Is there anyone out there like me?????????

You may have hit a plateau (that doesn't look spelled right!), but try changing up your workouts! Your probably like me, we don't have much weight to lose so its a lot harder. I just starting changing my workouts so I'm hoping that will make a difference. I'd try a different kind of cardio, maybe running? Good luck, hope this helped!

~Leash

I'm having the same problem! I have been battling the same five pounds for months! I'm beginning to think my body just wants me to stay at 130lbs. I work out 4-5 times a week burning at least 300-400 calories each time...I have stepped up the intensity of the workout and lowered my calories but nothing works...I have decided to begin strength training and yoga to hopefully achieve the body type I'm looking for even if it isn't my ideal weight

Will giving up make you happy? Relieved? What is it that you want to give up? Eating healthy, exercising or depriving yourself? If it's an effort to stay withing calories, up them a bit and see what happens.

I am in about the same boat, but I don't really stay in my calories :blushing: and not exercise enough now that it's winter. I want to lose 10lbs more, but am not sure that this is going to happen. However, I'm not giving up keeping an eye on what I eat and trying to be consistent with exercising. You know why? Cos if I do, the pounds will pile up.:grumble:

Drink enough watter! Try vary your food. Maybe you've started exercising hard at once and your muscles retain watter or whatever to repair themselves. If what you're doing is healthy, I'd suggest you stick to it . If you're making too big of an effort, have a bit more mercy - I assume you are already at a healthy weight.

I was in the same boat. I am exercising, I am eating healthier than I ever had in my whole life, I feel good, my clothes fit again, I don't have any rolls anymore, and I still didn't lose those stupid 10 pounds I have fought with since July. Know what I did. I stopped getting on the scale. It is only a number, don't let a number rule how you feel. I used to let the scales make or break my day. I learned to accept, that 125 is just a number, not my perfect weight. We get a number in our head and can't let it go. Learn to tell yourself, the number doesn't matter if you are exercising, eating properly, and feeling good, you are healthy. Perfect does not exist, only in our minds.

My opinion will go against what common and practical advise will tell you, but this is what worked for me.

I started out the new year at 140 pounds and wanted to lose 15-20 (I'm 5'3"). I have always been consistent with my fitness, and include a wide variety of things in my fitness program so I knew that I wasn't going to be able to rely on fitness as much to shake things up in my body (and wasn't going to experience that initial reaction many have when new to an exercise program of water retention, etc).

The first two weeks of my 'diet' (I really hate that word!), I ate my exercise calories, and didn't lose an ounce. I wasn't eating nearly as much as I had been over the holidays and cut down on all the junk, but nothing was happening. So, for my third week, I opted not to eat my exercise calories thinking I could 'shock' my body a bit. It worked. (Again, this is against very good and practical advise, and I know that.) I ended the third week with a two pound loss.

What I have been doing since then is adding back the exercise calories to my diet, but slowly. I routinely burn between 600-800 calories a day exercising, and right now I'm up to eating about 200-300 of those (next week I'll eat more and continue to increase as needed). And the beautiful thing is I'm still losing weight at a good solid pace (and feel good on top of it all).

So if shaking up your exercise routine doesn't work, think about shaking up the diet routine a bit. I realize there is a real and genuine concern about the body being in starvation mode (I've experienced that before), so I wouldn't recommend cutting your calories down for a very long period of time (I did it for a week before adding back in). But I've lost 8 pounds since I did that, and I, again, feel very good. And, quite strangely, it gives me something to look forward too because I know that next week I'll get another 100 calories or so a day (provided my fitness remains consistent) and, for me, that's another tablespoon of peanut butter (my addiction) And as long as I keep losing, I'm going to eat that peanut butter with pleasure!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

Please take your time to delve into this and read about exercise calories, starvation mode etc etc. It will answer a few questions.

Plenty more links to follow up where these came from, general message board info, the topics "pinned" at the top
Read, re-evaluate what you do and good luck ....you should start to lose, don't give up :drinker:

There are so many here who do so well, you can be one of them!!! :flowerforyou:

Thanks chilli! I echo her sentiments! Wholeheartedly.

In addition, I want you to ask yourself a few questions:

1) Why do you want to lose 10 lbs? By that I mean, where did you come up with that number? Is it because that was what you weighed when you were younger? Or did you do detailed research on your body type, lifestyle, and goals to determine it?

2) What is your goal, to lose 10 lbs or to become healthier and maybe shape your body a little?

3) After reading all the posts that chilli recommended, do you think your goals have been set correctly?

If you read the posts that chilli mentioned, then you should be able to answer your own questions. But if you do read them and still can't then come and repost. I believe that knowledge is power, the power to be healthier and work smarter. Nobody wants to take the time it takes to read all the posts and really dig into their reasons for being here, but if you want to do it right, it must be done.

Best of luck to you!
-Banks

:drinker: