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...

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. Waaah.

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.

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

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.