Cannot do it!

Get a food scale. You may be eating more then you think. Portion control is key.

Hang in there! My trainer warned us all that the first three weeks we might not see anything happen because our bodies are trying to figure out what's happening and whether we really mean it this time.

Definitely up your calories and see what happens. Increase by a couple hundred, and if you don't see a change, try a couple hundred more. It sounds crazy, but it's true - you need to properly fuel your fat-burning machine.

(From one who stalled at 1200, lost all right at 1400 or so, now on 1800 with exercise and losing.)

I was having the same thing happen and I upped by calories to 1400 - didn't eat my workout calories and have already lost 1 pound in 2 days.

That's the advice I got and it worked - 1400 calories - don't eat back your burned and eat all your calories. I also am now staying away from "bad carbs" I can't tell you that this did it or if it were just time for me to finally start losing but I'm down 1 pound in 2 days.

how many calorie are you eating ? are you eating your exercise calories? are you drinking enough water?


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

I have been doing this for about 3 weeks. I exercise 3-4 times a week about 300- each time. stay within my goal of 1220 calories. But I stay within the same 3 pounds. I'm 5'7 and 180lbs. I don't go over that weight but I cannot get below 177lbs. Why can't I lose?

It has only been 3 weeks. Relax! it took me a month.

What exercises are you doing? Your body likes different exercises, it doesn't like to keep doing the same thing over and over again.

you can and you are!!!! your doing it just by being on here my suggestions would be
1 check your recording all your calories, sometimes bites of this or that add up
2 i think you should eat some more. we have to eat to loose even just a piece of fruit or things like that can make a big difference
3 keep at it and give yourself some more time it can sometimes take your body a while to get used to the change so it holds on to fat incase your starving it.

I don't know how old you are or how long you've been at your current weight..........but, I started this journey in Mid-August. Lost a few lbs at first, and then it just kinda stopped...............was really disappointing and I was very unhappy, but I thought to myself "you are almost 57 years old. It took you YEARS to get to over 180 lbs........what makes you think you can lose 40 lbs in a month?"

And I calmed myself down, took more walks, logged foods whether I went over or under....and kept on keepin' on.

I"ve lost 22 total lbs. I'm not too worried that it's taken 6 months.........I plan to be around a while, and in another 6 months, I KNOW I'll be at my first goal. Sounds good to me!

I want to make lifestyle changes that I can DO........forever. It's working :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Yes, you can...giving up is not an option!!!

It takes me a while to lose or gain, it sucks, but after a while I found out what works, now the bodyfat is melting off.

There is no "can not or can't" allowed here!

Be patient. When you first start working out, it can take 6-8 weeks for the weight to start falling off. It has to do with your body adjusting. I just learned ths from my trainer.