Help! I'm stuck..... :-(
 

Hey there! I am new to the forum but I am sincerely praying someone can help me. I have been doing all the right things and I was on a roll. Lost 10 pounds in about 15 days. Eating right and drinking lots of water. Eating approximately 1200 calories a day.
THEN! I added exercise and everything has come to a screeching halt! I am not over doing it either. Just 5 min on an elliptical and a mile on a treadmill. Nothing to strenuous. They both say I have burned about 100 calories total. So, of course, I add calories to compensate. I have been tracking every single thing I put in my mouth. I am eating well. Proteins, vegs, fruit, complex carbs and very little processed food and NO alcohol. WTH? I have been at the same weight... no check that.. 2 lbs UP on the scale since I started exercising. I have added calories, cut back on calories and even tried skipping a day with exercise. NADA! Can someone PLEASE give me some advice???

Hi Kimmi17. Everything depends on your goals and what you hope to achieve with your eating and exercise. Do you want to be at a lower weight/smaller size or do you want to add strength and be toned as well? Losing 10 pounds in 15 days is not sustainable, especially if you are now using the elliptical, which strengthens your largest muscles. If you choose to gain strength in your weightloss journey, take measurements with a tape measure and chart your progress that way. Save the scale for after your tape measurements start to improve. After you add strength training, the scale will not budge for a while, but that is because your body is changing its fat/muscle ratio and the scale can't capture that. If your goal is to be at a lower weight without adding strength, just do cardio and the scale will start moving again. You won't retain or gain muscle, but the scale will show a better number. It will be harder to retain that number on the scale, however, as you will not have the fat burning metabolism muscle provides.

I added strength training at the end of January and my weight is finally creeping downward again. I've just had to focus on how my pants are getting looser and feel better, because the scale hasn't been giving me any encouragement until now.

Hey Sperrigo... thanks so much for the reply. I am so discouraged. I will continue to eat right and use the elliptical because I DO want to build strength. I know it is vital to keeping the weight off. I have been doing cardio and strength with the elliptical and the treadmill and I do feel better. But when the scales stopped, I was so disappointed. I am still trying to figure out how many calories to eat though. One app says I should eat 1200 calories a day to lose 2 lbs per week and add calories on the days I work out. Then another one says only eat 1000 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week and add the same calories I burn with the exercise. I have tried both and neither is working for me. Any suggestions?

Hi again Kimmi17. I am 5-4 as well and I lose weight around 1,300 calories, but I apply my exercise burn towards my caloric deficit. Once a week, I treat myself with something extra...around 200-300 extra calories. Give yourself a few weeks to see results. If your waist is losing inches, you're making progress. It sounds like you're doing everything right...let's just enjoy every day of this journey. It's not easy, but you and I are going to love the results.

Thank you so much Sperrigo! I have decided I am going to keep on keeping on... and I will take my measurements today and watch for that. I don't see a difference so far, but I am hoping that will change. Thank you for your support and feedback! :-)

Honey, what's important to realize is that this is not a linear process. Sometimes, you get stuck for reasons that cannot really be explained.

You might, for example, be a little sick, and your body is holding to its fluids. Or you might even be constipated.

At the end of the day, what does it matter? Eventually the scale WILL go down, as long as you stick with it. Please, don't give up nor lose hope.

Congrats on your work so far!

I get stuck too. Every ten lbs lost I fight with that..okay I've reached (let's say 200 lbs) 200 lbs now I battle getting to 199. I get to 198 and fight to 197 and bounce back to 199. I ran this past my PCP and he said..kid O..you have to reduce your calorie in take by 150 to 200 calories a day. I do that every ten lbs and I'm not fighting..so much any more. This works for me.