I've been working out everyday aiming for an hour a day at least and I'm back to 287 which is what I was when I went to my monthly doctor visit on the 7th. I dont understand why I'm back to 287 when I've been working out every day since then. I guess in order to lose again I need to work harder to stay at or under my 1200 calorie limit. I'll keep everyone posted.

Aww. I know how you feel. So many factors can come into play so you may have to try a few things over the next few weeks and check your progress again...

1. It can be water weight. TOM, etc?

2. You might need up your calories if you've been below 1,200 for a long time. I had that problem once (eating around 1200 for several months) and I wasn't losing. As soon as I upped to the 1600 range, the pounds started coming off again.

3. Are you doing any strength training? If not, you may want to add some to your routine. Muscle is an active tissue that consumes energy even when you're not working out, fat doesn't.

4. There could be other health reasons that'll explain the slow to no weight loss. Ask your doctor if you suspect anything.

The scale lies!

Are your clothes getting lose? Mine are about to fall off, but the scale doesn't budge every week.

Are you weighing yourself at the same time of the day during the week? I always weigh, first thing in the morning, after peeing, and before eating or drinking. Your weight can vary up to 3 pounds + or - during the day depending on: your salt intake, which causes you to retain water; how much food and liquid you have in your system, ie if you have gone potty or not; changing muscle mass. If you are doing intervals, you will gain muscle if you have enough protein because your body has to be able to carry your weight around, and it wants to prevent injury. It can also change because of fluctuating hormones during the month.

Do you have untreated or undiagnosed illnesses? I didn't start losing until my thyroid disease, vitamin B-12 deficiency, and PCOS were treated.

Are you drinking enough water? If not, your body will retain and recycle as much fluid as it can.

Are you eating enough calories? If not, your body will conserve energy. Are you absolutely certain that you are eating at least 1200 calories?

Do you take measurements? Maybe its a muscle gain. Maybe it is water weight.
The things I'd look at if it were me would be the types of food I am eating as well as if I'm eating enough. I know some people want to do the whole minimal calories most safely possible thing, but maybe your body is feeling deprived. If you're going to stick to 1200, I'd make sure I log my foods on mfp or something to make sure I'm hitting my nutrient goals.
Also, maybe you could use a cheat day. Keep your body guessing. That always boosts my loss. (As long as one does not go too crazy.)

I hope you find a solution! Keep up your great workout schedule!

Focusing just on the weight isn't always the answer. As some of the others said, measuring yourself in addition to a Body Fat Meter to determine how much fat you have and are losing can give you a better picture of your progress. Keep in mind that if you're working out a lot you can be building muscle and that won't help show results on the scale.

I know for me that I can change weight up to 5 pounds in a single day depending on water, what i've eaten and my activity level. So, don't beat yourself up too much. Get a bigger picture with the other tools I mentioned and see if that helps. Good luck!



May Goal: GET OUT OF THE 300'S AND NEVER GO BACK. GET INTO THE 200'S AND MAKE A DENT!

Affirmation: I am NOT defined by my weight but by who I am on the inside and how I CHOSE to live my life. Healthy!

Thanks everyone for replying to my thread

Letsgetaway ~ It could be water weight, I dont have a period anymore since I'm on birth control. I do intervals along with my walking everyday, Is that the same as strength training? I dont know...



Tootsie ~ Yeah my clothes are loose but a few of them are stretchable so I cant tell if its my clothes or if they are loose cause I'm loosing weight. Yeah I weigh myself every 3 days and I always do it in the morning when I wake up. I dont have any untreated or undiagnosed illnesses, I go see my doctor every month so if I did I'm sure she would know and in turn I would know lol. No I'm probably not drinking enough water, Although I try to drink 32 oz every day but I dont do it every day like I should but I'm working on it. Well to be honest I've been eating more then 1200 calories so thats probably why I'm back to 287 I finally came clean to myself and all of you.

Hey, Terra, it's okay. We're all human. You can do this. I haven't been perfect on my journey, but we're improving because we're learning from our mistakes. Just get right back to it.

My first thought is muscle mass, you are losing pounds but gaining muscle, in addition, as for your calories, I would not dip lower unless you talk to a doctor, my initial thoughts would be to up your calories. Everything I have been taught and have been told leads to the same thing, fewer calories lowers your metabolism, which can result in slower weight loss and or weight gain. I would try upping your calories for a few days to a week and see if it helps out at all.

Thanks everyone

I was going to mention the same. 1200 calories may not be enough. I know from my own experience I had to up my calorie intake by eating more protein and low glycemic type carbs. Once I added those into y diet the weight started peeling off almost like clockwork.

I am losing more weight eating 1600-1800 cals per day than I was at 1200-1400. I discovered the hard way that my body truly needs more healthy calories than less to lose the weight. Plus now I know if I feel hungry my body is telling me to I need to eat a snack, add more protein, carbs, etc.

One week I was so hungry I was eating 2200-3000 calories a day. So I listened to my body and went ahead and ate. Almost everyday of that week I would weigh myself in the morning and found I lost another 4-8oz. By the end of that weeks I had lost another 3 lbs 2 oz in total by eating extra calories. I was astonished at how smart my body was and now I try my best to stay in tune and feed it all the nutrients it wants. Hope that makes sense.

Applevalleygirl ~ Thanks for replying back to my thread, I will up my calories and see if that gets the scale moving downward.

I agree with apple. I myself do so much better when I stick with 1500 to 2000 calories a day. When I first started I was told to stick to a 1200 calories a day eating plan and I was starving to death and didn't lose as much weight. When you're working out everyday you need food for energy and to keep up your metabolism. Eating frequently (5-6 times a day) will really help too.

The moment I switched over to eating more and more frequently the pounds started dropping off No harm in trying it. Everyone is different so it might work for you.

Jen ~ Thanks for replying to my thread. I will eat more and see if it helps

Just make sure the extra calories you are eating are from healthy foods. If you log your meals like I do its so much easier to go back and see your calorie intake.

I was able to determine that I needed more protein like eggs, cheese, milk, lean meats, fish, etc. and I also needed more low glycemic (good) carbs like brown rice, lentils, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc.

So I changed my diet to include a serving of protein and good carbs at every meal. It worked great. I lost the hunger and started dropping weight immediately.

I think what a lot of people forget is that you need to eat in order to lose weight and to keep your body fueled for all those high energy workouts.

Applevalleygirl ~ Yeah I definitely eat healthier now, Healthier then I did a year ago