You've all heard this a million times but..

Its extreemely frustrating. Ive been seriously watching calories and exercising using CC since mid April. I started at 5' 9, 172.5, and got down to 168 last week and now its creeping back up to 170. I swim 2 times/ week, weight train 2 times/week, walk 40 mins 3 times/week. I eat between 1500 and 1700 cals per day. I get mostly As in my calorie coach thing. Ive analyzed what I eat til the cows come home, the only thing I see wrong is somedays my sodium is too high. My clothes fit a little looser, but for all this effort and to see so little results on the scale, it is totally discouraging. Im trying to get down to 150 (hopefully) before the next millenium.   Any ideas?

Have you considered upping your calories?  I only ask because I am 5'2, 109lbs, about as active as you, and I eat about 1700 cals per day. 

personally I wish I had taken measurements since the beginning.

So do that.. measure and see how you do in a few weeks or two...

I measure monthly...

remember the scale is not the do all be all or vice versa [=

but I do believe even if the scale is not going down but your clothes feel looser then you are definitely tightening up the muscles ..

sometimes people look smaller than they weigh but its because its muscle.. not fat...

a pound of muscle is better looking than a pound of fat

 

best advice ever from fellow CCer's

It could be the sodium that is causing you to retain water and keep your weight up on the scale... Try decreasing your salt intake and drinking lots of water to make sure its not just water weight on the scale.

But I know how frustrating it can be. For myself I only lose about 1 to 1.5 lbs  each month and it is so slow it is FRUSTRATING!!! But now after 4 months I've lost close to 6lbs. Stick with it. I weigh myself every day and flucuate a lot - but I pay attention to the "trendline" and not my daily weight. (this helps discount high water retention days and time of the month differences and gives me the "bigger picture")

Different people will lose weight at different rates. It probably took you a long time to gain the extra weight so sadly it won't come off right away either. :(

Also pay attention to how clothes are fitting or start taking measurements. The scale is not always the accurate way to keep track of your progress!!!

Best of luck and don't give up!!!

Sharpshootinstar - I have considered upping calories but Im trying to keep a minimum defecit of 500. Maybe I will let loose on the weekends more and see if it helps..

Mariyumm- I wish I had measured myself at  the begining because i know stuff is shifting around. Ill pick up a tape measure so I can see SOME results.. Muscle is waaaay better than flab

jef9up - I forgot to mention, Im drinking the equivalent of a small pond everyday, trying to keep the system well flushed. Thanks for the encouragement though, it can be such a frustrating process. :)

I suggest increasing both your calories AND your exercise.  The simplest way to do that would be to turn your 40 minutes walking into 40 minutes walk/jog.  Compare a few "learn to run" or "couch 2 5K" programs (there are many of them on-line) and start adding minutes of running scattered amoung those 40 minutes.  It will significantly increase the calorie burn during your 40 minutes.

...... best advice given to me back in February was to start jogging.. since I started in Nov. i had only walked on the treadmill

then i jogged... 2 mins walked 2 mins jogged... now I do a program on the treadmill for 40 mins that goes higher incline, lower speed or vice versa.. its very good and I can feel it once im done... "according" to the treadmill ... when I used to manually do it.. i would burn like 300 in 30 give or take.. now I burn 500 cals in 40 give or take again... now whether or not those calculations are correct... idk~.. but i lost the weight steadily up until March where I started maintaining.. still logging my food... eating my bmr and above.. so the weight has only fluctuated between 132 and 137... which is not bad at all ~

try incorporating the jogging like sharz96 says.. so far its worked for me~

You're getting 6 hours a week of moderate and low exercise. The swimming is the only thing here that really requires an energy burn.

Mariyumm is right.

Try jogging 40 minutes 3 times a week, Swimming x 2 a week, and 3 x week SUPERSET weight training. If you want fat loss with resistance training (weight training) you really should opt for supersets.

Overall with this change you'll burn about 1200 calories a week more and up your BMR, or about 1.5 pounds a month.

I guess Ive been shying away from high impact exercises. I can try jogging.

Legaleli - what is superset weight training? 

careyba,

You sound just like me.  Except my my weight and height are different.  I'm struggling the same way and Have been working out in a lot of the same ways swimming, walking, and weight training since April.  Scales don't seem to be moving.  I've stay away from any high impact activities because I have ruptured discs that cause me pain if I do any jarroing.  So I do the elliptic trainer 5 days a week.  But still I was only going up and down with the same 3 lbs So just this last week or so I have found that I've really been putting more intensity in my work outs.  I had thought I was doing good to get 250-275 in calories burned in 30 minutes.  Now I have been getting over 300 usually between 348-360 sometimes in less than 28 minutes.  The jury is still out because like you I seem to fluctuate so much I wait to say I actually lost 2 lbs until I lose the next or stay at that weight for a week or more.   I hope what these ladies are say is true and I'll see lasting results!  As I too have been frustrated though not ready to give up.  I feel too good getting exercise and eating better.  Whether or not I lose weight I'm not going back to sitting on the couch, eating popcorn, ice cream, etc.  I had no energy, I was depressed all the time and my whole outlook to life has changed.  Clothes are definately looser but not a size smaller yet!

i went out and bought a heart monitor and CAN NOT believe the difference! in order to burn fat you have to be within a certain target heart rate depending on your age, weight, etc).

i gave some effort to exercise, but was never in the target heart rate. now that i know when i am in the zone, i am on fire with motivation!! some people either don't give it enough or are over doing it and just wasting energy.

also, wii fit is INCREDIBLE for exercise and a BLAST!

I honestly wish I could start jogging too but my doctor advised against it, as well as the Army doctors. They say at my weight (256) you can give yourself hairline fractures because of the impact of a heavy body coming down on the legs... but that recumbent bike is getting so boring.

first, a pound or two in either direction is pretty irrelevant, especially if you know you're eating too much sodium.  second, you're probably going to have to do something aerobic.  it sounds like you're pretty resistant to running, but introducing some jogging intervals into your walks will make a big difference (there's a run-walk program in my journal, if you're interested).

btw, how fast do you walk?  walking fast is great, but a 40-minute leisurely stroll isn't going to accomplish much.  the other day i was working in my office and two young (early 20s) women walked by, pushing strollers.  both were very overweight, and their pace was so slow they might as well have been octogenarians with walkers.  no - they were slower.  it was all i could do not to run outside and chase them.  seriously.