I cannot lose weight
 

Seriously. I am at my witts end and totally feel like giving up..

I work out 6 days a week. Tuesday and Thursday I work out TWICE. Once in the morning with my trainer, and then I run at *least* 3 miles after work. I stay around 1200 calories (whole food calories, I dont eat any junk) most days, and RARLEY go over 1400. I drink 100oz of water a day. And I just cannot lose. I have never seen under 167, and that was breif. I weighed in on a morning I didnt eat dinner the night before, and it was 167.2.

Since then, the scale fluctuates between 168-170. My goal is to lose 2lbs per week, but I cant even lose .2 pounds. There is no rhyme or reason to my "weight loss" (if you can even call it that). Just randomly up and down.. Since January I have only really lost maybe 7-10 pounds...

I just felt like I needed to vent about that. I try talking to my DH, but he isnt very helpful because he doesnt understand the struggle (skinny guy).

Today is not a happy day for me, by any means. So I am going to be a big huge baby and throw myself a pity party for the next 10 minutes. Then I will have to put my game face on and keep trucking through...

Anyone else ever feel this way?

You're reasonably close to your goal, and I know that makes things tougher.

I am NOT one to usually jump on the "you're not eating enough" train, but it might be the case for you. You're not short, you're working out a lot. 1200 calories might not be enough. Maybe you need a few higher calorie days to shake things up.

I'd say you're not eating enough. If you're that active AND you're working on the last 15-20lbs, you should definitely be eating more each day. I'd suggest finding out what the maintenance level of calories is for your current weight. Then between food and exercise, keep the total daily caloric deficit between 500-750 calories.

Example, if your maintenance level for your current weight is 1900 calories and you eat 1200 in a day and burn 500, your deficit is going to be 1200 (!) calories. But if you eat 1700 calories and burn 500, you're going to get to that better range at a deficit of 700 calories that day.

Hey ladies!

Okay, so zoodoo613- I tried having a high calorie week to switch things up. Big mistake- I gained. :(

peanutt- I brought this up with my trainer, the way my gym does personal training is the whole shebang! There fitness manager is also an registered dietician, so when we set up our plan, we meet with our trainer and the fitness manager and come up with our plan. Wouldnt they say something about not eating enough? I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for nearly a year now. I just dont get it! I am scared to up my calories, as the last time, I gained!! ugh. I just dont know what to do.

To steal a quote from Dr. Phil (and no, I'm not being glib :)) - How's that workin' for ya?

If you're not seeing the results that you need/want with what you're doing, change it up. Yes, if you start feeding your body more you may very well go through a brief period of gain or plateau. But stick with it for a month or more, giving your body time to adjust, keep on track and on plan and see what happens.

WendeeLou... :hug:

I TOTALLY FEEL THE SAME WAY.

I faithfully work out 5-6 days/week, watch my food intake, count those calories, eat healthy (rarely any junk) and I STILL CAN'T GET BELOW 170. Dammitdammitdammit. (that's me, pitch'n an ol'fashioned hissyfit, right here in front of god & everybody!!!)

What's worse, if I eat one tiny "bad" meal" (last night [Cinco de Mayo] we had chips/salsa for dinner & I had a very healthy grilled shrimp salad w/green peppers and a 1/4 sprinkled cheese. This morning, THREE extra pounds on the scale (I know, it's water retention... all that salt... but still!) And I felt like I'd swallowed a couple of basketballs. Geesh.

Right now, I just feel like giving up. (But it's not in my genetic make-up to do so.) It's like NOTHING I do seems to make a difference at all. I'm just doomed to carry around this extra 30-40lbs forever. Yes, I fear I will be "stuck here" at this crappy weight for the rest of my life. It's not like I wanna be super skinny. Not like I wanna "compete" with girls half my age or expect to look like I did when I was in my 20's. I just want to be COMFORTABLE in my skin... COMFORTABLE in my clothes. At 5' 3 1/2" .... 140 lbs is not an unreasonable expectation.

And I wish I could dive head-first into a barrel of melted chocolate (milk! not "healthy dark"!!!!!) & drown myself. Meh. :tantrum: Waaah.

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
Hey ladies!

Okay, so zoodoo613- I tried having a high calorie week to switch things up. Big mistake- I gained. :(

peanutt- I brought this up with my trainer, the way my gym does personal training is the whole shebang! There fitness manager is also an registered dietician, so when we set up our plan, we meet with our trainer and the fitness manager and come up with our plan. Wouldnt they say something about not eating enough? I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for nearly a year now. I just dont get it! I am scared to up my calories, as the last time, I gained!! ugh. I just dont know what to do.

Honestly, I had the same plateau for years. I ended up raising my calories to 1400 (they were dangerously low before) with my nutritional therapist/RD's help - I also eat no junk, and I gained as well. I'm short, so a few lbs looks like a lot.
It took my body about 4 months before I started to lose the weight I put on and I'm now seeing progress from my starting point. It sucks, but my main goal is to get healthy and the weight loss is icing on the cake.

I'm going through the same thing right down to the fit DH that thinks it should be easy! What I was told by my trainer is that my body has adjusted to my workout routine, even though I exersise a lot and work my whole body I keep to pretty much the same routine every week and I need to completly change it up to start seeing results again.
Don't give up you are so close!

Ugh, I feel you! I just posted something pretty similar: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...ot-weight.html

We're the same height and I have to agree with trying to up your calories some. Add in more protein to help build muscles, especially if you are working out a lot. Have you been taking your measurements too? that's the ONLY thing keeping me sane. BTW, you look great in your progress pictures so don't get discouraged!!!!

The only thing that keeps us from losing weight is our brain. Consciously or subconsciously we have decided it can't be done. If you don't eat enough, the brain thinks the famine is coming and holds onto every single calorie. For the amount of exercise you do, you aren't eating enough. Try it for a month. Losing weight is all about choices.

The thought of upping my calories scares the crap out of me. I dont want to gain weight..I have worked my butt off to get to where I am.. And I refuse to do something that will make me erase that hard work. I tried it once, I went a whole week with 1600 calorie days, and I gained 3.5 pounds back, at that rate, I would gain all my weight back in a month. I just cant do it. I would rather maintian here, than gain, if I cannot lose.

I gained for about four months (and was depressingly upset) and then lost it all quickly and am currently losing again. When you starve yourself for years, that can happen, apparently. If your plateau history isn't too long, you may be able to gain a little, jolt back into weight loss mode, and start losing again very quickly.

I'm sorry you're going through this. :hug:

While I realize how frustrating it can be, I would challenge you to consider two things:
-a week is not long enough to judge whether or not you body has adjusted to a new diet, exercise or other routine.
-can you continue eating 1200 for the rest of your life happily? Because that's exactly what you're setting yourself up to do if you can't get over the mental block preventing you from feeding your body the fuel that it needs.

I am on the 'not eating enough' wagon.
That's a lot of activity for 1200 calories a day. I would try upping calories but not by 400 a day, try 100 - 150 a day first, give it a little longer than a week and see what happens then.

Best of luck to you!! Keep at it, you'll find the right formula for your body as long as you keep trying :hug:

So...what if you upped to 1300 calories for a week or 2....then to 1400 calories for a week or to...maybe (I have NO clue, it's just an idea) upping in slow increments may prevent you from gaining weight, but still allow your body more food?

I dunno, just a thought.

Originally Posted by Coondocks:
I am on the 'not eating enough' wagon.
That's a lot of activity for 1200 calories a day. I would try upping calories but not by 400 a day, try 100 - 150 a day first, give it a little longer than a week and see what happens then.

Best of luck to you!! Keep at it, you'll find the right formula for your body as long as you keep trying :hug:

LOL apparently I should have read this before posting!!

Honestly, I'd cut back on the exercise for a few weeks and see what happens. It would solve the issue of not taking in enough to cover what you're burning without actually having to eat more. You are eating a reasonable amount of calories...just not for someone who is as active as you are.

Or just wait it out. I've heard of plateaus lasting months before they budge.

I would also consider the factor that what you're doing IS working, and that it just isn't showing on the scale.

At the weight I am right now I am usually a smaller size. The difference is exercise. I'm not really doing any this time around. In other words, even at the same height and weight I can be two different sizes due to how much current activity/muscle mass.

I think you look great. Don't focus too much on that number on the scale, even if you aren't losing you are toning.

dragonlady1978- No way I am not going to exercise. My workout time is MY time, it is the ONLY time that I spend on myself. The rest of my time is dedicated to others. I am a mother a wife, and I work in hospice. Exercise has completley cured my depression, stress, and anxiety. Absoloutly no way will I stop. Not even for a week! :) thanks for the suggestion though!

Have you been to the doctor to have your thyroid checked recently?

I have Hypothyroidism, but I take Levothyroxine(generic for Synthroid) everyday.

First off- :hug:

I know you said you were eating good, healthy whole foods-- but what are those? I've found that when I just count calories I don't do as well as when I cut out certain types of food, or watch how much I eat of them - (sugars, grains... I'm on the South Beach Diet). I tried just "eating well" for a couple weeks and lost maybe half a pound.. but when I do south beach I see a drastic loss in the first 2 weeks, and then a consistent loss after that in phase 2. My body just seems to hold on to certain foods more than others.

Just my two cents. :) you'll get through this!

BTW, you're absolutely gorgeous!

"If you don't eat enough, the brain thinks the famine is coming and holds onto every single calorie. For the amount of exercise you do, you aren't eating enough."

I hear this a lot. I hear this from people who have "upped" their calories & then started to lose. But it makes no SCIENTIFIC sense. Scientifically speaking, you eat LESS food (calories) then you LOSE weight. Less calories than you burn = weight loss. But clearly that's not true for everyone. And it's not true for everyone that increasing caloric intake will "rev your metabolism" & you'll lose weight.

For me, what seems to work - I mean REALLY work - is extremely low caloric intake. I did the MediFast diet a couple years ago. Lost 20 pounds in a snap - didn't feel hungry/deprived, etc. But it was expensive, & when my husband became a victim of the 2008 economic b*tch slap, I had to give it up.

Doing this (losing weight) the "old fashioned" way isn't working for me. I've tried increasing my caloric intake before and ended up gaining eight pounds. So I think my frustration with that is understandable. :(

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for nearly a year now. I just dont get it! I am scared to up my calories, as the last time, I gained!! ugh. I just dont know what to do.

^^^^
I think that is your answer.
Your body has adapted, metabolically to running off of 1200 cals a day. You know longer burn the calories you used to because your boy has learned to operated on 1200, thus putting you at maintenance. IT SUX. and INCREASING workouts is DEFINITELY not the way to do it.... it will only stress your body out more, raise cortisol levels more, and make it THAT MUCH HARDER to lose fat.

MY ADVICE?? you arent going to like it


YOU NEED A DIET BREAK. YOu need to eat at what your maintenance SHOULD BE or HIGHER for at least 1 week to 10 days. minimum. ANd you need to eat a lot of High glycemic index carbs......... this will help to reset your falling hormone levels and raise your metabolism *some*

talk to your traininer about a diet break. im absolutely serious

The only other explanation is that you arent reallly eating 1200 cals.... after 1 year, maybe you have gooten sloppy with your counting? i dont mean this in a mean way...... do you weigh and measure EVERTHING you eat still? are you eyeballing portions or even using cups to measure? you cuold be way over on your calories without realizing it

I don't know how long you've been stuck at this weight but if you've been eating 1,200 calories for a year and exercising quite a bit and now your weight is stuck it is clearly time for a break. Since you don't want to take a break there is nothing to discuss. I do believe that your adamant refusal to take a break from dieting or exercise is a sign of things to come.

I predict problems in your future. Right now a 2-3 week break would probably do it but where you're going it might take six months or even longer. Eating too little while training too hard leads to overtraining and hormonal depression. I'm not an expert but this subject but I've read enough to know that what you're experiencing is only going to get worse if you keep pushing it.

I would advise you to spend a few bucks and join Leigh Peele's forum. I believe it is $10 a month. She is an expert on this subject and can tell you better than I if you're headed for a massive train wreck, or not.

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
I tried it once, I went a whole week with 1600 calorie days, and I gained 3.5 pounds back,

If you were maintaining at 1,200 and over a week ate an additional 2,800 calories that weight gain was mostly water. Probably all water.

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
I have Hypothyroidism, but I take Levothyroxine(generic for Synthroid) everyday.

Why not go in and get your numbers checked? I know a lot of people on here don't agree with medical science (although I'd rather err on the side of science) but things like this can hurt your progress with weight loss. If you are doing everything according to your plan and seeing no progress, it's worth a check. Don't let internet people's opinions ever dissuade you from having an actual medical professional check you over, especially when you already know you have this particular challenge! You should fact check everything with your own trusted Doc who treats your body!

If not your thyroid, I would agree to incrementally increase your calories but I agree it should be more modest than an increase of several hundred. If you're gonna do those kind of increases, calorie cycling might be better for you. You might check to see if you're protein/carb balance could use a little tweaking too. It all depends on your body but you work out hard on very little calories. Don't bottom out your metabolism in an effort to lose weight, it's counterproductive.

Sorry sweetie, I have to agree with John. If you aren't going to lessen the exercise or up the calories, or change ANYTHING about your habits that haven't been netting you much loss, what advice do you want from us?

You're a thermogenic wonder if you can gain three pounds of fat from eating 1600 calories a day, as a young, active woman who is treating a metabolic issue. Famine mode is REAL, and you make your weightloss much more difficult, the more you overwork and underfeed your body. If you love working out, that is fabulous! Keep it up! But nourish your body for the level of activity you are doing. There has to be balance.

I strongly encourage you to check out the work of Dr. Amanda Sainsbury-Salis, her research on metabolism and weight regulation is groundbreaking.
http://www.dramandaonline.com/

Originally Posted by Beach Patrol:
I hear this a lot. I hear this from people who have "upped" their calories & then started to lose. But it makes no SCIENTIFIC sense. Scientifically speaking, you eat LESS food (calories) then you LOSE weight. Less calories than you burn = weight loss. But clearly that's not true for everyone. And it's not true for everyone that increasing caloric intake will "rev your metabolism" & you'll lose weight.

For me, what seems to work - I mean REALLY work - is extremely low caloric intake.

Your suggestion that someone who has been dieting at 1,200 calories for a year and exercising quite a bit lower calories further is absurd. Yes, she would lose weight but when her hair starts falling out and her TOM shuts off then where will she be. The body starts shutting down non essential functions when pushed hard enough. I've seen it first hand, my wife did it to herself dispite me telling her every day to eat more. What's the big rush???

Everyone looking at this thread should read this article. If you think there is no scientific reason for raising calories than think again. Pay close attention to the physiological reasons section.

The closer you are to your goal weight the slower you need to lose weight. If the OP was 30lbs heavier she wouldn't be having this problem. In my opinion she needs a hormonal reset and since she is taking medication things become a lot more complicated - thus my suggestion for getting input from an expert like Leigh Peele.

WendeeLou, what are your macronutrient ratios? Have your trainers given you any food plan to follow other than eating "whole?"

John P- The last time I talked about my plateau you told me to take a break. And I did, I upped my calories to 1600 a day, and I didn’t work out but three times for 30 minutes each that week…the result 3.5 weight gain and it took me this long to get that stupid 3.5 pounds off. Not so sure it was water weight. It is not that I am REFUSING to change anything about my efforts; I am willing to do whatever it takes (clearly) to just get into a healthy weight range. It is no longer about appearance, I know I do not look like a woman who weighs 170 pounds, but I do. And every time I go to the DR, whether it be a regular check up, ob/gyn, OR infertility, my weight ALWAYS is an “issue”. I do not want to be overweight any more. I don’t think that I have a “problem” the way you may perceive I do. I think that I workout just as much as most people my age with my goals. In fact, I am usually at the gym the same time, so amount of time, and just as often as half the people I see there on a regular basis. I am not a workout freak; I am just not willing to give it up. I love getting my workout in, and I like feeling energetic and fit. There is nothing wrong with that. I know if I was to take 2-3 weeks off, it would break my mode and I would have a hard time getting back in. That is just me. I know you are trying to help, but I feel like I am doing the right thing here.

Arctic Mama- I never said I wouldn’t change anything, I have already tried what John P is suggesting, and that didn’t work for me. I also wasn’t really looking for any advice per say, my post, as stated, was a vent.

Oddreee- I have been thinking lately about following a “plan” to help me. You say South Beach is working for you- Heck might as well give it a try. I eat clean- at least as often as I can. I eat everything made from scratch, we don’t eat out often and when we do… Salad with everything on the side or occasionally a steak or piece of chicken- grilled… I watch sugar, sodium and try to limit carbs!

Mkroyer- I do measure everything. I realize that my calculations can still be a little bit off, but I am pretty good and measuring, entering, and knowing where I stand for the day. I plan to talk with my trainer about upping my calories after our official weigh in (which is Thursday). If I try to go to him now- he will likely chew my butt for weighing before. :D


I know that this is a plateau for me, and I am willing to continue to keep working through it. I am not willing to drop my calories any lower, just so that’s clear. 1200 is the bare minimum for me. I logically realize that I am close to goal and it will be hard for me to lose, but that doesn’t mean that my crazy emotions don’t get the best of me from time to time. I mainly wanted to come here and vent! I wanted this thread to be more about the struggle, and not so much trying to fix it. We have done what we can… so if my body isn’t going to respond, then it isn’t. What more can I do?! I was hoping there were other gals (or guys) who feel this same way, and they could relate. Maybe a story of, “I was on a plateau for X amount of time, and then it broke”. That was my intent here.

I also wanted to mention, that I DO work with a trainer he is very knowledgeable and open to changing and trying new things, so what we have going on isn’t the end all be all so to speak. I work at a hospital with a dietician (Hospice and Home Care) So I am able to pick their brains and tweak plans to fit for me.

I must add that I DO appreciate all of the help and suggestions! It just shows how caring and supportive everyone is here! And I love that about you guys!

I think in the future I may write my post in word- and then read it a couple hours later, and if I still think I want to post it then I will. Sometimes I just need to get my Blah feelings out and just get them off my chest. I don’t really have anyone else to talk to about these things. :)

So your number is 1200 but you're not saying what you keep your carbs and proteins at. Any idea?

Carbs under 150 Net- I try and make sure that the starchy carbs are under 50- I eat tons of Veggies at each meal..

Protien-my goal is 30g but I am allowed to have more protein in place of carbs, if I am hungry! :)

I asked this upthread but you might have missed it... have you been taking your measurements at all? It's possible you're experiencing something similar to me and losing fat/gaining muscle but not losing weight. Also, since you have all those wonderful helpers around, why don't you have them check your body fat with calipers? You really don't look overweight in your pictures and I'm surprised that the doctors are making a big issue about your weight. :?:

runningfromfat- I had a bocy composition test done by my current trainer about two weeks ago. 31%. I am BARELY in the normal range according to some charts. I would like to be 25ish%. We do take measurments, and though I have only lost roughly 20lbs (give or take-depends on the day lol) I have lost over 30 inches. But once again-I want to be a healthy flippin weight! It shouldnt be this dang hard!!!!

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
Carbs under 150 Net- I try and make sure that the starchy carbs are under 50- I eat tons of Veggies at each meal..

Protien-my goal is 30g but I am allowed to have more protein in place of carbs, if I am hungry! :)

WOW! Your protein is so low. The minimum I've seen listed for a woman in the age group of 18-30 has been 56 grams. Your trainer has you bottomed out to on protein to keep it in proportion to your low calorie plan. Your metabolism is likely suffering b/c you aren't eating enough protein. Training won't do that much for you if you can't build the muscle you need to keep that metabolism revved. I'm afraid, more of the same will get you more of the same. Please be careful b/c if your metabolism starts to sputter out, you might start to gain weight on the level you're already at. If you really don't want to increase your cals, that protein issue is gonna have to get adjusted IMO.

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
runningfromfat- I had a bocy composition test done by my current trainer about two weeks ago. 31%. I am BARELY in the normal range according to some charts. I would like to be 25ish%. We do take measurments, and though I have only lost roughly 20lbs (give or take-depends on the day lol) I have lost over 30 inches. But once again-I want to be a healthy flippin weight! It shouldnt be this dang hard!!!!

Ok, but it IS really telling, if you're in the normal range than that explains a lot about what's going on with you. Your weight loss is just going to be that much slower. I'm sorry it really does suck. :hug: What's much more important than a healthy weight is a healthy body composition and you already have that! Sure, it's on the border but that doesn't matter, you're already there! If you're having infertility problems (and I've BTDT, we'd like #2, yeah...), then that is NOT affected by you having a high muscle mass. You sould be going to the doctors with your body composition in hand and explaining that you already are at a healthy body fat percentage (plus, if the doctors are focusing on that for you being just 15lbs in the overweight BMI category, you might very well be going to the wrong type of doctors in the first place!).

Originally Posted by WendeeLou:
I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for nearly a year now. I just dont get it! I am scared to up my calories, as the last time, I gained!! ugh. I just dont know what to do.

This is a shot in the dark--maybe since you've had a similar routine for a while, you should mix it up...

Like, maybe changing your diet drastically for a week--like eating only raw vegetables, fish and beans. This isn't a very scientific idea, but maybe your body just adapted to the routine and you could persuade it to get out of the rut by eating different food or working different muscles.

Many people who responded have given better advice--this is just my two cents.

The last pounds are always the hardest--but you'll pull through. You're doing a good job.

If you're not willing to sacrifice your workouts, what about changing them? Choosing a less intense regimine or at least a different one, such as water exercise (does your gym have a pool)?

I also agree with the suggestion to have your thyroid levels checked, and perhaps your medications adjusted. Losing weight on low-thyroid is notoriously difficult. My grandmother was on thyroid medications and steroids for emphysema, and even though she was about 50 lbs or more overweight and even on semi-starvation diets had trouble losing weight. Her doctor didn't believe her until she was hospitalized for pneumonia for several weeks. No one brought food to her and she was on an 800 calorie diet, and I don't remember what she lost, but it was little enough that her doctor finally understood that she hadn't been lying about how difficult it was for her to lose weight.

I wonder whether your expectations may be getting in your way. .2 lbs per week may be more realistic than 2.

If you average my weight loss over the time it's taken to lose it, I've only lost an average .3 lbs per week. By most people's weight loss opinion, that's failure. I'll accept that definition, but answer that I have "failed off" 90 lbs.

Physically I could lose faster, but even so I can't lose as fast as I did at this weight in the past. My full-speed weight loss potential is less than half what it used to be. I avoid full-speed weight loss because it tends to backfire on me (I tend towards deprivation-triggered binges).

I think unmet expectations bite us in the butt in so many ways.

Stress hormones (because we're not seeing the results we want) slow metabolism.

This may not apply to you, but many of us will get so frustrated that we have periodic "it's no use, I'll never be thin, so what does it matter if I go off plan" binges (infrequently enough that we don't immediately see their impact). We say "I don't know why I'm not losing I only eat x calories per day (but I'm not counting the once a month binge of 10,000 calories)."

I also think our bodies can work against us. I do believe there's something to the theory of set point. Many of the body's processes function work to maintain the status quo, I don't see that weight necesarrily would be different than those other processes. Finding ways to reset normal can be a challenge. For me low-carb dieting has - I have an unusually low body temperature, but I discovered that my body temperature is higher, much closer to normal on low-carb dieting. I suspect that's an indication that low-carb literally is turning up the furnace - increasing my metabolism (or that high carb is slowing my metabolism). To lost the same amount of weight, I can eat a few hundred more calories of low-carb than high-carb (that doesn't break the calories in/calories out math. It just means that what you eat can affect the math, in this case I suspect raising my metabolism). I'm also less hungry on low-carb, so it's a win-win.

I would suggest trying low-carb. Not necessarily Atkins induction low. If the ideal of low-carb isn't appealing to you, instead of starting at a lowest level (as most low-carb and reduced-carb plans have you do), you could gradually reduce your carb levels until you do start losing, but you still may not see rapid weight loss. You may never get 2 lbs per week. You may never get 1 lb per week.

Wow, your protein is super low! 70+ grams per day as an active, young mom is my minimum, and I feel better on more than that! Switch it up with more lean protein and different exercises, maybe that will give the shakeup you need?

Originally Posted by JohnP:
Your suggestion that someone who has been dieting at 1,200 calories for a year and exercising quite a bit lower calories further is absurd.

Absurd, eh? :chin:

Okay, just to be clear - for the record - I DID NOT SUGGEST that she lower her calories further. I said THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR ME. In the past 6 years (yes, that's correct - SIX years!) I have tried several different things to get the weight off. Different levels of caloric intake, 1800, 1600, 1400, 1200... different forms of exercise, etc. and I have managed to get from 192 to 170 - and that was thru MediFast, which was about 800 calories per day. I was only on that diet for 3 months, and I lost the bulk of that weight during the first 4-5 weeks. After I had to quit MediFast, I gained 12 lbs of that back over the course of a year, but was able to get that off from January til present day.

And here I am. Still 170. Fluctuates between 170-174. Today, I weighed in at 172.8

And, no offense John, as you have done a great job with your own weight loss efforts, and I applaud you!! -but I have to say, a woman's body is so very different from a man's. And going thru menopause ain't no picnic, and my hormones are seriously whack. It makes losing weight 10x harder than what it was in my 20's. Yet, I still try. :^:

"So long, & thanks for all the fish." ;)

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