When all else fails...

Then what? I am at a loss here, I have no idea what to change or fix or whatever to get this weight loss moving. I am doing everything I thought I should be doing but apparantley it isnt working! I eat healthy and get enough cals go to the gym what else can I do? seriously I am so fed up! Should I do only cardio and forget the weight training? I dont want muscles, I want to lose, than tone! I add crystal light to my water, should I drop that? I really dont know what else to do but when nothing happens it makes me want to quit this and eat what I want! But I wont....i just want to feel like all i am doing is at least worth it...GRRRR...

Could you give us your details, please?  Age, height, cw, gw, typical meal plan, do you measure out your food, type and amount of exercise?

Maybe one of the professionals (or non-professionals!) will spot a problem that you've overlooked.

Don't drop the weight training...muscles burn fat!

Hmm...one of the pitfalls you may be experiencing is not eating enough. How many calories are you eating a day? Are you taking into account the calories you burn doing cardio and weight training? Especially if you feel like you're doing everything right, this might be the case.

Also, Weight Watchers always used to say, if your weight loss begins to slow down, you may have gotten away from measuring your food. If you are eyeballing portions, you may be overestimating portion size. I'm terrible at eyeballing portion size on things like butter, jelly, etc, anything you spread. Maybe try measuring your food for a week or so, and see if that doesn't change your results.

ok I am 34, 5'4 and currently 215 pounds (ugh!). Here is my food for today

breakfast: 1 cup of raisin bran and 1 cup of 1% milk

snack:  banana

lunch: weight control oatmeal, hard boiled egg and activia light vanilla yogurt

snack: celery & peanut butter (1 tbsp)

dinner: not sure yet...

H20 120 ounces

I have been counting all my calories, measuring everything and logging exercise. I eat more when I exercise.

Without knowing dinner, it's hard to say, but that doesn't look like enough calories to me. What's been your typical intake on workout days and non-workout days?

Instead of the packaged oatmeal, can you use regular oatmeal (you can microwave it, too).

I average about 500 calories for dinner. so that would make my cals for the day like this:

12 oz french vanilla capp - 210

Raisin bran - 190     Milk - 110  

banana - 90 

Oatmeal - 160   Egg - 78   Activia - 70

celery & peanut Butter - 101

 Dinner - 500ish

210+190+110+160+78+70+90+101+500=1509 &n bsp; 

then I burn 2350 set at lightly active for a deficit of 841

If I add in my workout that adds about 200 more cals burned so that would leave a deficit of 1041. I would then eat a small snack so I dont fall below 1000 deficit.

What if you tried to just keep a 500 cal deficit for a while. Some people are fine with higher deficit. Others aren't.

Were you losing weight before and it has slowed, or have you not seen much in the way of results?

The last time I did this about a year ago, I dropped 30 pounds by eating 1200 cals a day and walking 30 minutes a day 4 times a week. Then it all came back cuz I quit. Now I am back and I joined the gym, have been eating healthier and I lost a pound per week the last 3 weeks and this week I gained and I dont see how. I also must add I havent gone to the bathroom in almost 2 weeks. I have been trying to eat foods to move things along but it isnt helping.

What are your workouts like?  Maybe you need to just move more.  Don't drop the weight training...you will slowly be building muscle which will help you greatly in the long run!  Maybe you need to add or vary your cardio?  Also, vary your weight training?  Are you doing the same thing all the time?  

Honestly, I swear by interval training.  My brother is a personal trainer, and when I started, my weight didn't budge for weeks...then my brother told me to stop doing an hour of steady state and do an hour of moderate intervals...pretty much I run for one minute, walk for two.  On the elliptical I'll up the intensity to 14 - 19 for one minute and lower it to 6 for two.  Since, I've dropped 6 pounds (a little more than one pound a week...but at least it's moving!)  Maybe you should try that?  Don't give up!!!  Remember, something is better than nothing!  It will start to move again!  ;)

I used to always be able to drop weight fast just with the 1200-1600 cals and cardio.  I was SO frustrated when I started weight training and the scale stopped moving.  But I stuck with it and after 2 months, I've only lost 8 pounds, but sister, you wouldn't believe how awesome my body looks!  It's a whole new approach to transformation.  I was SO frustrated when the scale didn't move and I think those first 5-7 weeks were the worst.  I was NOT cheating and I was working my ass off.  Now I've got serious results and I'm able to stay in a 1600-1800 cal range week to week.   It is a HUGE hump to get over the f-ing scale.  Stick with weights, I mean it, and hell with the scale for now. 

Original Post by kcnae3:

 I lost a pound per week the last 3 weeks and this week I gained and I dont see how. I also must add I havent gone to the bathroom in almost 2 weeks. I have been trying to eat foods to move things along but it isnt helping.

One week of gain means nothing - especially if you haven't one to the bathroom in 2 weeks - how uncomfortable!

This isn't an exercise or intake issue - it's a poo issue!

Plus, if you are nearing your period, that could also give you a gain.

Keep what you are doing, maybe eat some prunes or have some coffee - I bet when you finally go, you'll drop back down in weight.

kcnae3, you must have been posting your last bit while I was typing...I have to agree with amethystgirl, it most likely IS  a poo issue!!  And gaining one week (whilst not having a BM) isn't anything to feel bad about!  Just need some extra fiber and water...if nothing happens, time to visit the doc.  That's such a miserable feeling.  :(

Senna tea and stool softeners.  I often have to help things along.  I'm a pro.

I took some miralax yesterday and today...just waiting. I have been getting fiber and my stinkin tummy hurts!

Original Post by kcnae3:

 I also must add I havent gone to the bathroom in almost 2 weeks. I have been trying to eat foods to move things along but it isnt helping.

 This jumped out at me like a red flag.  Either you're not getting enough fiber or something else is wrong.  It didn't look to me like you were getting very much in the way of fiber or protein.  I would try adding more dark green veggies and lean protein and see if something changes.  If this is diet related you should see results pretty quickly.  If not, you should probably see a doctor because it isn't good if things aren't moving the way they should.  Good luck and keep us posted!

If I don't poo first thing in the morning before a weigh in day, I DON'T stand on the scale. I'll wait till the next am poop.

I think you should avoid weighing yourself until you do the deed.

good plan igloogal!

All work and no poo makes kcnae a dull girl!

Just from looking at what you're eating, you're not eating enough fruit and veg.  The Dept. of Health in the UK says you should eat at least 5 different 80g portions of fruit and vegetables a day - a banana and a bit of celery just ain't guna cut the mustard m'dear!  I guess you probably have something with your dinner too - but you need to have enough of each. Eggs and milk can also make you constipated I have found in the past but not generallu if you're getting enough fibre. 

Maybe it is also worth making your deficit a bit smaller for a while, 1000 cals seems really high to me - if you change things around a bit then maybe it will wake your body up a bit.

kcnae3,

Have you thought about consulting a nutritionist/dietican?

I was in a similar situation like you...trying to loose weight and no mather what I was doing, the pounds were just still there. After I met with nutritionist, it turns out that my hormones are all messed up and that has a lot to do with your body's ability to loose weight.