I am confused about why my weight isn’t going down! I have started keeping track of my calories in vs. calories out and listing it all in a spread sheet. Last week I had a net loss of 7000 calories, meaning I should have had about a 2 pound loss. Did that happen? NO! If it was just one week I wouldn’t worry but I have been stuck at the same weight since the 9th of January!

I don’t know what to do. Should I eat less? I now eat about 1200 calories a day, everything I read says that you should never go below 1200 calories a day. I workout almost every day, do I need to work out more? I run 3 days a week training for a half marathon and I am exhausted on the days I run so I don’t know if I can add to those days. On the weekdays that I don’t run( 3 times a week) I try to do 40 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes on my elliptical. On a weekend day I always do some kind of recreational exercise such as snowshoeing, cycling or hiking. Should I be doing more cardio, more strength? I just don’t know what to do. I track my food daily to make sure I am getting enough fiber, complex carbs and protein and not too much fat, sugar etc.

What am I doing wrong?!? Does anyone have any suggestions?

My opinion is you should try upping your calories to 1400-1600 or so. With all the activity you're doing you need more than 1200 to keep your body going and keep up your weight loss. Also, are you tracking your measurements as well as your weight? Maybe you're still losing inches even if the scale isn't budging.

I agree with this. 1200 is too low considering you work out everyday. I think if you up your calories, you may just shock your body into a jumpstart. Good luck.

Everyone has given you great advice already, I just wanted to add, sometimes we have to be patient with our bodies. For many people, they lose weight in a series of whooshes and stalls. For a couple of weeks or longer, their weight will be exactly the same, while their body is losing fat but retaining water. Then there will be a whoosh while the body decides to let go of the water, and all of a sudden, you are two, three, even four pounds lighter. And then the stall starts again, until the next whoosh. Is it possible you are in the stall period before the whoosh?

excellent terminology. I am using it.

I think you definitely have some good advice here. I also think that at your height and weight, it just becomes increasingly difficult to lose weight. You may be at your "set point" or very muscular already.

I agree with eating more calories. I hardly ever eat 1200 and thats on days I dont work out and lounge around. I too run a lot during the wk...right now weight lifting more than running but I eat no more than 1700 calories 5-6days a wk. I have been losing steadily since Oct-Nov.
Have you been 120 before because at your height 120 is pretty low unless you have a small frame and from your pic your face looks slim! I think all the exercising your doing is great just try to add more calories into your diet (protein and fiber) and see what happens. Good luck to you.

Thank you all so much for your advice. I think I will try upping my calories (slowly). Healthierlori, I will keep my fingers crossed for the whoosh!!! Latchkey I do need to take my measurements, I have been meaning to but I keep putting it off. Is there anything else I am missing that anyone can think of?

Bablou00- I do have a small frame, and I definitely have some chub to lose. I haven’t been 120 in years so I am not sure if that is really what I want to be. I think I could be happy anywhere in the 120’s but I won’t know until I get there. Thanks for the good luck wishes, I feel better already just talking about it.

what about salt? did you eat anything that might have been a bit saltier than usual? could be making you retain water

are you WEIGHING and MEAUSURING your food? are you counting EVERY CALORIE? including splenda and PAM spray (for example?) Maybe you arent in as much of a deficit as you think you are? and if you are just loosly measuring (ie; using cups and tablespoons) you could be going way over what you think you are. For example, take LF cottoge cheese. The label says it is 100 cals per serving, which is 1/2 cup OR (113g) 4oz. I know for a FACT if i measure out 1/2 cup, fill it to the top (level or not) it ends up being WAY more (weight-wise). Upwards of an oz more. 113ozs does not fill up a 1/2 cup. That ounce translates into (roughly) 30 more calories. if you "over-weigh" or "under-estimte" on HALF the things you measure all day, plus not counting things like splenda and PAM (even though they *say* Zero calories) that adds up to blowing your deficit.

Idea #2) how long have you been undereatig? In other words, how long hve you REALLY been tryong to lose weight, and exercising (training) rahter extensively? 1 year? 2 years? You may have upset your hormone levels enough to the point th at you couldnt lose Fat if your life depended on it ( i am there now) Your cortisol levels (STRESS hormones) are too high, your leptin levels are low, you arent producing enough estrogen.....youve lowered your BMR to a CRAWL, and eating in a deficit/overtraining are just making things worse...... Whens they last time you did a re-feed? in other words, when was they last time you were "off" your diet, and eating OVER your maintenance calories for an extended period of time--as in, more than a week?