Stuck for over a year

It took me nine months to lose the last 15, from 155 to 140.

I logged every single bit of food I ate.
I prepared 90% of my own meals myself and used a digital food scale for portions.
I took a one hour walk or did one hour of other exercise five days a week.

I was hungry. A lot. It was difficult. I had many days where I was way over on my food. I had it set to 1500 plus 300 exercise calories on those days, so I was eating 1500+300=1800. Still was hard.

Good luck. 1200 isn't really sustainable. Set your Goals here on this site to "Lose 1/2 pound per week." Eat more on Exercise days. Use a food scale.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

If you are eating 1200 PLUS your exercise calories, your exercise calories may be inflated, causing you to eat more calories than you should to lose weight. Some people only eat back 1/2 their exercise calories due to this.

You are not in a weekly calorie deficit. Your goal MAY be 1,200 however due to most likely a few different factors you’re a bit higher. Some things to look at…


-picking wrong food entries
-under estimating amounts
-not counting everything that goes in your mouth
-not counting higher calorie days

Any of these or a combination of these will contribute to no losses

jaded989 wrote: »

Well no, no & no to all the above, I weigh all my food, most everything I eat is home made from scratch. I do my research and make sure I am using the approriate enties with as accurate as possible calorie counts. I appreciate the answers and suggestions and thank all who responded.

It's extremely rare, but technically possible, to have calorie needs surprisingly below what the so-called calorie needs calculators estimate.

If you've experienced literally no material weight change in a year, you've found maintenance calories, one way or another.

It could be an accounting problem (lots of theoretical possibilities there, but you've ruled them out in the quoted post); it could be statistically very unusual low calorie requirements (perhaps affected by adaptive thermogenesis?). I don't see a lot of other possibilities.

Either way, the solution is to be more active than currently, or to eat fewer calories than currently.

If you want to lay your bet entirely on adaptive thermogenesis - which I personally wouldn't, in like circumstances - then reverse dieting for a while would be the theoretical answer.

Have you talked with your doctor about potential medical issues? Again, this is a lower-probability bet, but might be worth ruling out.

People here are not trying to criticize or blame you: We generally truly want to help, but this kind of situation can be hard to sort out, and folks need to ask some pointed questions along the way to rule out common problems.

I hope you're able to find a solution!

One of the biggest issues in counting\tracking of calories is underestimating the calorie amount of foods you consistently eat and also not tracking liquid calories.

1,200 calories every day for a year you'd have to be a bedridden 5 foot tall woman to not lose.

My thought is that exercise calories are often (or usually) overestimated by apps. If you eat back your exercise calories, try eating back only a portion, such as half.

It might be 1200 plus exercise calories.

Being hypothyroid and untreated could definitely be a contributing factor:
- lower base metabolism
- fatigue, leading you to be less active (could be subtle: less movement outside of exercise, less fidgeting,...)

Since you mention having been treated for it in the past, it certainly sounds likely. (I don't think being hypothyroid goes away, if anything perhaps more likely to get worse?).
In a way, I do hope you are hypothyroid - it means there is hope?

jaded989 wrote: »

OK so I have slipped herre and there but for the most part have been on target and meeting my nution & exercise goals but have been stuck in the same weight range for over a year. My calorie goal is at 1200 per day which I do sometimes exceed but not to the point of gaining weight. WTH is going on? Any suggestions? I would like to lose another 15-25lbs, currently at 165lbs & 5'4. Suggestions welcome.

Inconsistency will lead to stalls. You just have to be consistent pretty much all the time. You can have one off day ocassionally, but if you're not losing it's because you're not being consistent. Little small things here and there can make the difference.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

csplatt wrote: »

It’s possible that during your previous weight drop you were miscalculating your calories but still had enough of a deficit to lose well. Now that you are much smaller, the window for error is much smaller and has a greater chance of eliminating your weekly.

I totally get where you're coming from. When you're smaller, every calorie counts, and small errors can impact your progress. But fear not! There are ways to fine-tune your weight loss strategy for success:

Recalculate Your Calories: As you've shed some weight, your body's calorie needs have probably dropped. Reevaluate your daily calorie target using online calculators or apps to match your current weight and activity level.

Get Precise with Tracking: Invest in a kitchen scale to measure your food accurately. Be vigilant about logging everything you eat. Those little discrepancies can add up quickly, especially when you're aiming for a smaller calorie deficit.

Adjust Your Goals: Periodically review your weight loss goals and tweak your calorie target as needed. You might need to slow down the rate of weight loss as you get closer to your target to keep things manageable.

Choose Wisely: Opt for nutrient-dense foods that keep you feeling satisfied. Load up on lean proteins, fiber-packed veggies, and healthy fats to curb hunger and reduce the chances of overeating.

Stay Active: Physical activity remains a powerful tool for creating a calorie deficit. Consider upping your daily activity or changing your exercise routine to keep those calories burning.

Mindful Eating: Practice mindful eating to avoid overindulging. Tune in to your body's signals for hunger and fullness, and try to eat without distractions.

Support is Key: Don't hesitate to seek support from a registered dietitian or a weight loss coach. They can provide personalized advice to help you fine-tune your approach.

Remember, the road to weight loss has its bumps, but with a few adjustments and a bit of determination, you can keep moving forward.

Stay positive, and if you have more questions or need help, just ask.

Cheers,

Cheryl Sim

jaded989 wrote: »

OK so I have slipped herre and there but for the most part have been on target and meeting my nution & exercise goals but have been stuck in the same weight range for over a year. My calorie goal is at 1200 per day which I do sometimes exceed but not to the point of gaining weight. WTH is going on? Any suggestions? I would like to lose another 15-25lbs, currently at 165lbs & 5'4. Suggestions welcome.

Hello, hello. So hard maintaining when your goal is losing!! And yet maintaining is soooo much better than the alternative. Perhaps your body just needs a rest from deficits? I haven't read all the responses, mind you, and I do realize I am late to the party!

I mostly just wanted to track you down, to say well done as you are such an inspiration to me with your faithful logging. And also to invite you to post in the 60 yrs & up thread, under Introduce Yourself - it's not always super active but it never dies out and so many great minds over there to pick from!
I'll post there now to boost it up in the "most recent" threads. 😘

ETA: AnnPT77 is active there too.