gaining and losing same 5 lbs..

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joslyngoos
joslyngoos Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
over 6 months I have lost 40 lbs ( clean eating calorie counting and working out). now I keep gaining and losing the same 5 lbs....I've read that sometimes you need to maintain your new weight for a bit so your body has time to adjust before you can lose more...is this true?

female, 5'5, 131-136 lbs

I'm less worried about my weight, more or less I need to lose the last few stubborn inches around my midsection ( the dreaded c section pooch doesn't help either)
thank you!!

Replies

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    IF you are consitently weighing your food, AND you are consistently staying under your calorie goal, then you may need to reduce your calorie goal to continue losing weight. Weight can come off easily in the begining, but as you lose any "noise" (such as food portion estimation, overestimating calorie burns, etc.) becomes much more significant and may stop weight loss. It's really a matter of trouble shooting first and then reducing calories only if necessary.
  • joslyngoos
    joslyngoos Posts: 12 Member
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    I still calorie count and I still eat between 1200-1400 calories a day...depending on my activity level...I don't want to really go lower because I want to be able to maintain the lifestyle I utilized to lose weight.
    so no to the maintain first then try to lose more later?

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    joslyngoos wrote: »
    I still calorie count and I still eat between 1200-1400 calories a day...depending on my activity level...I don't want to really go lower because I want to be able to maintain the lifestyle I utilized to lose weight.
    so no to the maintain first then try to lose more later?

    I'm not saying no to maintenance. 40 pounds is a lot and if the problem is diet adherence because you've hit a mental wall then it may not be a bad idea. That said, be careful that you don't use a break as an excuse to regain the weight.

    Have you been weighing all your food and are you coming under goal every day?
  • joslyngoos
    joslyngoos Posts: 12 Member
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    yup. I meal plan at the beginning of the week so everything is prepped and all I have to is cook. I have a cheat night once a week but
  • joslyngoos
    joslyngoos Posts: 12 Member
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    but I stay at my maintain calories number I don't go over...and I throw an extra workout in. lije I said I want this to be something I can maintain not a fad diet, so I don't want to over restrict myself
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    How long have you been gaining and losing the same 5 pounds?
  • Bxqtie116
    Bxqtie116 Posts: 552 Member
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    I would say don't worry too much about losing the last 5 lbs and instead start focusing on body recomposition. Lift weights and build up your endurance. There are several programs out there such as Strong Curves for Women that you can look into.
  • RelevantGains
    RelevantGains Posts: 83 Member
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    That is partially true. The longer you diet, the harder it becomes on your body and your hormones. Some people faster than others. When it gets to a certain point where there are hormonal issues (missed period, low libido, irritability, etc), taking a break for a couple of weeks is needed. Some people need to do this every 3 months. Others can go a year.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited August 2016
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    A few thoughts in the form of questions..

    When you log, are you including condiments (ketchup has a surprising amount of calories!) , oils/butter that food is cooked in, sauces, etc?

    Do you double check your nutritional info on the packages against the MFP database? Since it's user maintained, there are a LOT of wrong entries. This includes the green "verified" checkmarked entries and bacode scanning. Best practice is to double check everything. Also, if you tend to eat the same things, it's good to clear out your 'frequently used' items in MFP to make sure the calorie amounts are up to date.

    Do you use the recipe builder, or pick pre-entered database items for homemade meals?

    How do you estimate calorie burns?

    Do you log your cheat meals? Are you pretty meticulous about logging everything you eat?
  • jasmineruth
    jasmineruth Posts: 88 Member
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    Sounds like you are maintaining. It is normal to fluctuate +/- 5 lb, especially for a woman.

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