Weight isn't coming off- doing everything right??? Anyone el
jackie6411
Posts: 8
I'm 5"7"..170 lbs. 40 yrs old. I have had struggles losing before, but never like this. I need to know what else I can do?? It once took me 7 months to lose 12 lbs and that was when i was 37 and running 2 miles 5 days a week. Some say I don't eat enough,,,but I have a hard time believing i could be overweight by not eating enough. I eat very healthy- hardly ever splurge. 1200 cal a day. I used to work at J Craig so I understand the basics of weight loss. Any advice is appreciated. I don't think i have a thyroid issue bc i had it checked about 5 or so years back....
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I'm 5"7"..170 lbs. 40 yrs old. I have had struggles losing before, but never like this. I need to know what else I can do?? It once took me 7 months to lose 12 lbs and that was when i was 37 and running 2 miles 5 days a week. Some say I don't eat enough,,,but I have a hard time believing i could be overweight by not eating enough. I eat very healthy- hardly ever splurge. 1200 cal a day. I used to work at J Craig so I understand the basics of weight loss. Any advice is appreciated. I don't think i have a thyroid issue bc i had it checked about 5 or so years back....
Are you on any medications? Sometimes they make losing harder. You might check with an endocronologist to have your Thyroid checked again. PM can do things to your harmones and body that we don't like. My Primary Doc says my Thyroid is in normal range but I just had part of my Thyroid removed and the endocronologist says is in the high normal range which at my age can make me tired and harder for me to lose weight. I do cardio and enjoy it but my medicines sabatoge my weight loss. You might check with a dietician. I am saving to purchase a Body Media to keep track of what my body is doing. If you can afford it you might try one. Costco has them on sale. My daughter in law had a hard time losing. After purchasing the Body Media she could see mistakes she was making. There is more to it than that but because she paid out money it kept her going. It is in sync. with J. Craig meals but you can do it yourself. You don't have to be on J Craig.:flowerforyou:
Good luck.:flowerforyou:0 -
I am also 5'7" and 1200 is way too low for me. I feel sluggish and my energy is low. 1200 worked for me for a couple months but then I plateaued for 2 months. The only thing that broke the plateau was upping my calories to 1400. So yes, it is possible you are not eating enough. If you aren't fueling your body properly, it will hang on to every last pound. If I were you I'd try upping calories for a couple of weeks and see if it helps you. You will not gain weight- 1400 is still a deficit.0
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Thanks for replying. I'm not on an meds. I may look into a body media- i have actually never heard of this before. I am usually pretty tired ! I have to get at least 9 hours of sleep a night to not be sleepy through out my day. I have a desk job and I think that may be hazardous to my weight for sure! When i was thin, I was a stay at home mom and had plenty of time to move around and work out. Now I'm so exhausted after a day of work it's all i can do to do 30 mn of cardio. I take vitamin B 100 for energy too. I think i'm going to join a gym and make myself go 4 times a week- weight training may help too.??0
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Weight training can only help.
Your food diary isn't public, so I can't really comment on your diet, but constant fatigue could point to too few calories (or over exertion).
Give us some more info... What do you generally eat in typical day? What does a typical workout look like for you, and how often are you doing it?0 -
I eat very healthy and I have decent portion sizes too. So a normal day is-
Egg or egg beaters, english muffin low fat with salsa
Light snack- tangerine or apple or some kind of pretzels or sunflower seeds
Lean cuisine for lunch
Snack - something light but with protein
Dinner- lean cuisine and salad //or chcken breast and baked potato- something along those lines usually.
Snack- something healthy
My calories are always around 1200 ..sometimes less
(i don't eat red meat and I have never eat sweets.)
My only downfall is alcohol on the weekends.
I have just joined a gym last thursday, and have worked out 3 out of 4 days. I feel improvement as i'm doing strength training.
Does this sound wrong in any way?0 -
You need to eat more in order to exercise and still net 1200 cals.
Calories - Exercise = Net Calories = 1200 calories.
Anything less it not enough for your body. Are you drinking enough water too?0 -
To me it sounds like way too few calories. I'm 5'8.5" and canNOT manage [or at least not without serious exhaustion, crankiness, etc.] at less than 1800 calories, and I really prefer to exercise and go more like 2200 daily.
I also see that you're eating a fair amount of "diet" food (egg whites, Lean Cuisine, etc.). I would aim for heartier foods, like if you eat beef, have a steak. Have some regular whole eggs. Have some full-fat cheese, just less of it. This will give you more energy to go to the gym and more muscle-building potential while you're there. I never hit the protein requirement on MFP, but I eat quality protein and I feel fine. Add in as much fruits/veggies as you can, and as you want.
When you were at a weight you liked, and had energy, what was your diet like then?
--LG0 -
Train HARD. Lift heavy.I'm 5"7"..170 lbs. 40 yrs old. I have had struggles losing before, but never like this. I need to know what else I can do?? It once took me 7 months to lose 12 lbs and that was when i was 37 and running 2 miles 5 days a week. Some say I don't eat enough,,,but I have a hard time believing i could be overweight by not eating enough. I eat very healthy- hardly ever splurge. 1200 cal a day. I used to work at J Craig so I understand the basics of weight loss. Any advice is appreciated. I don't think i have a thyroid issue bc i had it checked about 5 or so years back....
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
EAT! 1200 or less cals is probably why you're not losing. I was sticking to 1200 or less because that's what the default was on mfp. Once I did my BMR and really looked at what I was putting into my body, I noticed a significant loss in the next week. Your body probably needs more than that even at rest, once you factor in your workout you will find you need more.0
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Train HARD. Lift heavy.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
this0 -
I'm a lot shorter than you (5'4") and I was also on 1200 but sometimes netting lower than that and I was on a 2 month plateau. It is possible that by not eating enough you won't lose weight. It's the body's way of not giving up an energy source in case there is no food in the immediate future.
I recently broke the plateau by upping my calories a bit. I now make sure that I NET 1200-1300 calories. That means I eat back most of my exercise calories and that my body is getting enough fuel.
If we aren't fueling our body properly (whether by the TYPES of food we eat or by the AMOUNT OF CALORIES we need to survive) then it won't work the way it needs to. Your lack of energy may be food/calorie related and not completely a sleep issue. Since you've been dealing with this for a while it might be a good idea to do a "test" month or 2 where you try upping your NET calories to at least 1200-1300 and see what your weight does.
Realistically if you don't lose any weight you're in the same place as now but there's a chance that it might be a good jump start. It seems to be working for me and I'm 37 so pretty close to the same stage of life as you!!! In the last 170 days I've lost 30 lbs too!!!
Good luck on whatever you try!!!0 -
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-deficits0 -
I used to have the same problem. I worked out everyday and ate right, mostly veggies, chicken, fish....etc. I tried everything. Then I found out that I wasn't eating enough. Add more calories and a lot more protein and you will start to see results.0
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Something sparked in my brain when I saw your "typical" day... are you monitoring your sodium intake? That can get in the way FAST. Also, are you taking measurements off the scale to see if those are changing? And fyi.... I agree with all these folks telling you to be well above 1200 calories. I've seen other posters here do the same thing and make a difference. But keep on swimming and that weight will come off!0
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I had a similiar issue; what helped me was eating more and strength training. A lot of it, and heavy weights. When I only did cardio I didn't see the weight fall off like I did when I started incorporating the weights.0
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I'm in the same boat. I'm 43 and 148lb. I fluctuate between 1200-1500 calls a day. I can't seem to get the weight to budge. I just finished my Associates degree in Nutrition/Dietetics and am working toward a bachelors' degree in the same subject. I sit way too much, have a 3 year old and am in school full time with a part time job. I cram exercise in when I can but am pretty inconsistent with it. So, I'm sure that is part of the problem for me. I've also been suspecting Thyroid issues because my mom has Thyroid disease. I'm going to arrange a test soon. I've been reading that it's wise to have thyroid checked every 5 years if you are a woman over 35.
The only other thing I would mention is that alcohol adds empty calories and 'occupies' the same pathways that are used by the liver to metabolize fats. I need to do more research about this, one of my instructors would periodically mention that alcohol and weight loss don't coexist peacefully, but I don't claim any in depth understanding of the issue at present. I enjoy my wine on the weekends as well and I don't think it is doing me any favors:)
Good luck!0 -
it could be salt intake as well.. i found that has been my struggle and these things above have some high salt in them. Good foods, yes, but still the salt will getcha every time =(I eat very healthy and I have decent portion sizes too. So a normal day is-
Egg or egg beaters, english muffin low fat with salsa
Light snack- tangerine or apple or some kind of pretzels or sunflower seeds
Lean cuisine for lunch
Snack - something light but with protein
Dinner- lean cuisine and salad //or chcken breast and baked potato- something along those lines usually.
Snack- something healthy
My calories are always around 1200 ..sometimes less
(i don't eat red meat and I have never eat sweets.)
My only downfall is alcohol on the weekends.
I have just joined a gym last thursday, and have worked out 3 out of 4 days. I feel improvement as i'm doing strength training.
Does this sound wrong in any way?0 -
You could also have a thyroid issue, particularly if you are feeling sluggish. Couldn't hurt to visit your GP or endocrinologist to check all of your thyroid levels.
Hard for me to comment on the rest since your diet is not open. Are you eating 1200 total or net? Are you exercising? Do you eat a lot of protein?0 -
Honestly eating more works better, try it for 2 weeks and see. Think of you body like a machine that needs 1200 calories a day AT LEAST to work, if you only eat 1200 calories and then exercise on top of that (say you burn 300 calories) then your body is trying to run on -300 calories, it's impossible. You hair and skin will suffer and your body will switch into survival mode thinking, "I must hold on to this excess fat as I'm starving". Your body will only allow you to lose fat when you're giving it enough energy. Good luck0
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I don't think that's enough food. There are plenty of threads around here that discuss why 1200 calories, especially when you're exercising, isn't enough.
Re your thyroid, there are two things to consider.
1. Five years is plenty of time to have your thyroid go out of whack.
2. In 2002, the AACE changed their recommendations for what's considered a normal TSH range. Hypothyroid is now considered a TSH above a 3.0. (TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, works inversely; the higher the number the less your thyroid is doing.) There are STILL doctors going by the old recommendations of 5.5 TSH being the breakpoint for treating hypothyroidism.
If you really feel like your thyroid might be out of whack, get it checked again, get your actual TSH and free T4 numbers checked, and compare them to the numbers in this article: https://www.aace.com/sites/default/files/hypo_hyper.pdf. Many people who do find they have hypothyroidism don't start losing weight once it's treated, though - medication relieves the other symptoms but it's still very hard to lose weight.0 -
I am going to echo the eating sentiments. Dump the lean cuisine!! For dinner do a grilled chicken breast or fish, rice or sweet potato and a green veggie like green beans, asparagus, spinach, etc.
I would also suggest upping your cardio by 10-15%. Instead of 2 miles, do 2.25 or increase the speed or incline.
Of course weight strengthening is super important as well!!
Good luck to you!0 -
My trainer at the gym calls it muscle confusion. Your body gets used to using the same muscles and adjusts to it. You need to confuse your body and use muscles you are not used to using. You need to exercise different muscles. Here is how I am being trained. first day do strength exercises on the legs with squats, ball squats , lunges, calf and leg strengthening, follow with 20 minutes of cardio keeping your heart rate to its max for 20 minutes, second day do back and core strengthening,again follow with cardio, third day do arm and chest strengthening, again follow with cardio.Rotate this in the same order day 1, day2, day 3 then day1 day2 day3 where ever you leave off you start with the next day. If you did day 2 on saturday and took sunday off from exercising then monday you start with day 3 and so on. giving your muscles 2 days to heal before using them again. Use weights or go to the gym for the strengthening exercises. He says doing the weights and strengthening exercises burns the sugar in your body first. When you do the cardio after it immediately burns fat. I lost 5 pounds the first week and I am 57 years old. And the more muscle you build the more calories your body burns naturally. I eat no less than 1200 calories a day but try to stay in myfitnesspal guidelines.0
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I purchased a "Fitbit" and absolutely LOVE it! It costs $99.00 and then you have free access to their website.I use Myfitnesspal to log my foods and it syncs with their website.You can log food on the fitbit site but there are more options on fitnesspal.The Fitbit is tiny and you don't even know you're wearing it.It measures steps,cal's burned,ect and at night you wear it in a soft wrist sleeve and it measures your "sleep effiency".I knew with my "fibro" I was waking several times a night but didn't know it was 10 to 18 times! I know not getting enough good sleep can interfere with weight loss to.I find that logging all the food i'm eating and then seeing calories burned is helping me understand that even with a 1000 calorie a day difference in calories burned i'll only be losing 2# a week. Hope this helps and remember......we're all in a weight loss Marathon for the long tern not a Sprint.So losing slowly is better in the long run.0
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Private diary. Probably undereating.0
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I was having the same problem. I was confining myself to eating 1200 cal/day or less. At first, weight really flew off, then I completely stalled. I dropped the calories I ate even more, and exercised more, but nothing budged. And I was really tired all the time. Read on this site that I should be eating at least my BMR a day, which is 1360. It's counter-intuitive, but after I upped my calories to 1400-1500/day things got a lot better. In the first few days, my weight went up about a lb, but has been slowly creeping down since then, and now I am 2 lbs under my plateau and still falling slowly but surely. And I feel so much better, energy-wise! You might want to search "Olivia method" on this site for more info. It sure helped for me.0
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I'm assuming Lean Cuisine is a ready meal, right? They are not the way to go. Too high in salt (as someone said already) and they are just not a clean way of eating. If it's a shortage of time, i'd make large amounts of the same thing and freeze in individual portions ready to heat up when needed. Also, look at foods that are already quick. I love frozen fish portions, no breadcrumbs or batter, just fresh fish frozen and take less than 10 mins in the oven or less than 5 mins in the microwave. Eggs are your best friend in an omlette, scrambled, poached, boiled etc!!
drink plenty water, keep a bottle with you at all times. Eat about 5-6 times a day and try to spread you cals out evenly. Use supplements to get enough protein, vitamins etc.0 -
You're eating too few calories. I know it's hard to wrap your head around this idea, I have trouble with it too, but it really is true. It's ok to NET 1200 calories a day, but if you're only taking in 1200 calories on top of working out every day, you're body is really going to hold on to as much fat as it can.0
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I'm 5"7"..170 lbs. 40 yrs old. I have had struggles losing before, but never like this. I need to know what else I can do?? It once took me 7 months to lose 12 lbs and that was when i was 37 and running 2 miles 5 days a week. Some say I don't eat enough,,,but I have a hard time believing i could be overweight by not eating enough. I eat very healthy- hardly ever splurge. 1200 cal a day. I used to work at J Craig so I understand the basics of weight loss. Any advice is appreciated. I don't think i have a thyroid issue bc i had it checked about 5 or so years back....
Sure you understand the basics of weight loss?
Know what BMR is?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, the heart, lungs, nervous system, kidneys, liver, intestine, sex organs, muscles, and skin.
So what do you think happens if you eat below your BMR?
Right, the body will just slow the metabolism down to compensate, and lower the BMR. You are now no longer netting under your BMR.
Only 2 directions to go, guess which way ultimately won't work?
Deficit calories to make your goal should only come out of daily maintenance calories, not basic human life calories.
And just in case other's comments aren't entirely clear, when you exercise, you are using extra energy NOT available to be used for BMR, so you might as well be eating under again.
Your healthy BMR level is probably burning more calories than your exercise calories - are you sure you want it running slower?0 -
It's really hard to offer help when a food diary is closed however many possibilities; too few calories, not enough exercise or activity, little tastes and nibbles not making their caloric way into the food diary. Check it out and think about showing the diary because the feedback may be helpful. Good luck!0
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