Who else has been this stuck?

So, this isnt my first post on here... I have posted before for some suggestions to help me get going and ideas on what I have been doing wrong.

So, now the story is...

I have been a member since January 07... Staying within 100-200 cals of my limit, getting A or B+ most days, counting sodium, drinking 100 ounces of water a day at least, walking for an hour, and eating fruit and veggies at least 3 times a day. I know I'm doing most things right, but I just don't get this. I started at 240.2 lbs. I am 21, F, 5'3". Now, 6 months later, I have lost a lousy what... 4 pounds??? What the heck am I doing? Or is it not doing.... I have been sure to cut out trans fats, i eat only whole grains when I have bread or cereal. I don't eat after dinner. I have been to the doctor and I don't have anything wrong with me! I walk for half an hour in the morning and half an hour about 1 hour after dinner... sometimes before bed... I don't eat red meat anymore, except for bacon once in a blue moon... and I only cook with olive oil or nothing now.

I just feel like my efforts for the last 6 months are totally lost :( I know that I have to keep up and keep trying... I don't want to give up on myself... I just need a shove in the right direction! I am ready to try something new... If anyone has a suggestion... I don't want to try any of those diet pills... Do I need to exercise more or something?

Hi mary!

Ok so I am assuming by your 100-200 calories of you liomit you mean based on what this site says you should be eating. Or do you mean a 100-200 deficit from your expenditure?

---mary---, i think that if you want to lose more, you have to make your deficit bigger. one lb = 3500 cals, so it takes 35 days to lose one pound if your deficit is only 100 cals per day. i believe you have it figured out correctly, but if you are getting impatient, then you need to think about having a larger daily deficit. if you started on january 1st, that is only about 5 months, so you should have lost at least 5 lb, closer to 10, if your allowance is figured correctly, and if your deficit is truly 100 to 200 cals per day.

anyway, your efforts are NOT lost, you just need to maybe step up the exercise a bit, or cut another couple hundreds cals from each day. it sounds like you are doing everything just fine! remember, slower is better. it just gets frustrating. . . .hang in there!!!

elin is right. Increase your deficit between calories consumed and calories burnt. Try to have a deficit between 500-1000 calories a day. I usually stay around 500. I too started in Jan and lost 25 lbs, BUT I've been stuck for the past month and a half.

So hang in there! It's tough but we can do it.

Ok so by the 100-200 calories a day I mentioned, I meant that I stay within 100-200 calories of my 1450 limit. So I have 1650 at the most or 1250 at the least. I do excercise, and what ever I do I input that and no, I don't eat the calories again that I burn off... I have still eaten 1450 calories no matter what the excercise was... So if in the day I burn say 500 more than my regular expenditure, I dont consider that I can eat that much more, it just puts me that 500 calories closer to a pound off. But its not working that way!! I want to figure this out!!!

Maybe speak to your doctor and ask if he thinks you might be retaining water.  He might prescribe you some water pills to take to see if they help you out.

Other than that, I'm in exactly the same boat as you - I've been dieting and doing most everything right since February and have a net loss of 4 pounds.  It IS frustrating to say the least.  I know my problem is a whacked out thyroid gland but you say your doctor has given you a clean bill of health.  Has he done any blood tests on you to test your thyroid levels - you would have other symptoms as well though - fatique, confusion, memory loss, dry hair and nails, etc.

Good Luck.  I hope you find an answer.  You're doing everything right so just keep up the good work!

so, you are saying your weight-loss allowance is 1450, and you are averaging 1450 cals per day? and you are burning 1950 cals per day? or are you burning a lot more than that? it's possible that you aren't eating enough, in that case. if you are burning 2450 cals in a day, and only eat 1250, then you have too large a deficit. what is your average daily expenditure, including all your exercise?

Ok my normal calories burned in a day are... CC says it's an average of 2227. And I eat 1540. Is that really what could be causing this? If so that explains alot, but how can I get more calories when 1450 is a push for me? I love fruit and cornbran cereal is only 120 calories for a cup... I live off that stuff...

Hi Mary.....today is day 41 and no weight loss for me.  I'm doing good too.  I'm just being patient and trying to figure out my formula. 

I started out at 224 and lost 7lbs my first month.  Now nothing on my 2nd.  I just started my 3rd month.  When that scale goes down one to 216 I will be happy.  I want a way of life and I'll be patient.  I think I look better that there is no way I want to return to where I started from.  It's worth all the efforts.  I feel better.  I am stronger now. I am happy.  I'm just trusting my journey to get to where I want to be. 

If I rewind the tape I was gaining 2# every month.  I do not want to return to that I was miserable.  I gained 24# in two years. 

Are you drinking water?  That helps me out a lot.  More ways than one. 

stick around & lets "get down" ! 

Thankyou.... I am going to try to eat a little more food, and drink alot more water. Could it be possible that my sodium intake is higher than I think? If so maybe drinking more will really help me... I read in canadian living that you are supposed to drink one ounce of water for every two pounds you weigh... so that means if you are 200 lbs, you need to drink 100 oz. 12 and a half cups? wooohoo

united2gether found this great article

The Skinny on Fat 

It blows conventional thinking out of the water.  You should read it!

Are you eating sugars and fats together?  You can have sugars and you can have fats, but I don't sugest eating them together.   With just that rule, decreasing calorie intake, and exercising four to five days a week for an hour has worked for me.

Another suggestion is to change the execise you are doing.  In my experience, I have found that if I do the same execise everyday, my weight won't go down.  But, if I for instance, walk/jog everyday until I stop losing and then change to doing calistenics, then change to an aerobic's video, it will kick start losing weight again.

Hi,

I am pretty much the same height/weight/age as you are, and have definitely been as stuck as you are right now. I tried all that was reccomended to me as far as my caloric needs... and was fairly active during the school year. I have a 5 year old that was in school and a very fast 9 month old baby. I think I could consider my activity level about the same as yours as well. What the problem is, is that you need to eat smaller meals. Basically munch on stuff all day, while staying within your caloric needs.  Definitely step up the activity level as well. Your metabolism just won't budge if all you eat is 3 meals a day. As always, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Water metabolizes fat, after all. I just bought an elliptical last month and the weight just started dropping like never before. I am nowhere near my goal weight, but weight finally started coming off after I started to eat 6 small meals a day instead of 1-3 and stepped up my activity level.

I had lost weight since I went onto CC but since I went onto CC I was doing everything I could to eat only 1200 cal a day (my expenditure I thought was 1500?) Anyway, I recently uppped it to 1300-1500 and I am losing weight again and certainly maintaining consistency too. Definitely try upping your calories and watch the scale carefully. Find the right amount of calories for you.

Mary,

I spent about 20 minutes typing out a really long post to you and somehow lost it-ugh!!

BUT-  I am very sensitive to your situation.  I was in the same boat as you, and finally found the "trick" to getting out of a "stuck" situation and FINALLY lost 70 pounds.  Instead of spending another 20 minutes re-typing my post....if you want me to give you some tips, please feel free to e-mail me at marley3764@gmail.com

thanks,

Brandi