Hello! I used to post here regularly and got out of it. I've yo-yo'd a little but I'm back on the horse and struggling to lose again. I jumped back into Jillian Michaels videos a few times a week and also using my Zombies, Run 5k training app a couple days a week. Have been using the weight watchers points system but haven't lost in weeks. I decided to switch to calorie counting cause the last time I got stuck I realized I wasn't getting enough calories (1200-1400). I'm a waitress and I work 5 days a week at a store that gets really busy. My fitbit has said I can walk like 3 miles in a shift. So maybe I'm not eating enough.

Anyway I switched to myfitnesspal again, and have been eating about 1500 a day and I still didn't lose this week. I'm so down and very frustrated. Have no idea what to do hoping the awesome people can help me the way they did before. Based on their advice the last time I was stuck here for weeks (at the exact same weight I am now) I was able to lose again by eating closer to 1600-1700 a day. But I'm really scared to.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!

At your height and weight, weight loss is going to slow considerably I would think. I know because I'm the same. I decided to stop here and maintain. I may try to go lower again at some future point, but I kind of like both what I'm eating and what I do as exercise so I'm not sure I'm willing to change either for a lower scale reading. My original goal was 150, but 170 is so much better than 240 that maintaining here is good enough.

If I were to try to lose again, I think I'd do what you're doing. Work on muscle development and cardio and aim for around 1500 calories a day. I'm guessing with that, I would be stuck for a couple of months while my muscles were getting used to the new regimen and then I would lose at the rate of a pound, maybe two, a month.

You may be right. I used to workout a lot and eventually dipped down to 161. Wish I had kept that going. I think since it's been a couple years since I was doing this well with ST so maybe it will take over a month to get to a point where I can start losing a bit again. Thanks for the input

I'm starting to freak out about macronutrients though. I'm obsessing now over carbs and fat and protein and how much to set of each as my daily goal on MFP. Maybe I should go back to the points system since they factor those into points.. Hmm

Why are you scared to up your calories? Even if you'd eat 1700kcal per day you'd still be in calorie deficit.

Anyway, stress/obsessing + calorie deficit + cardio + hectic work = cortisol and stalling at weight loss. Think of it this way: why would your body give up any precious fat deposits when it has to get you through this stressful time? :-)

Hi,

Don't give up now - it's normal to have a flat period - try a hypnosis download - I'm using it and it seems to make a big difference - I also feel more positive than ever - I have started to get in tune with what my body needs - it's kind weird !!!

just google weight loss hypnosis - I'm using 12minute diet - there are also loads you can use on you tube.

try and stop stressing because I do agree that with stress you body goes into emergency mode - the more relaxed you are the more you can listen to what your body needs

good luck and hang on in there

Dossy x

Thank you for the advice Bunny , that's true, and I might try that in a couple weeks if I still don't lose (meaning upping calories to 1700)

I have been under a lot of stress the past couple weeks. Personal life and work have been bumpy to say the least but those are behind me so I'm starting to relax again. I'm going to get back to the points this week and eat my weeklies if I want to (it's Thanksgiving week, let's be honest, I'll use them all haha!) I think I should be able to, especially considering I've never given myself activity points for the walking at work.

I'll keep posting here again, I do better when I have supportive people around

Fat loss is not the same as weight loss.

Too few calories does not stop or slow fat loss.

Stress can stall weight loss.

Sounds to me like you're due for a whoosh.

I can't post links as a newbie, but there is an article on Lyle's site also called "Why big caloric deficits and lots of activity can hurt fat loss". So it is my understanding that even the fat loss can slow down. Regardless, obsessing and stressing will not help and causes more damage than good.

Lyle's article is about people who eat very few calories and then do massive amounts of exercise. This is not the case here.

The simplest answer is almost always the correct one and in this case the simplest answer is water retention.

Fair enough, and yes, of course there's water retention.

I still would recommend that the OP read the article, as there's a special mention of people who know that they will lose weight when they up their calories, but decide not to do so anyway.

bsbgirl86:

Don't know your diet history but if you lost weight recently, your body may need more time to recover before it's ready to lose again. I recommend finding a calorie and exercise level you can live with and not worry so much about the scale for a while. If you are working out, you are building muscle so there is probably fat loss even if the scale isn't moving.

I'm in a similar boat, while I am still losing, it's really slowed down a lot. I know I will hit a serious plateau eventually and so I'm just mentally trying to prepare now. So my focus right now is on hitting my calorie and exercise targets every day, and I'm trying not to worry so much about my weight. The weight loss will come but I'm past the point where I can force it.

Thanks a lot, guys!! Appreciate it so if it's water retention then eventually that'll go away on its own?

I was looking back and the only time I finally broke past this weight was when I was posting here before.. People encouraged me to stick with it, eat a couple hundred more cals when I was working out, and eventually I dropped.. But it was about 2 1/2 months later. I hope that happens again

It's funny that you mention water retention when I've been feeling my stomach is... Well, frankly, bloated. Even dieting it's felt full like I just ate a big meal for a few weeks

I'm also wondering how big a factor salt is. I know it's bad for you, but could it be stalling me? I tend to use a lot...

Salt = water retention and bloating coupled with increased stress, I think there's your answer.