Help I'm not losing! What should I be doing different??

I started logging my foods on here at the end of January because everyone thought I wasn't eating enough. After reading many threads on here and actually looking at my calorie intake - I discovered I wasn't. Most days I averaged around 900 -1100 calories. Since reading all the threads about starvation mode I've slowly been increasing my calorie intake to 1200 - 1300 and right now my percentages are : carbs 50%, fat 25%, protein 25 % (although sometimes I have a hard time keeping the protien intake up). To date I have not lost any weight. I want to lose 8 pounds (10 would be fantastic). Can anyone help me figure out why I am not losing. I'm 5'1" , 54 years old and weigh 126. I work out 3-5x a week, weight lift 2x and do cardio for 30 minutes everday I'm at the gym. What gives??

You're already at a healthy weight, so it will be harder for you to lose.  Your age also makes it more difficult.  Do you know your body fat percentage?

At 1200-1300 calories with that exercise regime, you should be losing weight.  How long have you been at the increased intake levels?

http://phord.com/cc/?m=US&q=f-54-155-57.3 -1.55-0-0-

No I don't know my body fat percentage. I've been at the increased calorie intake for about 2 weeks. Maybe not long enough? It's frustrating and I don't want to gain any more wt - my clothes won't fit LOL  Hard to get that mentality into your head to eat more to lose weight. I'm up 8 pounds since last summer.

you should add in some more weight training  so you do it 3x week. Remember to lift heavy not light.

Also keep in mind that it may take 2-12 weeks to get the metabolism back on track.

Weights are the best thing for repairing the metabolism.

2 weeks isn't long enough, probably.  Try a couple more.

Do you weigh every day?  Do you weigh consistently?

Weekly weigh-ins help some people's sanity, but it's less information.  You could be losing for a couple weeks without seeing on the scale on a weekly weigh-in.

I was lifting 3x a week but cut it back to 2x and increased my cardio to try and start losing. I lift free weights for upper body using 8-15 pounds for most exercises and can't really go any heavier because I have chronic tendonitis in my L elbow. I do leg squats on the Smith machine and use 60 pounds. Can't really increase my cardio time either because I have osteoartiritis in my L knee and it gets to aching if I do more than about 30-35 minutes on the treadmill and/or the eliptical trainer. Sound like a train wreck but I'm really quite healthy!

Might try going back to lifting 3x a week and see what happens.

I was weighing everyday - got too discouraged - now I only weigh once a week

Thanks for your suggestions

I hear ya about the elbow, I had surgery on my left one when I was nine, now Im 27. It never really gained all its strength back. Im tryin to improve on my strength on that arm. I laugh at myself because I can lift 30lbs on my right but only 20lbs on the left!! LOL =(.

I would keep the cardio around, have you heard of HIIT. Maybe cutting some sessions and incorporatin HIIT will help you out a lot.

I am in the 3rd month or trying to get my matabolism back up and running. I know your pain first hand. Its hard hard hard to work out and eat right and jump on the scale and get a big slap in the face.

Hang in there.

Hi bonton71,

You are eating far too little. It is extremely difficult to get a complete nutritional balance in under 1200 calories for a woman. You have sabotaged your metabolism, so it works extremely inefficient -- that is to say, your body hoards calories, giving up bare minimum necessary, and storing the rest as fat. This is why fad diets never work.  To lose 1/2 - 1 pound per week, you need to consume 500 calories less per day than you burn.  If caloric intake falls too low, the human body responds by decreasing metabolism and increasing fat storage.  It's the feast/famine response adapted from prehistoric conditions of the hunter/gatherer.  You go into a starvation mode.  What I would suggest is using the calculator tools available here, calculate how many calories you should be consuming in order to reach your goals you can also get your fat index as well.   Keep in mind, eating the right foods will play a big part in losing weight.  If you are eating a lot of simple carbs you are hurting yourself, you need to eat at least 2 servings of whole grains, 2-3 servings of veggies, 2-3 servings of fruits, and legumes, and minimize the pastas, potatoes, and white rice.  The simple carbs convert to sugar much faster.  Also, be aware of ingredients used in receipts.  All the tablespoons here and tablespoons there all add up.  Take oil for example: 1 tablespoon for most olive oils is 120 calories.  If you pour oil freely over salad you may be consuming a lot more calories then you realize.  Olive oil is very good for you and you should have at least 1 tablespoon a day, but measure all your ingredients and log them in your chart.  You may be consuming more calories then you realize.   You also have to have a little fun with your food choice so that you are not creating a deprived mind set.  In other words, you don't want to go all day feeling like you are depriving yourself of foods you enjoy.    I just re-discovered rice cakes.  I buy the Maple-brown sugar (50 Calories for 1 cake) and add 1 tablespoon of Cool-Whip (25 Calories for 2 Tablespoons).  I find it a very satisfying snack and a little devilish too.  I also eat the black rice and black vinegar with black beans.  This has become my staple foods.  I have included the link to the black foods if you are interested.   Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - Foods in Black for Better Nutrition :: News :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center

You are exercising quit a bit and so you are converting fat into muscle, which does weight more.  Have you taken your bodies measurements yet? You may be losing fat even if you are not seeing the scale move.  This is good, so don't reduce your exercising, you just need to readjust your food intake.   When you exercise, do you reach for the sports drinks?  They are loaded with calories/sugar, and you could replace your potassium by simply eating cantaloupe or eating watermelon, both very good sources of potassium and you get your servings of fruits that way as well.  I have often said losing weight is like a science, because you need to understand how your body works with the changes in habits.  If you are eating to much protein that could be an issue.  Tell me a little about your daily eating habits, maybe we can discover what you are doing that is causing you to not lose weight.  You only want to lose 1lb a week, more then that you are more likely to gain it back and then some.  What are you goals.  BTW -- it is very nice to meet you.....

edited to add:  By the way, weighting yourself everyday is not bad, what I have done is weigh in every other day or so but I use Saturdays as my official weigh in day.  This way I can readjust my foods as I go along and can see if I had somthing that may not have been good for me. 

Thanks for your response to my question. My goal is to lose 10 pounds but I'd be happy with 8. My calorie intake did sabotage my metabolism - part of it was trying to lose weight (where does that mindset come from that less is better) but then the other half is that I have reflux and I get full very quickly then it would take a long while before I'd get hungry again. I have noticed that by increasing my calorie intake I have been actually getting hungry which is probably a good thing. I eat small meals more often. I usually try to keep my percentages like this: carbs - 50% protein 25-30% and fat 20-25%. Had to add whey powder to keep the protein above 20% - I'm just not a big eater and I'm picky to boot! LOL  Since joing CC+ I only eat whole wheat products and am trying to incorporate more veggies but that's been hard as I don't like a lot of them and some of the veggies don't like me - they give me stomachaches LOL

Typical day

Breakfast - Fiber one with 1/2c skim milk

midmorning snack if hungry 1/2 c skim milk or piece of fruit or WW yogurt

Lunch 1% low fat cottage cheese and an apple

Snack before the gym: Smuckers peanut butter or South Beach diet protein bar or whey protein shake or fruit

Dinner: protein - chicken, turkey, seafood or lean beef (don't like fish) Salad slice of WW bread and steamed veggies if my stomach is cooperating that day

A half to whole glass of skim milk at night and about 8 low fat animal crackers

I haven't taken my measurments probably should do that but my pants are snug so I'm not sure that would show a good thing. Had to quit weighing myself daily I was getting too discouraged and it was setting a bad tone for my day.

I don't drink any drinks containing sugar - no sports drinks. I gave up Diet soda when I got reflux because it made it worse so it's coffee and water.

I'd be happy to be losing a half pound a week but so far the scale has just not budged. I'm a nurse so I have a good understanding of nutrition - not sure how I got so low on calories and I really didn't realize it until I started logging my foods, but I've never been a big eater.

I work out 3-5x a week, wt lift 2x and do 30 min cardio everyday I'm at the gym.

Any suggestions????

Thanks

Hi, your metabolism works like this, it only knows what you are eating today and can not anticipate what you will have tomorrow.  Your body looks at your eating habits for the last few days and reacts accordingly.  When you change your habits your metabolism has to catch up, and could take days or up to a week maybe two before you see any changes.  I'd stay away from peanut butter.  My suggestion would be to eat more whole grains like either brown rice or black rice (black rice is one of my favorites) and add more legumes to your diet.  These are more powerful foods and may be better on your stomach.  Papaya is excellent for digestion as well is yogurt and pineapple.  Eating legums will also allow you to stop using whey power, since they are a good source of protein.  Brown/black rice are an excellent source of B vitamins.  Do you add sugar to your morning breakfast cereal?  Oatmeal is a good breakfast source.   At night I would substitute the animal crackers for either rice cake or popcorn, animal crackers are empty calories and are low in nutritional value.  You may also want to check out the Lactose Milk - it is easier on the digestion system and it has a cleaner taste.   Your diet should consist of 30% fruits and veggies, 30% breads, rice, pasta; 15% milk & Dairy; 15% meat/fish; 10% Fat & sugary foods.

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts.

Flax seed offers a vegetarian alternative to provide omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seed has been shown in many studies to offer heart-healthy benefits. In addition, flax seed also contain other beneficial ingredients such as fiber and lignan, a type of antioxidant phytoestrogen. 

Instead of eating cottage cheese, dip your fruit in yogurt.  I have been eating a yogurt I buy at Krogers.  It's 2 for 0.88 cents so it's both economical and food smart.  Keep in mind some foods will encourage your body to lose weight those are the foods you want to make your staple foods. 

Here are some tips:

1: Find out how many calories you need

2: Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (apricots are very good low calorie and easy on the digestion system) you will need to find which fruit works best for you. 

3: Watch for Portion Size

4: Do not Skip Meals

5: Go for wholesome fresh foods

6: Don't be overly-restrictive

7: Understand Food Claims and Labels

8: Watch for the sugary drinks - although you have this under control. I drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day. 

9: Keep a food journal

Acid Reflux Diet

• First of all, try to eat small, frequent meals instead of big meals. Small amounts of food each time would exert less workload on the stomach and will require less acid secretion for digestion. Make sure to include foods that are high in complex carbohydrates in each meal. These foods, such as rice (brown or black rice), breads and pasta - Ronzoni makes a smart pasta now which has more whole wheat-, are able to tie up excess stomach acid and are often easy on the stomach.
• Avoid high-fat meals. High fat foods will remain in the stomach longer, causing the need for more stomach acid in order to digest them.
• But remember, don't overeat! Eating too much of any foods will stimulate the stomach to secret more acids for digestion.
• Avoid or limit alcohol
• Maintain upright position during and at least 45 minutes after eating
• Try elevating the head of bed six to eight inches when lying down.

Don't think that beverages just quickly flow through your stomach without affecting acid production. Surprisingly, a lot of beverages stimulate acid secretion such as beer, wine and pop, I know you said you gave up soda which was the best idea especially diet soda's - Don't even get me stated with how bad they are for you. The worst of all is beer. It could double your stomach acid within an hour.

Acid Reflux Diet Myth

• Myth 1: Drink milk
  
  A lot of people try drinking milk to ease acid reflux before sleep. But often, milk ends up causing acid reflux during sleep. To understand the whole situation, we have to realize that the problem roots from eating too much at dinner time. Eating a big meal at dinner causes excess stomach acid production. Drinking milk could be a quick fix to the acid reflux problem. Unfortunately, milk has a rebound action and would eventually encourage secretion of more stomach acid, which causes the acid reflux. To solve the problem, try adjusting your diet by eating a small meal at dinner and have a small snack before sleep.
  
  
• Myth 2: Avoid coffee, citrus fruits and Spicy food
  
  We have been told for years that coffee, acidic fruit as well as spicy foods can aggravate acid reflux. Therefore, we should avoid these in our daily diet in order to reduce acid reflux. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in May 2006 showed that none of these myths hold true. Researchers from the Stanford University found that the only two behavioral changes can reduce symptoms of acid reflux - eating less and elevate your head while sleeping.

A proper diet is the best solution for overcoming acid reflux, so avoid taking over-the-counter antacids .

Now I could go on and on, but I don't want you to run away...  My best advice would be to evaluate which foods will work best for your body that will energize your metabolism and give you more energy as well.  Balance your food groups and reduce the amount of milk you are drinking. 

Happy reading... Karen

 

It sounds like you're still not eating enough. You said you log your food but are you also logging your time in the gym? If you're logging both then you can see how much energy your spending verses calories in. You want to try for a deficiet/difference between the two of 500-1000 daily. That equals 1-2 lbs a week. If the difference is more than that then you're sabotaging yourself and if you lose anything it would be water weight or muscle and also slowing your metabolism. You may also think about increasing your protein a little maybe to 30-35% to help support your muscle, you can do that by adding eggs or eggbeaters with your cereal in the morning I understand the problem with vegetables, I've found if I drink a glass of water after a meal it does help dilute and push through the veges and/or a small chicken breast to your lunch. I aim for 6 meals a day, spaced 2 1/2-3 hours apart. Adding in that extra meal/snack would also give you a chance to add quality calories, protein and keep the other meals small. I also think the fact that you are getting hungry during the day is a good sign that your body is changing and you may be on the edge of losing some weight. It just takes the body time to adapt. For me personally, if I fall off the "diet" wagon for an extended period of time, like Thanksgiving through New Years, it takes me around 4 weeks before my body really starts to make changes that I can notice. Since you're changes have only been 2 weeks, I would give it a little more time. Also how do you feel during the day, are you energized and moving or are you tired and dragging? If you're dragging then something is not right, i.e. too much exercise or not enough or proper nutrition. I know I've had a good balanced day when I get to the end and I'm not irritable and had the energy to deal with the day. Another thing you may take into consideration is, are other people noticing changes? People lose weight differently and although you think you should be losing your belly or your thighs should be slimmer, you may just be losing it in other places. Again for me, I tend to lose all over at the same time so I don't see the differences a quickly as they are really happening. Plus my pants seem looser but when I measure my hips or waist the numbers don't prove it. I'm am losing but is itty bits all around, not necessarily at the exact point that I'm measuring. So it's frustrating. I feel different, people are making comments but my numbers don't prove it. I found I lost most weight and had the most positive attitude when I decided on a method that was nutritionally sound and made me feel good and then just chugged away, not really checking myself daily. I lost 35 lbs in 4 months and when I stepped on the scale I was amazed. I hope this helps, sounds like you're on the right track though.

Thanks for your thoughts  - I've actually been trying the last couple of days to get my protein up closer to the 30% mark. When I first started logging my foods and exercise ( I do log both) I was struggling to get the protein to 20% so I have improved but not yet to the 30% goal - always room for more improvement. Being a picky eater doesn't help much LOL I don't care for eggs or egg beaters, so I've been using whey protein powder to help increase my protein intake. I have plenty of energy thru the day and evening so maybe the scale will start to move soon.  I definitely stay more positive about what I'm trying to do - eat more healthfully and drop 8 pounds-  by staying off the scale. I've always exercised so that is easy for me. I don't feel good when I don't go to the gym.