[lucysam77]

Hello!
I've lost around 15 lbs in the past month and now, i'm not losing anymore based on my weight staying the same on the scale for about 2 weeks now.
I've been doing the same 1200 calories per day, 30 minutes running but still no weight loss!!!

Can anyone help me as of why i'm not losing weight? Is it my excercise? Or my daily calorie intake affecting my metabolism? Or am I just losing body fat and gaining muscle?


Thanks

[Lyn2007]

Well, I'd ask if you are measuring and counting everything you eat? If you are estimating or not counting, weighing, etc, you could be getting more calories than you think.

If you're counting carefully, it could be any number of things: stress, not enough sleep, not enough water, too much salt or sugar.

You could try going up to 1400 for a week and seeing if that helps. I would probably try that myself. ANd be sure you are getting enough protein

[steph15]

It might be that your body is adjusting to the recent loss last month. I would look at possibly increasing your calories for a few days somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500-1700 and see if that may jump start your loss again. I know I have to change mine frequently to ensure I keep losing. I also change my exercise routine each day and vary between several different things so my body does not get used to it. Just my 2 cents. I hope you gets the answers you need!

[lucysam77]

Actually Im going start tomorrow with 1500 per day and see what happend at the end of the week... Thanx for your advices...

[ShellydeFlores]

Ya know. When I lost 20 lbs a couple years ago, I had stalled right at 10 lbs! I was so frustrated. I finally said went out and had one of those dollar menu cheeseburgers at mcdonalds just to see what the fluctuation in my calories would do. I, of course, didn't feel so hot afterwards but I went right back to my diet the next day and was able to get the scale to move finally. I asked my trainer at the time what had happened and his only response, "Sometimes you just have to cheat to get the scale to move." I wouldn't suggest to have a cheeseburger but like someone said earlier, try upping your calories by 200 or so until you see a result. Maybe you aren't eating enough calories?

[bargoo]

It looks like you have hit the dreaded plateau , or the start of one. It happens to most dieters. I would do just as you are doing. planning your menus carefully and continuing to exercise. This is not permanent try not to get frustratred , be patient and it will come off.

[lucysam77]

thanx girls.... Very good advice!!!!

[gardenerjoy]

Shepherdess on the Beck Diet Solution thread gave me this link about plateaus:
http://caloriecount.about.com/new-lo...ateaus-b425152

I was discouraged when I first read it, especially the recommendation to maintain a weight loss at the plateau for six months, but when I thought about it, it was kind of a relief. I'm going to try some things to get unstuck, but if they don't work, maintaining for awhile is my Plan B.

What worked for me when I got stuck for two months at 217 was changing everything -- new exercise DVDs, new food plan. Now that I've been stuck at 202 for two weeks, I've got a stack of diet books from the library and I'm going to choose one to play around with and try some new exercises (or bring back some of those old ones). If they get my weight moving again, great! If not, I've always got that option to maintain here for awhile and then try some new things in the fall.

[lucysam77]

I realize that i need more... dieting and exercise... the scale in not gonna unmotivated me....

[Cglasscock1]

Gardenerjoy,
Thanks for giving us this link to this interesting article on plateaus. I was amazed to read about that plateaus often occur after a 10% of body weight loss. That is exactly what happened to me last year. I had to have two foot surgeries, so I had little choice but to maintain for about six months (also suggested). I have been struggling to break this plateau for the last two months to lose another 15-20 pounds. I have finally broken it by tweaking my diet and upping my exercise. I'm hoping to keep that direction going.

[rockinrobin]

I'm really not sure how taking in MORE calories, therefore creating LESS of a calorie deficit can possibly help you with this stall. For me, I eat more calories, I lose LESS weight, well actually I GAIN weight, I take in LESS calories I lose more weight.

Anyway, I would be curious to hear some answers to the following questions:

-Are you CERTAIN that you're counting your calories correctly?
-Is there any way that you're underestimating your calories?
-Could your measurements be off - like you're really eating 7 oz of salmon instead of the 4 that you've counted?
-Are you journaling your food - you bite it, you write it, accounting for every bite, taste, like and crumb - journaling can be very eye opening and helpful.
-How's your water intake?
-What TYPES of foods are you eating?
-Are you having a lot of restaurant meals that are loaded with sodium?
-Have you had ANY *cheat* meals or days during that time period?
-You mentioned some cardio (you might want to increase this) - how about STRENGTH training? This is ESSENTIAL. Are you doing any?
-Are you active during the day or do you have a sedentary lifestyle?
-Are you due for your period?

Why not give us a typical day's food menu and maybe we can help you tweak things a bit...

[PenguinLuver]

I need some help with being stuck on a plateau too. I've lost 32lbs and am stuck. I go back and forth between 250 and 245. I lose the same 5lbs over and over.

I don't count calories and don't really plan on every counting them. I've always been heaving and was forced to do weight watchers by my parents and that ruined my whole out look on diets. My weight loss started when I decided to actually better control my life. Such as spending my money better, eating healthy, getting a new job, etc.

I'm stuck though. I've been here for about 3 weeks. I recently started getting back into the gym. I do yoga for about a hour 4 days a week and then go to gym and do some light cardio and weight training 5 days a week (about a 1.5 hours each time) with the weekends off.

Are there any ideas or tips for someone who is stuck, but doesn't count calories?

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by PenguinLuver

Are there any ideas or tips for someone who is stuck, but doesn't count calories?

Yes, though you might not want to hear it - begin, start counting your calories.

What other choice is there? Don't look at it as a hardship, but a means to an end - an end of your being heavy. Look at it as the end of being heavy and the beginning of being the best you possible. A happy, healthy, fit and trim person. To me the hardship was NOT counting my calories and being super morbidly obese.

You're most likely taking in too many calories, more than you're burning off and certainly not enough to create a calorie deficit. Calories IS the bottom line. Why guess with something so vital? I count my money, why not what I'm consuming?

I'm also not sure why you look at counting calories as some sort of diet. To count your calories, to track them, is a grown up, adult, responsible, mature thing to do. Of course no one can talk you into this. It IS your choice. Just like it's your choice whether or not to remain fat. It IS something that you decide, that you get say over, that you've got the power to manipulate.

I hope you find your answers.

[gardenerjoy]

PenguinLuver, one of the most frustrating things about this journey for me was that it wasn't enough to just eat healthy. It turns out that I'm quite capable of overeating foods that are healthy, local, and organic!

For me to actually lose weight, I have to count something. So far, I've managed with exchange plans where I can just count servings of different types of foods, measuring the calorie-dense ones. But I'm at a plateau, now, so I'll likely need to count calories or points or be yet more precise on my servings in an exchange plan. The good news is that no longer sounds as onerous as it did forty pounds ago. One way to approach this is to make a small change, see how far that gets you, and then make another small change. Maybe for today, just learn the calories and portion size of one calorie-dense item that you consume every day.