I really need encouragement, weight has held steady since Thanksgiving... still got 35 lbs to go!

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PrincessTinyheart
PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
in Motivation and Support
So the title pretty much says it all... my weight has held steady at around 185 - 188 since Thanksgiving. The good news is that I stuck to my daily limit (1200) for Thanksgiving and carried it forward to about 2 weeks before Christmas. At that time, I upped my daily limit to 1400 because holiday reasons, but was still able to stick to that with a small variable. After Christmas, I dropped it back down to 1200 again.

Aside from a few days when I was on vacation and had sketchy wifi (and, I admit, my brain was in vacation mode), I have been weighing food and tracking diligently. I generally do not eat back any calories that Fitbit says I burned (if I eat any back, it's a small amount, not the whole thing). I'm also trying to incorporate more exercise into my life and have recently added strength training to my exercise routine. I'm hoping that will help build muscle and burn some extra calories.

Do I have cheat meals? Yeah, maybe once a month... like last Sunday I ANNIHILATED some Indian food - but I tracked it.

With all that being said, I am quickly losing my motivation and am getting more and more frustrated. At my height (5'11), my TDEE is around 1900 a day. Even if there were gross miscalculations in my food intake, to the tune of 200+ or more, I would still be losing weight. Either I'm making some HUGE mistakes in weighing/measuring/tracking, or I've hit a first-chair plateau that is just about to make me rip my hair out.

I know it's a matter of calories in / calories out, so clearly, I'm screwing something up somewhere. I'm working on doubling down on my tracking efforts and exercising more, but right now I'm so frustrated and burnt out, and frankly, I'm wondering if I'm setting myself up for eventual disappointment.

With all that in

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  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
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    Could my sodium or carbs be too high? I'm vegan so my carbs are always going to be a little high, but I try to watch it if I can. I also drink a lot of water to offset sodium but sometimes it still goes over the limit that MFP recommends.
  • NannersBalletLegs
    NannersBalletLegs Posts: 207 Member
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    Sometimes when I get stuck, I start incorporating longer and longer sprints into my walking routine. Even when I'm eating back all my exercise cals, something about running seems to give my body permission to use up more of its reserves. Unfortunately, I've never been crazy about running and it takes me forever to get past the burning lungs and shins that come with it in the beginning, but sometimes it takes what it takes, ya know?

    Also, one other thought...are you stressed? Getting enough sleep? Enough water? Sometimes when you're under physical and emotional stress, the body can be quite stubborn about letting go of fat.

    Good luck!
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
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    I drink a LOT of water every day... usually 10-12 glasses or more, on top of herbal tea (no sugar) and unsweetened iced tea. Sleep averages 6 - 7 hours a night. I don't think I'm really stressed, but I'm stuck in an emotional ennui right now... maybe that has the same effect on hormones as stress, I dunno.

    I'm hoping the extra exercise I'm adding into my daily routine will help. I've started getting up an hour earlier to run 30 minutes on the elliptical and do 30 minutes of strength training and calisthenics. We'll give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Thanks.
  • dlinace
    dlinace Posts: 27 Member
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    I think your smart to exercise in the morning, that way you burn calories all day. I would make sure that you take in the bulk of your calories in the morning as well and see if that helps.
  • tuddy315
    tuddy315 Posts: 11,411 Member
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    I restarted this journey (for the umpteenth time) last January and have lost 70lbs with at least 30 more to go. I have also been exercising which I have never done in my life and find myself holding steady for sometimes 3-4 weeks at a time and then all of a sudden I'll lose 3-5lbs within a couple of weeks. I don't know if its because I'm exercising and building muscle or if it is just harder the closer I get to goal. Whatever it is, I WILL NOT GIVE UP! When I get into a holding pattern I will start switching foods around and eat different things. It seems to help. You will find something that works, I'm sure, but don't EVER give up! Good luck!!
  • Cope_Jr
    Cope_Jr Posts: 11 Member
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    You could be retaining water. Or eating too less calories and going into hibernation mode. I did that trying for a quick slim and it backfired. I'd say .. opinion.. do 1300 and of you can stomach caffeine about 2 cups black and at least a banana. Cut carbs to -200 a day and yea sodium cut. Jussayin what worked for my plateau.
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 428 Member
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    Sodium is way to high which will cause water retention and bloating and quite high on the carbs if not providing intense workouts to counter balance them for refuel. Be cautious of the portion sizes for sure and try not to eat below 1200 calories. Sometimes you need to eat more to lose more just the right types of foods. Stay positive and keep at it. Definitely increase the activity. Good luck,
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
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    Cope_Jr wrote: »
    You could be retaining water. Or eating too less calories and going into hibernation mode. I did that trying for a quick slim and it backfired. I'd say .. opinion.. do 1300 and of you can stomach caffeine about 2 cups black and at least a banana. Cut carbs to -200 a day and yea sodium cut. Jussayin what worked for my plateau.

    Ok I'll try this... thanks!

  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
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    michellesz wrote: »
    Sodium is way to high which will cause water retention and bloating and quite high on the carbs if not providing intense workouts to counter balance them for refuel. Be cautious of the portion sizes for sure and try not to eat below 1200 calories. Sometimes you need to eat more to lose more just the right types of foods. Stay positive and keep at it. Definitely increase the activity. Good luck,

    Yeah, I suspected this might have something to do with it... other people say "Eh, don't worry about that... if you're sticking to your calorie limits, you'll lose no matter how many carbs and sodium you consume". But now I'm wondering.... until now I never had to watch those things, but as I creep closer to my goal it starts to come into play, maybe?

    Thanks, I will try this for a few weeks and see what happens.

  • tuddy315
    tuddy315 Posts: 11,411 Member
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    And did you notice that your sodium intake was way down the last 2 days? Congrats!
  • cuadrado12
    cuadrado12 Posts: 43 Member
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    I was wondering as well if you're cutting your calories back by too much. I would increase that some. Make sure your carbs are from fiber-filled sourced as well.
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
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    Following to see how it goes for you. Please come back and let us know! I haven't hit my plateau yet but I am sure it will come eventually.
  • Jules_farmgirl
    Jules_farmgirl Posts: 225 Member
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    OP do you use a scale to weigh your food? And why are you set so low at 5'11"? Just as a comparison: I'm 29, 5'1" (10" shorter...) and 164lbs. I am set to 1400/day and my TDEE on my Fitbit is 2600-2800/day, so I usually am closer to 1900 of food eaten in a day. I am losing 1.5-2lbs per week.
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Just checking in... since I last posted I have been fluctuating between 181 - 184... aside from a couple of days that were just a complete crapstorm and I went 200 - 300 calories over, I've been pretty much sticking with it. There were a few days during the month that I moved my calorie limit up to 1400... but then I moved it back down again... long story.

    To answer Jules_farmgirl... I use a scale to weigh everything that is solid and a measuring cup (or spoons) to measure all liquids and powders (like seasonings). I even have a little pocket scale that I use at restaurants and potlucks at work, which is very handy BTW.

    I'm set so low because that's what MFP says I should consume to lose 1.5 lbs a week. I've given up on 2 lbs a week... that would amount to no more than 900/day and that's way too low. I set my activity level to sedentary because I work an office job... I usually rack up somewhere between 3,500 - 6,000 steps on Fitbit a day and work out twice a week on top of that.

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