[Doughnut]

I know that lots of Feathers have forgotten more about nutrition and physiology than I'll ever know which is why I'm asking here. It would really, really help me (and I'm sure loads of others) if anyone could chuck in some good reasons why after a couple of weeks the scale doesn't budge when it should.

I eat 1350-1450 cals per day. I am currently not exercising because I am getting over a chest infection but I am reasonably active in my daily life. I usually lose 3/4 pound a week on this sort of figure without exercise. I do not "forget" that I popped something in my mouth - if I eat it I write it down and I don't guess, I weigh, food.

I am just curious as to why this year, when I've found the willpower to stop the horrible slide, my body's saying no? I know it will come eventually but it is frustrating to be maintaining on 1400 when I can maintain on 1900!

Any ideas?

[silverbirch]

Great question, Doughnut! I have similar ones myself. The mysteries of the human body .... Here are a few ideas, FWTW.

1. We change over time. How old are you? I gather that older people require fewer calories than younger. (This is a message I don't like to hear as I am 54 so I have developed selective hearing when it's mentioned. People also weigh in with stuff about the menopause which I also ignore as I am going strong.) (Sorry, slight digression there. It gets me going every time.)

2. For me, it seems that formal exercise is central to losing weight. Without it, I just don't. You could be the same. So however active I am (for example, in the school holidays when it's more difficult to get to the gymn I always fall off the wagon). I've found I need weights, cardio and stretching.

3. What about the balance and quality of stuff in your diet (protein, fats, complex carbs, water)? For example, 1300 calories of doughnuts and dumplings are probably not as good for you as 1300 calories of Shredded Wheat, skimmed milk, berries, lentils, salmon and broccoli.

4. Sleep. This is central for me. 'Research has shown' (can't remember which but someone will know) that lack of sufficient sleep affects weight loss success. Yes, you might be able to stagger along quite well with 7.5 hours sleep but your body might prefer 8 and show you that.

5. Stress (possibly linked to the above). I think too much of this produces a hormone called cortisol which also has bad effects on weight loss success. You may be an extremely chilled person but we've just gone through the Christmas and New Year period to find ourselves in the grip of a winter not-so-wonderland. I read in another of your posts that you work in Worcestershire which is closed at present. Bit stressful, that. It would certainly jam me up, rather like travel and being away from home does. Even though, at the time, I think I'm coping rather well.

6. Just the cold weather. Your body might be trying to be sensible and conserving fat just in case this cold period goes on for a lot longer and you find yourself stuck in a snowdrift.

Very good luck, Doughnut. Stick at it and keep coming here.

[mayness]

It could be that illness that you're recovering from. Fighting off an infection is a pretty stressful thing for a body, and it throws off all sorts of things, including (sometimes) your ability to lose weight. Also, maybe you were a bit dehydrated while you were sick, and now you're gaining back a healthy amount of water.

[comstock]

Maybe you need to mix it up a little bit. It could be that your body is basically going "Okay, well, this is as much food as I always get, so I should be happy and stay put here." I know from past experience that sometimes when I hit a bump like that it helps to go up 500 calories or so for a day or two and then drop it again to kind of jump-start the process over again.

[Ilene]

Here are some of my ideas:

1. When I'm sick I rarely lose weight, even if I barely eatthis may be why for you too.
2. Age, has slowed my metabolism to a craaaawwwl , along with years and years of yo-yo dieting. It's unbelievable to me how low my calories are and how high my exercise routine has to be, in order to lose a measly pound or two...But it's my life and sometimes it sucks, what can I do so I keep plugging away with the calorie deficit and exercising. I can only imagine what I would look like if I didn't exercise or watch what I eat...

[tkm256]

(1) If you're overestimating your calories, your body could be literally throwing a tantrum. The less you eat, the more you struggle to survive on fat stores, and the less cooperative your body is. Blame mother nature.

(2) If it happens every couple of weeks, chalk it up to water weight. I'm always 2 pounds heavier around my period than I am directly afterwards...not quite sure why.

[Doughnut]

All interesting points - thank you.

Silverbirch - if I could sleep 7.5 hours a night I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven! I don't remember the last time I slept more than 5 1/2 -6. I genuinely don't feel at all stressed but it is cold so maybe..

Mayness and Ilene - I think you're right about the illness, it takes it out of you and when I first weighed I was really sick. In that case - what the heck did I really weigh that first morning- yikes!

tkm256 - sadly I am slightly fanatical about weight loss (or any other project). This means caluclators, food scales, charts - estimation does not come in to it at all. I count beechams flu powders, strepsils, cough mixtures(surprising dent in your allowance). However, now that I'm almost back to normal I am going to look out for a pattern like you suggest to see what, if anything, that reveals.

Comstock - thanks. that's exactly what I did and I finally lost the next day. I decided on the Friday (because I was hungry and p'd off) to eat a maintenance type level of 1800 and 1.6 came off the next day. Now that you remind me of it this had happened to me before and I remember that working but it's kind of scary to do! I'm going to give calorie cycling a go.

[comstock]

Originally Posted by Doughnut

Comstock - thanks. that's exactly what I did and I finally lost the next day. I decided on the Friday (because I was hungry and p'd off) to eat a maintenance type level of 1800 and 1.6 came off the next day. Now that you remind me of it this had happened to me before and I remember that working but it's kind of scary to do! I'm going to give calorie cycling a go.

Yay! It always scares the crap out of me, too - for some reason I always am afraid that eating a few hundred extra calories for one or two days is going to cause me to gain fifteen pounds and go on an unstoppable upward spiral. But sometimes it's all it takes.