[Sani]

147 pounds...again. For the 6th week in a row. In my 7 week journey I have lost 3 pounds. 7 weeks of counting calories, going to the gym 1 1/2 - 2 hours 4 - 5 times a week (I do stuff at home every day), and seeing little changes in clothing fitting.

Yesterday I tried cutting out grains and gained .6 pounds. Even if I am underestimating my calorie intake at some point my body has to drop the weight.

Maybe I need to start journaling my food; start a blog. Maybe I need to choke down more water.

I want to cry because I could to something simple like Atkins and be down at least 10 pounds by now, but I want to do things right. And in my frustration, I have a birthday celebration for my grandfather at a buffet today. Glad I traditionally hate the food and eat the fresh pineapple!

Sani

[getittogether]

Oh I feel your frustration. Big plateau huh? I wish I could be more helpful. I've been at the same plce for 3 weeks. So frustrating. I'm using the body Media arm band and again this morning no real change. This week I saw a 3lb swing up and then down and all over the place. I'm bad and weigh everyday...keeps me honest.

You and I are same height and have a similar goal weight. Many have told me it is an unrealalistic goal but 125-130 is in the range of normal according to all health charts. What size pants are you wearing? I 10lbs heavier than you and at a size 10. My goal is a 6/8.

This week I am going to be super strict with my sugars. No fruit or yogurt. And we'll see what happens. i don't know, but it is frustrating to put in the work and see no results. And yes, I think we should all choke down more water ;-)

[Sani]

I too see the same 2 pounds or so come and go. You get excited to see a down trend and then get kicked in the gut when it goes up the next day regardless of your efforts. Then to have that trend continue for 6 weeks? It is beyond frustrating.

Depending on the cut, I fit comfortably in a size 6 or 8. However, if I were to pull out a size 6 or 8 from ten years ago my butt just isn't going into them. I am not that enamoured by the sizes...because they keep making the size 6 or 8 bigger and bigger to deal with our expanding ego and stomachs. But a 12 is still smaller than a 14, an 8 smaller than a 10. If I had my way though I would be all for fitting into a size 4 from the 1960's

And 125-130 is obtainable. I am also tired of people telling me, "maybe your body is happy at your weight". It can't be...I am overweight. I am not 147 pounds of muscle. I am pushing 41% body fat. THAT is not a happy body. At one point I had dieted down to 107 against my will. Had wanted to stop at 120 but my metabolism was pumping so well it took awhile for it to stop. I looked so good at the 115 - 125 pound range. I was happy, my joints did not hurt, and felt confident.

I am going to have to take a look at my numbers, my exercise, my food, and figure it out I suppose.

[amaniesa]

Hi, I'm new to this board. I hope you don't mind me chiming in.

I'm sorry to hear about your plateau. I was stuck at 145 for a long time to. Are you on hormonal birth control? I realized that the hormones were throwing my body out of whack big time. Just something to consider.

[Sani]

I am not on birth control pills. My tubes have been tied for some time now.

I am, however, on a very low dose of prednisone. 4mg. BUT, I have lost weight prior when on a much higher dose of it. Mind you, I never lost the prednisone "moon face", but the rest of me shrunk.

Today I was complaining to my dad about the weight loss issue and he suggested I take up smoking. Ah Dad He's a funny one!

Sani

[conanedogawa]

Dear Sani,

I am sorry to hear of the plateau. However, at the same time I must commend you for your persistent (and healthy!) weight loss efforts. Even though you did not lose weight after all that work, at least you didn't gain weight either =) I am sure that hard work must have contributed to something, even if it is not in the form of numbers (weight). At the very least, it got you into the habit of a healthy lifestyle. Remember people say it takes ~21 days to break/form a habit. Since you have developed a good habit, if you persist i am sure you will start to seeing/feeling the difference =D

[Ilene]

Plateaus SUCK!! But they can be overcome with persistance and perseverance. Tweeking your calories, writing down every morsel you eat, sometimes we don't realise how many bites, nibbles and licks we take throughout the day... Intensify your workouts, try HIIT... Drink lotsa lotsa water...

Let us know how it goes

[RunnerChemist]

Hi! I'm new here too, but I find that journaling makes a huge difference for me. I often underestimate what and how much I eat. There are lots of convenient ways to journal, but it's been crucial for me.

Have you considered upping your exercise?

[amhoffy]

I might be a bit crazy, but I've found that if I can stand to eat my veggies raw for a few days it helps. When I'm making steamed veggies, I always want to use more spray butter than I should (sodium) and also a sprinkle of lite salt here or there. I know it doesn't add up to much, but it might be something to try. Same with fruits, instead of unsweetened apple sauce, I'll eat an actual apple. Just a shot in the dark, and I know its pretty trivial, but it works for me sometimes and also helps me be more aware of my portions.

[Shannon in ATL]

I also second the journal idea. If you don't record everything you eat, how do you know how many calories you are actually eating? You may find you are taking in more calories than you think.

I'm about your height and maintaining in the 125-128 range right now, have been lower in the last year but am smaller now than I was then thanks to strength training. It is doable for you too, I think.

[Petite Powerhouse]

Strength training definitely helped me to avoid plateaus. As far as food went, I just ate healthy. I didn't worry about how many complex carbs I ate. I wasn't concerned about a little sugar here and there. I just ate a lot of protein for muscle building and made sure to always eat fruits and vegetables and whole wheat and grains, etc.

Of course, everyone's experience is going to be different. I think something universally helpful for weight loss, though, is not to overreact to what you see on the scale and sabotage your efforts as a result. If you are eating right and watching your calorie intake, there are changes taking place in your body. It may take the scale some time to catch up, but physically you are changing. A food journal will definitely tell you if you are on track with your eating. And, if you are, try to relax and trust in your efforts.

[tkm256]

I counted calories and walked everyday for a year and didn't lose any weight. No joke. Then suddenly one day I wasn't as hungry as before, and could eat less. I think my body had to readjust to a new set point before it would let me move on.

However, I had lost 15 pounds before that, so the adjustment was necessary. A three pound loss shouldn't have the same effect, plus, you probably don't want to hear "just keep at it and something will magically change!"

I second that a blog or journal is a great idea, as is strength training. Also, how many calories are you eating? If you've cut back drastically, you may not be eating enough to fuel those 2-hour workouts. Then your cells just dig in and say. "No. We're in a famine. Will not give up energy."

[Ilene]

amhoffy -- I agree eating whole foods raw uncooked fill me up a lot more than cooked or processed foods... Lately I've been buying bagged coleslaw, spinach, baby arugula, etc... filling my plate with that along with my regular food has help tremendously in keeping full and satiated after eating...