Body doesn't want to lose weight anymore. Serious help only!

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24

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  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    Thank you Hollie!
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    So wait, you're not paying attention to your calories?

    Well. There you go.
  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    Oh, yes..of course I am! When I stopped losing I tried low carb for awhile..no success so now im going back to low calorie and I want some help which is why i'm asking questions. I was always staying between 1,200-1,600
  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    I also tried upping that when the weight loss started failing..upping my calories did no good.
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    As i can't see your diary, just thought i would we send you some advice as daft as it might sound if your not eating enough , you are more prone to pick or give up . so advice below on eating your calories back and what goals to aim for according to your bmi..
    Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



    Good luck on your journey
  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    Thank you! I've been eating my exercise calories all along.... <sigh> lol
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    the low carb thing , does not work for everybody, try playing around with the ratio's cabs are Not the enemy..
  • italianissima
    italianissima Posts: 140 Member
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    My BEST advice. Read the book The Eat-Clean Diet.
    It's not really a "diet." It teaches you everything you need to live a healthy life.
    There is a lot in there about what to eat and how much.
    It talks about blood sugar and how food effects that.
    Gosh, there is just so much! I could go on and on about it- but I won't!

    That is what I swear by: eating clean!

    Take care and best of luck to you! I'm rooting for you!
  • jwgca
    jwgca Posts: 44
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    when i was dropping the weight i plateaued a few times so don't worry it's normal. your body starts to get used to the same exercises, so you need to switch it up, for example increasing intensity/resistance on cardio machines by a level every week should keep your body from hitting plateaus. be patient, hard work pays off.
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
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    i always swore by low carb, but it doesn't really work for me anymore either. And you know what, I've started eating carbs and nothing too terrible happened! It's ok!
    I was looking at www.bodybuilding.com there is a pretty cool tool that gives you a programme relevant to your sex, weight and goals. I'm trying that for now.
  • jfinnivan
    jfinnivan Posts: 360 Member
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    Try changing something radically. Completely change the exercises you normally do. If you normally run, try circuit training. Try the 30 Day Shred, or p90x, etc. Lift weights, ride a bike, etc. Maybe your body is getting accustomed to your normal routine, and is getting really efficient doing it. Also, don't trust the calories MFP gives you for exercise. Use a HRM. Eat half your exercise calories. OR, go a week eating much more than you normally would, just to give your metabolism a kick.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    I know everyone is ready to jump to advise you which you have gotten some good info so far but we need some basics before we can truely understand your diet and lifestyle first.

    How much do you weigh? Do you know your body fat (if not, please use the below link to estimate it)? Can you make your diary public? It's hard to tell what is wrong if we can't see.

    http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html


    You are working out 5-6 days a week, so that is plenty but it definitely makes your moderately active. Also when you increase your calories, how long do you do it for? There is a good chance that you are either 1) not eating enough, 2) eating the wrong types of food (not enough protein, not eating complex carbs or 3) not measuring right.


    Also, below is a link that will give you some information on your calorie needs.



    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    You know, sometimes the body is just happy where it's at even tho we're not happy with where it's at.

    Like everyone else said, play around.. switch up exercises, eat calories back, don't eat calories back, up your calories, up the carbs, up the protein. The more stressed you are, the harder it is to lose weight.. so just relax, and eventually it will start back up again.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    "I just wanted to post something about what to expect during the phases of weight loss.

    Overview (why I'm posting this)
    Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

    Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
    Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

    Phase 2. Reality setting in.
    At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

    Phase 3. The routine.
    At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

    Phase 4. Really digging in.
    This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

    Phase 5. End game.
    5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
    The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

    Conclusion:

    this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from.

    Best health to you all!

    -Banks "
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
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    I'm 4+ months into a plateau. I've tried EVERYTHING. I got word on Friday that my referral to the nutritionist went through so I should hopefully be making an appointment this week. I've had to completely take my focus off losing weight. This has truly become about being healthy now. My personal goals now have to do with the # of pushups I can do and the number of throwdown crunches I can do, the development of muscles and increasing the weight I life during my weights class. My resting HR has come down almost 10. I haven't given up on losing weight- I still have 30ish lbs to lose, but until I can figure out what's going on it's become secondary.
  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    Whats killing me is that its not like im close to my goal! I still weigh 214!!! Ive got a ways to go, so if my body is 'comfy' here, its got another thing coming!!!!
  • MikkiV
    MikkiV Posts: 9
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    well maybe you can try a weight loss supplement of some kind?
    to help reboost or a body cleanse to get rid of all the toxins in your body
  • MariPars
    MariPars Posts: 52
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    Any suggestions of a good weight loss supplement to cleanse my body then, to get my weight loss back on track? b/c I have switched it all up, Im eating enough 1,600 calories..plenty of protein 150g and good carbs, low fat, etc, etc.. I switch up my exercise so my body doesnt get used to one kind..I've done it. HELP!
  • MamaKatel
    MamaKatel Posts: 180
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    There's a diet that always helped me with plateaus its:

    2 days eat VERY low fat with high nutrient
    2 days of low carb
    2 days of low carb but increase the carbs slightly


    Its supposed to do something to the metabolism. Works every time for me.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    Have you tried a cheat day? At the very least I would suggest for a few days to a week go to your maintenance calories to let your body have a rest.