Stuck in a rut....

For the last   2 & 1/2 to 3 weeks my weight has been yo yoing over the same 3-4 lbs - up & down but no lower. I am eating prob 1300 max a day,  I generally do another 500- 750 additional cals from exercise( my burn on about .com was 1519) , so basicly my minimum deficit is 700, somedays it can be a thousand. The 1300 I do i eat is basicly porridge & banana for breakfast, salad sambo for lunch & chicken & veg with rice for dinner. Im eating very little fat, just eating basic healthy food , not much processed, Drinking probably 3-4 litres of water a day. I just dont know what else to do really - Im still motivated, i havent given up at this stage. I walk a minimum of 10000 steps a day. Every night i do at least 30 min aerobics on the wii. I do aquas for 45 min twice a week & I generally would dig in the garden for 2 hours every day.

I started this in August & the first 10 days I lost 5 lb ( I had prev lost 3 on my own). I just feel I have very very little to show for all my efforts & am getting very disheartened as no matter how hard i try i am no where near hitting any goal each week.

Has anyone any advice on what to try next ? Appreciated

To be honest I would suggest increasing your cals as it sounds like adding on your exercise you aren't actually eating enough calories.  And also increasing your calories can also move your body out of its ruts and help you start losing again.

Thanks

In a way I was afraid to do that. If its been this hard to stay at the same im terrified of putting any more on as ill never shift it

Hi,

I second what lisajb74 says.  Although it seems counterintuitive, eating so little will slow your weight loss, as our bodies become more efficient at conserving energy if it senses a 'famine'.  I think that you have mis-calculated what your resting metabolic rate is and that 1300 kcals is too little for the level of exercise you are doing.  Have you inputed your stats into CC?  I would think that you should set your activity as at least 'moderately active' for an accurate representation.  Eating a little more works - read the forums for proof!

Secondly, if your only goal is the scale, it's very easy to get down when the figures don't co-operate.  If you set yourself some non weight related goals, you still get a sense of achievement even if the scale doesn't budge.  Some examples are: doing X hours working out per week,  or monitoring waist measurements along with lbs.

Good luck,

Ax

Thanks I think im just having one of those days - My burn on CC says 2030, my burn everywhere else is 1519. So I dont know what to believe. Im tired & cranky now - 1700 burn according to my input by 11am. Pushing it too hard now today so I think im just fed up... I wanna see that bloody scale move down properly & not up on Friday & back down to same on Monday if you know what I mean . I wanna lose a real lb lol. I think as well like everything in life you want to see return - If you put so much effort into something you want some satisfaction. I think my shape has gone totall;y all over the place. We never really go out out but we were on Friday night & do you think I could find anything to fit me???? I havent put that much weight on over the past year but nothing fitted ..... Do you know what, I need a good bloody cry & a whinge & ill be fine !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jenny ~

I feel your pain! I have seen the same results *or lack thereof* in my own dieting efforts over time, and I am one of those posters on the forums who can tell you straight up that eating more WILL help you break out of this rut!!

Please believe what the others have told you ~ they are right.

When I eat 1200 per day, whether sedentary or active, it makes little difference to me...but add 200-250? And the pounds melt off...my body tells me that it senses a hunger strike in the making if I get any less. I have never found an easier diet in all my 59 years, trust me on that!

Try it, you might find yourself moving in the direction you want to go, and keeping a full stomach at the same time!

Hi again Jenny,

have you tried using the attached calculator to see what you should be eating.  It's clear and easy to use http://www.phord.com/cc/

Hope it helps!

Ax

I really really agree with using the calculator on phord^^ it's the best one. I would recommend a deficit of about 500 cals too for a few reasons:

• life it too short to spend cranky, tired and starving
• eat too little and all that happens is you burn muscle no one wants to end up 10lbs lighter but still have all their fat - skinny fat is a bad look
• if you have a smaller deficit and hit a plateau you can drop your calories by a bit and kick start you diet without starving your self
• lastly...... you won't slow your metabolism down as much, so when you have finished the weight loss phase of your diet and move on to maintenance you are less likely to pile it back on

Hope that helps! slow and steady really is the way forward.

V

Thanks a mil

I checked that site  - eat 1403 burn 2175 - my bmr is 1500 ish so about 600-700 extra from excercise. I ate 1449 today & to be honest im stuffed to the gills.... Tomo i think ill just walk my 15000 steps & the half hour aerobics.... have a sneaky break day lol.

Thanks for the advise - you always really need to hear from others to get yourself back on track. Thanks a mil for the support - thats what i love about this site

Are you already thin? Or normal weight? Because the last pounds are very hard to shed once you hit the the normal range, it can take a few months and it's less than one pound a week. It took me 5 months, that's 20 weeks,  to go from 60kgs to 54, and I did not cheat.

ha ha ha DKN Thin? at ;least you put a smile back on my face...... Far from it - 158 & 5ft 8, I need to be as near to 10 stone as i can get.... & just to cheer everyone up im getting all these pop ups tonight.... would you like to lose 18 lbs in a week??? Yes Yes im screaming at the screen - pick me pick me lol

Try eating about 500 more cals on 3 different days of the week, or 250 more for 6 days.

I did this after my weight not changing for WEEKS and weeks, and BAM. Lost almost 2 that week!

Sometimes your body just needs a re-boot. And you do realize that your BMR is what you burn if you were to lie in bed all day right? You REALLY burn a lot more than that depending on your daily activities. General, not actual planned exercise.

Don't be afraid to shake things up. It really does help now and then. Just don't weigh yourself daily...that can really mess with your head.

LADIES LADIES

Lets not get excited but ........ 156.84 this morning,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ive fallen below the 4lb sticky patch........................................ ..................... ( weighed at same time, same scenario, same clothes etc)...... will do 1500 cals today & about 2400 output