Haven't Lost A Thing For the Past 2 Months

Options
sarahmbm
sarahmbm Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I've never posted here before, so I feel a bit awkward, but I'm beginning to wonder if I've been eating too few calories to actually lose weight?

I'm fairly healthy, and Iat 5'5 and 142 pounds I am within my normal weight range for my height (I'm just on the cusp). but I would like to lose ten pounds to give myself a cushion as I get older (I just turned 35). I figure if I can get on the lower end of my normal range now, I won't be up against as much as I age and it will be easier to stay fit and healthy.

So, over the past three months I've been pretty good, not perfect, but pretty good, and I exercise almost every day (speed walking with the dog). Still, I'm not losing a thing. In the past, I've lost more weight NOT counting calories than I have, now, as I continue counting them

Since I'm fairly healthy (and have a fair amount of muscle) do I need to allow myself more calories in order to lose? I just found a site that calculated my calorie goal for weight-loss as being 1630 on lazy days and 2050 on active days.

If this is true, and I've been aiming for 1200-1500 calories all this time, would this explain the fact that the scale is not moving AT ALL? Would I be better off not counting calories and just continuing to eat mindfully? I'm frustrated.

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Hi and welcome!
    Try this site:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    what number does IT suggest for your daily calories?
  • sarahmbm
    sarahmbm Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    Hmmm. I just did and it had me at 1579 which is basically what MFP has me at (when I eat back my exercise calories).

    It's a mystery.

    Thanks for your help anyways!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Hmmm. I just did and it had me at 1579 which is basically what MFP has me at (when I eat back my exercise calories).

    It's a mystery.

    Thanks for your help anyways!
    Sorry that didn't solve the mystery. You could try not eating back your calories, or eating back half...

    ps: Good job getting lean BEFORE the pause starts. It's definitely worth doing. Learn how to eat right, get lots of good habits settled in before you have to deal with menopause.
  • jfaure23
    jfaure23 Posts: 114 Member
    Options
    Hi, I have recently increased my calorie intake. I had been set at 1200 cals/day but also hadn't been eating back my exercise cals, so I was often netting between 500 to 800 cals. It took a while for eating more cals to make sense. I had been stagnant for 2 weeks (3 weigh-ins!) and on my third weigh-in decided something needed to change. This was not about me building that much muscle that my weight wouldn't budge. I felt it was more than just muscle replacing fat.

    In the first few days since increasing my calories, my weight dropped about 4 pounds, and I am now one week in and have lost 2 lbs officially. I am much more satisfied day to day.

    My BMR is about 1570, and my TDEE is about 2150. I aim to eat about 1750 cals per day NET. So if I exercise I take in more cals. In this manner I can expect to lose about a pound a week. So far this is holding true, and I am certainly feeling better with respect to being able to eat a bit more, and have more control and flexibility with my diet.

    If I ate 2150 cals per day (net), then my weight wouldn't move, but I know I need to consume net cals equal to or greater than my BMR to lose weight, without exceeding my TDEE. I would suggest you increase your cals to start and give it a few weeks to see what your results are. Two months of no weight movement is more than a little frustrating, so it's worth a shot.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Great post Jfaure.
  • jfaure23
    jfaure23 Posts: 114 Member
    Options
    Great post Jfaure.

    Thanks :) After reading, I think I should add that the only reason I am eating back my exercise calories is because these exercises are done ON TOP OF my estimate for TDEE. My TDEE is based on being lightly active (I play volleyball competitively once a week, and have three kids, lots of housecleaning) so I only eat back exercise cals if it is extra (like a long walk, or run or circuit training).

    Good luck on your journey!

Categories