For the past month I have been working out 5x a week for an hour, eating between 1500-1800 calories, and even though I had a few slip-ups with ice cream, the highest I ever got was 2200 calories for a day. I started out at 243 and I made it down to 239 the other week, but my scale is fluctuating and at last weigh-in I was already back up to 240. I have been trying to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day in addition to the 2 bottles of water I generally drink at the gym. Is there some other reason that my body is not losing the weight as quickly? I know patience is important, but I would not like to be a month in and practically still at where I started

Are you certain you are tracking calories correctly? 2200 is enough to maintain your current weight--especially if you are like the vast majority that underestimate the calories they eat.

What does your work out consist of? What is a sample day nutrition wise for you?

My workouts tend to vary, I have been changing them from bike/elliptical to running/walking due to going abroad for a semester and not having a gym. So I usually do 30 min bike/ 30 min interval elliptical or a running/walking program for 60 min.

Sample Day:

B: 1 egg, 1 morningstar farms veggie patty OR 2 pieces turkey bacon w/ 1 cup soy milk

L: 1 cup salad mix with grilled meat or 1 serving of tuna, 2 tbsp soy nuts for some extra crunch, basil leaves, roasted red pepper, 2 tbsp newman's own lighten up dressing

S: ants on a log, carrot sticks, half a slice whole wheat bread with 1/2 oz goat cheese, 1/4 cup almonds, it varies every day

D: Also varies, usually around 500-600 calories. Most of the time grilled fish, chicken, or lean steak with roasted veggies. Today it was nachos made with whole wheat tortilla chips, 1 oz soy cheese(lactose intolerant), jalapenos, and salsa with 1 cup gazpacho(very low cal Mexican soup).

Post Workout Snack: luna bar or banana w/1 tbsp natural peanut butter

try talking to the trainer at the gym. It is possible to be working out wrong.

I spoke to the trainer at my gym about my workout and she says my method(15 min biking on resistance, 30 min interval training, 15 min cool-down cardio) is effective, as well as the C25K program. Is it possible I am building muscle in addition to losing fat? I will try on my jeans tomorrow, I have not worn pants for a few weeks due to high temps and see how those fit.

My thought is try lowering your calories by 100, that is, range from 1400-1700 for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Keep exercise the same. And stay away from the ice cream etc. Just give it two weeks.

Jay

the only things I can think of;

1) have you had your thyroid checked, and
2) are you writing every bite, lick or taste that goes in your mouth every day?

Yes, it is definitely possible you are adding muscle mass if you are new to your exercise plan. When my body is building muscle, it often retains fluid as part of the process.

Whenever I boosted my exercise, I usually had a scale stall to accompany it. Within the next couple weeks, I always had a nice loss.

Your plan looks reasonable, and healthy. Are your snacks all at once? Maybe spreading them out over the day would help.
And - definitely make sure you are weighing/measuring your food and writing down EVERYTHING accurately.

Jay's idea to drop down 100 cals is a good one.

Keep us posted on your progress

When do you weigh your self? How often and what time of day?

Your plan looks good to me. If you're accurately tracking your calories you might try either raising or lowering your calories some. Either might help you lose, depending on your metabolism. Just don't give up. Even if you're not losing, you are getting healthier.

Wow, thanks! I didn't know this about the exercise/stalling. I"m pretty stuck, but I just started exercising again this week. Thanks again!

I usually weigh-in on monday mornings, right after I use the bathroom(sorry for the TMI) and before I eat breakfast. I'll let you know tomorrow! Sometimes I jump on the scale other mornings and I am discouraged because it seems to be going up/fluctuating a lot.

I've also heard that having problems with b/p leads to major fluid retention, so that might be a factor. I am drinking that water though! Thanks for all the advice, I am going to try dropping my cals by 100 for a week, then raising the next week to see what happens. I have had a few little treats, like a couple squares of dark chocolate or a 100-calorie bag of popcorn, but they tend to stay around 100 cals.

Hang in there just keep doing what you know is right sometimes it takes awhile for things to catch up. It is OH SO frustrating!!!But you know in your heart you are tracking everything you eat not drinking soda ,drinking lots of water and if you have the help of trainers IT SOUNDS like you just need to KEEP PUTTING ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER HEADING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL DON"T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes I think my body has a mind of its own. Like it says... "oh, here we go again. I wonder how long she'll keep up with this craziness if I don't show her any progress"

BTW, the body will retain water when dealing with the heat (or so I was told). I know because of our temp this past week, I have not moved as much as I usually move. I'm letting it go as a pass, emotionally, with the low weight loss. I figure it will work itsefl out once the weather breaks. I'm in oregon too.

Hormones? I bloat around TOM, badly.

Also, what's your salt intake like? Have you eaten anything salty in the last few days? It can take me about 3 days to get rid of salt bloat.

Good luck working it out.