totally lost as to what to do next... help.

What would the next step be for me? I am at the end of my rope and really depressed about my weight. Please help me!! 1.I count calories and measure my food with a scale. (yes- I am accurate) 2. I wore a BodyBugg for 3 weeks to make sure I was burning what I thought I was burning. 3. I exercise everyday- run about 35 miles a week - some tempo,intervals, and endurance work, I also do New Rules of lifting for women 3 days a week, spin class and swim at least once a week (I compete in triathlons so the excessive cardio is necessary). I also wear my heart rate monitor to get an calorie burn estimate. 4. I vary my calorie deficit every day but make sure I end up with a 3500 deficit each week which should result in a one pound loss. Some days I have 0 deficit and others 1000 cal deficit. 5. I weigh 139, 5'4, 32 years old- Only want to lose 10-12 pounds. 6. I got down to 128 last year but rebounded. I went on Jenny Craig and stopped lifting. So I was eating around 1200-1500 calories a day. I am tempted to do that again but I think I just screwed up my body by not lifting and not eating enough which is why I rebounded in the end. I don't know what else to do. Any advice or ideas would be great. Why is my body not responding? Thanks so much.

Have you tried measuring yourself. You may not be losing pounds weight but you may be losing inches. I am sure you know but you may be putting on muscle mass and losing the fat so the scale may not be moving.

I have measured in the past but haven't in a while.  Clothes still fit the same so I don't want to be more depressed by yet another number that won't change.  Thanks for the suggestion though.  

Maybe you have a unrealistic goal for your body type. I am 5'4" too and I know its possible for me to get down to 120 but my body is not happy there.  I get lethargic and depressed and my face looks all gaunt and sad. I have to lose quite a bit of muscle to get down that low which is stupid cause I look way hotter at 140.  Stop stressing about it.  You are obviously in great shape and look wonderful. 

Thanks- I appreciate your comments.  It is just that when I was 132 I could look at myself and be happy.  I look at myself now and see that extra cellulite and chub...   I know 120 is too low but 130 is a happy medium....   How much deficit is too much?  I think the only option is to eat way less calories and see if that works... I just don't want to screw my body up... 

Did you read the article about sleeping enough?  Its right there when you log in.

Are you eating enough? I know this may seem stupid, but I found that really stopped my weight loss.

If you are trying for triatholons, then you need carbs, carbs, and some protein. Honestly, you should be eating 24/7 if you are trying for one of those. My friend's dad was big into those and he ate sooo much food. I didn't realise I human could eat all of it, but haha he did!

Thats really impressive too by the way! Those things are just spectacular. I think it would take a highly motivated, and super strong person to do that.

Btw you are almost the same stats as my mom when she was your age. I thought she looked fabulous. I bet you really do look amazing. I have found I'm too self critical. maybe you are struggling with that too?

I do struggle getting enough sleep but I don't do too bad.  As far as eating enough.... If I eat more I won't have a 500 calorie deficit.  But if what I am doing isn't working it isn't going to suddenly start working so I guess I could increase.  

I may be too critical of myself but I know what I looked like 10 pounds ago and I liked it... I don't like what I see now.  It makes me sick.  Thanks for your positive comments though!  

Try not going for the 500 calorie defict everyday. In my nutrition class, there was this huge study done on runners. The conclusion was that the runners actually lost fat tissue and gained lean tissue even though they ate an extra 300 calories.

I get what you say about not liking what you see now. After I quit skating so much, I gained 15 lbs. I went from 105 to 120. Those 15 lbs may have looked okay to others, but it was terrifying to me. Losing that weight was one of the best things I have done in the last year.

I loved how you said "it makes me sick." I have totally had those moments in the mirror when I just want to cry because I hate what I am seeing so much. what helps is a quick workout, and realisation that weight loss may or may not happen for me and that all I can do is do what I'm doing.

Argh, weight. What a b*tch.

Wow- do you know where that study was done or where I could read about it??  

I appreciate your comment about understanding... if I could just get those annoying 10 pounds off again I would feel so much better overall... thanks for posting. 

I can't find my professor's lecture notes online, but I advise a lot of people to look up studies done on calories and exercise. There is a lot of studies out there that prove that if you are working out regularly for several months you will have to raise your intake even if you want to lose weight.

Gaining lean mass burns calories. That doesn't mean people should add an extra 500 a day just because they burned 300. But yea, its okay to add an extra 100 or 200 if you are working out with a high intensity/frequently.

You know I rented a bodybugg for a few weeks and I did find that the bodybugg said I burned about 100-200 more calories than I have been estimating but I always went for the lower number because I wanted to be safe.  I might have to increase a little but I haven't seen that many people say I increased my calories and lost unless they were eating very little.  

lorime;

um, first of all saying you cant do it is not helping. get your positive thing on, its a requirement for this. secondly you make an assumption that calorie deficit is how we (ALL) lose weight, which is your mistake, as you are proving to yourself. So you need to change your diet. Add avacado, olive oil and fat with every meal, and small protein portions. My own personal experience is that this helps me lose weight, small portions, until satiated.

i am a competitive sailor, and i have to weigh in at every event i do, so i consider myself a weight addict. i go thru some really strange cycles. there are sveral things i might suggest to you.

if i calorie restrict for days on end, say 1-2 weeks, and workout my body will freeze on me. i did a hord core no carb stretch for 2 weeks sure enuff the scale was frozen.

i decided to go out with my friends, have a burger and fries, some cookies. amazingly 2 days later i had lost pound, despite doubling my calories.i call it diet confusion.

so get rid of the defeatist baggage, change your diet, and add fat...

That's interesting that you lost nothing on the low carb diet... I had the same experience.  I cut out all carbs and did a low calorie diet with two days of moderate calories and lost nothing.. granted water weight- but nothing permanent....   I don't restrict carbs anymore just keep them in moderation.  I am thinking I need to take a break but have a race this weekend and at the end of May so might try to take a few days off next week.... thanks for the input... I will try to be more positive.  my husband says the same thing... sometimes I am a Debbie Downer... :(