Cannot lose weight and very frustrated.
picimadar
Posts: 68 Member
Hi everyone. So, in September 2011 I got to my highest weight of 165 and decided it was time to get it under control. I worked out like a fiend in the gym (and by like a fiend I mean 1200 calories on the elliptical, HR 165 kind of stuff) but didn't really count calories. I successfully lost 15lb in 8 weeks. I then basically put my loss off until January for no real reason but being lazy. In January I tried a low-carb diet, which made me feel like absolute ****. I lost about 2.5 inches a week between Jan-end of February, but only lost about 5lb despite keeping my calories under 1500 (minus a few cheats here and there).
Now, about the middle of February I quit low carb and basically went on a 40/30/30 diet. I felt much better, ate 1400-1600 per day and did p90 twice daily (I felt it was too easy). I have gone down to losing about 1 inch a week now if that, haven't lost any weight since the second week of January.
I've been told so many different things that I'm ready to lose my mind. Calorically, my weight loss should be happening, I'm burning enough that it should. I'm eating too much, not enough, working out too much, not enough, eating the wrong things, eating too much of the right things, not doing the right exercises etc etc.
Basically at this point I'm ready to just eat 1000 cal a day, work out less and MAKE something happen, even if it's losing lean mass, because I'm so tired of being stuck at the same body fat level! I'm flabby and extremely unhappy, and I'm hoping you guys can help me out with how much to eat or what I'm doing wrong, because I just cannot figure it out.
Stats:
5'1", 145lb, 22 years old, female. BMR is 1450, 'sedentary' rate (which I basically am) is 1690. I'm now eating 1000-1100 calories a day to make a 500 calorie deficit and see if that works, along with exercising less. Also, I just ordered a Fitbit (yay, tax return) so I'm hoping to get a better read on what my 'actual' burn is very soon, like in the next few weeks.
Now, about the middle of February I quit low carb and basically went on a 40/30/30 diet. I felt much better, ate 1400-1600 per day and did p90 twice daily (I felt it was too easy). I have gone down to losing about 1 inch a week now if that, haven't lost any weight since the second week of January.
I've been told so many different things that I'm ready to lose my mind. Calorically, my weight loss should be happening, I'm burning enough that it should. I'm eating too much, not enough, working out too much, not enough, eating the wrong things, eating too much of the right things, not doing the right exercises etc etc.
Basically at this point I'm ready to just eat 1000 cal a day, work out less and MAKE something happen, even if it's losing lean mass, because I'm so tired of being stuck at the same body fat level! I'm flabby and extremely unhappy, and I'm hoping you guys can help me out with how much to eat or what I'm doing wrong, because I just cannot figure it out.
Stats:
5'1", 145lb, 22 years old, female. BMR is 1450, 'sedentary' rate (which I basically am) is 1690. I'm now eating 1000-1100 calories a day to make a 500 calorie deficit and see if that works, along with exercising less. Also, I just ordered a Fitbit (yay, tax return) so I'm hoping to get a better read on what my 'actual' burn is very soon, like in the next few weeks.
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Replies
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Losing inches is more important than losing pounds. Do you feel stronger Do you feel muscle? If you are smaller in general, then chances are you're doing it right!0
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I don't feel much stronger, per se. I moved from 2lb weights up to 5lb weights recently when I do the p90 strength, but on my body I'm just not seeing it. I've moved down a pant size, but I don't expect that to last because I measure my body in 6 different places and am still only losing an inch total a week now. My arms are still flabby, still have belly, still have a big fat crease on my back.. it's so frustrating. I have a bikini 'before' picture from January 30 and nothing I've taken to date looks any different at all
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Some people have had success breaking a plateau by doing Kettle bells. or a boot camp class.0
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Also be weary of going in calorie deficit they say if you eat too few calories for your body it will go into starvation mode and hold onto everything you put in your mouth! I lose weight better at the higher kcal mark than too low.
Also look at WHAT you eat and your nutrition details at the end of the day - being low in vitamins/ minerals can adversely affect you weight loss as can being too high in sodium or sugars (which will convert to carbs = fat).
Do you drink plenty of water? I also find my weight loss is nil to zero if I don't keep up the water to flush everything through (stress is another holder of the weight for some people)
Otherwise trip to a nutritionist / personal trainer might be what you need to get a kick start
Good luck!0 -
I think you need to lift heavy. Check out http://body-improvements.com/ and search Steve Troutman's (stroutman81) posts on this site.0
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I used to get frustrated too, where I'd be following the plan to a T and not getting the expected results. Never made sense and was incredibly discouraging.
What finally worked for me was quitting all the plans and programs! Out of nowhere, I finally thought, "I'll just eat nutritious foods in reasonable amounts and exercise to the best of my ability, and eventually the weight will have to come off." No plan, no timeline, no judgment. I've lost more weight than I ever have before (and in a shorter period of time), have absolutely no stress or animosity toward my diet/lifestyle, and feel awesome.
For me, it was the stress and pressure of trying to conform to a program that killed me. Even when I was doing it right, I would kick myself because it wasn't easy or second nature. Your body is fully capable of being healthy, but you have to figure out what it needs. Weight loss programs work on averages, not individuals.0 -
I think you need to lift heavy. Check out http://body-improvements.com/ and search Steve Troutman's (stroutman81) posts on this site.
YES!0 -
Solve your body fat problem by lifting HEAVY weights, keeping a MODERATE caloric deficit (not 1000 cal a day), and eating enough protein.
If you are serious about changing the composition of your body, you need to ditch the scale (or keep it at a minimum), take measurements and photos. Don't chase a number on a scale at the cost of your muscle mass.0 -
How many calories are you netting each day? 1000-1100 cals a day is not enough and is not healthy. You willpower muscle over fat. Take it slow0
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It's definitely more about composition and fitness for me than just a number on the scale, but seeing that progress is nice too, and the fact that I don't feel significantly stronger or 'leaner' is troubling.
As far as lifting heavy, I guess I'll have to start. I've been trying to become more adjusted to strength training as I've never really done it before. That's really good advice!
Also, 1000-1100 is not too low for someone who's 5'1". I have an extremely small frame, and I'm carrying a lot of excess fat for my body size. Eating this much was recommended to me before by a dietician, however that was assuming little to no exercise.
EDIT: as far as 'netting' calories, I don't pay attention to that at all. My deficit is 500-1000 depending on how much I exercise during the day, and I keep it that way. My 'net' calories are typically pretty low.0 -
who cares what the scale says. If you are losing inches you are getting smaller. Its not like some random person on the street is gonna come up to y ou and demand to know your weight.
I have no advice except dont get so stuck on the number especially when you have inches you are losing.0 -
You are probably NOT eating enough! If you are doing P90 twice a day.
My trainer says to eat a bluk of your calories for breakfast (3-400) and make sure you are eating spmething within 25 mins of waking. Also.. sweetners will stop you from loosing weight. They destroy your metabolism by tricking it into thinking it doesnt need to break down. Also try eliminating unnatural sugars. Use agave syrup or honey or "raw" sugar if you must. Also MAKE SURE you are eating a high protein and simple carb(fruit) withing 25 mins of working out. Try plain greek yogurt and berries.. or apple w peanut butter. Otherwise you are not benefiting from your workout much at all. Your muscles NEED to be fed afterwards.
Anyhow.. just sharing some of the things my trainer has taught me. She also says NO ONE should eat less than 1400 calories a day.. but eat the RIGHT foods. Especially if you are working out!0 -
It's definitely more about composition and fitness for me than just a number on the scale, but seeing that progress is nice too, and the fact that I don't feel significantly stronger or 'leaner' is troubling.
As far as lifting heavy, I guess I'll have to start. I've been trying to become more adjusted to strength training as I've never really done it before. That's really good advice!
Also, 1000-1100 is not too low for someone who's 5'1". I have an extremely small frame, and I'm carrying a lot of excess fat for my body size. Eating this much was recommended to me before by a dietician, however that was assuming little to no exercise.
EDIT: as far as 'netting' calories, I don't pay attention to that at all. My deficit is 500-1000 depending on how much I exercise during the day, and I keep it that way. My 'net' calories are typically pretty low.
Check out New Rules of Lifting for Women. It'll change your world
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I agree that you should eat less, a lot of shorter girls find they really don't need that much. I myself am 5'4 and I never lose anything unless I eat 1200.
Interval training is the best for fat loss. See if you can do 30 mins a day, 30 seconds slow and then sprint 30 seconds.
I am in phase 3 of Jamie Eason Live Fit which has been amazing a big learning curve, and it does work, but its a big commitment.
Everyone seems to rate Jillian Michaels dVD's.0 -
You are not eating enough. You should be at least 1200 cal per day. Make sure you get enough protein and healthy fats. One thing that works for me is cardio every other day (intense- if I'm not dripping sweat, I'm not working hard enough) & strength training every other day. Use HEAVY weights. Make yourself a schedule and stick to it. Do you use a hrm? I just started and noticed that I was underestimating my calories burned, therefore I hit a plateau. Starting to break thru it.
Also, try mixing up your workouts. Keep your body guessing!
Don't pay attention to the scale. I have found that looking at the scale is the best way for me to get discouraged and give up. When you are lifting weights, you won't see much of a difference on the scale, but you will look better.
Good luck!0 -
I'm 5'2 and I never go below 1500. I've lost weight at 1800-1900 when I was really active. You can be a shortie, eat more than 1200 and lose weight.0
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Again, I'm just not going to argue about how much I'm eating. Saying "OMG!!111! YOU HAVE TO EAT 1200 A DAY!" is as stupid as believing that your BMI is the be-all, end-all of what you should weigh when you're not average height and average build (by which I mean incredibly stupid, in case anyone is confused).
Doing HIIT in the morning and lifting or doing strength at night seems to be the general recommendation. Now, if only I knew how to lift XD
I guess I just don't know what I'm doing wrong right now. I've been doing strength and cardio alternating days because of p90's schedule, so maybe I'm just not lifting heavy enough?
Should I be trying to burn more calories with exercise, or could I theoretically 'overdo it' because my calorie intake is already quite low?0 -
I'm 5'2 and I never go below 1500. I've lost weight at 1800-1900 when I was really active. You can be a shortie, eat more than 1200 and lose weight.
The point is that I've done this already and was NOT losing weight...0 -
Again, I'm just not going to argue about how much I'm eating. Saying "OMG!!111! YOU HAVE TO EAT 1200 A DAY!" is as stupid as believing that your BMI is the be-all, end-all of what you should weigh when you're not average height and average build (by which I mean incredibly stupid, in case anyone is confused).
Doing HIIT in the morning and lifting or doing strength at night seems to be the general recommendation. Now, if only I knew how to lift XD
I guess I just don't know what I'm doing wrong right now. I've been doing strength and cardio alternating days because of p90's schedule, so maybe I'm just not lifting heavy enough?
Should I be trying to burn more calories with exercise, or could I theoretically 'overdo it' because my calorie intake is already quite low?
I understand that. But you may feel, performance-wise or strength-wise, eating more may be benefial. I eat to support my activity level.
I do suggest heavy lifting tho. You'll see the most dramatic change in your body. Regardless of what the scale says.0 -
Again, I'm just not going to argue about how much I'm eating. Saying "OMG!!111! YOU HAVE TO EAT 1200 A DAY!" is as stupid as believing that your BMI is the be-all, end-all of what you should weigh when you're not average height and average build (by which I mean incredibly stupid, in case anyone is confused).
Doing HIIT in the morning and lifting or doing strength at night seems to be the general recommendation. Now, if only I knew how to lift XD
I guess I just don't know what I'm doing wrong right now. I've been doing strength and cardio alternating days because of p90's schedule, so maybe I'm just not lifting heavy enough?
Should I be trying to burn more calories with exercise, or could I theoretically 'overdo it' because my calorie intake is already quite low?
I understand that. But you may feel, performance-wise or strength-wise, eating more may be benefial. I eat to support my activity level.
I do suggest heavy lifting tho. You'll see the most dramatic change in your body. Regardless of what the scale says.
That's a good point. I look at it this way: I have about 30lb to lose, give or take. If I lose more than 1.5 or 2lb a week, I'll up my intake, but since right now I'm not losing any, I'll stay low. I want to do this in a healthy way, but I also want it to work.0 -
It's understandable that you're frustrated. It seems like you're changing you plan pretty often - perhaps it would be better to give one plan more time before you move on. Sometimes our bodies need time to adjust. And careful with restricting too low, doing that led me into the arms of an ED that 25 years later I still haven't recovered from.0
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Stats:
5'1", 145lb, 22 years old, female. BMR is 1450, 'sedentary' rate (which I basically am) is 1690. I'm now eating 1000-1100 calories a day to make a 500 calorie deficit and see if that works, along with exercising less.
The BMR calculator on this site estimates your BMR at 1,355, which would lead to an estimated sedentary rate of 1,690 as you say. So a *net* target to lose a pound a week would be 1,190.
That means, eating 1,100 is a 590 deficit and 1,000 is a 690 calorie deficit. That extra 190 calories not eaten if you only eat 1,000 net represents eliminating more than 10% of your daily energy needs beyond the 500 calorie deficit already built into your target... That is not a trivial difference and all of this assumes that you are either not exercising now, or that you are eating back all of your exercise calories... otherwise the deficit is even larger. I know you don't want to "argue" about how much to eat. The key principle around here is not to argue, but to target how much to eat. Many many posts on these forums are from people who have not been eating as much as their target indicates they should, and who are also not finding they are loosing the weight they want to. Your body responds differently to a moderate calorie deficit and an extreme one.0 -
So not to be a smart *kitten* and please don't take it like that but obviously what you are doing now isn't work otherwise you wouldn't be asking us for help. You don't want to hear this, as you already stated but you are NOT eating enough to lose body fat. The weight you will lose is lean muscle mass. Also, when having a large deficit, your body will hold onto fat, which is another reason it's difficult to lose. You should read the study below for more information on why that is.
Now to the meat. If your BMR is 1450 and you live a sedentary lifestyle and lets say you burn 400 calories on average per workout. So...
TDEE = 1450 * 1.2 +400 = 2140
And since you don't have much to lose, you should be aiming for .5 lb per week
Caloric needs = 2410 * .80 = 1712
Also, eating below your metabolic rate will slow your metabolism down. Your body is intelligent enough that if it doesn't get adequate nutrition, it slows down. It's fairly plain and simple. Also, as you approach your goal, you need more fuel so your body isn't afraid to deplete the fat stores. So if you want something that actually works, then eat more for months. You won't be able to sustain 1000 calorie for the rest of your life so why do it now?
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
ps- you don't form deficits off your BMR, you form it off the TDEE.0 -
As I said before in the first post, I was eating 1500 a day and, even if I was working off say 400 a day, that's a 500 calorie deficit.
No loss.
Moving down to 1100 calories and working out less is putting my body in a different position than eating more and working out more, which obviously did not work, as I said.
When I start lifting, I may consider eating more, but at this point I have zero confidence that that will work. I ate 1600 calories a day since January and lost nothing, exercising or not. So no, I won't be taking that.0 -
Hi everyone. So, in September 2011 I got to my highest weight of 165 and decided it was time to get it under control. I worked out like a fiend in the gym (and by like a fiend I mean 1200 calories on the elliptical, HR 165 kind of stuff) but didn't really count calories. I successfully lost 15lb in 8 weeks. I then basically put my loss off until January for no real reason but being lazy. In January I tried a low-carb diet, which made me feel like absolute ****. I lost about 2.5 inches a week between Jan-end of February, but only lost about 5lb despite keeping my calories under 1500 (minus a few cheats here and there).
Now, about the middle of February I quit low carb and basically went on a 40/30/30 diet. I felt much better, ate 1400-1600 per day and did p90 twice daily (I felt it was too easy). I have gone down to losing about 1 inch a week now if that, haven't lost any weight since the second week of January.
I've been told so many different things that I'm ready to lose my mind. Calorically, my weight loss should be happening, I'm burning enough that it should. I'm eating too much, not enough, working out too much, not enough, eating the wrong things, eating too much of the right things, not doing the right exercises etc etc.
Basically at this point I'm ready to just eat 1000 cal a day, work out less and MAKE something happen, even if it's losing lean mass, because I'm so tired of being stuck at the same body fat level! I'm flabby and extremely unhappy, and I'm hoping you guys can help me out with how much to eat or what I'm doing wrong, because I just cannot figure it out.
Stats:
5'1", 145lb, 22 years old, female. BMR is 1450, 'sedentary' rate (which I basically am) is 1690. I'm now eating 1000-1100 calories a day to make a 500 calorie deficit and see if that works, along with exercising less. Also, I just ordered a Fitbit (yay, tax return) so I'm hoping to get a better read on what my 'actual' burn is very soon, like in the next few weeks.
1000 cals is not enough, your weekly goal should be to lose no more than 1lb/week, which would be a minimum of 1190 (1200) net. but you may even what to try eating your BMR as net caloric intake, as it is suggested that you don't go below BMR intake unless you are obese. this would be basically setting your weekly goal at 0.5lbs/week which would give you 1440 cals0 -
I think you need to lift heavy. Check out http://body-improvements.com/ and search Steve Troutman's (stroutman81) posts on this site.
This worked for me. I also started intermittent fasting, which helped break 2 1/2 month plateau.0 -
If P90x is too easy, you aren't lifting enough. These programs are designed for you to work at your maximum capacity and if it is too easy for you then you aren't.0
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why are you eating so little? that will not lead to lasting weight loss, you have to feed your body properly. do strength training 2-3 days a week plus cardio 3-5 days a week. eat enough. you should never eat less than 1200 and if you're working out you should always eat back at least part of your exercise calories.
start weight 303.4 (1/1/11)
current weight 198.4 (105lbs down)
goal weight 160
29y/o 5'6'0 -
If P90x is too easy, you aren't lifting enough. These programs are designed for you to work at your maximum capacity and if it is too easy for you then you aren't.
I think she is doing Power 90 and not P90X . P90 isn't as extreme as P90X0 -
I've had the same problem. Eating less calories, eating a (practically) carb free diet, working out more etc.... I havent' lost any weight in weeks (months?). I dont' know what else to do but keep trying because the alternative is even less appealing.
I bought the Jillian Michaels kettle bell set from Wal Mart last night. I figure if I'm going to stay the same weight (196 lbs on my 5'8" frame) then at least I can tone what I have with the kettle bell routine. I also get my cardio in via the treadmill and stationary bike 3 x per week at my gym.
Good luck and I hope something gives...for both of us!0
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