The Scale. Won't. Move.
 

Hi everyone!

I've been dieting and exercising for 45 mins-1hr every day for about a month now--and my number hasn't changed. By diet, I don't mean I'm on a strict plan, but I've passed up dessert altogether (except fruit and 99% cocoa chocolate squares) and creamy/fried/saucy foods and red meat are out the window. My workout is stretching + 100 squats + 60 mountain climbers + power walking.

What's the problem here?? I lost 3 pounds at some point, only to find this morning that I was back where I started. I'm really frustrated and even thought of skipping meals, but I'm scared of the yo-yo effect. The only effect my diet seems to be having is that I'm missing my periods...

I know I may be gaining muscle and it weighs more than fat, but does that stage really last a month? I really want to lose 15 pounds by June. What can I do? I would really appreciate your advice on anything!! Thank you!

At 5'6 and 132 you are already at a normal healthy weight so if you want to be 115 (which is only 0.1 point above underweight BMI) then it's not exercise, it's a very strict meal plan that will get you there. It's very very hard to take the body down to that level because it's fighting it's natural weight.

Since you are already thinking of skipping meals and have lost your period, are you sure that is a place you want to go (mentally)? Remember it takes many months/years to see changes from exercise (and lifting very heavy/doing HIIT would get you better results than your current plan) so it sounds like you might just be going about it in a less than efficient way.

132 and 5'6 with one or two years of very heaving lifting & HIIT will look even more lean than 115 at 5'6 without lifting.

JMO, as someone who has been into bodybuilding for a few years :)

I agree, 115 does seem like a low number to aim for at your height. If you're dead set on getting their, at least do it the healthy way......honestly, I'd step up your workout and eat VERY clean. If you're doing this same workout over and over your body has probably become used to it, so try changing it up. Skipping meals is not a path you want to go down,! Do it the right way, nourish your body, give it the fuel it needs and deserves. The fact that you're missing periods doesn't seem healthy to me at all, however I'm not a medical expert so that's something I'd speak to your Doctor about. Best wishes to you. :)

i think you need to count calories just to make sure you're being fully accountable with yourself. and like others have said, you will probably have to cut back more to get down that low...and see if it's something you really want to do. it sounds like your body is comfortable at 130...

OK, I'll get to monitoring myself really closely...i don't think lifting is really for me though, i'm already suffering from bulky muscular thighs :(

i don't know how concerned i should be about my period, i'm actually not regular yet and didn't get a single one throughout junior year (last year).

i really really REALLY want to shed all this off. how many calories should i be eating a day?

I agree with the others that skipping meals is not a good solution. When you get down to your goal weight you're either going to maintain there by continuing to skip meals, or your going to risk gaining the weight back because adding those meals back to your diet might increase your calories by too much.

If you don't want to count calories, maybe you should try changing the structures of your meals in a way that's sustainable. One way to lower calories of meals is to add a larger percentage of raw vegetables to all of your meals. If you don't like the idea of eating vegetables with breakfast, add some more raw fruits to it and reduce the quantity of the rest. I did this for nutrition a few years ago and my set weight of 125 at 5'4 dropped to around 115 without any extra effort as long as I continue eating this way. The only times I go up in weight now are those where raw produce start becoming a smaller percentage of what I eat.

it depends on your weight, height, how active you are. you can use online calculators to find out your bmr- basal metabolic rate. you can also find body fat calculators using your measurements with measuring tape. plug the numbers in a few different ones, kinda get an average.

the basal metalbolic rate just means how many calories (an estimate) you burn just laying around sleeping. from there it depends how much activity you do.

don't freak, out guidelines for a healthy woman can be 15-20% body fat, i think. but even if it says you're at 30% it's not really terrible, that's about where i am. we can always improve.

[QUOTE=kooo;3731226]OK, I'll get to monitoring myself really closely...i don't think lifting is really for me though, i'm already suffering from bulky muscular thighs :(

i don't think you should just stop ALL lifting. weight training is great! having lots of muscle is great! revs up your metabolism, burning more calories all the time even when you're watching TV, lol.

can you see the muscle on your thighs?



i think instead of stopping all weight training, focus on doing less weight, more reps. or if you're not using weight- in the case of the squats, do less of these, more of the barr, yoga, or other type of lenthening exercises to try to get the look you're talking about.

Women hold more fat in their thighs/hips, so it's not muscle (sorry) it is body fat distribution. The kind of exercise you are doing doesn't build muscle that much. I can squat 150lbs and don't have any 'bulk', it's body fat %.

You really need to get your period checked. It may or may not be weight/diet related (many women are irregular for other reasons) but overall it's a health concern (in general)

At 5'6 and 132, you would probably have to be at 1300-1400 calories (no going over - your deficit is too small to not be accurate) for quite a long time. I honestly wouldn't recommend it due to the amount of muscle loss you would experience. You would become, IMO, "skinny fat" (your body would be smaller but not fit looking). Different strokes for different folks - you would still be in the healthy BMI range.

But if you are wanting to skip meals etc. that's really a bad sign that this arbitrary number might be messing with your mind too much. Good luck :)

@katy trail: i'm no body builder, but my legs to have a shape to them--i wouldn't say i'm not fit, i've always exercised regularly and have been doing taekwondo for 12 years now. i think it's just that my fast-twitch muscles are more expansive than i'd like...

@sacha: really? i mean if so, i guess it's alright as in i have more exercise options, but i've done a lot of exercise over the years that use thigh muscles. (my hips ARE chubby because of fat though, for sure) when i tense up my leg, there doesn't seem to be extra flab, it's just that my leg in itself is so huge!!
i've had my period for 4 years...are most people regular by then? Thanks for your help!!

I am 5'4 and my ideal weight is around 125 but you are two inches taller than me so I think 115 is just too low for you.

This is a nice article to read about this subject

http://www.stumptuous.com/honesty-is-the-best-policy

Sacha that is a GREAT article. It inspired me to actually measure out a cup of milk for my Slim Fast this morning for the first time in the 10 years I have consumed that drink. Thanks for sharing!

Holy moly I love that article!! Bookmarking it.

Great article.

Loved the article. Thanks. :)

i bookmarked it too, thank you!!

I'm taking a second look at my own portion sized, too. I think I eat 100+ calories more in cooked veggies and things that come in tablespoons (peanut butter) every day I eat them. Time to start measuring precisely :)

'welcome all :)

Unfortunately as featherweights, 'guesstimates' just aren't good enough for most of us. It's easy to get away with an extra 100-300 calories at 250lbs and still lose, but not at 120, 130, etc.

does eating strictly 1100-1400 calories a day and exercising off 250-600 sound alright??

Hi Kooo,

This may not be my place, but just wanted to share a friendly reminder that your height/weight places you at the lower end of the healthy BMI range right now, which is great news! It could be the reason your body is resisting losing more weight- you're in a healthy place BMI-wise already :)

Rather than pushing your body to move into the underweight category (which is where 115 would put you), it may be trying to tell you to review whether or not trying to lose weight is best for your health.

I'm not telling you one way or another what is right for you, but I also noticed you're 16, which is an age when many of us chicks feel pressure to be thinner than what is healthy. I know when I was your age it was definitely a struggle to be bth healthy and confident in my own body at the same time.

Perhaps talking with a doctor, atheltic trainer, or other qualified professional for this tricky question would help you figure out the healthiest way to get to your body goals. Hugs, and good luck!

This would not be maintainable in the long term and would come at the expense of your health and muscle mass. Do you know the term "skinny fat"? I didn't realize you were 16. This, plus skipping meals etc, not a good sign :( You really don't want to go down that path. indiblue has some good suggestions.

I completely agree with this. I think you need to talk to a doctor or trainer or nutritionist about your diet and exercise goals. Maybe focus on eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising to create a fit and toned body rather than trying to achieve a weight that is so low?

alright, i think i'll up my goal to 120 pounds, i do realize now that 115 is too low...and being an athlete, i guess skinny fat would be a terrible idea!

so re-evaluating...i exercise 6-7 times a week, so would 1400~1500 cals a day sound better?

can i chime in? i dfont think upping your exercise and dropping your cals (when you are already at a low weight AND missing periods) is a smart idea.
I think youll find youre body gets more stressed out, and more stress = no fat loss. However, if you do want to lose fat, you are definitely going to have to drop yor cals, and accurately track them (with digital sclae). Being at a low weight, your body is going to fight it, and from the sounds of it, it already is... our menstrual cycles are vital stats for women...... if its wonky, soemthings wrong... and "athletes" dont starve themselves.
I say get the weight off by eating low cals ( and NOT exercising, except maybe walking, and doing maintence llifting to preserve muscle mass).
Then again being 16, i have no idea what type of damage yould *could* be doing none of us here are doctors, but many of us have disorded eating condidtions, body dysmorphic tendencies, and obssessive dieting/training conditions.

Good luck

LOVED that article! What a nice reminder about measuring and portion sizes. Which brings me to my question ...

Do any of you use calorie calculators like the Daily Plate? If so, do you use the "sedentary" or "lightly active" settings? For example, I am a student so I spend a lot of time sitting in class or reading, but I also walk to and from the bus, and constantly up and down the stairs to lockers, class, library, etc. I use the "lightly active" setting, and then track my exercise calories on top of that.

What about you all? I have searched online and was unable to find a good explanation of the difference between lightly active and sedentary. Plus, characterizing my life as sedentary seems so depressing :)

PS: I didn't mean to hijack the post, kooo - I just thought the question might be relevant to the topic of tracking calories + energy expenditure :)

At 16 you should be eating more than 1100 calories a day. 1400-1500 or even 1500-1800 calories plus 1hr exercise per day seems like a good plan. You should lose weight doing that, not super fast though.

I don’t see anything wrong with being 115lb at your height. Since you’re 16 you could be as low as 103lb and still be within the normal-healthy range according to this calculator.

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

Not that you should be 103, I’m just saying 115 is not considered underweight at your age. Most BMI calculators don’t factor in a person’s age.

Krazy, I noticed you are my height and we started at the same weight. It says you are now maintaining. Do you mind telling me how much you weigh and what you did to lose the weight? What are your measurements? How long did it take for the weight to come off?

Sorry for all the questions; but whenever i find someone with my stats I get realllyyy curious! lol

@letsgorunning that's totally fine! i don't mind at all :)

i think i'll stick to around 1500 calories a day and exercising 7 days a week--i just want to be losing at least a pound a week or so, since my maintenance cals are around 2300.

from everything i've read losing a lb a week in feather weights is very rare. so you may need to adjust your expectations. just follow your plan, and see what happens. your body will need time to adjust.

If you are missing your periods you should really speak with a doctor. At 16, your body is still building bone mass. Good nutrition and menstruation are key parts in this process for women! I'm glad you're reconsidering your goal weight.