Not losing...

marie_2454
marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
So I've eaten 1,200-1,500 calories the last 30 days (usually closer to 1,200 and except 2 days I went over to about 2,000) and since I gained weight last week I weigh the freaking exact same as I did 30 days ago...this is so frustrating!!!!! I haven't been exercising hardly at all due to an injury, but what gives?!?!? Should I eat closer to 1,500 calories or just stick with what I'm doing? I'll be (hopefully) getting an exercise bike in the next few days, so that will help, but ARGH!!!!!! I started November weighing 164.6 and for 3 weeks I lost about a pound, getting down to 161.2, then last week I gained it all back and I'm back to 164.6! What to do??? Also, only one of the days I went over was last week on Thursday, and I weigh in on Tuesdays...Thanks everyone

Replies

  • I feel your frustration! I am no expert, but one thing that helped me was buying a digital scale that gave more information than just my weight. It tells me what % of fat & muscle I have. This info for me is helpful as my lbs stay the same, but my fat % is going down and my muscle % is going up. I am slimmer than before because muscle is more dense than fat (so it takes up less space in my pants!) but I am still at 168.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Eat More! I plateaued twice -- the first time I was sticking around 1200 -- upped to about 1500-1600 - and started losing again..... then I plateaued again - and upped to an average of 1800-2000 calories -- started dropping weight again.... Also keep in mind that time of the month!! I know I hold extra water weight for a good week due to my period. good luck! :)
  • kristilovescake
    kristilovescake Posts: 669 Member
    Have you been taking your measurements? You could be gaining muscle and losing fat, which would count for not losing "weight" on the scale.

    I would try to get some extra exercise in to give you the kick start you need. I'm sure your doctor can give you advice on what exercises you can do with your injury.

    You might want to double-check portion sizes and get a food scale, if you're trying to lose weight by diet alone. You could be over/under estimating amounts, which would change your calories.

    When I have a snag in the scale, I usually try to add extra exercise and it helps me.

    Good luck! (and avoid the scale for a while)
  • If you just popped back 3 lbs last week, you may just be retaining water. If you ate a lot of salty foods over Thanksgiving, this could happen. Stick with you calorie limits for a few days and drink lots of water and see if the 3 lbs don't come back off. The exercise bike should help a lot, especially if your not moving much. Good luck.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    definitely measure yourself. a couple lbs isnt gonna make that much difference but a couple inches will! i can lose 5 lbs but be in a smaller sz
  • khartley535
    khartley535 Posts: 151 Member
    I just checked out your food diary. I don't see any water logged on there. Are you making sure to drink enough water?

    Also, on the days that you do exercise, you should make sure to eat back most of your calories. Too much of a deficit can be a hinderance to weight loss.
  • BarbiNay
    BarbiNay Posts: 65 Member
    Same thing happened to me when I hit my -40. I am going to try to get rid of all processed foods (sandwich meats and cheese) and lower the carbs even more. It is really deflating my desire to continue. I wish I had some magic words for you. I have upped my exercise and lowered my cals upped my cals and exercise. I have tried everything. I know I continue to lose inches. I am hoping this is just the time my body is using to build muscle. Like you I would lose a pound or two and then gain it back and it just stays.
  • charcharbec
    charcharbec Posts: 253 Member
    I had the SAME frustration about four months ago when I started Crossfit. I was like, " I am exercising my BUTT off and I am not losing a damn pound!" However, after talking to a trainer at my gym who suggested multiple times that I really kick my nutrition in the pants, I have seen some serious losses. I would recommend that you really look at WHAT you are eating. I could eat 1200 calories of a chipotle burrito once a day and only that and not lose anything. It's all about what kinds of foods you are giving yourself. Don't eat too much fruit as it contains tons of sugar and tons of carbs. Don't eat too much dairy (I don't eat it at all now). Watch the kinds of carbs you eat.... and make sure your diet is rich in vegetables. I try to eat more veggies than I do anything else. You will learn too the more you journal about what types of foods cause you to gain weight. For me, that was dairy and meat. You should also include exercise, even if its something like walking or jogging if possible. Just get yourself moving!
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    Thanks everyone! I have a digital scale and my body fat % has stayed the same :( I haven't been drinking near enough water either, so I'll try making sure to drink 8+ glasses (and logging them), upping my calories to around 1,500, maybe eat a few less carbs, and now that I'm all healed I'll get back to working out. Hopefully this will help. Thanks for the input everybody! I really appreciate it!
  • krist3ng
    krist3ng Posts: 259 Member
    Hey, in the first place, you've lost 40 pounds. Even if you're just maintaining right now, that's still an impressive feat.

    I hit a plateau after losing about 30 pounds once, and just moped about it for a while and kept on eating low-cal and working out occasionally. After a while I slowly lost a few more pounds. Just stick with it. Changing things up supposedly works but I know with me, I do best with repetition.
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