I need some support/guidance/suggestions..... ANYTHING please.

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emmafossett1
emmafossett1 Posts: 7 Member
in Motivation and Support
Good afternoon,

SORRY for the long post!! I am feeling so disheartened and frustrated

Since 2012-2014 I have lost over 13 stone with fitness pal and going to the gym EVERY DAY and partaking in high intense exercises. Anyway last year I had to stop going to the gym and gained 1.5 stone I was 26 stone. Now 12 stone 7lbs. I want to be 11 stone

I brought a fitbit and started using it January this year and I have always continued with fitness pal throughout.
Anyway, I walk ALOT and I jog 3 times a week, so my average daily steps are 30,000 highest being 49.49 miles in a week. I have calculated and altered my stride length so I know it is accurate. I am also using another step device and that is also stating the same. Heart rate is a steady 115bpm (beats per minute) when walking and 146 bpm while jogging
My resting heart rate is only 52bpm - I wonder if this effects my metabolism?

My average calorie a day burn is 3000. (I know this might not be accurate) all my stats are correct ive checked over and over.
My daily calorie intake is between 1400 and 1600. I do not eat meat, I do not drink alcohol. I calculate everything, including milk in my coffee. My diet is monitored through fitness pal.

Anyway I have only lost a total of 5lbs in almost 5 months. I have since upped my daily steps over the last two months but nothing.

I do have IBS and this causes bloating plus other side effects some days I can gain 5lbs over night. I do take medication but still nothing.

Can anyone offer any suggestions/advice. I have been to see the GP and they can not find anything medically wrong with me.



Replies

  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,482 Member
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    Good going. You've lost about 180 lbs right? And are now fighting over about 20?

    Since you've been at this for a while you know the last pounds can be the most difficult. Good for you for going after this now before you gain more.

    If I read your post right, you are losing, much better than gaining, but at about 1 lb per month.
    You may want to consider staying the course and waiting it out. Maybe a slow soft landing will be easier to maintain this time around.

    If not, you need to cut calories. I tried like mad to lose the last 35 lbs at the gym. I finally joined Weight Watcher and lost 40.

    I've never left WW after joining 11 years ago. I started tracking with pen and paper. There weren't so many gadgets. I watch people on various websites go about this now like it's accounting. It's not. Weight loss calculating is both an art and a science. You and I could probably eat and exercise exactly the same for a week but it's unlikely we'd end with exactly the same number. The only real test is the scale and the scale is telling you your books don't balance at the point you think they do.

    But really, you've done an amazing thing, don't let your own head mess with you like this. If you aren't going to just wait it out, make minor adjustments. It's working, just slower than what you'd prefer.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    It took me a year to lose the last 20.

    A year.

    I was logging religiously, I ate every meal from home. It was just slow going. Women's bodies (especially child-bearing age women) want a layer of fat/ a safety margin in case pregnancy or illness occurs.

    You'll lose it. Keep doing the right thing and be patient. I mean, even when these last few pounds are off you'll have to watch your food intake. Right now, just go with 250 calories under your TDEE and be patient.

    It's just how it works.
  • GrayRider61
    GrayRider61 Posts: 337 Member
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    Low testing heart rate indicates you're fit. No effect on metabolism. I think you need to change up your workouts: maybe add some weight training, bicycling, etc. Sounds like you're doing great, though.
  • 321blueeyes
    321blueeyes Posts: 279 Member
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    Great job so far! I'm a former marathon runner (and coach), so I'll add a few bits about running/walking and calories. I am less familiar with Fitbit- type gadgets.

    You mention a lot of cardio and calorie burn each day... a very generic rule of thumb is that the "average" person burns an "average" of 100 calories per mile (no matter whether you're sprinting fast or slowly walking). I know small, fit women who only burn 80-90 calories per mile, while a large man might burn 120 or more. Hiking uphill or at high altitude does burn more. So, even 50 miles per week x 100 Cals/mile = 5000 Cals burned via running/walking exercise per week. (Non-distance cardio such as burpees, HiiT, etc would not be included in your mileage log however, so you would definitely want to rely on HRM for accuracy).

    A heart rate monitor (with programmable settings for your height, weight, age, gender, and VO2 calculations) will give a more accurate calorie burn estimate. I don't put much faith in the calorie burn estimates of "step counters" or iPhone apps. (I prefer Polar HRMs - they have some great running features & good VO2 max estimate programming. iPhone grossly overestimates my own distance/steps/calories). It's my understanding that the most accurate HRMs are still chest-strap models, although technology for other methods is rapidly evolving and I "retired" from my running career a few years ago and don't necessarily keep up with the newer tech.

    Personally I found it much easier to lose weight at times that my exercise was only at "moderate" levels... high training always seemed to cause plateau/gain (even if it was only water weight).

    Ditto the other suggestions for weight training. It may slow the weight loss but can help reduce fat / improve body composition.

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