So Frustrated!!! Ive stopped losing weight!

Hi everyone,

I started my diet exactly 40 days ago, weighing 205. Im 5 ft tall 24 yrs old and so far have lost 10 lbs... 2 weeks ago. For like 3 days in a row i was exactly 195, and now its slowly going up. I am gaining weight! Its driving me insane! I got on the scale today and it said 197!!! Im eating 1150 calories a day! How is that possible?!? I did start kinda working out, Ive been walking/painting a house. Enough to get me sore at the end of the day so maybe its muscle... but im not looking any smaller, i feel bloated and very tired all the time. (I do have irregular periods cause of my hypothyroidism, but thats not for like 1 more weeks!) (I take med for my thyroid 150mcg synthroid)

I know that weight can stop but its so frustrating, lately ive been sooo hungry I cant get satisfied with what I've been living on. I tried eating bigger breakfasts like 300-400 calories with protien but then the rest of the day im starving. Any advice would be appricated.. I eat alot of potatos, usualy turkey, chicken or fish and always 2 green veggies no butter (exept that 5cal diet stuff). I also drink TONS of tea (with splenda) that i make myself. Does tea make u gain water? Its been very hot and our AC is acting like a butt... Texas weather, does heat make it harder to lose weight? Ive had some odd sleeping patterns too does that make it worse?

My boyfriend is 5'9 and started his diet 2 weeks ago from 321 hes now 312 AHH!!! Maybe I need more vitamins... or should i replace my potatos with something? I love potatos. Anyways, what should i do? Its really upsetting me.

I guess i would up the calories- i weigh 237 and have been losing on 1800. 1150 is not enough calories a day.  I also know when we redid the kitchen, i was washing walls, up and down on a step stool all day, painting, etc.  I could hardly walk the next 2 days! The scale went up 9 lbs!!! And i know it was not from what i ate- i had been too busy to eat- maybe got a 1000 cals for 3 days in a row. After my muscles started to "relax" and fix themselves, the weight fell off again.  And potatoes are not the enemy- they are a complex carb and will fill you up for longer. Just watch the portion -some get pretty big! The tea sounds fine- its water after all ( i am not big on drinking water).  When i am hot (no ac), my feet/legs will sometimes retain water, so maybe that is what is going on- your body is just trying to hold on to everything it can. Look at it this way- do you think you can do for the rest of your life what you are doing now?  If you are starving, you need to eat.  Up the calories, maybe to 1400 or more (use the cc tools) and see if the weight starts coming off.   And darn those men- they can lose 10 lbs just by narrowing the corn dogs down to 6 instead of 8! Grrr.  Good luck-you can do it, just keep plugging away!

You're eating too few calories.  An adult woman should never be eating any less than 1200 calories a day.  You need that just for your body to function properly.  Determine what your calories burned each day is (depending on your activity level) and then subtract 500 from that to see how many calories you should be eating.  I'm 194 pounds and have mine set to sedentary (and then just add in activity) and I burn 1890 calories.  If you keep your deficit to around 500, use whole foods (apples, whole grains, etc), you will find that you will be less hungry and still lose weight.

And forget about comparing yourself to your boyfriend.  They typically have more lean muscle mass than we do (even when they are out of shape)...which means that their bodies tend to be more efficient at burning fat than ours. 

Also, I would back off on some of the tea and add in a ton of water instead.  Tea and coffee act as a natural diuretic...but if that's all you are drinking, your body might actually start retaining water (I know it's counter-intuitive) because it's not getting enough.  The best way to stay flushed out is to limit your caffeinated beverages and drink a ton of water!

Well, first off don't compare your weight loss to your boyfriends'! Men have totally different metabolisms. My boyfriend and all of his friends eat anything and everything and don't gain an ounce! Me, on the other hand, if I eat a scoop of ice cream I gain 3 pounds!

Second, you should be drinking about 103 ounces of water a day (because you weigh 205 so cut that in half) to stay hydrated. It is important in summer heat, especially down in Texas. Splenda in big-ish doses is possibly unhealthy so try to stay away from that stuff.

Also, I eat 1,200 calories a day as well. It really depends on your activity level. If you are basically sedentary then that should be sufficient and you still will lose weight. After exericising, my deficit is around 1,000 calories. Don't aim for that - I'm just telling you so you know that it varies. You should start out by trying for a 500 calorie deficit.

On my 1,200 calorie a day diet, I never go hungry. I eat filling foods (no empty calories anymore!). By the way, I love potatoes, but I had to give them up for more nutritious and filling foods. Try for lean protein and fiber to keep you full. Try fresh fruits or veggies for snacks.

You might want to start exercising more. I know that when I add more exercise to my routine, I see more results. Do some aerobic exercise a few days a week for however long you are able to go. Walk for 30 minutes with bursts of jogging here and there. You'll work your way up soon. Eventually, try adding strength training with 3/5 lb. weights, 2-3 times a week. Strength training IS great for women - you will not bulk up at all. You'll get lean. It has done loads of good for me.

Just keep it up and don't give in ever! You'll eventually get there! :)

You just have to press on.  Eventually, things will get going again.  I know it is frustrating and makes it more difficult to eat right, but you CAN do it!

Your muscles are probably a bit swollen now, which may excuse the weight gain, also maybe water retention if you have been sweating.  Don't stress over it.  Two pounds really isn't that much to gain or lose overnight even.  And double-check what calorie count recommends for your calorie level, I have heard many times never to eat below 1200.

The main thing, though, is not to give up.  Wait it out.  Keep on keeping on!

Hi,

I agree you're eating too few calories. Don't starve your self or your body will go on a binge spree. Try the calorie count tools. That helped me a lot.

When I got stuck, Mary the nutritionist told me to increase my protein. My daily caloric intake was 10% protein, Fat 20%, and carbs the rest %.  I had no idea.

So I started keeping a daily notebook log, analyzing the total calories, and how much protein and fat.

I added  the Original Boca Burgers (soy protein), and got my energy up without fat calories & extra salt. I got away from binging on coffee and chocolate. 

Look at your protein intake. Cheese is "expensive protein" because it is high in fat considering the amount of protein.  Chicken is ok depending on how its prepared. The soy burgers are ok, but some brands have high calories, and low protein, until I found the Boca Burgers (original kind). So read the tiny print.  I eat more, but it is more protein at 30% of daily calories.  (Don't do 40% or more, that can cause other problems).

No, I do not work for BocaBurger company, it is just that I was so frustrated, that Mary the nurtritionist told me to eat more protien.Then adding about 30% protein for my daily diet did the trick.  Non-fat milk and yogurt is good too.

Dessert is  plain non-fat yogurt, and add frozen berries(no sugar). Yum.

So when you have a baked potato, eat a soy burger (or steamed chicken) and some salad with it.  Have a bit of real protein at every meal.

Hope this helps

Don't give up !