Hello, im new to the site. I've been lurking and reading for a bit, but now i've decided to post.

I've been counting calories and excersing since Sept. 12th. Admittedly, I only do about 20 minute cardio sessions 4-5 times a week. Sometimes 3 days if i'm really pooped from work. My job consists of ALOT of walking and bending. In addition to the 15 minutes i work to work and then again back. I tried changing little by little. You know, parking further away, not catching the bus to work, etc. I still eat out once a week, my daughter and I have a tradition we go out every Saturday. Just now I try to be more mindful and really do pay attention to the calories listed. But on to why im posting. I had been consistently losing weight. By oct. 12th, I had lost a total of 10 lbs. Then the next week, I found I had only lost 1 more pound. Then the next week (my period was on). I GAINED the pound back. Then this week, I found I am still the same weight as last week. About a half a pound lighter, but that's it. So for the last three weeks I've pretty much seen no weight lost.

Its very discouraging. I've been trying to stay true to my excersing, even if it is only 20 minutes a day. I watch what I eat. I try to stay strictly at 1500 calories a day. Last week, I did add my fruit to my diet. There's a fruit cart near my job, so every morning last week I would go get a medium sized fruit salad and add the fruit to my meals for the day. So instead of just my oatmeal and water, I'd have that and a couple pieces of fruit. Same with my turkey/wheat sandwhich for lunch, i'd add fruit. Then for a snack before quitting time i'd eat a non-fat yogurt and the rest of the fruit. Is it the fruit that's causing the issue? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I'm so frustrated. I just really don't want to be fat any more :-( I'm still going to continue to excercise and diet, but I just need to know what I should be changing.

When you say "I try" to stay at 1500 cal/day, does that mean that you DO? Like how often do you try and not succeed? Once a week, twice a week? I know that for me, one day of overeating will wipe out all my hard work for the week.

My advice would be, Instead of "trying" to stay at 1500 cal/day, you DO stay at 1500/day. Also, if your fruit is counted in your daily total of 1500 cal/day, it shouldn't effect your weight loss in anyway. If anything it should make you more "regular" unless you are eating loads of banana's. They tend to make me less "regular".

it's very normal to stall after alot of loss. periods are notorious for water weight. one girl on here gains 8 lbs each month.

sounds like you're making great lifestyle changes. you're doing great! all those fruits/veggies are great for your body, mind, skin.
maybe you could try resistance training. if your muscles get really worked there could be some water retension temporarily, but muscle speeds up the metabolism! so even when you're sleeping you're burning more cals.

Try as in most of the time, it's very rare I'd go over. I do go up to 1700 sometimes. My biggest flaw is that I read too much. I read that if I do strictly 1500 all the time, my body will adjust and it will no longer be effective toward my weight lost, so I have to change the calorie intake once in a while. And no, I didn't count the fruit in my diet. I ate alot of mangoes and strawberries and read that these fruits tend to have negative calorie ratios, since it takes more calories to digest them than the amount they have in them.

I completely cut out sweets, fried foods, I only eat lean meats (mostly chicken, fish, turkey). its frustrating because I eat less fatting food now than when I wasn't dieting. I was eating out 2 times a week, not exercising at home. I just figured, there's be a more drastic change.

Not sure about what's ideal calorie wise for you. Everyone is different. But I would say that if you're having a tough time maintaining your calorie goal, to adjust the order in how you eat. For example, make breakfast somewhat hearty but if you're not a breakfast eater, for sure make lunch your primary meal of the day. Heavy dinners are not healthy for you. They sit in your gut and your body is less active as the day winds down. So eating out for dinner, I'm assuming this meal is much heavier than what you'd normally consume for lunch. Make lunch your significant meal of the day. Then you have noon until whenever it is before you eat dinner to metabolize what you ate. And my personal opinion, if I'm going to cut out anything, it's not going to be the fruits and vegetables. It'll be the other stuff. Also, if you're stressing over minor fluctuations such as a pound or so, don't add extra sodium to whatever you're eating because most food already is salted, whether naturally or not. I have found that when I eat veggie patties, I gotta be real careful because they're FULL of sodium and can keep me retaining water (1-2lbs) for several days..

Toss the scale. Or at least toss your relationship with the scale. It does NOT define your success. It's a tool and that's it. It does not accurately measure what you have actually done. It took me a long, long time to come to peace with this fact.

I actually started weighing daily instead of weekly so that I could see the fluctuations. They're normal. Up a pound, down a pound, stuck at the same number. It's all part of the game. They say a good average is 1-2 pounds a week, but I prefer to say 4-8 pounds a month. It's the same thing...but I don't lose every week...at all.

That said, I'm with Lori on this one. Make sure you are not "trying" but "doing".

In my experience (as a dieter, not a professional), it is a normal, if frustating, pattern to lose some ~ and 10lbs is quite a big some ~ then the body pauses for a bit to regroup, and then sets off again. It does set off, believe me! The best thing you can do is to carry on doing exactly what you have been. That lost you 10lbs, it will continue to lose you weight; but expect fits and starts.

Count them. I trust that theory about as much as I trust eating back my calories burned from exercise...which is to say none at all. For one thing, fruits are carbs, good carbs, but carbs. They often trigger a craving for more sweets. They're not highly caloric, but it adds up.

Counting means counting everything, so if calorie counting is your plan, it's best to do that.

There are lots of online trackers and such that can help you with this, but you do have to get in the habit of weighing/measuring food and watching sizes that way.

For example, an apple has around 80 calories, depending on size. 1/4 of a medium cantaloupe or other melon is about 50 calories. 10 grapes have 40 calories. As you can see, those do add up.

So don't go by folklore about fruits that burn calories to eat. That's all just calculation.

Good luck!
Jay

I wonder if your cals are too low at 1500 and your body is hanging onto the weight? I agree with the PP that said toss out the scale. I get obsessive about the scale myself, but its a matter of how you FEEL.

Unless the OP has some rare metabolic disease, there is no way at her weight 1500 calories a day is too low and that is making her "hold onto weight". The higher your calories, the SLOWER you lose.

Thank you all for your awesome input. My pants/shirts feel way better. I went clothes shopping last week and was down a size. So that's a plus. I just dont want to lose motivation, if I continue to see this trend of no weight change. To whomever mentioned dinner being my heaviest, it is. I will see how I can change it. I dont really want to each a heavy lunch because I have to do so much moving around at work. I dont want to get too "full" and be sluggish. Any recommendations for boosting energy? I take a multivitamin in the morning and I drink LOADS of water. I go through about two cases a week.

I think you are doing great. Its hard when there is so much conflicting information out there. Successful weight loss is finding what works for YOU as no two people are the same. For example, I have always made dinner my heaviest meal, followed by a hearty bed time snack. Saving the bulk of my calories for the end of the day is what works for me, and I have lost 102 pounds . You can try taking a vitamin b50 complex for an energy boost. It does tend to help a little if its taken in the morning. Try not to stress too much. You will find your rhythm and things will start to become easier with time and practice.

Depending on the size of your salad it could have 300+ calories.
I thought I was doing a good thing eating a snack sized baggie of
grapes to start my workday...I "guesstimated" (never guesstimate LOL) it
at about 50 calories. WRONG! One day I measured and it was a little over
2 cups....thats not a whole lot really...but its 200 calories. 2 cups of most
vegetables is minimal calories....but fruit must be counted. And I do love fruit.

Ummm...offhand, a serving of fruit (1/2 cup-ish) is around 100 calories. So, if you added 2 pieces of fruit to your 1500 cals/day, then you added approx. 200 cals==1700 cals and didn't increase exercise. That is not an exact measure of your calories, of course, but it illustrates the point. Water and air have zero calories and you can partake freely. Everything else...well, you know the drill.

I struggle too, we all do. BUT...if I stay exactly on plan, keep exercising and doing what I am supposed to, then I lose the weight. If not, then I don't. And it's my own dang fault and don't I know it!

Fruit is good for you. Just not in addition to 1500 calories already. You have to, must, absolutley MUST count it. And not just guess. Then if you are stalling, you will know for sure that your calories eaten are the same and how much and you can look for other reason.

Good luck..and to me as well!

Barb