I am new to the forum and I've finally decided to join because I need help! I have lost around 67 lbs so far and have another 70 lbs to go but I am so frustrated. In the past 5 weeks I have only lost 2 lbs and it has been a struggle. I go up and down on the scale and it seems like I am getting no where. I am not sure what I am doing wrong anymore. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I am very happy about my amount of weight loss but it's hard not to get frustrated. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Jill

First of all, what is your plan? We can't give you suggestions if we don't know what you're doing!

I second that. What is your eating and exercise plan? Have you changed any thing up since you started? How long have you been doing this for?

Sorry I should've put that in my original forum. I have been watching my calories and eating somewhere between 1400-1700 calories a day. As far as exercise I try to do it 4-5 times a week. I usually walk, rollerblade or do a workout tape. I am just so frustrated.

I started my eating healthy and exercising in Jan. One major downfall is that I've stuck to a lot of the same foods because they taste good, are healthy and low calorie so in that sense I don't switch up my foods often but I do alternate my workout routines.

Hey!

How do you track your calories? It could be that if you're not formally tracking, you are eating more than you think. That is, your measurements or estimates could have drifted over time. So my first suggestion is that if you're not using a tool like FitDay or some other tracker, and measuring/weighing your portions, do that or get back into that.

Also, how long is your exercise session each day? It could be that you're not doing quite enough now that you've been exercising for some time. Consider moving on to a more difficult aerobics DVD or increase your distance or pace when walking. Another thought would be to add some resistance training--either weights or resistance bands--to help build your muscle. Muscle is what burns fat. You don't have to worry about becoming "bulky"--but you do need to make sure your muscles get a workout.

Just some ideas!

Jay

First, congratulations on your weight loss. I know it has been a lot of hard work and dedication. My question is simple, Do you "cheat"? Do you faithfully 100% stick to your 1400 to 1700 calories a day 24/7? If you are totally faithful, I would recommend sticking to the lower end of your calories for at least 1/2 of the time. If the answer is yes...well, then you know what you need to do.

I have a lower daily calorie intake than you, (approved by my doctor as long as I eat NO empty calorie foods) but as a general rule I consume 1200 calories M, Tu, W, & Th. I have 1500 on Fr, Sa & Su. The extra 300 calories on the the weekend are a huge treat for me. Also I don't count calories on any "free" veggies from the old WW plan. (uncounted, unlimited amounts of veggies like lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, peppers, cucumbers...etc)

Maybe you could give it a shot to have your 1400 calories on M,T, W & Th, and your 1700 on Fr, Sa & Su. (or whatever works best for you.) You are getting small enough that you will need to exercise more *OR* eat less to reach your goal. (It sucks...I know!) Good luck. Let us know what you decide to do.

Heya ... welcome. And congrats on the weight loss.

I can relate to your frustration becuase I'm in the exact same place as you. I lost 60ish pounds really easily and then when I hit 180, I slowed to a crawl. It's taken me 5 more months to lose the next 20 lbs to get to where I am now.

There are a lot of us on the boards who joke about the 170s and 160s being a "Bermuda Triangle" of weight loss - and you just have to struggle through it. While that sounds silly, there are enough of us who stalled there, that it might be something for you to consider.

Also there are a lot of us who feel that after losing a large chunk of weight, your body needs to take a break from losing and sort of hold at a "set point" for a little bit before starting to lose again. Some people are lucky and just lose steadily all the way to goal, but many of us had some adjustment periods in the middle there.

For other thingss:
Jay is right that it's possible that you're eating more calories than you think you are, so tracking can be key. I know that when I bought a food scale and started weighing my food, it was a huge eye opener. I was eating nearly 200 calories a day more than I thought I was when I was just measuring. It's easy to overmeasure a T of peanut butter or to badly eyeball 4 oz of meat.

Another thing is that your body could have gotten used to the exercise and calories you're putting into it and you just need to shake things up a bit. Change your calories, change your exercise, mix things up.

A lot of us broke a stall or a slow period by either adding weightlifting or HIIT (high intensity interval training) to our workouts. Search the Exercise forum and you'll get lots of great info on both of those things.

Good luck to you!

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Thanks everyone for giving me good ideas. It's so nice to hear from others who struggle with the same thing. My husband has never had a weight problem and although he completely supports me he really doesn't understand the struggle so it's good to know I have you guys. I am going to switch everything up this week and see how it goes. I am going to weigh everything and lower my calorie intake to around 1300-1400/day and do some interval traning. Does anyone have any ideas on interval training that they have done it the past that seems to work good? Again thanks for the help it's much appreciated!

Jillian said something on her radio show last week that really stuck with me:

(In regards to exercise/calorie counting)
When you're comfortable, you're slowing down progress. When you're uncomfortable, you're speeding up progress.

This basically goes along with the advice given to mix things up! It's easy for me to do 30 mins on the elliptical these days. I'm comfortable there. But, I'm seeing less results so I started mixing it up with other types of cardio.

We have to remember that when things start getting easy we have to start pushing ourselves further.

If you're SURE you're doing everything like you have been, you might have reached a plateau, where your body maintains it's weight for awhile (the time depends). It happened to me. My body wouldn't go past 170-160 for awhile. Your body will freak out cause it's losing all it's fat, and it needs a time to adjust. Stick to what you're doing, maybe get some more exercise or just keep track better. If that doesn't work, just wait. It WILL go down, don't do anything to slight yourself, though.

CONGRATS on how much you've lost!!!

It sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes at a plateau I am better increasing my calories for a day (not crazy, just an extra 400-500) and then going back. It seems to shake something loose. (I tend to think that it reassures my body that I won't starve it so that it is willing to let go of some of the stored fat.)

The simplest interval training I know is to jog for two minutes three times during your normal walk.

First off let me say congrats on your loss so far. I started in jan also..and during the month of aug i only lost about 3lbs. I had slacked on exercise and eating..but I was still losing inches..have you measured? I feel my body needed that time to adjust to all the changes thus far. I am back to exercising daily for the most part. My weight is really moving down fast again. I have found that when i get stuck sometimes it takes different routine and maybe even minimeals instead of reg meals for a while..I think eating thru the day more helps me lose faster...
Good luck

What do you do for for minimeals instead of regular meals? I have never dieted that way. I normally eat a little breakfast and a little lunch and then a large supper. I know you're supposed to do it the opposite but I find that is when I am the most hungry. Any suggestions or advice?