This is my 4th week hanging around 161/162. I'm getting so frustrated. It does not matter what I do....lower my calories, up my calories. Playing around with my calories used to do the trick, particularly upping my calories for one day but not this time. Yesterday I was 161.4 and today I am 162.2. I want to cry. I just feel like my body has decided it wants to be this weight so I will never lose it. Sigh.
I'm in the same boat as you. Dancing with the same pound for the past 4 weeks! I did the same zig-zagging of calories as well. I am going to give it until my next weigh in on Sunday morning to decide what to do next. I'm at the end of my rope! So I am going to try one of two things to break out of this plateau:
1) Change my work out routine (mix it up a bit, higher intensity for shorter amount of time, more weight training, etc)
or
2) Go low/no carb for a few weeks.
I would do both but I know that when I go low carb, the last thing I am in the mood for is an elliptical machine for a few weeks!
How old are you? Could hormones be playing a part? I know that I am having trouble losing more as I get older than I did even just a few years ago.
Im 38. Maybe I should try low carb but I've tried Atkins and it didn't work for me cause I couldn't give up carbs for more than a week. I don't know what to do tho. I'm so frustrated.
No, I don't. Can't pay for a membership and it's too cold to do anything outside. I'm on a second floor apartment so I can't do anything inside either.
I've found that at every weight decade I get stuck for a few weeks on a certain number. I've found that waiting it out works best. I know it's disheartening, but those lbs. will certainly go. At some time soon you'll get a big "whoosh" as it's called here, and it'll all be worth it. I'm sure you're doing just fine. It's just never quite as easy as we'd like it to be.
Best of luck
The frustration you're experiencing is one reason that I did not weigh myself at all while I was losing. I knew if I got discouraged by seeing a week (or more) of no losses or even a gain that I might quit. I just focused on changing my behaviors and knew that if I just kept doing what I was doing, the weight had to come off----and it did.
I would just keep on keeping on. Eventually, the weight will come off.
I got stuck at 229 for over a month...and then gained 3lbs over Christmas, so I definitely feel you. February I've been bouncing between 226 and 227 but that's because I've been making poor choices with a lot of personal holidays in the month (birthday, valentine's, and anniversary).
Anyway, changes can take a few weeks sometimes. Maybe switch the days you exercise, or even the times you exercise. I really suggest doing strength training. It's very little movement, requires no equipment if you stick to things like pushups/leg lifts, or using a milk jug filled with water as a weight for bicep curls and all. I think strength training is what ultimately let me scoot on by that 229 number when I started losing again after Christmas. Plus, as you build up muscle the number of calories you can eat per day will increase
I also support going low carb for a period. Doesn't have to be indefinitely. Just a week or so.
As for the scale stuff. SoMuchFattitude from these forums has an excellent blog post regarding scale addiction and when it starts having a negative impact on your mood and lifestyle. You can read it here:
I've been between 163 and 166 since the beginning of January. I've tried restricting my calories to 1200/day, trying to eat more calories, exercising more. Now I'm doing South Beach, Phase 1 (no carbs, no sugars for two weeks). I'm trying to readjust my eating habits and the first time I did South Beach, (nearly three years ago), it did help eliminate cravings for high sugar foods. It will come off!
My grandmother recently turned 76 and she's lost over 75 lbs over the last few years! After being overweight, almost obese for most of her life. If she can do it, so can everyone else!
It looks like we are stuck at the exact same weight!
I totally feel you on how disheartening it is to be doing everything you can and still not see a change. What is your average caloric intake versus output like? And are you eating a diet with high amounts of sodium? I know when I weighed in on Sunday it was after a day of quite a bit of sodium (mmm salt.) and and I found myself feeling quite bloated, even after drinking a fair amount of water (although, I also did a fair amount of cardio between 2 hours on the elliptical and a 3.5 mile walk with the dogs). The scale was up .2lbs from last week as well, so I am thinking that there is a definite correlation between the extra salt, extra strain on my muscles, and the increase on the scale...
Is there any thing you could think of in your daily diet that may be a contributing factor to the stall in your weight loss?
No, I don't. Can't pay for a membership and it's too cold to do anything outside. I'm on a second floor apartment so I can't do anything inside either.
Don't let this stop you. I've done Walk Away the Pounds DVDs before with success. And, I have walked/jogged in place while watching a movie/TV, etc.
Don't let this stop you. I've done Walk Away the Pounds DVDs before with success. And, I have walked/jogged in place while watching a movie/TV, etc.
^^^ This.
I have also jogged myself around the kitchen table a few times this winter. Even started to bring my GSD with me around and around, when we can't go out walking... Though my HuskyX looks at us like we're special. (because apparently re ta rd ed is a curse word.)
Last edited by Halloween_Hellion; 02-25-2015 at 04:18 PM.
I don't have time to read all these answers (sorry), but I hope it's ok if I chime in.
First, I feel for you!
Second, since you can't workout, I suggest buying a kettle bell. Just one...around 10 pounds is a good place to start. There are tons of youtube videos and they will work you out very well. By building muscle, you'll increase your metabolism...just don't increase your caloric intake (many people do this because they feel justified to eat more since they worked out and it could work but it can also stall weight loss). The kettlebells will give you a nice shape too.
Third, don't weigh yourself for a while. If you're sure you're counting those calories accurately and you're doing everything you can, just take a little break from the scale. Try to not weigh a month and see what happens.
This is my 4th week hanging around 161/162. I'm getting so frustrated. It does not matter what I do....lower my calories, up my calories. Playing around with my calories used to do the trick, particularly upping my calories for one day but not this time. Yesterday I was 161.4 and today I am 162.2. I want to cry. I just feel like my body has decided it wants to be this weight so I will never lose it. Sigh.
YOU CAN DO THIS! Just keep going. I recommend switching things up and also playing around with some heavier weights!
Play around with cutting out grains + sugar for about a week also and see how that goes. It usually does the trick for me.
I will never get out of the 160's :(
