Can Someone PLEASE Answer this Question?

downtome · October 2011

Hi MFP buddies,

I have a question, although i should probably know the answer myself, i am looking for some who have been through what i'm going through and can tell me their expereinces on the issue.

Ok, so i have been with MFP since Nov. 26th 2010 since i started on my weightloss journey, so far i have lost 98 pounds which is great and wonderful of course. I have had a couple of bad months in between, but everyday i always got back up and tried again to just keep it going. That was awhile back and since then, i have been doing really well with my eating keeping my calories anywhere from 1200 to 1600 on any given day and i walk/jog about 5-6 days a week so i am being extremly good. For some reason i seem to be stuck at a certain weight and the scale will not budge which is frustrating, my body just doesn't seem to want to budge as far as losing pounds at this point! I took my measurements and the change wasn't extremely significant but i have still lost inches. People keep telling me that i am looking so thin so i know my body has definately changed again, along with my clothes falling off and not fitting me anymore.

I am just wondering what may be happening to my body as the scale is just stuck in the same place?This is the most weight i have ever lost in my 42 years on this earth, i want to lose another 57lbs. Why can't i drop any weight recently? It's been over 2 weeks or so since i have lost anything! I am using body media fit and my calorie deficits are anywhere from 800 to 2700 calories a day, i am burning about 3400 calories a day according to my arm band. The other day my burn was almost 4000 calories, i weigh 217lbs. With deficits like these, i should be dropping weight right?! Can someone, anyone please explain what might be going on? I drink plenty of water and eat plenty of protein so all bases are covered. Please help if you can and thanks so much in advance.

Denise

bethvandenberg · October 2011

You're intake is too low. If you're burning 3400 and only eathing 1600 it's not enough

robin52077 · October 2011

you should never have a deficit of more than 1000.
you've had a DEFICIT of 2700 in one day?!?!?! Like TDEE of 4000 and only ate 1300?!?!?!

In which case you most likely have RUINED your metabolism.
WHY would you starve yourself?

The only way to fix it is to eat more. Starting today, eat at LEAST 2000 calories.
Don't weigh for 2 weeks, then check where you're at.
If you lost, raise it to 2200! Check in 2 weeks, then raise it again!

If you truly have an average of 3400 a day then eat at least 2400 a day...and that's MINIMUM.

Obese folks can get away with larger deficits, but as you get smaller you NEED to eat more. You are "normal" now, or maybe considered "overweight", but you can't have the crazy deficit anymore like when you were obese.

Please eat.

salmanajmal · October 2011

i have also been facing the same problem. my scale hasnt moved for the past two months but the good thing is that i have been complimented by many people.

prettytothinkso · October 2011

Your sodium intake was pretty high the past week or so. You're no doubt retaining water. It'll take a while to normalize.

marthafox1 · October 2011

I would suggest going back to basics - weigh everything, make sure you drink enough water, don't guestimate anything.

In addition, however, I would also look at your exercise pattern and see if there are some changes you can make to increase the intensity of your workouts - it could be that your body has become accustomed to the current routine and is more efficient at dealing with what you are throwing at it. I try to switch things about every 6 weeks or so as I become fitter and more efficient at what I am currently doing. As you become fitter, you will naturally need to increase your workouts to achieve the same results you experienced at the beginning.

With this, ensure that you eat enough to fuel your workouts properly - you will then get the results you are looking for.

candicole007 · October 2011

You're intake is too low. If you're burning 3400 and only eathing 1600 it's not enough

^^^this^^^ eat some of those exercise calories back girl! Great job on your loss so far!

Also - change it up, do something different - eat more one day and then back to normal the next

MIMITIME · October 2011

Your face looks so thin in your photo. If you don't mind me asking, how tall are you?

FelizMi · October 2011

My body is doing the same thing. I have only been fluxing up and down all this year, actually at a 5lb gain right now, but I am continually losing inches and toning up. I've also stopped having periods so I think my issue may be hormone related. I go to the doctor in December and will have her check that out!

Just1forMe · October 2011

I am using body media fit and my calorie deficits are anywhere from 800 to 2700 calories a day, i am burning about 3400 calories a day according to my arm band. The other day my burn was almost 4000 calories, i weigh 217lbs. With deficits like these, i should be dropping weight right?! Can someone, anyone please explain what might be going on?

Denise

So glad to hear you have a Body Media Fit!!! Now you just need to use it properly

Your deficit should be no more than 500 per day on your BMF. You are waaay undereating which is why you have stopped losing.
The Body Media Fit makes it easy to adjust your calorie intake as the day goes on to keep your total deficit to right around 500. Use your previous weeks' data to figure out what you (on average) burn from 6 pm on, say, to guesstimate what your burn through midnite will be and eat accordingly. Use your overall data history to figure out what YOUR average burn is on days you do no exercise and on days you do specific exercises and use that as a base (keeping in mind that every single day is different, which is why having a BMF is an amazing tool). If you have any more questions on this, feel free to ask me. Eat more, lose more!

downtome · October 2011

Thanks everyone for the input. I am 5'6. If you looked at my diary, which some of you have, on some days you will see that i have eaten around 2800-3000 calories, those are my "i have to have my Ben & Jerry's icecream days!" I do seem to be feeling hungry all time, honestly, i don't know how i burn so many calories in one day?! I was leveling out at around 2700 a day with my walking, but it went up again. I have only been trying to stay at eating 1300 cal. a day to make up for the high cal. days but like i said, i feel hungry more often than not. I always feel that if i eat more than 1400 cal a day, it's too much but apparently. it's just not enough. I will start eating more so that i can start losing again, maybe i should stay off the scale as well for awhile too. I appreciate everyone's feeback. I like that one poster that said i'm "normal", or a bit over weight now instead of obese like i used to be, i had to think about that for a minute...lol. Thanks again all!

MikeDailyIntake · October 2011

if you feel hungry all the time try to eat things high in fiber, it fills you up

Ayla20103005 · October 2011

Also maybe try some strength training, say 3 days, and then do 3 days of running

Mawskittykat · October 2011

You are doing fabulous on your journey. But like the rest of us we sometimes hit bumps in the road and need to give our bodies a little jump start to get it going again. We all have a really great support system here on MFP. That it what makes this work for me. I agree with eating more and or exercising less. I would love to have a Body Media FIt because it gives you a pretty accurate account of what you are really burning. But since I dont I just have to constantly play around with my cals and exercise. I have noticed that when I eat more I lose more, but yes sometimes I am scared to because I am afraid I will get on the scale and see it going further up. Keep up the great work Denise, I am cheering you on...GO, GO, GO....

recesq · October 2011

You are getting good advice.
I would also try to add strength training at least two days a week instead of walking. I would also add a day or two of sprinting instead of walking too. With the low amount of calories you consume your body has probably set your thermostat a lot lower than where it was when you started.

missyyclaire · October 2011

I'm going to put this info into a blog soon...here's the skinny that I got from a nutritionist about plateaus.

She told me our body not only is shedding fat when we lose weight, but it's also having to absorb extra blood vessels and connective tissue. When we plateau, our body is working hard to metabolize this tissue. We don't lose weight, but we are losing "stuff". Eventually, our body will shift back to burning fat (weight) and the scale will show it. So, when we're plateau-ing, we HAVE to keep going. We want to help our body get rid of that stuff by doing exercise and eating well.

I am in the same boat as you right now...same weight for 3 weeks. It's frustrating as hell and it's really hard not to feel guilty about what I eat and how much exercise I shoulda done that day. I just gotta keep in mind what that nutritionist said...and believe her.

Hope this helps a little.

Molly71367 · October 2011

Muscle is created with exercise and weighs more than fat. It will make you appear on the scale that you are "stuck" but a tape measurement will show that you are not. I just ran the Chicago Marathon 26.2 miles. I gained 5 lbs after...all water weight due to the recovery of the muscles. Two weeks later my metabolism is flying. I am eating way over my "allowed" calories and still burning and losing weight and I am a 44 year old female. Also...it isn't fun to eat healthy all the time. Increase your exercise times and add fat free/low fat carbs to fill yourself up for 90% of your eating...oatmeal...bagels...u will be able to exercise harder and will feel more satisfied.

Just_Dot · October 2011

Hi Molly, muscle doesn't really weigh more than fat. 5 pounds is 5 pounds. 5 pounds of apples weighs the same as 5 pounds of feathers...it's all about density. Muscle is more DENSE than fat--it's more compact and hard, where fat...isn't.
You don't have to take my word for it: http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

OP, first of all, congrats on kicking some serious *kitten*! The other advice on here was sound--eat more, maybe change it up a bit, etc.

audigal2008 · October 2011

bump

MzBug · October 2011

I feel your frustration. My loss slowed and then stopped about May this year. I tried everything that has been suggested so far. I know that my body is shifting things, a 1/4 inch here, and 1/2 inch there. I have also noticed that in some areas the loose skin has gotten worse, but others it has gotten better. As long as I know that I am doing everything I can, eatting right, getting in a bit of cardio and strength training and having a deficit of 250-750 per day, I try not to get overly upset about it. As long as the scale isn't going up! Sooner or later the whole calories in vs calories out equation has got to catch up.

dustyhockeymom · October 2011

I haven't lost quite as much as you, but I can tell you that about 15 pounds ago I stopped losing for a few weeks, and what actually got me jump started again was upping my calories. I was working out more and I needed to be eating more. Adding 300 calories a day got me going again and the next week I lost 4 pounds. Maybe that would help you.

Can Someone PLEASE Answer this Question?

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