I'm sorry you're discouraged. Losing weight is a long, frustrating process when it isn't going our way and delightful journey when it is!

It's possible it's just going to take patience right now. You've lost 10 pounds at a great rate. Maybe your body is just saying, "Whoa there, hang on a moment." You're due for a whoosh any time, I'm sure. ;)

Have you tried eating smaller more frequent meals? Eating more frequently helps to keep our metabolisms revved.

Originally Posted by Lori Bell:
In response to the bold print...When I read stories like this is aways remind me of when I would have a no loss week. There were just some weeks I didn't lose any weight. I'd stay on track, be dilligent, and come Friday morning weigh day I would be exactly the same weight. (Oh course I was bummed a little) BUT, I would keep doing exactly what I was doing, (same 1200-1500 calories day & same excercise) and then the next week Whoosh...6 pounds GONE. That happened a couple times to me during the weight loss stage of my "diet". When I hear these stories, in my mind, it's not raising the calorie intake that makes the person lose weight, it's just that it's probably that persons "time" for the glorious "Whoosh". IDK, I'm certainly no expert, but to me, eating more when a person already has an ample amount of the worlds most perfect energy storage system attached to their body seems very counter productive.

I agree! :) However, I personally believe "starvation mode" is insanely misinterpreted...

Ok so I posted this in my thread but here is my opinion...

BTW, everyone always bashes me when I say don't eat 1200 calories a day.

What I am trying to say is that it is bad to eat below your BMR. Your BMR is what you need if you are lying in a coma. Sooooooo......when you are working out, moving around etc....it makes no sense to eat less. In fact if you are in a coma your BMR is what they would feed you in a hospital to keep you alive.

My BMR is 1497.

Here is a calculator to figure out yours
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Originally Posted by crcossel:
Ok so I posted this in my thread but here is my opinion...

BTW, everyone always bashes me when I say don't eat 1200 calories a day.

What I am trying to say is that it is bad to eat below your BMR. Your BMR is what you need if you are lying in a coma. Sooooooo......when you are working out, moving around etc....it makes no sense to eat less. In fact if you are in a coma your BMR is what they would feed you in a hospital to keep you alive.

My BMR is 1497.

Here is a calculator to figure out yours
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

I started out eating at my BMR to find out where I needed to go from there. The scale didn't budge those two weeks. Once I cut 100 calories, I started losing 0.2lbs a week (700 calories a week deficit, divided by 3500, turns out to be 0.2...)

If I ate at or above my BMR, I'd either maintain or gain... So if it's bad eating below our BMR, then I don't want want to be good :cool:

Originally Posted by :
What I am trying to say is that it is bad to eat below your BMR. Your BMR is what you need if you are lying in a coma. Sooooooo......when you are working out, moving around etc....it makes no sense to eat less. In fact if you are in a coma your BMR is what they would feed you in a hospital to keep you alive.

I'm sorry, but those calculators are merely guesstimates and HIGHLY inaccurate - highly and positively without a doubt can not be relied upon. It's up to US to figure out the *correct* numbers.

There is no way on this earth that anyone or anything can accurately tell how many calories one is consistently burning.

If I were to go by those calculators and consume what they tell me to - I'd be obese.

So for me it makes perfect sense to eat less.

I do think it's worth experimenting, and that less isn't always better: I lose about the same 2 lbs a week on 1200 calories a day as I do on 1500 calories a day, and 1500 calories a day is much, much more pleasant--I could do 1500 forever.

Basically, one does hit diminishing returns on calorie cutting, and there's no point in any suffering that doesn't do any good. However, the point of diminishing returns can only be discovered through experimentation.

:hug: I'm sorry your frustrated. Ive been through the same things. Over and over again. I've been at it 3.5 years and I am still working toward my goal. Your exercise sounds awsome!! I am so proud of you for working out like that, it is just what you need.

What I have found is that my body is affected by several issues.

1. This will be number 1 because I'm dealing with it right now: Mid-cycle gain. I can gain anywhere from 3-6 pounds during this week it drives me insane, but I am aware of it and I deal with it.

2. Carbs in the evening. I usually eat late because of my schedule, and I have found that if I eat bread or pasta after 6 I am more bloated in the morning so I show a slight gain.

3. Not eating after my workout will stall my loss. I have just figured this out within the last 6 months. I need to eat a small amount of carbs with some protein after my workout.

4. Any time I feel a sore muscle I will not show a loss at all. Most of the time it is a small gain.


I lose very very slow and it takes a lot of patience. I constantly have to remind myself that my health is more important than what the scale says. By working out daily, I am in the best shape of my life.

I just really think that is is unwise to make across the board assumptions - across the board meaning that this is how it should be for each and every one of us and to state opinions as absolute facts.

Of course that's merely just my own humble opinion. ;)