Loss of losing

When I started eating healthier and really exercising I started losing weight. I lost 11 pounds so far, but I have been "stuck" at my current weight for about a month and a half. I have tried eating a bit more, a bit less, exercising more, differently. I am still not budging.

I have even stopped losing inches. So now I know I am not going anywhere.

I know it has only been a little over a month, but it took me a long time to face I needed to do something. When I went from 110lbs to 130lbs I cried...but going from 130 to 195 I denied it, ignored it. Now I am in a place to want to get back to a decent weight and I can't lose anymore. This is very discouraging.

Any advise?

Well to really be able to help you more, we need some numbers.

Age, height, current weight, goal weight, calories in, calories you burn exercising.

=)

Age: 33
Height:5'6"
Current weight: 184
Goal Weight: 150
Average calories in: 1400
Average calories burned: 750

I also work 10 hours a day, 4 of which is walking in circles. I walk on 2 of my breaks and 15 minutes of my lunch, but don't count this as part of my calories burned.

Just to be clear, the 1400 calories is even after the exercise?

Meaning you make sure to eat back the 750 calories you burned?

Otherwise you are technically only consumeing 650 calories dayly, not enough.

I consume 1400 calories a day, before exercise.

mistyanne, I know the frustration. 

I took the liberty of doing some calorie need calculations, based on your current weight, goal weight, and your previous 130 and 110 weights. 

current weight:  bmr = 1610.  sedentary 1610 x 1.2 = 1932.  light activity 1610 x 1.375 = 2214.  moderate activity 1610 x 1.55 = 2496.  very active 1610 x 1.725 = 2777.

goal weight (150):  bmr = 1463.  sedentary = 1932.  light activity = 2012.  moderate activity = 2268.  very active = 2524.

previous weight (130): bmr = 1376.  sedentary = 1652.  light activity = 1892.  moderate activity = 2133.  very active = 2374.

previous weight (110): bmr = 1289.  sedentary = 1547.  light activity 1772.  moderate activity 1998.  very active = 2224.

If your activity is burning 750 calories per day, then that puts you in the very active range.  Are you sure you are burning 750? 

I suggest you adopt a range of calories, based on the activity levels you feel best describes you.  Choose the activity level for your least active day as the base, and the activity level for your most active day as the highest. 

If you choose for the lowest weight, that might be 1772 - 2224 calories per day (light activity to very active) OR 1772-1998 (light activity to moderate activity)

If you use a range, you will have a great deal of flexibility in your planning and variety in your diet.  And it will give you some zigzagging.

By restricting yourself to 1400 calories, you are denying yourself of 372-824 calories of vital nutrition.  You have been given a very liberal calorie budget by Nature.  Take advantage of it.  Use it to buy yourself optimum health. 

Eat to be healthy, exercise to be fit, and the weight will take care of itself.

So I need to eat more?

You need to consume 1200 for basic body funtion as a woman.

Your calorie intake is 1400 calories to lose weight.  If you burn 750 calories, you need to eat 2150 calories total to have technically have eaten 1400 that day.

If since your lifestyle change you've only been feeding your body 650 calories, it might very well believe you're starving to death and is halting your weightloss.

I know these plateaus! Oh I do I do! I've had TWO back to back.

My suggestions:

• Shake up your exercise. Keep your body guessing... will it be strength, will it be cardio, etc.? (Sounds foolish but it works.)
• Eat more salads and/or "fibre foods" like oatmeal. (OK, that one is projecting - my plateaus usually come when I stop eating salad with every meal.)
• Add an extra snack or two. It could be you are stuck because your body believes it needs to hang onto the food.
• Have patience! My last plateau ended with a five-pound weight loss in two weeks. Ha. Well worth it to see that kind of weight drop off.
• Take Manewell's words well. She knows of what she speaks.
  

current weight:  bmr = 1610.  sedentary 1610 x 1.2 = 1932.  light activity 1610 x 1.375 = 2214.  moderate activity 1610 x 1.55 = 2496.  very active 1610 x 1.725 = 2777. 


_____________________________

So on a sedentary day (if I don't work out) I can consume 1400 (or so) calories and be fine, but if I work out and say burn 500 calories, I would need to consume 1900 calories to maintain that 1400 goal.

hi manewell and nocturne...i too am confused about how many calories i should cosume per day

my stats are: 5'9", 200 lbs, bmr around 1400 cals per day to reach 170 by the end of september. i work out 5-6 days per week burning around 1000-1300 cals per workout. i dont understand what the by normal calorie expenditure means!! i am a student so i assume i am am sedentary even though i work out almost everyday. please help...i wonder if i am in starvation mode???

*bump

I am still confused as to this:

current weight:  bmr = 1610.  sedentary 1610 x 1.2 = 1932.  light activity 1610 x 1.375 = 2214.  moderate activity 1610 x 1.55 = 2496.  very active 1610 x 1.725 = 2777. 

and where it fits in with this:

So on a sedentary day (if I don't work out) I can consume 1400 (or so) calories and be fine, but if I work out and say burn 500 calories, I would need to consume 1900 calories to maintain that 1400 goal.

Or am I missing something.

I am a 5'4" 30 year old and I stopped losing weight about a month ago also.  My strting weight was 170 and I am now at about 161.  I do not believe that I do not eat enough!!  Help me too please!!

I know some of you are still confused, I'm going to try to explain it better.

fma424 - Normal Calorie Expenditure means how many Calories you burn existing, just sitting, doing nothing, all day.

If you need to eat 1400 calories a day to lose weight, and you burn an EXTRA 1000-1300 calories at the gym, you MUST eat back those calories burned at the gym.

Otherwise you are technically consuming 400 to 100 calories (1400 minus 1000-1300) on the days you exercise.

You need 1200 just for the most basic functions for a woman, and 1500 just for basic functions for a man.

You are starving yourself.

When you go to tools ---> Expenditure, it has a paragraph explaining it's meaning.

MistyAnne - you are correct, you consume 1400 on days you don't work out, and 1900 on days you do. 

OK, i got it.........however, i have to eat donuts and the like to get close to the calories i need to consume!! maybe that is why im not losing weight.

thanks noc

Instead of eating high calorie sugar filled foods (especially if you don't want to) Try to just cut your exercise in half and have bigger portions during meals, or more snacks.  =)

Welcome

mistyanne said:

I am still confused as to this:

current weight:  bmr = 1610.  sedentary 1610 x 1.2 = 1932.  light activity 1610 x 1.375 = 2214.  moderate activity 1610 x 1.55 = 2496.  very active 1610 x 1.725 = 2777. 

and where it fits in with this:

So on a sedentary day (if I don't work out) I can consume 1400 (or so) calories and be fine, but if I work out and say burn 500 calories, I would need to consume 1900 calories to maintain that 1400 goal.

Or am I missing something.

Yes, that is correct, if you are going by the 500-calorie a day deficit.  1400 is a good amount of calories to have as your baseline -- you can get good nutrition from it if you choose wisely.

However, I would still like to encourage you to not go below 1547 calories -- that's the sedentary level for your previous weight of 110.  That 147 extra calories will make a difference in your nutrition and also your ability to stay on it for the long haul.

I also suggest you not place too much trust in the calories burned during exercise, unless you are using a heart monitor to determine what they are.  The machines and formulas can be off quite a bit.

If you adopted the 1547-1772 range, then you would be right smack in the middle of the 1400/1900 -- I don't think you can go far wrong by being smack dab in the middle.