeks they have introduced Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and a serving of certain fruits back into my diet....in the hopes of moving me out of this 13 week "stasis" period I am in. At my current weight of 232lbs, with the amount of body fat that I still have, the doctor at the metabolic clinic is now saying that there is no way that I should be maintaining. I follow this program, I work out 4 times a week (which is 4 times more than I ever had on this program) and I cannot get my body to start moving again. The doctor has expressed that I need to eat leaner and cleaner....as in no "processed meats" and no chemically infused foods....as nd I need to do high intensity Cardio for 40mins at least 5 times a week. She says that if these suggestions don't work, she has no other suggestions for me....they cannot further restrict anything in the diet plan and that I'd need to go to my family doctor for help because something has to be medically wrong. Apparently I should still be losing weight consistently doing what I'm doing now. This situation has been wearing me down for weeks now and to have this last appointment go this way has completely gutted me. I don't know what to do or how to best support myself. Of course I will try her "final suggestion" but it doesn't seem possible that this could be a sustainable answer.....it's not a regular way of eating for the long term....it's too restrictive to maintain....and what happens if/when this rigorous approach gets me into the 220's? How do I further increase it when I need to get past the 210 mark? It just seems so hard and so out of my reach.

Has anyone encountered this before? Anyone have suggestions on how to manage through this? I'm really floundering....

Replies

  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
    No where in here did I see where you are keeping up with calories. If that isn't part of your plan I HIGHLY recommend it as you have to burn more than you eat. You can eat "perfect" all day everyday but if it's more calories than your body burns you won't lose.
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    edited June 2016
    I eat between 1200 to 1500 cals per day....the clinic says I can eat anywhere from 1800 to 2000.... I never have though. On this app my cal goal has gone down as I've lost, I always stay under it or at it
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
    well don't lose hope, make sure you are weighing and logging accurately and i was trying to find a previous thread of why am i not losing, it had some really helpful hints. If you go to the search and put it in so much info comes up.
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
    9yykppbensrl.jpg
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks :)
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
    Do you lift weights? Look into this - even if it's just using your own body weight - i.e. - planks, push -ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc. This will sculpt your body, build muscle and burn calories. You can check out routines on YouTube.
  • matthaumschild
    matthaumschild Posts: 1 Member
    First, congrats on losing the weight that you have already. Losing weight for women has always been more difficult than it is for men. As Becky had said above, there comes a point where you should add weights to the mix. Eventually, your body gets used to the same routine of cardio daily, and it's great to lose weight quickly, however, when you add in weights, your body won't be used to it, and That's good.

    Also, muscle burns more calories anyway.

    As for your calories, it completely depends on your height. How tall are you? I'm eating under 1600 and I'm 6 ft...
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    I do weights 3 times a week and dancing and boxing once a week.... I was just told by my doctor that the weight training is wasted on me right now....that I need to be doing high intensity Cardio instead
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    I'm 5'6.... well 5'5 and a half
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Do you use a food scale to weigh all solids?
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    No I use portions set out by the program I'm on
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    kristinsnm wrote: »
    No I use portions set out by the program I'm on

    Try the food scale for the portions just to see the pattern, and adjust from there.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    It might be good to go to an endocrinologist if you haven't already. Also, yes, weigh the foods. Are you on any medications that can mess with your weight?
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Kristin, if you are using measuring cups, you are over-estimating your intake so much that you are eating near maintenance. Get a scale. convertunits.com can tell you how many grams are in a cup. Weigh to the grams for accuracy. The first 90 lb lost you didn't need the scale. Now you do.
  • valennes
    valennes Posts: 6 Member
    Hi. I have no advice to give, but I just wanted to wish you all the best. You are already doing so well! You mentioned a metabolic plan. I had a friend who had metabolism problems. She too dieted like crazy and her weight barely budged. Eventually she found a meal plan that worked though.. Dont give up! If you need a motivational buddy, you can add me :)
  • Citycat2015
    Citycat2015 Posts: 86 Member
    The first 90 lb lost you didn't need the scale. Now you do.[/quote]

    This.

  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    What happens when you higher in your calorie range? I was on a similar program in the past, and we found I lost more weight when I increased my protein intake, especially as I became more active.

    Maybe you're sensitive to dairy? Some people find it hard to lose when eating a lot of dairy. Have you tried eliminating it again? Maybe re-introduce one item at a time? I love cheese and cream, but don't tolerate milk...

    11 months is a long time on the program, and 13 weeks is a long plateau to deal with, I can imagine how frustrated you must be! Maybe toss up your workout routine a bit? More for a change of pace and to keep from getting bored/ extra stressed while you're going through a plateau. I hear kettle bells are a great mix of strength and cardio...

    I know how expensive these programs are, but is it possible to take a maintainence break? Focus on maintaining your current weight, and come back to weightloss in the future.

    There's a podcast called HalfSize Me, the woman on it lost 170lbs over a couple years and has maintained for 5-6 years, she has some interesting takes on it, I find listening to her interviews very motivating.

    I disagree about your doc's statement on weight training-- muscles are fat-burning machines. In fact, you might be gaining muscle and still losing fat, but without a change in weight. It's called "body recomposition." Have your measurements, photos, and body fat% changed even while the scale stalls?

    Focus on the fact that you have lost 90 pounds!!!! That's a success in itself!!
  • kristinsnm
    kristinsnm Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks so much! Everyone has given me a lot to think about and try....thank you all for responding and giving me shoulders to lean on.... means a lot!

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