No weight loss

O.k. so I've always been skinny, I'm 5'9 and always around 120lbs. until about 2 yrs ago i gained a bunch of weight and until I got to 151. I was very uncomfortable in my own body - going from a size 3-5 to a size 10 -12 was not so nice.  So I decided to get slim (or so I thought), I started working out at the gym and diet plan about 3 weeks ago. I have never worked out in my life so I got a friend who is a body builder to help me with my workout and nutrition. The workout started very slow but I have worked up to at least 60 minutes - 30 cardio and then weights (very light with many reps) and abs for 30 minutes, and I go to the gym 5 days a week. I am using this site to track my calories and I am on avg eating about 1200 calories a day. The first week i lost 5lbs the second week 1lb and now nothing? I am jewish so I don't follow my diet on Shabbat (the sabbath) cause i have to eat bread, but i make sure that the avg calories stays the same.  I really don't understand why it's so hard for me to loose weight? Can anyone tell me why? All this work and nothing is coming out it. My clothes feel a bit different but really I expected so much more.  I am getting really frustrated. The first week was awesome but i'm sure it was water weight, even the second week I saw something. I expected to loose 1-2lbs a week, but nothing???? Please help.

Well, as you probably know, at 151 pounds you are at the "ideal" BMI of 22.  At 120, you were technically underweight with a BMI of below 18.  I don't know what you "should" weigh, but anytime you are trying to lose weight when you are already slim is going to be difficult.

In my opinion, you are undereating at 1200 calories per day with the amount of training you are doing and your height.  Have you talked to a medical professional or a nutritionist about a good diet to help you build strength and stay healthy?

Hey girl! 

Here are a couple of my thoughts.  First of all, you need to be eating more than 1200 calories a day.  That number is for very petite, sedentary women.  By eating that little you're actually sending your body into starvation mode, in which it will hang on to whatever weight it can and actually slow down your metabolism.

I'm also 5'9", and I tried eating 1200/day for a while, and it was really difficult!  I didn't necessarily have issues consuming on that amount, but I was much more tired and moody.  Recently, I've raised my calorie intake to around 14-1500/day and have found that it's much easier to lose weight, and create a calorie deficit by exercising.

Also, it's much easier for someone who has 100 lbs to lose to see significant changes quickly, than it is for someone who only has 10-20 lbs to lose.  Your body doesn't carry much weight for your height, so it requires more effort to burn fat.  Therefore the weight loss is much slower.

Lastly, you may be at or close to a weight your body is comfortable being at.  At 5'9", 120 lbs (whether you've spent most of your life at that weight or not) is under weight, so it would probably take starving and over-exercising to get back there. 

If you're 151 lbs, and getting closer to 140 I'd focus more on toning up and stop worrying about the number on the scale!  You're going to drive yourself crazy!  It's better to be thin due to muscle, than it is due to under eating.

I was thinking maybe I was eating a bit too little. It's just that I'm trying to make up for Shabbat. It's a Jewish tradition to eat and eat, and that is what happens every Friday and Saturday, it's like Thanksgiving every week.  I have a very thin build and although I know 145 lbs is not overwieght by any means, I have alot of fat around the middle of my body, and was very out of shape when I started.  I don't plan on getting any where near the 120lbs I used to weigh but I would like to be in a size 6-7 again.  It's just frustrating to see no progress on the scale. Thanks for your help, and you right it is driving me crazy focusing on the numbers instead of being happy that I am starting to look better. I guess I just didn't know what to expect.

I am 5ft 9 and am maintaining at 143lb.  I was 160lb in June.

Dont be discouraged - youve done 3 weeks and lost 6lb in total - thats a great achievement!  Try to keep your calories at least 1450 a day.  I usually eat what ever I want on Friday and saturday evenings too and dont calorie count those meals.  Have done this throughout my weight loss.

Remember that your body changes as you get older - I was about 130lb till I was in my twenties.  Dont set your target too low - 120 does sound low and may not be maintainable.  Target 140lb and reasses when you achieve that  and keep up the fitness training. 

I'm only slightly familiar with Shabbat (I have a couple of jewish friends), so I hope this question doesn't sound ignorant, but are you not able to watch what you eat at all during that time?  Is it insulting to not gorge yourself?  I really am just wondering, and I know it would be difficult to keep things under control if everyone around you is indulging!  :)

Perhaps you could stretch out your meals.  Eat more slowly and take smaller portions.  Are you able to go for a walk at any time?

During the week I'd focus on making sure you're getting enough protein, and eating small meals throughout the day. That will keep your metabolism working to it's highest capacity!

I understand how difficult it is not to obsess about numbers, though.  I find it hard when there are so many smaller girls aiming for numbers like 120, and 130.  But I have to remind myself that I am taller, so it's not realistic to set my goals that low.  I haven't stepped on a scale in almost a year because it used to torment me when I didn't see a significant drop! Now, I try to focus more on how my clothes fit and how my body looks!  I'd be perfectly happy at the weight I'm at if it was from being more toned!  However, like you I carry a lot of weight around my midsection.

Needless to say, I have things to work on, too ;)... (I weigh around 150 right now).

I must say it is really really hard not to "gorge" yourself on Shabbat - Friday night dinner includes about 5 different salads (not all healthy), Challah (egg bread), wine, first course of fish, and a second course of chicken or beef.  Then on Saturday there are 2 more meals the first with a dish called cholent or hamine that is like a very very hearty beef stew with meat and potatos and of course the salads, and the the last meal is all salads including tuna fish (with mayo), so the calorie consumption is pretty signifigant.  I am doing my best on these not look like I am dieting and just eating slow and very small portions but as you can see it's alot of high calorie items. 

I can understand how that might be difficult.  Are you able to provide one or two of the dishes in order to regulate the ingredients and know that you'll at least have a couple of healthy choices?

I think that lowering your calorie intake on Monday (after the festivities) and getting a good workout in will help with some recovery from the weekend.  But most of the time I'd stick to around 1400 cals, with protein packed meals.  Other than that, it's totally up to you to control how much you eat.  I wish it were easier than that, but that's what it boils down to!

I actually do great during the week and limit my calories to 1200 or less - which i think is maybe the problem i am eating too little during the week and maybe my body is going into starvation mode and holding on to the weight. I think i might just stick to 1400 - and try real hard to skip alot of the shabbat food.

Yeah, I just re-read your original post.  If you're still watching relatively close to what you're eating, even during Shabbat, then the only thing I can think of is that you're just eating too little in general!

Don't ya just love it when someone tells you that you can eat more? ;)

Good luck!

1200 calories is not nearly enough food. And you say you have started lifting "very light with many reps" why? you want to lift heavy and hard. Not a lot of reps with light weights. Whoever gave you that advice is wrong.

What are you eating? What kind of foods?

http://www.articlesbase.com/women's-health-articles/4-reasons-w omen-should-lift-heavy-weights-1104525.html

Oh, Shabbat woes.  I know them well.  I really only do a proper Shabbat when I visit my Orthodox family in the summer.  They're not very good in English and so they tend to just talk to my mom in Russian (which I was never taught).  However, when we eat with my cousins, who speak English much better, it is helpful to talk.  Take a small bit of food at each course and try to resolve not to eat more than your first helping (this was very helpful for me).  Eat it slowly, with plenty of chatting in between bites.  And drink lots of water!

Hiya,

You say you lost 5lbs the first week, and then 1lb the next and the third week nothing.

This sounds like your deficit is working to me. 6lbs in three weeks is awesome! Congrats!

Remember you should average this weight loss out, which to me reads 2lbs a week. If you had a lot of weight to lose you might be able to aim for 3-4lbs a week, but at a healthy BMI 1-2lbs, more likely a 1lb loss a week is typical, not to mention healthier.

 If anything I would agree with others in saying that you might not be eating enough, but if you eat around 1200 during the week to make up for Shabbat, maybe you are on track. The important thing to do here is to add all your calories up for the week and then divide by 7 days....if the average is on track with your maintanance cals minus around 500 calories you are eating enough.  Eating less calories one day and more the other (a technique known as zigzagging) can actually work great in avoiding or breaking  plateaus etc, so no harm there. Just avoid going under 1200 where possible as 1200 is the recommended minimum for keeping all your organs healthy and functioning well.

Best of luck!

hey,

i understand the shabbat thing, and i understand the being thin to the world but wanting to lose just a few lbs thing. i'm 5'4, and was always 117-118, until i got married and in 3 mos suddenly gained 10 lb.

also, i'm 5 inches shorter than you, and eating 1200 cal / day. are you sure you shouldnt be eating more??

for me, shabbat is my cheat day. firstly, its way too hard to keep track of your food if you don't write on the Sabbath. second, it's just not fair not to have dessert on shabbat! i limit my challah to 1 small piece, and i make chicken for the main course, with white meat for myself. i also try to make brown rice or quinoa instead of kugel.

everyone needs a cheat day, and saturdays are mine. i watch what i eat, but i let myself indulge a little too. i read that if you eat "right" 90% of the week, you can eat whatever you want the other 10% to keep your body guessing so you don't plateau. so for me, that 10% all gets saved for saturdays!

Ya it seemed i mean seemed to be working - I have fluctuated all week between 147 - 145. The second week the scale said 144 - i am guessing it's probably a water retention thing but still it's so frustrating to go from eating pizza, pasta, pita, and burgers to eating super healthy and not see a difference every week, even gaining a lb or two back.  I get an A grade on my analysis here every day so I know I'm eating right and at the gym the machines tell you how much you are burning off.  I am just wondering since I sit at a desk all day if I should be working out more than just in the morning. I go at 6:30 am and my friend that's training me told me to do this to boost my metabolism so do you think i should be doing something at the end of the day as well? He also told me no tomatoes in the am cause tomatoes have fat burning acid that your body normally produces and it doesn't produce a lot of it if it gets it from another source, like tomatoes - has anyone else heard of this? or am i depriving myself of tomatoes for nothing?

hey lilshellys - my friend who is a body builder told me this because I am not going for muscle gain right now I want to tone and loose fat.

I am going on the treadmill for 15 - 20 minutes at a high resistance and fast walking (i cannot run had surgery on both knees) - then i do weight machines for about 20 minutes -arms, shoulders, back 2 days, legs two days, then Friday whatever hurts the least - then about 10 - 15 minutes abs, then the elliptical machine for 20 - 25 minutes.

I am eat 30% protein, 50% carbs, and 20% fat - (sometimes less fat) - i get an A grade everyday on this website so the food part seems to o.k. -

and I am not eating any tomatoes

after i workout in am I come home and have a protein shake and carbs, is this good?

Not sure why you are not eating tomatoes. They are good for you. Eat them. They will not hinder your weight loss efforts or cause you to hang on to fat.

For weight loss heavy lifting is the way to go. Tone is muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn doing anything. Also speeds up your metabolism and aids in fat loss. Not sure where your friend is getting their information but it's not right. Girls don't get bulky. We do not produce enough testosterone.

ya i'm beginning to think a lot of what he teaches me has to do with being a man and not a woman - he said that tomatoes have and amino acid in them that the body produces naturally to burn fat and when you eat them (especially in the am) the body produces less (which sounds like it could be right)................  I don't know it doesn't seem to be helping much - I'm going back to my tomatoes! and i'll try the heavy weights with low reps next week and let you know how it goes! Thanks

There are all kinds of different theories and old wives tales about different foods. What you want is clean/balanced eating. A healthy diet that includes fruits (like tomatoes)  and other fruits. Vegetables, lean meats and proteins, whole grains, low-fat dairy, healthy fats. You want to avoid processed foods, foods full of preservatives, diet foods, fat free and sugar free foods, artificial sweeteners, trans-fats and fast foods.

Don't get your calories from your beverages. Save them for foods. Drink plenty of water. Eat enough. Don't go too low with your calories.

Read this article. http://www.shapefit.com/10-things-know-about- building-muscle.html

that looks a bit hard core for me - I am really not looking to "bulk up" but to slim down and i cannot do the squat type exercises that this article is referring to due to knee surgeries. I can use some of the advise but not all of it - thanks so much it's been frustrating to work so hard and not see any results.