Lately I've been in a pretty crappy mood because I'm not losing weight-it just stays the same day after day. I eat clean, I work out regularly. I switch workouts to prevent boredom, and I thought it would help in losing weight too, but it hasn't. I usually look forward to working out, but lately that isn't even fun for me. I'm just really frustrated, and wanted to vent here because I know some of you have probably been through the same thing so you understand how it feels. I've heard people say that it took them a year to lose the last few pounds, and I think "It's gonna take me that long?" then I get upset about it. Sorry, I know this post is pretty pointless, but I'm feeling pretty bummed out right now

Yeah, I know pretty well. Actually, my biggest plateau has even partially contributed to sending me back into a looong relapse. And that's the danger of it all, because we can easily get discouraged and start letting all the efforts go, little by little.

Personnally, I've decided to overhaul my ways of viewing plateaus, and consider things as "hey, I am not losing, but at least I am not GAINING, which is a big victory in itself, considering how talented I am at packing pounds fast if I don't watch myself!" (I'm growing tired of losing and gaining and losing the same old pounds all the time, I admit ).

Of course, it doesn't make it -that- much more easier, but at least I feel less like I'm wasting my time, and more like I'm doing something right all the same.

Good luck with breaking the plateau, in any case. I hope this will happen soon for you.

Hi there...from looking at your BMI its pretty understandable that you are finding it difficult to lose. Its already at 19 so you are already at a very healthy weight for your height. Not the answer I suspect you are looking for...but..maybe your body is telling you its happy where its at?
Finn.

I know everyone's goals are different, and everyone's body doesn't necessarily fall into a precise "chart" range, but perhaps the reason your body is being stubborn is that your goal is actually slightly underweight for your height? According to most weight charts, 125 is the rock bottom healthy weight for someone who is 5' 8". If you're already 130 and actually a half inch taller than that, then I would think losing any more than you already have (which as been a GREAT success, btw!) may slip you just out of a healthy range. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't force your body to do something it knows isn't good for it, unless you do so in an unhealthy manner (but I'm hoping your goal is to be thin and healthy, not "skinny fat" ).

My suggestion: ignore the scale for a while and increase (or add, if you're not doing it already) your strength training exercises to tone the weight you currently have. By increasing muscle, you can lose inches without actually losing anymore pounds. The scale is NOT the best tool to use to measure success on this journey, especially when you're so close to the finish line

Well, at a low weight already for your height, your body won't give any more up by the usual means...so EITHER you'll decide that your body is good/OK where it is or you'll choose to emply other methods (hopfeully not!).

its a choice....but I'd urge you not to mess up your body/metabolism etc and maybe work on body image instead? Because you certainly arn't fat!

I do understand...at 5ft 7ins and 138lbs it seems like my body is going to be very very ruluctant to give up the last 20lbs...I guess all we can do is keep on keepin' on...

Hey xtiffanyx,

Lots of good comments from other members. I did the same thing--looked at your BMI. You are a normal weight now, and even on the low end, if your current weight is correct. If you're exercising regularly, I would bet you are in pretty good shape!

Have you had your body-fat percentage measured recently? Most gyms can do that for you--don't try to find it out online, because this is one number that has to be actually measured.

What you are doing is SUCCESSFULLY maintaining your weight!

That's not a bad thing--you could choose to be happy about it and not feel so frustrated. What is your reason, if I might ask, for wanting to be 125?

Jay

I have to pose the same question with this goal of 118 pounds at 5'7", the same height as myself. I am very fit at 130-140-honestly I don't even think it is possible for me to ever attain 118. Why such the low goal weight?

I would agree that maybe your body is telling you that it doesn't WANT to be 120-125, especially since you are 5'8" tall. Honestly, I am 5'7", and at my lowest weight before children, I had to jog/run a lot and live on 1200 calories a day to MAINTAIN 130 pounds-not to lose. I had to realize that a more attainable goal weight for me to achieve, and to maintain, was more along the lines of 135-140.




A lot of it, I believe, is not so much a number on the scale that we should be trying to attain, or measure our successes by. If you are already at a good weight for your height, but are not happy with the body, it is time to start looking at your workouts, and what you can do to get more FIT, rather than lose more pounds. Fitness makes a HUGE difference. You can still be 115 or 120 pounds and have a poochy belly or jiggly thighs. You can be 130-140 and be muscular and fit. A lot of that depends on the intensity and type of exercise that you are doing.

I'm not judging... but that DOES seem a bit too thin. 5'7" @ 118 sounds like super-model weight to me (& as luck would have it I think ALL super-models are way too thin. )

Thanks for your replies . Honestly, I've set those goals because of the actual numbers. To me a number in the 120s sounds better than 130. I'm actually quite fit, thanks to my love of working out, and I know that I won't actually look much different if I lost 5 pounds. Maybe I'll just lose 1 pound so that I can be at a weight that sounds better to me I'm not 100% happy with how my body looks, but I think a lot of it might be in my head.

Yeah, I'm also 5'8" and about 11 years ago I did get to 128 and thought it would be cool to be 125. Wow, I tried and tried and couldn't budge. I also found that my body quickly adjusted and I maintained at about 135 for several years. It was just easier to maintain at the 135 rather than the 128. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body.