Body is holding onto weight!!

Optasia
Optasia Posts: 24 Member
in Motivation and Support
I’m eating approx 1350-1500 calories a day and walking approx 5-7 miles most days and burning 600-800+ calories a day. I’ll lose a pound or two (or even suddenly 4) and then hold that weight for a month or so. It’s frustrating! I’m in my 40’s and wondering if it’s hormones. Really can’t figure out why it’s not going down consistently like it was when I first started this. Ideas?

Replies

  • LiizzoS
    LiizzoS Posts: 1 Member
    I'd definitely suggest adding some strength training to your routine.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Look at the trend over time, not the week to week. Some people lose in fits and spurts. I used to lose every week about the same, then started having the whooshes and stalls. Sounds like over all you are averaging a loss over the month. Sounds like it's working fine, just not how you'd like to see it.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    That sounds like the way I lose. (Well, actually, that's the way I lost weight. I've been in maintenance for years now.) It seemed like nothing would happen for weeks at a time, and then suddenly - BOOM! - down 2 or 3 pounds over night! I'm cool with that. I'm the patient type. This is a life-long endeavor, so there's no hurry for me. As long as it's gradually going in the right direction it's not a problem. You'll get there! B)
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    TheFriskyClicker wrote: »
    Have to remember that as you tone out you are most likely building muscle and that muscle weights more than fat. So those points where you realized your weight is flatting out, it's because the muscle is most likely going up. Also, if you don't have enough glycogen (pretty much enough food), your body will actually start breaking down your muscles to get the amino acids it needs to move forward. This will make you seem to lose less weight because if you lose muscle mass you wont weight as much.

    There are a lot of variables that can play in your scenario of why you plateau. This is why measurements are important to help determine what the weight plateau is about. If you have more muscle, you may need to be adding more calories not reducing.

    It's really hard to build muscle on a deficit and without actively strength training - especially for a female. I don't think increased muscle mass is the issue in this case.

    I can guarantee it's not increased muscle mass, since the criteria for doing so are absent in her case.

    OP: How are you measuring/tracking your calorie intake each day?
  • Optasia
    Optasia Posts: 24 Member
    Yes I track my calories all day every day.

    I know I need to start strength training and it could be that I’m retaining water. I’m drinking more water than I used to, but not nearly enough.

    Thanks everyone!
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Optasia wrote: »
    Yes I track my calories all day every day.

    I know I need to start strength training and it could be that I’m retaining water. I’m drinking more water than I used to, but not nearly enough.

    Thanks everyone!

    Yes you're tracking but in what methods/how accurately? Food scales get recommended here all the time for a reason. It's entirely possible you're consuming more than you think if you're not weighing out as many of your portions as you can, you're calorie burn is overestimated, or both, which is resulting in less of an overall deficit or spurts where you're actually eating at maintenance which correspond to your spells of stagnant weight.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Not sure if this is your case. My weight is doing something similar but not for so long. I will lose one week, stay the same the next alternating. Weight loss is not linear.

    I am using an app called Happy Scale that smooths it out so you can see the trend.
  • Optasia
    Optasia Posts: 24 Member
    Steve...I weigh and measure all of my food and try to be as accurate as possible. I know the calorie burn info isn’t right on either, but I’m pretty sure a chunky girl like me is burning loads while walking 7miles a day.

    I think I’m very dehydrated and started lemon and water today. Not sure lemon helps, but at least I’ll be drinking more water than usual.

    Mari22....I’m not trying to lose it quickly. It’s taken me 9months to lose 40+ pnds. My first goal is to eat in moderation and that will be a lifelong issue. Second is to increase exercise and third, I’m looking at numbers and clothing sizes.

  • ITUSGirl51
    ITUSGirl51 Posts: 191 Member
    Where did you get that calorie burn number? That seems really high for walking. My Apple Watch says I burn 212 calories for 52 min walking at least 3.5 MPH. It’s about 3.2 miles. I weigh 159. I don’t know what you weigh, but walking doesn’t burn as much as we think unfortunately.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    ITUSGirl51 wrote: »
    Where did you get that calorie burn number? That seems really high for walking. My Apple Watch says I burn 212 calories for 52 min walking at least 3.5 MPH. It’s about 3.2 miles. I weigh 159. I don’t know what you weigh, but walking doesn’t burn as much as we think unfortunately.

    If she's over 200 pounds, 600 calories for 7 miles doesn't sound all that unreasonable.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    7 miles * 200lbs * 0.3 is just over 400kcal. Of course should be adjusted for the correct weight. So 600 could be overestimating it for quite a bit. Plus many walking/running counters use not the activity calories but activity calories plus BMR. Thus that's double dipping calories.

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