edit: I accidentally posted the title without anything to follow.

Anyhow, I joined Calorie Count in the new year...at around 160 pounds. Now, five months later, I am around 160 pounds...maybe 158 if I'm lucky.

Here's my info: female, 5'5", 30 years old. Last year, I hit my all-time low of 140 pounds after severely restricting for 7 months (around 1,000 calories a day). I did this with little or no exercise. With the occasional binge and family holiday, I gradually gained weight...5 pounds at a time, it seemed.

My BMR is right around 1,500 calories. 

I set my burn meter at sedentary, and then enter my exercise, yard work, house work, shopping etc. On a typical day it says I burn anywhere from 2,000 to 2,600 calories.

I eat 1,500 calories a day, with a large emphasis on lean proteins. I also allow one day of a higher calorie intake - may be even higher than my maintenance amount (i'm not sure because I don't enter things on that day). Nevertheless, it's not binge-ville, just what I want without depriving, for the most part.

My question is why am I not dropping the weight? Last summer I weighed between 148-154 pounds, and now I have a huge muffin top happening with all my clothes!

Is it possible that I'm not eating enough? I figured that 1,500 would be a safe amount - no "starvation mode", and I could still fuel my workouts and see a good weight loss.

Thanks for reading all of this! I'd really appreciate some insight!

Kerri

*bump*

help with what?

Sorry! I managed to write a huge long thing and then realized it didn't post! Not to be mistaken with mellow-drama! Let me see if I can scrounge up what I wrote and I'll re-post it! :-)

*BUMP* again...because apparently I have issues using modern technology! 

A few things...

I calculated your BMR at 1515.5.  This means that you should not eat less than 1515 on any given day.  With sedentary activity you will burn 1819 calories per day just living.  Now, if you workout you will burn even more calories each day which means you also need to eat more. 

For example = Let’s say that you enter in your workouts, yard work, etc and they total a 600 calorie burn.  That means that you would burn 2419 calories that particular day.  So, to get a 500 calorie deficit for the day (a healthy amount for losing 1 lb per week without going into starvation mode) you would need to eat 1919 calories!  You are definitely not eating enough.

You burn = 1805 being sedentary. 

Add your daily burn calories from activities to that number = 1805 + 600 =  2419.  The 2419 is your total daily burn. 

To lose in a healthy yet steady manner you should eat 500 calories less than that number per day.  2419 - 500 = 1919. <-- you should eat this

Also, say you only burn 300 calories from activities in a day instead of the above example of 600...

Add your daily burn calories from activities to your sedentay burn = 1805 + 300 =  2105.  The 2105 is your total daily burn. In this case, to lose in a healthy yet steady manner you should eat 500 calories less than that number per day.  2105 - 500 = 1605.  <-- you should eat this

So eating 1500 calories is not enough depending on your daily activity burn.  I was in starvation mode at 1400 calories with the same problem a few months back. I ate more and lost 10 lbs so far.  Enjoy eating more food and good luck!!  :)

Oh GOD BLESS YOU! More food?! Don't mind if I do! :-) 

My thoughts were, however, that if I can eat 1,000 below my burn (without going below my BMR), then I'll lose 2 lbs. per week...even better! 

But, I also know that slow and steady wins the race, I guess.

Thanks so much for your input!

You are welcome :)  I know that if I go over a 500 calorie daily deficit (say 600 or 700) then I will be more tired and sluggish the next day and my weight loss for that week will be less.  A 500 cal deficit is my magic number... with a larger deficit I do not lose weight.  I thought this was so weird at first but it really works! Good Luck!

I agree with chub2lose.  Phord's BMR/RMR calculator might help you find your magic number.  When I entered it in for you I got 638 recommended deficit at "a little more active". 

Also, are you doing any resistance training?  Last year when you were restricting you may have lost some muscle mass.  Resistance training increases your metabolism, and might get you over this plateau.

Congratulations on your persistance this last 5 months!!!!  Keep up the good work!

tmck99: Thanks for your input! Reassurance is always a good thing!

Since I originally wrote this post (this is day 2), I've upped my calories to around 1900 calories and make sure to reach a minimum of 2400 calories on my burn meter...and I'm super psyched!

You're so right about losing muscle mass while restricting...when I was heavier, I was incredibly strong - and lost it all to get that lower number on the scale. Now I'm doing implementing weights/resistance along with cardio.

Thank-you again for your encouragement!