Not losing..please read :(

Ok so according to this

http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html

Childrens calculator thing, i burn like 2990 a day or something.

Moderately active (?) Work out for about an hour a day 5-6 times a week

eat around 2000-2100 cals.

5'5" 185 lbs

age 18.

Im measuring all my food correctly. I have a food scale that i use.

Im not gaining but im maintaining. Should i cut down my caloric intake even more? I heard i was eating too little on 1600-1900 cals. i would bounce around between there. and my weightloss was slowing.

The first week of eating 2000 cals a day, i lost 1.78 lbs. I was at 184.7

the second week i was up due to pms, third week i was 185.1, this morning i was 184.7 again.

Could the extra ice cream indulgence last wednesday and maintanence day (2500 cals) on thursday caused me to maintain this week? Or could it still be water retention due to TTOM? (Im on my second day) But i usually lose it by now, even though my period was a bit late this month.

Edit: I've changed my weight training differently, i've been getting sore more. Could this have anything to do with it? Also, if i were only classified as "light activity" i would still burn 2500 a day, but i eat 2000, would i STILL be losing 1 lb a week?

Please, anyone? =(

I would stay with 2000-2100 and avoid any more 'ice-cream indulgences'  Make sure you're choosing good quality wholefoods, that you're eating regularly and that you're drinking plenty of plain fluids i.e. water and not diet sodas. 

Log the trend week on week from now on and see how you go.   It's important not to panic and keep changing things.  Be consistent.

Original Post by gi-jane:

I would stay with 2000-2100 and avoid any more 'ice-cream indulgences'  Make sure you're choosing good quality wholefoods, that you're eating regularly and that you're drinking plenty of plain fluids i.e. water and not diet sodas. 

Log the trend week on week from now on and see how you go.   It's important not to panic and keep changing things.  Be consistent.

Well this weekend is my birthday, isnt it ok for me to indulge just once a week? As long as i practice portion control, that is.

If you accept that this week you won't lose weight again then of course it's fine to indulge on your birthday.    But I think the idea of indulging once a week is what's slowing down your weight-loss and it could also simply become a 'bad habit' if you're not careful.  

I usually suggest to people that if they find their weight-loss comes to a grinding halt they have a day where they get their full maintenance calories once every two or three weeks..... So thats your birthday covered and then the next occasion might be ... what?.... Hallowe'en?    Pick your moments carefully but be as consistent as possible the rest of the time.

Original Post by gi-jane:

If you accept that this week you won't lose weight again then of course it's fine to indulge on your birthday.    But I think the idea of indulging once a week is what's slowing down your weight-loss and it could also simply become a 'bad habit' if you're not careful.  

I usually suggest to people that if they find their weight-loss comes to a grinding halt they have a day where they get their full maintenance calories once every two or three weeks..... So thats your birthday covered and then the next occasion might be ... what?.... Hallowe'en?    Pick your moments carefully but be as consistent as possible the rest of the time.

Well the sixteenth is cake and icecream with the family. The 10th my dad wants to take me to dinner.

I dont celebrate halloween, so the next occasion would be christmas, as we dont celebrate thanksgiving in Europe. Not that occasions really matter to me, i dont like that kind of food anyway, i rarely eat much of it.

Should i skip the dinner and just have cake and ice cream with the family the 16th? I will not accept anymore weightloss stalls. I'm already more than 5 lbs behind of what i was expecting to lose.

I only mentioned Hallowe'en because it's about three weeks away... was just a landmark in the calendar.      Enjoy your birthday - dinner and cake - a) because you're not 16 every day and b) because one meal won't affect your weight either way.

Weight-control is not a race and putting pressure on yourself such as being 5lbs behind your target really doesn't acheive anything except making you cross and frustrated.  The real goal is not simply to lose weight but to learn how to manage your lifestyle so that you don't regain weight too badly in the future..... more regular exercise, better food choices etc.  Part of managing that lifestyle is being able to enjoy a party without going overboard, being able to see your regular food choices as 'treats' without needing to eat a lot of ice-cream.   So when your weight doesn't change much don't see that as 'failure' or 'putting you behind schedule'... see it as a different type of success.

Original Post by gi-jane:

I only mentioned Hallowe'en because it's about three weeks away... was just a landmark in the calendar.      Enjoy your birthday - dinner and cake - a) because you're not 16 every day and b) because one meal won't affect your weight either way.

Weight-control is not a race and putting pressure on yourself such as being 5lbs behind your target really doesn't acheive anything except making you cross and frustrated.  The real goal is not simply to lose weight but to learn how to manage your lifestyle so that you don't regain weight too badly in the future..... more regular exercise, better food choices etc.  Part of managing that lifestyle is being able to enjoy a party without going overboard, being able to see your regular food choices as 'treats' without needing to eat a lot of ice-cream.   So when your weight doesn't change much don't see that as 'failure' or 'putting you behind schedule'... see it as a different type of success.

But thats the problem. My weights not moving, and i dont know why. I seem to be doing everything right. I stopped binging, i limited my treats to only once a week, i cut out chocolate and no longer crave it, im so proud about that. i eat 2000 cals a day, and not losing a gram.

Im getting really worked up because im doing everything right..

The only thing remotely unhealthy i eat is a bowl of ice cream on fridays. Thats it, every other day im within my 2000 calorie range. I just dont get it. My measurments are also the exact same. Weightloss has been slipping up for me and i feel like even though i've lost 62 pounds, i have no idea what im doing anymore, i used to know, but now things have messed up.

I might be overreacting, and probably getting on your nerves, but i feel so helpless. I know its not a race, but i was expecting more than 2 pounds a month,  you know..according to these numbers.

Have you seen your doctor?.....   If you're doing everything right and you're confident that you're not overeating then you may be one of those unfortunate people with an underlying health problem such as PCOS or a thyroid condition -  both of which could make it more difficult to lose weight.   PCOS is quite common in  young women that have been obese for any length of time, for example.   Keeping weight-loss going often involves adopting a 'Low GI Diet' as well as counting calories and doing regular exercise.

It sounds like you may have too large a deficit. 2990 output, 2000 input. That would make your deficit close to 900 cals a day, give or take.

I have a similar story to yours. I lost quickly in the beginning, close to about a kilo (2.2) pounds a week, then suddenly slowing down rapidly with some aggravating factors such as travel and cheat days thrown in. I was upset. 

With the help of other posters, I realised that I probably should up my calories to narrow the deficit on days I do exercise. So now I don't let it get bigger than 600 cals difference, non exercise days about 300-500 difference. It worked, and I'm seeing the scales move again at a much more moderate 1 pound a week rate.

A little frustrating, especially compared to initial rate, but nothing compared to NOT seeing the numbers move at all.

Also, sometimes your body is just building muscle and the numbers on the scale don't budge much, especially if, as you report you are working them harder in some way.

It takes time, but since the weight gain took time to happen, it stands to reason the pounds won't melt off quickly either.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Have you seen your doctor?.....   If you're doing everything right and you're confident that you're not overeating then you may be one of those unfortunate people with an underlying health problem such as PCOS or a thyroid condition -  both of which could make it more difficult to lose weight.   PCOS is quite common in  young women that have been obese for any length of time, for example.   Keeping weight-loss going often involves adopting a 'Low GI Diet' as well as counting calories and doing regular exercise.

 

Maybe i should ask him about that. Everything about me seems fine an normal, nothing out of the ordinary. I think though if i had any health problems like that then i wouldnt have been able to lose 62 pounds in a year. Unless i just developed it..

I think if i still havnt lost any weight next wednesday, i'll give my doctor a call.

I'll work the chinese dinner into my calorie budget so i dont go over weightloss calories. I really hope i get over this hurdle.

Original Post by pinzywinzy:

It sounds like you may have too large a deficit. 2990 output, 2000 input. That would make your deficit close to 900 cals a day, give or take.

I have a similar story to yours. I lost quickly in the beginning, close to about a kilo (2.2) pounds a week, then suddenly slowing down rapidly with some aggravating factors such as travel and cheat days thrown in. I was upset. 

With the help of other posters, I realised that I probably should up my calories to narrow the deficit on days I do exercise. So now I don't let it get bigger than 600 cals difference, non exercise days about 300-500 difference. It worked, and I'm seeing the scales move again at a much more moderate 1 pound a week rate.

A little frustrating, especially compared to initial rate, but nothing compared to NOT seeing the numbers move at all.

Also, sometimes your body is just building muscle and the numbers on the scale don't budge much, especially if, as you report you are working them harder in some way.

It takes time, but since the weight gain took time to happen, it stands to reason the pounds won't melt off quickly either.

I havnt changed my exercise length and i used to eat 1800 a day (with the same occasional cheat days) and lost 1 lb per week, for a year.  i upped to 2000 a day 3 weeks ago and lost 1.78 within the first week. so i thought, wow ok. I need more cals. I dont think i should be eating more, because one week i binged to like 4500 cals and ate maintanence (2500) the next day, and GAINED 100 grams. lol. I also ate heaps of sugar and candy one week and maintained.

I'll just stick it out and quit being such a wussy. I had a reasonable goal to be 180 by my birthday, which i had a month to do. Thats 5 lbs. Guess i'll just eat the same, work out the same, and see how things go next wednesday..

Oh, don't call yourself that! You've done great, amazing wonderful getting this far. Good luck with next wednesday!

Gonna throw in my two cents.

This is not a diet.. This is a life style change, and it is unreasonable for anyone to expect you to never have ice cream (or anything else that you enjoy) ever again.  That is why diets always fail.  You CAN have your ice cream.  You just need to plan for it, and have A serving, not 5.  I have ice cream every night when I was maintaining, and still have it now that I have decided to lose another 5 pounds.  I work it in.  If I deny myself, I just want it more and will binge. 

Also, if you have steped up your weight lifting, then you are likely holding water weight.  That coupled with TTOTM, you are holding water.  Don't get on the scale again until next week. 

It seems to me that you are doing all the right things.  You can't expect to lose every week.  Our bodies go through plateaus.  It is just something that we have to get used to.  You will lose again.  Just keep doing all the right things that you are doing. 

Original Post by dove2424:

Gonna throw in my two cents.

This is not a diet.. This is a life style change, and it is unreasonable for anyone to expect you to never have ice cream (or anything else that you enjoy) ever again.  That is why diets always fail.  You CAN have your ice cream.  You just need to plan for it, and have A serving, not 5.  I have ice cream every night when I was maintaining, and still have it now that I have decided to lose another 5 pounds.  I work it in.  If I deny myself, I just want it more and will binge. 

Also, if you have steped up your weight lifting, then you are likely holding water weight.  That coupled with TTOTM, you are holding water.  Don't get on the scale again until next week. 

It seems to me that you are doing all the right things.  You can't expect to lose every week.  Our bodies go through plateaus.  It is just something that we have to get used to.  You will lose again.  Just keep doing all the right things that you are doing. 

I really hope its water, because i just flushed out 6 lbs of water weight from pms. i hope the rest is due to muscle repair for my sore glutes..lol

Thanks for all the info guys, i really appreciate it <3

It looks to me like 2900 calories a day is A LOT! I'm an active male about your weight, 5,10, in the military, and I burn about 2400. Your calculator is a CHILDREN calculator. Now children need a lot more calories to grow than we adults do... just looking at my 9 months old now and everything has to be fatty. Now at 18 you are no longer a child. Personnally I'm geared for 1900 a day and when I exercise (about 4000 calories a week) I only let half of those seep into my schedule. And even at that rate, I'm losing weight very slowly. Why don,t you try the calculator on this site? You might get an entirely different picture.

18 is still considered a child when it comes to nutrition. Your body doesn't stop growing until you're in your 20's.

Well, its not  CHILDREN calculator, its a <20 years old calculator. Not too sure of its accuracy though.

Umm, if it's twenty and under, it's still considered a kid/teen thing. They probably included nineteen and twenty just so it wouldn't be borderline ('cause I do know those last two would still be considered "teens" or "just out of teens" by many).

Ok im gonna provide a little info so i can a better look of my activity level.

I ride my bike to and from the gym, it takes about 8 ish minutes each way

Monday: 20 mins vigerous effort (HIIT) on elliptical, 10 minutes on stationary bike, 10 minutes 3.7 mph on treadmill, lift weights 30 mins til muscle fatigue.

Tuesday: 1 hour on elliptical

OR 20 minutes on the elliptical, 10 on the stationary bike, 10-20 mins 3.7 mph on treadmill.

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday:  Same as Tuesday

Friday: Same as Monday

Saturday: Walk on treadmill for an hour at 3.7 mph.

Sunday: Walking in nature uphill/hiking @90 mins Or just rest.

I have no idea what im burning at this point. I weighed myself the same at 84 kg this morning. My goal was to be 83 by the 10th, which is tomorrow. Should i cut my calories back down to like 1800?

If this is significant in any way, i eat mostly only low-medium GI foods.

No one?