Completely at loss. Help me please!!!!!!!!

I've started calorie counting six months ago weighing at 183 lbs.  Now, 152-153 I'm stuck for the last 2 months. My exercise is mostly cardio and little bit of strength training (using machines  I know!) So, I can say it is at 80 - 20.  My cardio workout includes 2 miles on treadmill at 4.9 - 5.0 METS.  7-8 miles on stationary bike or 15-20 min on rowing machine or 20 min elliptical. 

Besides the above workouts, I would consider myself lightly active at home and at work.  We go to and from my son's school walking .75 miles each way.  Work most of the day I'm walking at my desk is at mezzanine level so even for a cup of water I have to come downstairs. I do that for atleast 10-12 times a day.

My calorie intake is 1500-1600/day. 

My stats : 46 yrs, 152-153 lbs (I'm between these numbers everyday) and 5'6" tall s/m build.

I really appreciate if anyone could give me any insight why I'm stuck at this number.

Anyone!!!!!!!!

How often are you working out; how many days a week? I've heard from my doctor that in order to lose weight; we need to work out 270 minutes a week which totals out to six 45 minute sessions. Sometimes switching up the intensity of the workout and working out more often will break a plateau.

My first thought is that you try switching the 80-20 to 80% strength training and 20% cardio.  Try that for a few weeks and see if that shakes things up at the scale.

Also, how much of those 1500-1600 cals/day are processed foods?  Maybe you're not getting the best nutrition?  

Original Post by corinth13:

How often are you working out; how many days a week? I've heard from my doctor that in order to lose weight; we need to work out 270 minutes a week which totals out to six 45 minute sessions. Sometimes switching up the intensity of the workout and working out more often will break a plateau.

 I workout 5 days definitely and sometimes 6 days. Total workout time is around 80-90 minutes a day. Every couple of days I try to increase the speed or incline on the treadmill or the speed on the bike or the weight on the strength training.

Original Post by andesite:

My first thought is that you try switching the 80-20 to 80% strength training and 20% cardio.  Try that for a few weeks and see if that shakes things up at the scale.

Also, how much of those 1500-1600 cals/day are processed foods?  Maybe you're not getting the best nutrition?  

 90% of my meals are home made by me.  I could say may be 300-400 are from processed foods.  It includes the oatmeal (regular plain quick oats) and occasional wraps and rice. And 11-12 out of 14 meals/week (lunch and dinner) are vegetables / pulses / beans etc. Remaining may be meat or not.

Another idea:  80-90 minutes of working out a day sounds like a lot for 1500-1600 cals/day.  If your calorie deficit has been more than 1000 cals/day for a while then you might have slowed your metabolism to where you are not at a plateau.  Maybe upping your daily calories will re-start your weight loss. 

Original Post by andesite:

My first thought is that you try switching the 80-20 to 80% strength training and 20% cardio.  Try that for a few weeks and see if that shakes things up at the scale.

Also, how much of those 1500-1600 cals/day are processed foods?  Maybe you're not getting the best nutrition?  

 I second this; I was a cardio queen and I started lifting on the 12th doing New Rules of Lifting for Women. In 7 workouts I've really transformed my body. I'm not overweight by any means but I learned that cardio won't tone you and that lifting heavy does. The girls that look the best in the gym are the ones that lift heavy and it's kind of funny how the girls doing cardio look weak compared to the girls lifting heavy. I cannot wait to see the end results in September as it's a 6 month program. I do still run as I do it for fun not to lose but have drastically cut my running since starting the weight lifting program. I've also learned that body fat percentage highly outweighs the number on the scale and BMI.

Oddly enough, you may need to eat more for a couple of days.

Sometimes our body will adjust our basal metabolic rate to reflect our average consumption.  So if you're eating 1500 calories a day, your body might cut it's energy output to try and conserve fat stores (this is evolutionary, from back when we actually went through lean times)

The cure is to fool the body into increasing it's BMR again.  So for two or three days, eat more - enough to no longer have a calorie deficit - maybe 1800 to 2000.  You most likely won't gain any weight (rather, you'd be at maintenance level) but you will reset your BMR.  Then go back to your 1500 calorie a day diet, and you should see those numbers start to change.

It can't hurt, and if it works, then great!  If not, at least you had a couple of days of eating some fun stuff :)

Original Post by vbeattie:

Oddly enough, you may need to eat more for a couple of days.

Sometimes our body will adjust our basal metabolic rate to reflect our average consumption.  So if you're eating 1500 calories a day, your body might cut it's energy output to try and conserve fat stores (this is evolutionary, from back when we actually went through lean times)

The cure is to fool the body into increasing it's BMR again.  So for two or three days, eat more - enough to no longer have a calorie deficit - maybe 1800 to 2000.  You most likely won't gain any weight (rather, you'd be at maintenance level) but you will reset your BMR.  Then go back to your 1500 calorie a day diet, and you should see those numbers start to change.

It can't hurt, and if it works, then great!  If not, at least you had a couple of days of eating some fun stuff :)

 I'll this for this week and see what happens. Thanks!