So I've been on the diet roller coaster a few times. About 6 years ago I lost 50 pounds got myself down to 130 and was there for over a year. But in the subsequent 4.5 years I've gained back that same 50 pounds

I weigh 180 currently. I'd like to get to 140. I'd love to lose 2 pounds a week but I know averaging one pound is probably more realistic. I have a desk job and spend 2.5 hours commuting each day. For the last three weeks I've done the first 3 weeks of couch to 5k 3 times a week. One day I try to get a brisk hour long walk in. The other two days I do the BumBum program for an hour a day which is more strength/sculpting but I've found it still really gets my heart rate going. Then I have one day of no exercise rest.

I've been eating 1500 calories a day. I've been eating some really good lean proteins but also some crappy carbs I will admit.

I weighed/measured myself today to check progress. Not a pound lost. Didn't lose a single inch. My clothes feel no better.

Have the fluctuations in my weight caused me to just have a bad metabolism? Am I just going to have to go very low cal in order to lose anything? I was hoping to work my way down to lower calories as I lost weight but it doesn't seem like I'm going to lose at 1500 and am thinking of going down to 1200.

What do you suggest? After 3 weeks I was hoping to see a LITTLE progress!

the problem is you've started a whole whack of stuff all at the same time - your body has basically gone "GLOINK!!!!!!!" (see here for definition: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PB4_tLuq71...400/_faint.jpg )

just be persistant - remember that your body has already been this route so it takes longer for it to get the message that this time, you're really serious.

are you tracking your food intake using something like fitday or sparkpeople? if not, you might taking in more than you think.

I've lost and regained the same 35-50 lbs. several times, and it didn't screw up my metabolism a bit (at least, I see no difference in my most recent speed of weight loss---in fact, it may be even faster!). I know that some studies have shown yo-yo dieting to negatively affect metabolism, but my experience shows me that this is not the case for everyone, so don't be so quick to be discouraged by that possibility.

Give it time. One strategy that worked for me was not weighing myself at all during my weight loss. I focused on just changing my behaviors. That really helped me to keep going and to view the changes as lifestyle changes rather than being so scale-oriented. YMMV though.

If you are staying the same weight then your energy in is equal to your energy out. In other words if you are eating 1500 calories a day right now your body must be using 1500 calories a day. Anything else other than a balance would cause a gain or a loss.

A pound = 3500 calories. If you want to lose a pound a week then you have to expend 3500 more each week than you eat. In your case diet alone would be difficult. Take 3500 and divide by 7 days and you get 500 that you would need to cut. That would put you at 1000 calories which most experts do not recommend because it is difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs.

Another way would be to increase your activity/exercise by 500 calories a day and be sure not to add these calories into your diet a term we call eating them back.

If it were me I would compromise and cut my food intake down to 1200 and increase my physical activity by 200 calories a day.

3500 = a pound is an average and total accuracy in determining activity/exercise calorie burning is almost impossible. So you will need to make adjustments and monitor the outcome and then adjust again as needed. With persistence and patience you will be successful.

You have total flexibility on how to achieve your needed calorie deficit.

Larry

I started out eating around 1400+ calories per day and came to a standstill. I lowered my intake to an average of 1200 calories per day and now I’m consistently losing 2 pounds a week. I carefully calculate daily my calories, carbs, fats and proteins by hand and I’m fairly confident I’m accurate. I also try to eat as nutritiously as I can.

Once I said to myself, “I'd do anything to lose weight.” Then I asked myself "Would you eat at least 3 servings of vegetables and fruit every day and the correct amount of protein and watch your starches and fats and not eat any junk food while you’re dieting?" I decided "Yes I would" and that was the answer for me since there is no magic pill.

By eating a healthy diet you can get more vitamins, nutrients and minerals with less food. It's working for me. I also take a multi vitamin once a day and 600mg of Calcium twice a day. I feel good and am consistently losing 2 pounds a week eating only nutritious foods.

I’m not exercising at this point so you might need to eat 1300+ calories to lose 2pounds a week. Start experimenting by lowering your calorie intake and find that sweet spot to where you'll be losing 2 pounds a week, if that's what you want. More Power to You!

There is no such thing as, “Starvation Mode”.

LINKS:

http://voices.yahoo.com/starvation-m...886.html?cat=5

http://www.weightwatchers.com/templa...Date=7/12/2007

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums...tarvation-mode

First off, let me say your persistence is fantastic. Definitely pat yourself on the back!! It's easy to keep going when the scale moves in the direction we want it to move in, but success comes when we keep going no matter what -- sooner or later, you WILL see the changes you'd like to see and it will definitely be thanks to your willingness to hang in there!

It sounds like you are doing what you need to do. In truth, I haven't been at a weight as low as yours so I'm not sure how many calories are required at that weight, but I imagine 1500 may be ok if not on the higher end, or perhaps someone else can chime in. However, a few questions come to mind: 1) How is your water intake? 2) Are you measuring everything you are eating? Sometimes that does the trick. And 3) Have you been under an increased amount of stress these past few weeks? I know when I'm stressed the scale doesn't want to budge. Same goes for sleep actually -- my body is more likely to lose weight when I'm sleeping correctly.

Whatever the case, keep at it and keep tweaking your plan to make sure you get the health and results you desire. It will pay off and I wish you all the best!

Jen3 Gave you very good advice and I agree there is no such thing as starvation mode if you are on a reasonably low calorie diet. That being said I dieted myself into starvation mode many years ago and almost died from liver failure. I stopped eating and only took water, nothing else for 40 days and I ended up in a hospital with total liver failure. Don't do what I did!!

Another variable that Jen and I both forgot to mention is that a huge variable in your body's energy needs is dependent on your current weight. You are in the 180's and your body needs far fewer calories than mine did when I was at my high point of 360 pounds. At 360 I could eat a lot more calories and still
lose weight than you can in the 180's.

Experiment and you will find that sweet spot that Jen mentioned. I did and you can also.

Larry,

I count my weekly total of calories and then calculate my average calories per day. I dropped my calories until I began losing 2 pounds a week consistently.

At 1,500 calories per day you would be eating 10,500 calories per week

At 1,200 calories per day you would be eating 8,400 calories per week

That’s a 2,100 calorie difference.

You need to settle in between those numbers to lose weight or exercise more or both like Larry says. You need to find your compromise .

Some people have said you need to up your calories to lose weight but that has never work for me.

It might help to know how many calories your body needs to function correctly at rest or asleep. I use my desired weight and go off that. The numbers in the box is how many calories you need at rest.


BMR Calculator
http://health.discovery.com/centers/...sal/basal.html

I wonder if you are eating the right amount of calories but too much sodium? That could explain it. I don't think 1500 is too low for your weight, and you should be able to see a change...

I would cut down the sodium (it is amazing how it can go out of control if you don't keep track of it) and drink plenty of water...

Good luck and keep on going

I also do not think that 1500 is to low. I'd give it another 2 weeks. A lot of people (including myself) lose weight in "whooshes". I won't lose anything for a month, and then all of a sudden 5-6 pounds will come off and I start losing inches. It's hard to keep motivated during the slow weeks, but it is completely worth it.

When you look at it, you are eating 1500 but with exercise involved your net is lower then that. Depending on how much you burn and how hard you are working, your net could be even lower then 1200 some days. I always try and net around 1450ish... so basically I eat 1450 on days I do not exercise, and on days I do, I eat back my exercise calories so that my net is 1450.... Seems to be working for me. You could maybe try doing it that way?

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone!

I'm really trying to stay positive and focus on the fact that no matter if I'm losing weight or not that my body NEEDS to move. That I'm not just doing this to be thin, I'm doing this because my body is designed to move and walk and carry weight and I'm not doing it any good by being sedentary, whether I lose weight or not.

That being said, I do want to lose weight, so I'm taking all of your great suggestions. I'm going to keep plugging away at this level and number of calories and start making sure I'm logging things through a calorie counter to be sure my 1500 is accurate. Going to drink more water and watch the salt. And re-evaluate in 2 more weeks.

Thanks again everyone!