[DeniseW]

I was doing good, Lost 11.7 lbs in 3 weeks. Took advice and raised my calories up from 850-1000 to 1200-1250. I increased my workouts which only include walking, jogging and running, or Racquet ball.
I have been doing walking/joggin 3 miles a day or doing the treadmill for 2.5 to 3.5 miles when I go to the gym.
Yesterday I went and jogged 4 miles in 45 minutes. My scale has moved up. I went from 189.4 to 191-192.

I am 5'7'' and large framed. I can only be about 164-169 without looking sickly.

What can I possible do to lose weight?

I have never eaten so healthy before, and working out as much as I can with 4 kids. I just want to see a difference.

[MandiK]

I would just stick with the 1200 calories. It might take your body a while to adjust, but eventually you'll start going down. Hang in there until then!

[Leeesa]

Hey, you sound like me - I'm large-framed and the best weight I managed to maintain was 170, at your age I was on a low-carb diet, commuting to work on my bike, running at lunch, kickboxing in the evenings, and doing one long run on the weekend (10 k which is I think 6 miles), on top of that at any given time I'd also be training for a triathlon or other similar event, and still I was, 170 lbs. I'd like to get to 160 this time but really I'm not sure if I can either. I exercise alot too and I'm worried when I get down further it's all going to stop like it did before.

Something I have learned though that could explain the few lbs weight gain is the water-retention the muscles in your body are using to repair themselves. Don't worry about the day to day fluctations. I would pick a day during the week and use that as an official "weigh-in" and I think you'll notice a downward trend.

I also think your calories are low - yes, in fact you do need to eat to lose weight, more than you are if you are exercising so much. You raised your calories but at the same time you raised your activity level. Consider upping your calories, at least on your exercise days. Just my two cents

[JayEll]

I agree that you may need to raise calories more. 1200 is too low for someone at your size and activity level. Try one of the online tools that tells you your average daily calorie burn and see what it is. You might be surprised.

Jay

[DeniseW]

I used the Daily Plate it says....Our estimate is that you may consume about 1,121 calories a day to lose 2.5 pounds per week.

I am already eating over that. And Healthy foods. I do not have the 100 calorie packs for a snack. I eat strawberries, apples or carrots.

It's gonna take awhile to figure this thing and my body out. GH!

[NoVaVTFan]

You should not try to lose more than 1% of your body weight per week, so 2.5 pounds a week is too much for you, thus your calories are too low. You should set your daily plate at 1.5 pounds a week (and even that might be stretching it, I think 1 pound a week is better and will keep your body more sane to lose it slowly) and that will give you more calories. I suggest reading around on TDP forums - a lot of people ask the same question you are asking about needing to eat more to lose weight and since most people on there are calorie counters you can get many great answers as to why you need to eat more. Basically the answer is you need to eat more to fuel your body, because if you eat very little you will lose weight at first but then your body will start to think you are going into starvation mode and you will stop losing weight and your body will hold onto whatever it has. I think 1200 is too low, especially for someone who is active - I say try setting it at 1.5 pounds a week, try and eat around 1500 cals a day at least.

[AmberE]

Are you weighing your food? That really helped me alot.

[unwanted37lbs]

i would say eat more often to lose weight... not just more. Metabolism is a huge part of loosing weight. To boose metabolism you need to eat very often but small portions. Like meal-snack-meal-snack-meal-snack. Snacks are healthy too and it will keep you from being starving till neXt MEAL.

[DeniseW]

Thanks, Yes I weigh out everything I eat. There is no guessing for me.

I usually have the b-s-l-s-d-s sometimes I miss a snack inbetween just when i am busy, but not too often.

[sindy9001]

I see that somebody have give you some good opinions. I agreet that you need to raise calories more, at least on your exercise days!

[Mollz]

Denise, 850-1000 calories a day is super low to be doing the amount of exercise you're doing. Your body needs fuel. Up it to at least 1300 on your exercise days, and 1200 on your non-exercise days. Take what The Daily Plate says with a grain of salt. I don't trust a lot of information on the web.

1000 calories is great if you want to kickstart your weight loss, but medically you should never stay at that point for more than a couple of weeks; your body will eventually start keeping those calories because you're in "famine mode". You won't lose and may start gaining back because your body "converts" calories to fat.

To add extra calories, choose "safe" foods: 1tbsp all-natural peanut butter (no salt, no sugar) on 1 slice of multigrain wholewheat toast; tuna in spring water and crackers for a snack (if you have cats, squeeze the juice out into a bowl for them); 1/2c vanilla yoghurt with 1/2c peach slices (mix with 1/2tsp ground cinnamon).