Activity increased sharply last few months. Can't lose 10-15lbs I want.

[kcadams1980]

No doubt this has been asked/answered 9000x, but I'm getting pretty neurotic about this whole weight loss thing. About 2.5 years ago, I SLOWLY got back into running after a really traumatic lung surgery in 2012 that left me with decreased resp endurance and chronic pain in the chest wall (that's a whole story in itself, lol). I'm 5'6"/female/35 years old; the lowest I've ever weighed as an adult is something like 125. Anyhow, I was up to about 180-185lbs in early 2014 - quickly lost 30 lbs just by eating better during the week (aka, no Jack in the Box) + typically 3x/wk running that started off SUPER slow. I had a fairly sedentary job at that time, so my only real activity was dedicated exercise. My best/low weight was in early Nov 2015, I was down to 145 and feeling badass. Sooo... big caveat is that I was skipping dinner most nights of the week (like, every day during the work week), drinking aprx 2 glasses wine/night and more on the weekend. My cal intake went up quite a bit on weekends, but I kept losing weight like this, so I just kept on it.

I fully cop to the fact that I have some unhealthy body image issues and preoccupation with weight and food. My husband would tell me constantly that I needed to actually EAT during the week, but for every article I read online about the metabolic pitfalls of "starvation mode," I'd find something else that would confirm my (bad/unhealthy/likely incorrect) belief that the "starvation mode" meme was a myth. After the holidays last year (2015), I gained something like 10-15lbs, and once I got back on the horse with my running/eating, I couldn't undo that weight gain to save my life...

Fast forward to March 2016; I started a new job at an enormous hospital system (MD Anderson) in the Houston medical center, which in itself is huge and demands more activity. My new hospital has a FANTASTIC fitness center + locker rooms/showers free for staff, so I now go every morning during the work week (5 days), get ready for work at the job etc. My husband has convinced me to try and mix up my runs (3x/wk - 3-4miles each) with 2 days XT (elliptical) + strength/weight training. On those days I do 20 min elliptical pretty high intensity, then 35-40min FAST weight routine (more like circuit training I guess?). The Charge HR I just got last week SUCKS for the weight training portion (heart rate not measuring correctly, way too low - this is a common complaint I see), but pretty good I think for my runs/elliptical and very active work day. My average steps/work day is something like 16k-21k; 4-5miles + whatever extra I run on run days.

Given this sharp activity increase, I expected to drop that 10-15 lbs super easily. Not happening. I'm stalled out at 154-158lbs and it's annoying the hell out of me. I started eating dinner during the week - my calories in range from 1500-1800 (those #'s totally scare me btw), and I totally cut out wine during the week. Yes, I'm still drinking on the weekends, but I've been way better about ordering pizza/chinese/overeating at restaurants etc - not losing. And no, I'm not active on Sat/Sun; I feel like crashing after my work week and just want to vegetate. I'm not trying to be a size 0 - a steady 6-8 is perfect.

Ok, so I'm wondering if all my many, many months of very restrictive eating during the week + binging on the weekends has done some major slowing down of my metabolism? I know that y'all will tell me to cut out the wine totally, but **ahem**... what's the point of all this work if we can't go out and have fun on the weekends? I feel like  with the amount of calorie burn I've got during the week, I should be able to go over a bit and be sedentary-ish on Sat/Sun and not totally blow my weight loss goal (1lb/wk). Oh, my sleep quality totally sucks - I've had chronic insomnia for YEARS and have tried EVERYTHING (I fall asleep ok, but wake up everytime a speck of dust falls or my mind starts racing per usual. I know that is negatively impacting my workouts (endurance), not to mention making me zombie-like at work but pushing through, but I don't know what else I can do to change it. Fitbit confirms that my sleep quality is BAD. 

Sorry for the extra long post - I've had all this rolling around in my head for months, and just spewed it up here. Thanks in advance 🙂

Kelly

[Zimni · Accepted solution]

Hi Kelly,

Your post headline caught my eye becase I am no stranger to hitting plateau. It's so frustrating - like here you are sweating it out and getting all the numbers on the board daily but at the end of the week, the scale would stay put. I had an unhealthy phase for two years, majorly dealing with miscarriages that always sent my weight up and the emotional eating afterwards added to the drama.

Anyhow, here's to say that its been over a year I started and I am finally down to those last few pounds, but here's what I learnt:

1. I am 34 and when I started a year ago, even two hours of running-yoga-strength training felt like hitting a wall. For a long time I was convinced that my metabolism has slowed down and has adjusted to this weight and it won't budge! 

2. I was wrong. I kept going. there was no other alternative. I learnt it meant that I needed to up the ante, just like you did. more intense workouts. 

3. I learnt that after working out so intensely for like over a month or probably more was when my body entered this zone where it stopped being a challenge and struggle. slowly, the scale started to budge.

4. I tried to stay consistent with whatever diet and exercise plan I had for myself. even weekends (sorry!). Yep, I ate out on weekends but I don't think I went all out, at least not when I was just at the starting point of the weight loss programme. Oh btw, wine is fine on weekends according to me . I think logging food diligently for say a month can give a great perspective on what you are consuming and things you need to alter. My main criteria was maintaining the calorie deficit. If i went over, I would compensate by running more that day or next. On my fitbit, I made calorie count my main goal, and as long as I reached that by midnight I knew it would be okay.

Apps like fitbit and myfitness pal make it easy to track what you eat during the day. I would suggest you use it for a while till you figure out the best diet-exercise combo that works for you - that you are fueled well when resting and still buring off calories when you workout.

5. Yea, it's a long journey. For the plateaus, what worked for me was switching things up. so some days instead of a long run, I did a faster, shorter run and added a swim. What your husband suggested is a good plan.

6. Also, I found the max weight loss in those weeks where I maintained a high protein diet, and kept it clean overall. 

7. sleep is crucial! Please please try to work that out. 

Hoping you find something useful here, and please keep going! Trust that you are doing the right things, and the results will start to trickle in - it can be slow but it will happen.

[Dominique]

I would include stress management routines, like yoga or meditation, as stress, insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality release hormones that prevent or slow down weight loss. My personal favorite stress reliever is my cat  

[kcadams1980]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful/non-judgemental reply! It's so ironic - I'm a clinical social worker and practice cognitive behavioral therapeutic interventions with patients ALL THE TIME, but have such difficulty reframing those negative thoughts in my OWN head. Like, all that "starvation mode" nonsense is just something people tell themselves to feel better about having no self control. I mean, COME ON. I know that is pretty disordered thinking. 

Anyway, I actually think I am starting to see some results - certainly I've gotten stronger very quickly (only been strength training now about 4 weeks, going up on weight easily), which is cool. I can say that I fall into that "bored eating" trap on the weekends, if I'm at home not doing too much... Still trying to reign that in.

And as for the sleep - I feel y'all big time. No one needs to tell me that it impacts my body/mind negatively, I feel it daily! I'm actually seeing my PCP today, so will raise the issue again... I've been on 10mg ambien+50mg nortryptiline (both sedating) forever, so I'm not sure what else can be done to treat my restlessness/waking up constantly/etc. We shall see 🙂 Again, thanks y'all.

Kelly

[Wyllyam]

Zomg Kelly, stop adding!  What I mean by that (having lost 90 lbs once, and 35 the second) is that you're trying to lose weight by ADDING things into your life.  You're going to overwhelm yourself, and as many of us know, that will lead to increased stress and apetite (mmmmm pizza and Netflix...calming effect...).

You have the basics already, but considering how much you walk each day on your VERY demanding job, change your workouts to muscle.  I've been amazed at how well Kettlebell and Yoga (weight bearing poses) work for women.  You won't gain size, your muscles will look bigger because everything over them will burn off.  Build a bigger engine which will help burn more calories at rest, which you really need for recovery.

When overstressed, your body will conserve its fat stores as much as possible.

Also, is working out that early in the morning your preferred method?  Are you feeling rushed?  I tried it myself, and had to go back to 7pm.  I feel stronger that way, but not everyone is the same.  It takes more effort not to skip, admittedly.

Now, probably the thing that will make the most difference immediately:  Your Macros.  One of the most valuable parts of the FitBit app.  Record your meals, and watch the little red numbers (much easier on a computer rather than the phone).  Get the protein percentage higher than the carb percentage.  That's all.  Yes, you can have Chinese (just make it broccoli and beef over limited brown rice).  You don't have to starve, just change up the 1800 calories you're eating with lean turkey, chicken, salmon, super-lean beef, whatever.  No extreme TV-diet plans needed, just a bodybuilding diet.  You'll eat much more than you imagine, as tons of healthy food takes up a lot more room per calorie than a bag of chips.

Ok, that's all for now, just passing on what I've learned over the past 10 years.  One bad job caused me to slack off and start eating Fast Food again, and I slipped quickly up 35 lbs.  It really is a new lifestyle, but you'll be surprised how fast you'll get used to it.  Oh, one more thing (sorry long winded), add one food and take away one thing at a time.  Don't overwhelm yourself (see the theme here?).  Don't buy a recipe book and try to make 7 new dinners in 7 nights.  Go simple, pre-pack your lunch with the basic Chicken/Broccoli combo.   Make it easy.  You can do this, it DOES work.

[kcadams1980]

Haha. I've got a tendency to get a little neurotic about this stuff. Ironically, shortly after I wrote that post, I started losing. And I'm getting stronger, which I'm happy about 🙂

I primarily work out in the mornings because I hate, HATE trying to drive/park in the Medical Center during peak traffic time (I work 8-5p). I park in a lot that is about a mile walk from my car to my office in the main bldg of MDA - but it's huge, and when I get here early I can park right up front. This way I'm not all stressed out, running late, etc. And because the gym at my job is REALLY nice - and free - I figure this is the best way for me to stay in a routine (I'm really a creature of habit, I'm not good at going off/on), and I'm never late to work. But yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kinda tired during the day... Also, the alternative (going after work) doesn't appeal because the place is seriously crowded, which I also hate.

I have a really difficult time with stuff like yoga and certain weight bearing exercises due to chronic (read: permanent) pain along my right middle chest wall/rib cage; the result of having an open thoracotomy (the surgeon breaks a few ribs and opens up the chest laterally to get at the lungs). Long story, but I needed to have my right lower lobe removed because it was essentially a giant walled off infected abscess that was causing me to have constant/worsening bouts of pneumonia. That was in 2012. Stuff like pullups, tricep dips, planks are really painful, so I try to avoid them... So I work with what I've got 🙂

Thanks again for knocking me back into reality here. When I get in my own head too much I make myself miserable (again, the height of irony given what I do for a living).

Kelly