Absolutely FED UP

cepark137
cepark137 Posts: 27
edited December 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I don't know if I'm really ready to throw in the towel or just need a good vent-fest. I'm thanking you all in advance for indulging me.

I have been stuck at the 235 (anywhere from 232 to 239) range for MONTHS. It's been since the end of January, and I just won't budge.

This doesn't feel normal. I have lost 50 pounds since August 2011, but these last 2.5 months have not shown ANY movement on the scale.

I have been working out 4-5 days a week, anything from running on the treadmill to cardio workouts with Billy Blanks, to strength training, to combo strength/cardio... So, definitely mixing it up.

I have been keeping to 1200 calories on average (some days it's 1200-1300, others it's not quite 1000, depending on how busy I have been, etc...). I HAVE tried to do the "confuse your body" trick and eat upwards of 2000 calories on some days, but that apparently hasn't worked either.

I have been taking measurements, and I am not losing inches either.

I have had THREE "cheat days" (days where I wasn't actively trying to trick my body with more calories or paying attention to what I was eating) since Feb 1. One was a Valentine's dinner, one was my birthday dinner, and once at a get together with some friends.

Today is Friday, so I hopped on the scale, and it said 236.

Last Friday, it was 234.

Time of month was March 29-Apr 4

I am not only out of ideas, I am out of patience.

I am hoping against hope that this kind of ridiculous plateau is not unique to me, and that someone can help me through this.

Thanks again!

Replies

  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    I think you would benefit from doing some research on eating more.... you are eating too low for your weight and the exercise you are doing. Maybe search the group "eat more to weigh less" and join it, you will be amazed.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/558894-eating-below-your-bmr-why-is-it-bad
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Hi all,

    I don't know if I'm really ready to throw in the towel or just need a good vent-fest. I'm thanking you all in advance for indulging me.

    I have been stuck at the 235 (anywhere from 232 to 239) range for MONTHS. It's been since the end of January, and I just won't budge.

    This doesn't feel normal. I have lost 50 pounds since August 2011, but these last 2.5 months have not shown ANY movement on the scale.

    I have been working out 4-5 days a week, anything from running on the treadmill to cardio workouts with Billy Blanks, to strength training, to combo strength/cardio... So, definitely mixing it up.

    I have been keeping to 1200 calories on average (some days it's 1200-1300, others it's not quite 1000, depending on how busy I have been, etc...). I HAVE tried to do the "confuse your body" trick and eat upwards of 2000 calories on some days, but that apparently hasn't worked either.

    I have been taking measurements, and I am not losing inches either.

    I have had THREE "cheat days" (days where I wasn't actively trying to trick my body with more calories or paying attention to what I was eating) since Feb 1. One was a Valentine's dinner, one was my birthday dinner, and once at a get together with some friends.

    Today is Friday, so I hopped on the scale, and it said 236.

    Last Friday, it was 234.

    Time of month was March 29-Apr 4

    I am not only out of ideas, I am out of patience.

    I am hoping against hope that this kind of ridiculous plateau is not unique to me, and that someone can help me through this.

    Thanks again!
    Try switching to maintenance for a little while then try it again in a month. Maybe you just need a fresh start.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    :bigsmile: There is another way and it's awesome. Come to the dark side- we have cookies AND eat them :bigsmile:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    This is also part of the DARK SIDE hehe

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map?
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    You may need to start pushing harder in your workouts.

    That, and you NEED to eat back your workout calories. It sounds like you are not so you may have put your metabolism in slow mode, which would explain the plateau.
  • PinkCoconut
    PinkCoconut Posts: 655 Member
    Plateau's suck! All I can suggest is that you may actually be eating too little and you may want to bump it to around 1500 - 1600 because if you're in the 234 range, 1200 is just going to be too little. I know that even for me at 154, if I go down to 1200 calories I stop losing weight. I tend to lose better when I'm eating between 1300 - 1400. Also, if you really have been tracking, shaking things up a bit and all that, have you ever gotten your hormone levels checked? Your hormones have almost EVERYTHING to do with your weight loss and if they're out of whack that could seriously impede your efforts!
  • RandomMiranda
    RandomMiranda Posts: 298
    Don't give up! Last summer I was working out at Curves 5-6 days/week plus an hour of cardio (running, elliptical or bike) everyday, plus tracking my calories faithfully. I lost nothing, actually gained a pound or two) in about 6 weeks of doing this. I was so frustrated I actually did stop trying. I traveled all summer then started dating my fiance and didn't track food or workout regularly. Almost a year later I am finally a few pounds down from where I was last time I gave up, and I keep wondering where I would be today if I had just stuck it out and eventually moved past the plateau.
    I don't have any advice for you, since I'm not a trainer or a doctor or a nutritionist. All I can say is keep on keeping on and know that you aren't alone in your frustration.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    I see you are doing a variety of different things for exercise. And you body might be use to all of the activities. Try something TOTALLY NEW. Or you can go with Jillian Michaels and "Do what you hate", but I find it difficult. LOL
  • thomassd1969
    thomassd1969 Posts: 564 Member
    You are not eating enough, your body is holding on to every calorie it can because it thinks its starving. Up your calories and keep it there not just for a day or two. Bodies do not respond in an instant it takes weeks. Dont give up you have come this far. Good luck
  • listlife
    listlife Posts: 30
    It definetly seems like you need to eat more. I'm at 202 right now, and my calorie goal is around 1500. Eating 1200 is just too low, especially with the workouts you're doing. I know it seems weird to eat back your calories, but it honestly works.
  • Thesarahmonster
    Thesarahmonster Posts: 44 Member
    I agree, from what I've been reading lately you definitely need to be getting more calories, especially if you are working out as hard as you say you are. It sounds like your body is going into a mode where it's not sure if it's going to get enough energy for the next day so it's just holding on for dear life to whatever it can!

    Try to up your calorie intake a bit.. on a REGULAR basis, there is tons of information on the site. Also if you are able grab a copy of "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" You can get it on Amazon. Good luck!
  • sfoxy219
    sfoxy219 Posts: 103
    Giving up is the worst thing you can do. You have come so far to just stop now. Is that 1200 net or total? If it's total maybe eat around 1600 for a whole month and see what happens.
  • threasarenee
    threasarenee Posts: 78 Member
    I completely agree with everyone! DONT give up! Eat more calories...good ones....like nuts and other high calorie healthy stuff :) If you have to, take a week or so off of tracking...continue to do a little bit of working out, but dont stress about it. Then start up again and see if that helps. I am not a doctor...just someone else that is struggling. This is the advice others have given to me and it seems to help. Good luck and God bless!
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    9 times out of 10 plateaus are the result of not eating enough. 1200 is, in all likelihood, too few calories for you at this point in your journey. Now, I'm not bashing the 1200 cal diet. I net somewhere around that number most times, but that's not how I started out. I started out eating in excess of 1600 calories a day.

    You have to fuel your burns. Tell MFP that you want to lose no more than 1 pound a week. MFP will probably set your calories to 1500+. Eat at that level NET for a couple weeks to a month. Continue exercising etc. Then, come back and tell us how you are doing. You have to give your body some time to react to the change.
  • hmiddleton17
    hmiddleton17 Posts: 44
    When I started MFP I was at 238... I realized very quickly that I could not eat 1200 and be happy. So I bumped my calories up I mean WAY up and I have lost close to 25 pounds in 3 months. I currently eat around 1750 and if I exercise I eat back some. I try to stay at LEAST 1400 NET every day. Yes, you are gonna have occasional days that may be higher or lower, and thats ok. I can almost guarantee you are not eating enough...... Good luck!!! You can add me as a friend if you'd like to see my diary and how I eat. I currently am at 213.4. Good Luck!!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    You are definitely not eating enough for the amount of exercise you are doing.

    But besides that, you need to make sure that your calorie counts are accurate.

    How are you measuring your food? weight or cup?
    How are you measuring your workout calories? HRM, MFP or machine?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    If you're working out 4 or 5 days a week why are you eating at or below 1200 calories?

    My best suggestion is to figure out your BMR and TDEE (here's a link) and then back your desired rate of weight loss (1 lb/wk would be 500 cal/day below TDEE)
  • hyde1977
    hyde1977 Posts: 476 Member
    Its hard to comment without seeing your food diary....

    If I had to make a guess...you are not eatting enough.

    Do you have an HRM? are you over estimating on your exercise calories?

    As you are bigger you should be eatting more......and netting 1200 calories is also key....I eat over 2000 calories a day but I net about 1350-1400......I am at 170 now and started at 243....when I started eatting more...I started to lose....I WAS SHOCKED......but weight loss is not about starving yourself....

    lots of water, fruits, veggies, protein and don't have cheat days...you are not on a diet (the word die is in diet) you are on a life style change...you want a treat ...have it....but make sure you workout (please note i am not saying have chocolate everyday)...Just find moderation!!!!

    Keep at it!!!! You will figure out what works for you! You took the first step by asking for help!!!! Go to the community seciton and read about eatting more....more success stories!!!!!
  • yeremeyeva
    yeremeyeva Posts: 46
    I would also just like to encourage you not to give up 3 days after upping your calories if you don't see a loss on the scale. That's what some of my friends do to. They stay on a very low calories diet (which 1200 and under is), do not see any progress on the scale, exercise all the time, and still can't lose anything. So sometimes I say "hey, maybe you should try raising your calories to at least your BMR, cause they are eating below it and are exercising at the same time!). They up it for 2 days, gain 1 lb, and say it doesn't work. So i would just give it good 3 or 4 weeks to see if it works. If you expect your body to function you need to give it fuel. And most bodies need way more than 1200 calories!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I agree that you need more calories if you are exercising that much. BUT, eating too little should not stop weight loss unless you are very close to goal. A slow metabolism will cause you to lose more slowly, but it will not cause you to not lose at all.

    How sure are you of your calorie counts and portions? Do you measure/weigh your food? If you are sure of you calories you might want to consult a doctor to see if you have some medical reason to make losing weight difficult.
  • judybegood
    judybegood Posts: 18 Member
    Hey I think you have my scale :) I've been stuck at 241 so long I stopped even entering it. I made it through the holiday's steady losing then the new year arrived and the scale wouldn't budge. I tried changing the eating habits tried changing the exercising and nothing seem to make a difference.

    Two weeks ago my daughter brought Zumba in the house for the Wii. I've been doing this for 2 weeks and finally this week the scale is moving again. I do the short class in the morning and the kids and I do the mid length class at night.

    I think that bumping up the exercise at night has made a difference the scale said 235 this morning YEAH.

    Evening exercise has also curved the dreaded munchies at night I'm too busy having fun exercising!

    I don't know that it's all zumba but the bump up in exercise seems to have triggered something.

    good luck and don't give up!:flowerforyou:
  • motherbetty
    motherbetty Posts: 170 Member
    Have you had your thyroid checked? It's possible yours is under-active.
  • cepark137
    cepark137 Posts: 27
    Thanks everyone for the encouragement and advice! I really appreciate it!

    I have been on this journey with my doctor, so he's tested me for anything and everything. I am on Byetta (for Type 2 diabetes) right now, but he has told me that this will NOT contribute to weight gain or making losses harder. So, I don't think it's the medicine, and since I have already lost 50 pounds, I'd say he's probably been correct in his assessment.

    My doctor put me on this "diet" -- what I mean is, he set my calorie (intake) goal AND my exercise (burn) goal. Perhaps I have been wrong to not insist that we revisit these goals, but he has never said to change them. (These goals are 1200 calories in, 250 calories burned)

    I figure out caloric intake simply by charting/measuring everything I eat -- might I be off a few calories now and then? Sure, but since you all seem to think I need to eat more anyway, I don't understand how that could be a problem.

    I measure calories burned with a heart monitor (watch) and chest strap. My doctor recommended this, and I have continually adjusted the personal info for my current weight to make sure it stays accurate.

    As my endurance has improved, I have found that I have to "up" my intensity, and I have done that. Whereas a brisk walk would make me sweat, now I can run a 15 minute mile. I also was doing the treadmill ONLY the first few months, but now I mix is up constantly... Both to work different muscle groups and also doing strength training to make sure I at least TRY to build muscle and help the skin (HOPEFULLY) shrink.

    Because of my need to "watch" my sugars, I don't do a whole lot of fruits and hardly any starches. Again, I guess I should ask my doctor on my next visit if this is something I can adjust now?

    Also, as another poster mentioned, every time I have upped my calories, I have seen the scale swing anywhere from +2 to +5 pounds in a day or 2. As someone who has been as heavy as 297 pounds, being in the 230's now, I am scared out of my wits when I see the scale creeping up -- only during time of month do I accept it, and I usually don't get anywhere near the scale then.

    I am going to get some answers RE: what I SHOULD be doing at this weight (calories in and calories out) because it never really dawned on me to change anything since the doctor never said anything (I saw him Jan 31).

    I am going to Hawaii for my 10th wedding anniversary in one month, and when I started this journey, my goal was to be under 200 pounds. I guess all this plateauing (I had a doozy of a plateau from Nov - Jan when I was stuck between 252 and 259) and the fact that I am now (FOR CERTAIN) not going to meet my goal has me terribly bummed out.

    I know I can't give up. But sometimes I just wish karma would throw me a bone, you know?
    *sigh*

    Thanks again everyone!
    I'll let you know what I find out and hopefully the scale will start trending south again soon!
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    This is coming from someone who does eat 1200 calories a day many days--that's too few for you right now. I think 1200 calories can be appropriate for some people--if the person is short enough and light enough to really need that intake for a deficit. When you don't need that intake for a deficit, I think your body will slow itself down somewhat to make sure you get your needs met.

    I completely understand the fear of gaining too much back. Why not try one or two weeks of eating 1500 calories? My guess is you could eat more than that, but without doing the calculations, I think 1500 would be a good way to encourage your body without it going into storage mode. Even if your metabolism is slower, 1500 would not cause you to gain real weight.
  • TinaCleg_cancel
    TinaCleg_cancel Posts: 276
    Maybe try calorie cycling?
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Or maybe consider this plan:

    http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2010/08/your-superfoods-meal-plan-slideshow#slide=1

    Self usually recommends 1500-1600 calories diet along with exercising.
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