HELP!

Hi this is my first time posting. I am 28 years old, 1.73 or 5 foot 8 tall and weigh between 62 and 64kgs or 136 and 140 pounds. I went on diet in April and lost 18 pounds. It has just stopped and I fluctuate a whole kilogram in 2 days.

WHY?!?!?

I have been following my meal plan very well during the week and then eat out once on the wekend but never badly! Or I have 1 treat a week on the weekend. I generally eat between 1300 and 1400 a day.

I cycle for 30 mins everyday on my stationary bike and play netbal 3 to 4 times a week and I go to a place called the Firm where they put these pads on my body and they stimulate the muscles. So I am pretty active.

So then why has the weightloss stopped!?!?! I cannot cut my calories anymore as then I will be on a starvation diet and then will just obsess and become "eating disordered" again!

And then the scale this moring says that I gained a whole kilo in 2 days when I have not eaten badly! I am freaking out!

Please can someone give me some advice on what to do!

Congratulations and well done for losing 18lbs.  Please calm down.  Your are at a healthy weight for your height, so any further weight loss is going to be slow.  More importantly, you are eating too few calories for your weight, height and level of activity, so your body may well be using it's reduced energy more efficiently - i.e. starvation mode

Daily fluctuations in weight are normal, and to be ignored - the weight of your food and water alone per day is more than a kilo.  You should only weigh yourself weekly on the same day first thing in the morning after you urinate.

Please be careful if you have previously had disordered eating patterns, "freaking out" over a kilo, when you are at a healthy weight for your height, is not healthy.  Take a deep breath, put things in perspective and try to concentrate on maintaining your 18lb loss and eating healthy food which gives your body the nutrition it requires.

EDIT - I'VE JUST CALCULATED YOUR BMI - IT'S 20.8.  YOU DON'T NEED TO LOSE ANY MORE WEIGHT.  PLEASE JUST USE CC TO CALCULATE THE CALORIES YOU NEED TO CONSUME TO MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT.

Hi i just checked your bmi and its 21 which is well within the healthy range!

As a 48 year old woman i wish i could speak to me at 28, yes watch your weight but don't be obssesd your 28! you have a healthy life style keep up with and enjoy your life, please .

WOW Thanks for the timely replies!

Ok, I know that my BMI is almost at a normal level but I think that I'm one of those people where BMI is not correct. I know about health implications of being underweight and so forth. So don't stress! I  see a therapist and a nutrionalist and tehy keep it all under wraps. Thanks for the concern though!

I know that i am spinning out a bit about this weight gain in the past 2 days but I can't understand why it can happen. I played 3 games of hectic netbal in a row and my sister thinks that i could be retaining water because of that. Could that be true?

I am trying hard to get around the idea that perhaps my body likes being at this weight but I am still trying to eat healthily and not gain any weight.

Your replies rerally helped! Thanks for the encouragement!

Hi Aimstop,

Your BMI is not "almost" normal - it's at the low end of healthy.  If you are feeling concerned about this, please speak to your therapist.

You need to be eating far more calories than you are to maintain your weight.  You are starving yourself at the moment, and this has long term physical and mental implications.

So please calm down, stop weighing yourself daily, and calculate and eat the right number of calories to maintain your weight.

Good luck,

Ax

Long-term dieting or undereating, ironically, makes weight-gain more rather than less likely when the individual eats just a little more than normal.  This is because, over time, the body adapts to use less energy.   Any extra energy is then squirreled away as 'insurance'.  Colloquially it's known as 'dieting yourself fat'.

You really don't need to lose more weight as others have pointed out.   So to maintain your current healthy weight you should increase your intake to a more realistic amount for your needs...  A reasonably active person with your stats should be able to maintain on about 2000 cals a day, for example. 

Good luck.

Your weight fluctuates daily due to a number of factors, water retention being one of them. I'm guessing you're female (I did not check?), in which case your weight will fluctuate around your menstrual cycle as well. Yes, even a whole kilo. If you weigh yourself at different times in the day, you will also get drastically different numbers.

If you still feel the need to lose, take a break and start again in several months. Eat 2000 calories as gi-jane said, and maintain for several months. Maintaining for extended periods of time (even in the middle of weight loss) helps keep the weight off in the long run. However, as everyone previously mentioned, you don't need to lose. Discuss with your therapist. Your panic could indicate a little obsessive thinking creeping in? Concentrate on your health not losing weight.

Hi there.  I agree with everyone else here when they say that you are at a great weight already.  You should be so proud of yourself and really enjoy what you've achieved thus far.  It is a great accomplishment.  Your advantage is that you are still young, you are being active by exercising which is very important for your heart and overall well being.  Keep it up.  Listen to your body more.  Make sure you're drinking tons of water especially if you're exercising alot and don't eat too late in the night.  This might help to keep the weight-loss going.  However, your body will shed the weight in good time.  Again, just enjoy your achievement.  You probably look fantastic.  Stop obsessing and take a good look at yourself.  BE PROUD!!!

Take care and all the best!

I agree with what all have said and add a little of my personal experience.

When first joining CC and using a nutritionist at my gym to help me, I was startled that she wasnted me to eat at least 1600 cals per day!  OMG I thought I'd gain so much weight!  But no!  I lost .... and after 7 months of personal training and CC to help me with nutrition, I took the metabolic test again and guess what?  I'd lost weight, gained muscle and increased my metabolism to the point that my new minimum calorie intake is 1800 per day!

Holy smokes I was scared to death to eat 1800 calories per day.

But I am still losing.

the moral of the story is this - sometimes you need to eat more to lose more.

I know its seems bizarre and backwards.  But try it.

And - are you watching the "analysis" tab?  A good guideline is that 50% of your calories come from carbs, and 30 from protein, 20 from fat.

Perhaps take a look at hte balance of hte calories nad get them in line if they're not close to these guidelines.

And yotu know what else?  I agree with the others that your stats lead me to believe that you are fit and healthy as you are right now.

Have a great day and love yourself as is!