Going Crazy! Weight Has Stopped Moving!

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MellyPfromVT
MellyPfromVT Posts: 869 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have had a good run of losing 20 pounds but for the last month my weight has gone up a couple of pounds rather than down. I'm eating most of my exercise calories back and exercising regularly (at least 5 days a week). I am losing motivation and would very much like to eat nothing but chocolate chip cookies, pizza and bacon cheeseburgers for the foreseeable future. However, I know that is not an option. I had started taking a vitamin with iron that definitely influenced my waste system. I have stopped the vitamin and am now taking a fiber supplement to get me back on track. My main question is: should I stop eating back my exercise calories? Also, I am planning on changing my exercise routine. I will order Turbo Fire today. Any advice would be much appreciated! Oh, and I drink plenty of water each day, I just don't always remember to log it.

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  • KateHubb
    KateHubb Posts: 366 Member
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    Bump... my first 18 pounds flew off and now I've been stuck at 220-221 for 2-3 weeks. Working out 6x/week burning 700-800 calories, eating 1700 calories and drinking lots of water.
  • Eleisabelle
    Eleisabelle Posts: 365
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    Changing your exercise routine is good. Gotta keep those muscles jumping! If they get used to a routine, they don't work as hard.

    How many calories are you eating? If you've been going at it long enough, your metabolism might have dropped to account for fewer calories being taken in. You might need to kick start your metabolism by taking in more calories again. Try upping your calories by about 200. You might put on a couple more pounds for a week or two, but then you should see it coming back off again.

    The combination of the two--intensifying and changing up your exercise routine and upping your calories a bit--should get your metabolism revving again and you should start to see more progress again. That's what everyone recommends and it's what I'm doing now.

    Good luck!
  • barbarajean3
    barbarajean3 Posts: 132 Member
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    I got stuck after my first 20lbs had to change my exercise and types of foods. If you have the pie chart on your diary try seeing how many cals you are getting from carbs, I was stunned. Now I'm stuck at 38lbs lost.lol so it really doesnt get any better its a long battle. But if you still want that cheeseburger count me in!
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
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    if your exercise is built in to your MFP plan, then don't eat them back. But I'm guessing it's not because that's not how MFP works. So you should keep eating them back. for example, with MFP I am eating 1600 calories a day, and then eating back exercise calories when I work out. Other sites tell me to eat 2200 calories a day because I say I workout 5 times a week, so in that case I would not eat them back. I think this is where the whole debate comes from - this little musinderstading because MFP works so differently.

    Without seeing your diary though, it's hard to say what you should try. Sometimes you are not eating enough food and your body starts to hold on to weight. So my guess would be to eat more.

    check out fat2fitradio.com anf use their calculators. They build in exercise though so keep that in mind.Rule of thumb is you should always eat above your BMR and below your maintainance.
  • Prettyasmi
    Prettyasmi Posts: 72
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    Please stay motivated and follow the diet and exercise. You will loose it girl.. :-)
  • susanofscottsdale
    susanofscottsdale Posts: 114
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    I have found that if I reduce carb intake, and possibly increase protein - keeping calories the same - that this can get weight loss going again. Obviously, this only applies if you are not already eating a low carb diet. Good luck!
  • rachellosesitall85
    rachellosesitall85 Posts: 497 Member
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    It sounds like both of your bodies are used to doing the same exercises and it doesn't surprise it anymore. Why not try with a trainer, or switch up your work out. I know that if you run/walk on the treadmill by doing spurts of sprints it helps through your metabolism into gear and you burn fat that way. I think eating back your calories is up to you. I personally don't, I just let my body decide what it's going to do and so far I've gained muscle and lost a little weight. I don't think treating yourself to bacon of a cheeseburger from time to time is bad, so as long as you focus on health most of your days and exercise.
  • koutroulakis
    koutroulakis Posts: 77
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    Try upping the intensity of your workouts or how long you do them. Play with your calorie range add/take away 100 or 200 calories. Your body may have adjusted to what you were doing so now you need to mix it up...I think :)

    KateHubb I would try eating some of your exercise calories back. Pretty sure 1000 net calories won't be enough for your body.
  • MellyPfromVT
    MellyPfromVT Posts: 869 Member
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    Thanks everyone...I have made my diary visible to all instead of just my friends for the curious.
  • SLambertAlaska
    SLambertAlaska Posts: 197 Member
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    Your food diary looks good! You appear to not actually be eating quite all your exercise calories back, though. I agree with the folks saying "change up your exercise routine" but I would add: throw in a cheeseburger every once in a while. Two reasons: 1. you won't feel deprived and it will be easier to stay on course for the long run and 2. it will keep your body guessing about how many and what kind of calories are coming in. It's a great way to avoid "starvation mode" - in part because it's more calories and in part because it is different calories.

    Here's what has worked for me: adding a short, easy walk in the evenings. I am a morning exerciser, but when I can get a walk in after dinner for a couple of days the scale starts moving again. I go about 20 - 30 minutes, slow to moderate pace - I don't even break a sweat. But it gets the scale moving. I don't know enough about exercise physiology to understand why. I just know my dog and my scale love me more when I do it.

    Hang in there!
  • ChicoKass2010
    ChicoKass2010 Posts: 4 Member
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    You definitely should not deprive yourself of foods you like. Treating yourself once a week wont hurt, and it allows you to adopt this as a lifestyle and not a "diet". To be healthier buy some ground turkey or lean ground beef and make a nice burger at home. Slice some potatoes, season them up and cook them in the oven in a pan with ev olive oil. Delicious and at least half the calories of burger and fries out. Also you could be exercising too much. Seems like you do high intensity workouts and burn a lot of calories, that may not be the right thing for you depending on your body type. I now this weight loss thing is crazy!
  • leilani♥
    leilani♥ Posts: 579
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    When was the last time you let yourself have a cheat day? I do it once a week to trick my body because I don't want it to get used to eating the same healthy stuff over and over again then hit a plateau. Also - What everyone else mentioned about your exercise routine. Change that bad boy up!! I never ever ever ever do the same thing week by week. One day I'll do Zumba the next day I'll go hiking... then the following day I'll do some treadmill + strength training... and the following day I'll hit up a cycle class. I keep my muscles wondering and guessing what's going to happen next :)

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