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Three years and I still can't get rid of stubborn fat in upper body

SapJ7788
SapJ7788 Posts: 2 Member
edited August 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I am an 18 year old female. I’m 5′2.5″ and weigh 125 lbs. I am currently at 25% body fat. I used to weigh 160 lbs but three years ago I decided to lose weight and adopt a much healthier lifestyle.

I started eating healthy and and consumed between 1,500 - 1,600 calories a day. I also started exercising 3 - 4 times per week, doing mostly strength training workouts. I lost a lot of weight throughout the first two years of this new lifestyle but upon reaching 130 lbs I hit a plateau and this led me to extreme calorie restriction. I managed to reach 116 lbs but I still had a lot of visible fat in my stomach and upper back.

At this point, I stopped exercising and was eating only around 600 -1,000 calories a day, yet I started gaining weight. I realized that what I was doing was very unhealthy and so I decided to raise my calorie intake while continuing to eat a mostly clean diet. Upon raising my calorie intake I gained 12 pounds and have been unable to lose weight since.

I have raised my calorie intake to 1,300 a day and have switched to a plant-based diet. I have started exercising 3 times a week, again, doing mostly strength training workouts. This is what I have been doing for the last three months but have yet to see any changes to my body, specifically my problem areas. This is becoming very discouraging and I am starting to think that I will never lose that fat.

Am I expecting to see changes too early? Have I done permanent damage to my metabolism? Am I approaching this wrong?

I should also mention that I have had my thyroid and hormones checked and it all seems to be healthy.

Replies

  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    If you were eating 600-1000 and gaining, you were eating far more than that. How are you measuring your intake? It's highly suggested to use a food scale to get a more accurate understanding of intake because something is clearly amiss in your logging.

  • SapJ7788
    SapJ7788 Posts: 2 Member
    vespiquenn wrote: »
    If you were eating 600-1000 and gaining, you were eating far more than that. How are you measuring your intake? It's highly suggested to use a food scale to get a more accurate understanding of intake because something is clearly amiss in your logging.

    Yes, I did use a food scale. At the time, I would not eat anything unless I knew exactly how many calories I was consuming. I am still very careful about measuring my intake. I have been told that maybe my carbohydrate intake could have played a role in that weight gain but I am not so sure about that.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited August 2016
    SapJ7788 wrote: »
    vespiquenn wrote: »
    If you were eating 600-1000 and gaining, you were eating far more than that. How are you measuring your intake? It's highly suggested to use a food scale to get a more accurate understanding of intake because something is clearly amiss in your logging.

    Yes, I did use a food scale. At the time, I would not eat anything unless I knew exactly how many calories I was consuming. I am still very careful about measuring my intake. I have been told that maybe my carbohydrate intake could have played a role in that weight gain but I am not so sure about that.

    How are were you calculating the calories in what you ate? Were you using MFP, or another source? Only ask because I see you're new to the forums. Typically, if you were to make your diary public, you could get a bit more detailed answers. (I apologize if it already is, I am on the phone app so it doesn't show for me).

    Also, how were you calculating your calorie burns? Most online counters are heavily inflated. But no, carbs would not cause weight gain other than possibly a bit of water. It would only make you gain weight of the calories from the carbs were causing you to go over maintenance.

    But have you been tested for any possible thyroid issues? I figure it's worth asking.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
    I suggest some blood tests. Advise your doctor of the info in your OP. Good luck!
  • charlieandcarol
    charlieandcarol Posts: 302 Member
    Are you sure you are not just fighting your natural body shape or being overly critical of your body? I had a friend who wasted many hours trying to exercise and diet away her butt/hips. She was a pear shape and a small person, what she perceived to be her "fat butt" was really a limitation of her skeleton and muscle distribution. I always felt she was making herself miserable over something only she could see.
  • hjlourenshj
    hjlourenshj Posts: 66 Member
    Maybe at this point you want to gain muscles to increase overal physique? In this way you will get tighter. Search some clean bulk programs on Google. You have to be in a daily kcal surplus and have to eat enough protein to build muscles. At the point you are happy with the results you can cut back to loose the fat. Result will be much tighter look. Get some info on 'bulking' and 'cutting'
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    Cardio

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