How to get rid of last stubborn pound? Im so frustrated

mishkat
mishkat Posts: 99 Member
edited December 19 in Motivation and Support
I'm getting very upset. Haven't lost any weight this month. In fact, I've gained some. I can't lower my cal intake anymore (currently 1200) and I'm even working out now. So how come now that I do aerobics every week and more active that I've been in months; I can't lose any weight!? I lost 30 lbs without working out at all. Now I'm stuck at 121-122 lbs. I just want to stay at 120. Why is 1 lb so damn hard to lose after all I've lost!?

I think I need to start doing strength training but I don't have a way to accurately calculate calories burned when I do weights so I have not done it all. I like to be able to log an exercise and know how many calories I burned and how many calories I am allowed to eat to recover. But if I do weights I wont be able to track the calories. Any suggestion?

Replies

  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    Everybody's weight fluctuates a few lbs from day to day due to water weight. It's not that important.

    And when you start lifting weights (which I highly recommend) you're going to get frustrated because that scale will either not move or it'll go up a few lbs due to fluid retention (which is what helps repair your muscles). DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SCALE. In fact, throw it away. Measure yourself, figure out your body fat %. Those are what's important!

    As for calorie burn, you can enter "strength training" under cardio, and it will give you a rough estimate of your calorie burn.
  • mishkat
    mishkat Posts: 99 Member

    As for calorie burn, you can enter "strength training" under cardio, and it will give you a rough estimate of your calorie burn.

    Does this calculate based on our stats so if you and I use this and say 30 minutes, does it show same cal burn for both of us or is it an individual calculation?

    I just want to be able to get to 120 so I can start maintaining instead of being in deficit. I used to lose weight every week, even if minimal, not anymore.

    I did measure myself last weekend, how often should I measure?
  • OldStNick
    OldStNick Posts: 5 Member
    Measuring monthly is a good start. Week to week, you'll just torture yourself because you're not going to see massive changes in that time.

    The calorie burn you find in the search for "strength training" is very general and I don't think it's specific to you. Not sure it's going to give you the numbers you're looking for :(
  • OldStNick
    OldStNick Posts: 5 Member
    And add some strength training to your routine ;) Starvation and cardio isn't going to give you the shape you want.
  • jgarf4me
    jgarf4me Posts: 33 Member
    if youre not excersising before and are doing so now, you are probably gaining muscle and losing fat. Do you feel stronger?
    you can get tested at almost any gym for body fat composition or do it yourself and try again in a month or so and see whats going on.
    I wouldnt worry too much about it. Three weeks ago i gained 2 pounds over a month. My body fat composition went down meaning i gained 3 pounds of muscle and lost full pound of fat.
    Jeff:happy:
  • chayleah
    chayleah Posts: 51 Member
    Why is 120 the magic number? Do you think your body is going to look dramatically different at 120 than at 122? Is there still an area of your body you aren't happy with? Even if you get to 120 you will still fluctuate daily based on what you eat or drink. Let go of the magic number & just start maintenance. If it takes ridiculous acrobatics to lose 1-2 extra pounds, what will it take to maintain it?
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member

    As for calorie burn, you can enter "strength training" under cardio, and it will give you a rough estimate of your calorie burn.

    Does this calculate based on our stats so if you and I use this and say 30 minutes, does it show same cal burn for both of us or is it an individual calculation?

    I just want to be able to get to 120 so I can start maintaining instead of being in deficit. I used to lose weight every week, even if minimal, not anymore.

    I did measure myself last weekend, how often should I measure?

    I'm pretty sure it shows what your burn for your stats are like the other cardio entries on MFP.
  • mishkat
    mishkat Posts: 99 Member
    Thank you everyone for the replies. I am reading more about BMR, TDEE etc. I think 1200 calories is not working out for me, may be too high of a deficit that Ive been doing for months. I believe my BMR is around 1300 and my TDEE for fat burning is around 1800 so I am going to bump up my calories to 1400 for a month and go from there. Thing is, I normally don't burn over 250 calories when I workout, so I guess I wont have to eat back my exercise calories? I don't know, still learning about all these numbers. >_<

    120 is not a magic number, like you said, not real visual drastic difference on the way I look. I suffer a bit of OCD so I guess that is my OCD hitting me. I did measure myself about a wk ago, not sure how often I should measure but I need to remind myself that those numbers should have a stronger priority on my progress than the scale number.

    I do need to stop weighing myself every morning, should only do 1-2 times a week I guess. Too much can happen on a day to day to fluctuate those numbers, though I sometimes go days weighing the exact same number.

    Sometimes it is so hard to apply advice or knowledge though, so I need people to keep reminding me of these things.
    I forget that the smaller I get (weight) the harder it is to burn calories sometimes.


    By the way, please feel free to add me as friend. I can use more friends and more encouragement and well as reminders to not let my ocd or the guilt of eating take over me. ;p
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Question: how much of that 1lb does it show on your body?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Lop an arm off.

    Come on - seriously - you're too young to be so neurotic. Fuggeddaboudit.
  • mishkat
    mishkat Posts: 99 Member
    Lop an arm off.

    Come on - seriously - you're too young to be so neurotic. Fuggeddaboudit.

    XD funny ;p


    @niner - seriously? on my tummy. I swear, as soon as i eat, no matter how much/little, my tummy inflates like a balloon. ;p
  • BeetleChe13
    BeetleChe13 Posts: 498 Member
    If it is seriously just one pound, I'd say cut your losses and reset to maintenance. I hit the same wall around 120-ish. When I started eating my maintenance calories instead of 1200, I actually dropped the last few pounds that had escaped me. Now I'm at 115 and maintaining again, but I had stopped caring about being under 120. I wanted to be healthy. I ate cleaner, exercised more, ate more, and my body did the work for me. Take care of yourself at 121 and see what happens. :wink:
  • SpydrMnky27
    SpydrMnky27 Posts: 381 Member
    Thank you everyone for the replies. I am reading more about BMR, TDEE etc. I think 1200 calories is not working out for me, may be too high of a deficit that Ive been doing for months. I believe my BMR is around 1300 and my TDEE for fat burning is around 1800 so I am going to bump up my calories to 1400 for a month and go from there. Thing is, I normally don't burn over 250 calories when I workout, so I guess I wont have to eat back my exercise calories? I don't know, still learning about all these numbers. >_<

    120 is not a magic number, like you said, not real visual drastic difference on the way I look. I suffer a bit of OCD so I guess that is my OCD hitting me. I did measure myself about a wk ago, not sure how often I should measure but I need to remind myself that those numbers should have a stronger priority on my progress than the scale number.

    I do need to stop weighing myself every morning, should only do 1-2 times a week I guess. Too much can happen on a day to day to fluctuate those numbers, though I sometimes go days weighing the exact same number.

    Sometimes it is so hard to apply advice or knowledge though, so I need people to keep reminding me of these things.
    I forget that the smaller I get (weight) the harder it is to burn calories sometimes.


    By the way, please feel free to add me as friend. I can use more friends and more encouragement and well as reminders to not let my ocd or the guilt of eating take over me. ;p


    I used to be the same way about the numbers on the scale. DH had to snap me out of it because I was obsessing. I no longer care about the number. Yes, it's nice to see it go down but I just gained a pound and lost 1/2 an inch off my waist. I know the scale doesn't mean anything to my goals at this point.
  • LindaCWy
    LindaCWy Posts: 463 Member
    yell at it!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    You should be eating more than 1200 calories. You should actually be eating very close to maintenance when you are so close.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    @niner - seriously? on my tummy. I swear, as soon as i eat, no matter how much/little, my tummy inflates like a balloon. ;p
    Lol, so in other words your stomach pushes out after you eat. Sorry dear, but that happens to everyone. Seriously, you're fretting over a pound, when even if you lost it, I would bet that your tummy would look exactly the same.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mishkat
    mishkat Posts: 99 Member
    You should be eating more than 1200 calories. You should actually be eating very close to maintenance when you are so close.

    That is what I am trying to research today, figuring out my BMR etc so I can bump up my calories to maintenance at least. =)
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    You should be eating more than 1200 calories. You should actually be eating very close to maintenance when you are so close.

    That is what I am trying to research today, figuring out my BMR etc so I can bump up my calories to maintenance at least. =)

    You can raise them over time too - you can raise 100 a week or so. That way it doesn't feel like you are eating so much all at one time either.
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