I can understand your frustration, but I personally think you are at a perfect weight. Also, it's possible that your body is hanging on to water, which is what can happen when you first start working out. The scale is not the best indicator of what's going on because water fluctuations and muscle build up can skew the numbers. Those last few pounds are really hard to lose. You might try to seek the advice of a good nutritionist to help you figure out this puzzle. Or, maybe you'll get some more suggestions here.
I'm nearly 5 foot 9 and weigh 140...I agree you might be just about right. You're also working out a TON and burning off at least half of what you eat in a day....your body does need calories JUST to survive. Maybe it's in shock from the sudden change?
Since you're already at a healthy weight, like luckymommy said, you may visit with a nutritionist and/or a trainer to tailor a workout or eating plan to help you tone rather than drop any more weight...
How many processed items are you eating? Is your cycle coming on? Could you be constipated? Are you festidious on your calorie counting. I think you have to give it another week.
Also, if you have started lifting weights or doing anything that is making your muscles sore, it is likely you are holding on to additional water.
ETA: I am not commenting on your stats because it isn't what you asked for.
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 10-29-2009 at 11:29 AM.
I agree with the above. If you are at 149 and not satisfied with the way your body looks try cleaning up your diet (nothing from a package, tons of fresh fruit and veggies, only lean protein) and lifting weights. I would not cut your calories any more (in fact if you are clean eating and working out as much as you are...perhaps increase them).
Your title is marathon mom. Do you run marathons? Are you currently training for one? Weight gain while marathon training is common. Also endurance runners typically don't have a ton of muscle. Maybe try shorter workouts and heavier weights?
I totally understand being the perfect weight and not liking the way your body looks. I was "skinny fat" through a lot of high school and if I knew what I know now I would have lifted weights and cut back on all the endurance exercise I did.
All I know is that I was about your weight, and 3 inches shorter. I wasn't really doing anything about eating healthy or exercising, so I planned and I planned and I cracked down and I re-vamped my diet and started a pretty strenuous workout routine (although nowhere close to 1000 cal/day). The reward for finally cracking down? I lost a big fat nothing in a few weeks.
I posted here about my frustration and people pointed out that I was probably gaining muscle, losing fat, in general being healthier.
Don't know how old you are, but my situation was late 30's, within the "normal" BMI range and impossibly slow to lose weight - I used to be able to just cut back for like a week and drop a few pounds. My body fat was very high, so while I technically don't need to lose weight, I really need to do something! Probably you don't have that problem if you are a marathon runner, though...
So in conclusion, I can't offer much beyond commiseration. Everything you do will eventually have an outcome, it is just sometimes a ridiculously slow process.
Try posting in the Featherweights section for more people who have only a little weight to lose.
Ladies thank you so much for your insight and feed back. I think I need to elaborate a little. (I posted so quickly due to frustration)
I am an avid exerciser and have been exercising since age 16. I am a marathoner/triathlete - Endorphins are my friend!!!
I normally run/practice yoga/lift weights 5 days a week, eat healthy (smart carbs, low fat, fish, nuts, veggies (no chicken, no beef, no pork,) high protein w/ the occasional treat and snacks and wine My weakness is natural peanut butter.) I've gained lbs and now my clothes are tight and I am not feeling like my normal self.
So, I decided to ramp things up and increase my work outs, cut out the snacks and wine, and log EVERYTHING into Calorie Count. (Upped the veggies. Continue eating complex carbs and lean protein, no junkie snacks and am limiting my peanut butter). I am just finishing my cycle, bowels are normal, I am a little sore this week but nothing too serious, and drinking a lot of water. I feel lean but the lbs won't come down and my jeans are still smiling at my hips! (not smiling in a good way)
I know some of you mentioned my weight is good for my height, but I am not usually this weight. I'd love to hover around 140. I am in my late 30's.
I am stumped as to why this increased exercise and diet vigilance is not paying off!
Could be lower metabolism. And as we get older our bodies tend to want to hover around a higher set point of weight. Think about it, could you imagine weighing now what you weighed in high school when you were still growing?
8 lbs more might be attainable for you, but that doesn't mean it will be a comfortable weight to stay at. You seem super healthy and fit, maybe trying something new in terms of exercise to shake things up might give you want you want rather than revamping your eating?
MarathonMom, it may just take longer than a week to see progress. I can relate; I've been in weight loss mode since Labor Day to take off a few summer vacation pounds. I normally eat "clean", was still well within a normal BMI (just heavier than I wanted) and was already working out daily, including running >25 miles per week. I dropped my calories and increased my workouts to 2 a day several days per week. I KNOW that I establish at least 500 calories per day deficit, but it still doesn't translate immediately to a pound per week. I tend to lose weight in spurts -- would stay on a plateau for 2 or 3 weeks, then all of a sudden see a 2 pound loss.
I've managed to take off about 6-7 pounds in 8 weeks. And I was VERY strict, never missed a day working out, no junk food at all, many days at 1200calories in while burning 2000 out (or more) between normal burn and exercise. It's just harder for us to lose when we're already eating well, fit, and relatively small. It's also hard to balance athletic performance and fueling. I HAVE to eat more to fuel my long runs of >12 miles. Eat too little and you bonk. Eat too much and you overfuel and gain (or at least, not lose). It's not easy.
I have my HS reunion coming and want to look my best! For a week I've been counting calories and exercising 2 hours a day.
I am 5'9" & 149. Eating about 1400-1800 calories a day and burning about 800-1000 calories per day.
The scale has not moved and even went up for a couple of days!
What gives?
You're not eating enough! If you eat 1500 calories and then burned off 1000 your net cals for the day are only 500. Your body could think it is starving and most likely holding on to every single calorie you consume.
Calories in Calories Out - not working for me
My weakness is natural peanut butter.) I've gained lbs and now my clothes are tight and I am not feeling like my normal self. 
(not smiling in a good way)
