HELP! Only lost 1 pound in 3 months!

[BlazingSolstice]

I'm 27, 5ft 6in and weigh 165lbs. I'm trying to loose at least 35 (if not 45) pounds. I don't have set deadline since I believe as long as I'm loosing consistantly, I'm not going to stress over a encroaching date. 

I count my calories, weigh portions and I have few "cheat days" though I never go overboard.  I don't work out hardcore but I try to squeeze in 2-3 mile walks every other day and lift light weights at the gym every few days. I've been keeping up a 1200 - 1300 calorie diet, whole grains, lots of leafy greens like spinach with little to no dressing. On occasion, I'll have a starchy vegetable like a baked potato with a teaspoon of butter, pepper, a tiny dash of salt, reduced fat cheese with a dollop of plain greek yogurt. I try to drink plenty of water but when I need the boost, I'll have an unsweetened iced tea. Once or twice a month I'll have a true cheat day when I have a girls night but nothing to would cause too much damage.

Keeping everything in mind, I should be loosing 1-2lbs a week. However, despite all of this, I have only lost 1 lb, only one flubbing pound in over three months.  My mother, who's been dieting with me, has lost over 30lbs in the same time and while I am so proud of her, I can't help feeling a little bitter, since I would be nearing and possibly meeting my goal weight by now if I was loosing like her.  

I'm running out of motivation and my fustration is only growing. My mom mentioned it might be something medical and that I should go to the doctors and get some blood work done, since the size of my gut literally changes by the hour BUT unfortunately, since where was work was sold to a different management company, my new insurance card has yet to arrive. So, until I get the card in the mail, I'm stuck stewing about my inability to loose weight. I decided until then, to find advice from people who may have faced the same thing.

Any advice that can be given would be greatly appreciated. 

The hopeful (and possibly disillusioned) side of me is hoping that it's mainly stress and since I literally just got out of a 8 year relationship (literally, as in last Wednesday) that I had been unhappy in for the last 2 years of it, and now, that I'm once again single and can focus on my wants and needs, that maybe I'll magically start loosing the weight.  Realistically, I'm doubtful, but I girl can hope, right?

[AtomHF]

Hi, first of all, congratz on your efforts. Assuming you are at least lightly active, 1200 calories seems very low to me. You might be starving yourself and slowing down your metabolism. If you are eating less than the minimum your body requires, over a period of time, your body starts to think that this is as much food as I will be getting for a while so I better reduce my calorie expenditure... We are perfect machines and it works against our weight loss goals 🙂 Obviously metabolism doesn't slow down over night, so it would take a month or two to get there (seems like where you are heading)

You also mentioned that you have cheat days once in a while. Believe it or not but those cheat days might be your issue. It is so easy to nullify 3500 calorie deficit (calories required to lose 1 lbs). 

You might also be gaining water weight but in reality still continuing to lose weight. Buying a scale that has fat % would help. They are not accurate by all means but you can at least see the trend over time (that is what I do).

I would recommend:

• do your cheat days but still calculate to make sure you are not nullifying your week long weight loss progress
• increase your caloric intake to 1500ish
• buy a scale that has fat% (if you don't have it already)

I hope this helps.

[westtxflightrn]

One of the biggest issues I see on your post is this, your calorie consumption is way too low. Your starving yourself and not getting enough calories to increase your metabolism. More protein to start, chicken, turkey, and white fish with salmon once a week. Quit cheating! If you truly want to lose keep up with the lean proteins and as many veggies as you want (5 meals a day), you won't crave the bad stuff, but give it at least 20 days. Lots of water, you'll be going like crazy for the first 6-7 days until your body adjusts (if your a soda person, even Coke Zero YOU CAN'T HAVE).  Stay strong and when you do crave have a veggie snack, NO CARBS (breads even "whole grains" will set you back). ask your mom to measure you also, if your losing inches and not weight there's a big motivator! You can do it!

[Brifit4life]

Have you checked your thyroid if none of the above works?

[AtomHF]

I don't buy in to the no-carbs stuff. I previuosly lost 10% body fat (trainer measured using fat caliper and omron body fat analyzer) while eating carbs and protein together. Yes, what you eat matters but the bottom line is the deficit you are giving yourself. Hypothetically, one could eat all carbs and still lose weight (would be a horrible diet in terms of nutrition).

I had to eat carbs as it boosted my weight lifting sessions. I tried to choose healthy carbs but that wasn't always the case. When you are trying to do a calorie deficit, you are automatically forced to choose better foods for you as they are lower calories vs. the junk you may be eating.

[BlazingSolstice]

I had my thyroid checked a few years ago, at the time it was in the "normal" range but on the lower side of it. My doctor told me it wasn't anything that would have any affect on my body.

[BlazingSolstice]

I agree with you on the Low-carb.  My mother has been on several different diets, one of them was the no-carb/low-carb and overall it caused more harm than good and even her doctor said that that kind of diet, while it works, you usually end up gaining it all back compared to just simply eating better.   

[AtomHF]

Exactly. It is all about balance and moderation. 

[BlazingSolstice]

I doubt my calorie intake it too low. No matter what health/fitness app or program I use, that is the suggested calorie goal. Even after she consulted her doctor, he said that that was perfectly healthy and safe for light - moderate activity, especially for someone my age with no known health issues. That being said, I will eat more if I am burning more calories.  I eat plenty of lean proteins and the most pop I drink is maybe 1 can every month and a half.  The only time I'm hungry is around mid-morning before I have my snack of greek yogurt and fresh raspberries.  For lunch I have a salad that always have a full serving of lean protein, fruits and vegetables in them.  For dinner is usually a healthy stir fry with chicken breast and all sorts of good stuff.  Breakfast is really the only meal that varies on the size.  If I'm running late for work, I'll grab an english muffin and shove some slices of turkey on it. 

One cheat day shouldn't make or break my diet, especially when I still log everything I eat and make smart decisions and I always try to do a heavier work out the the days leading up to my cheat day and after. 

[AtomHF]

If you are doing all that, maybe you are building lean tissue and losing fat (weight staying the same). Anyoutfits fitting better?

I assumed you weren't logging the calories on your cheat day. On a cheat "day" one meal can mean 2K calories easy (e.g. chipotle burrito, chips and a drink).

If you are dieting, training, leaving a real deficit and are a healthy person, I would put my money on the fact that you are building muscle tissue and losing fat (hence not losing weight on the scale). This will change if you keep pushing forward. I would recommend buying a fat analyzing scale and looking at the trends. 

Best of luck!

[Puppylove]

Even if your thyroid was normal a few years ago it could have changed.  also even a normal test may not mean normal thyroid function.  it depends on the test done.  when you do go to the doctor you need to take all this infor with you so he will see how hard you have been working and that you are not just saying you are eating less.  then get a full workup thyroid TSH and free thyroid hormones.  Good luck. 

[dancefoxtrot]

Blazing

You are going to lose weight now since you have lowered your stress level and therefore your cortisol level. Cortisol blocks weight loss. I would not cheat if it isn't your birthday girl. 

You are cheating yourself. Try not cheating for 29 days and she what happens. I don't think that you are starving yourself. I'm losing weight 10 lbs so far on 1200 or so calories and 10k steps. Burn those cals.  Measure your waist and hips to see if you are burning fat and making muscle.

I would have my thyroid checked. My sister just began a little levothyroxin and dropped 9 lbs so far. Her levels were normal MD said but she was tired, with low body temperature and had gained 20 lbs..

Good luck,

Barbara G

[Lindaluvs2soak]

I agree with the calories are not to low, I had a trainer once that said no woman should ever eat over 1300 calories until she is an athlete.....and the whole starvation mode is crap, if you ever watched survivior they put that right to shame, they lose tons of weight in 39 days starving themselves,,, so let's put that to rest....I hear your frustration it has happened to me like that for years, I think I'm the only one who really can't lose weight, but thanks for sharing.....good luck we can get there

[Heybales]

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@BlazingSolstice wrote:

I doubt my calorie intake it too low. No matter what health/fitness app or program I use, that is the suggested calorie goal. Even after she consulted her doctor, he said that that was perfectly healthy and safe for light - moderate activity, especially for someone my age with no known health issues. That being said, I will eat more if I am burning more calories.  I eat plenty of lean proteins and the most pop I drink is maybe 1 can every month and a half.  The only time I'm hungry is around mid-morning before I have my snack of greek yogurt and fresh raspberries.  For lunch I have a salad that always have a full serving of lean protein, fruits and vegetables in them.  For dinner is usually a healthy stir fry with chicken breast and all sorts of good stuff.  Breakfast is really the only meal that varies on the size.  If I'm running late for work, I'll grab an english muffin and shove some slices of turkey on it. 

One cheat day shouldn't make or break my diet, especially when I still log everything I eat and make smart decisions and I always try to do a heavier work out the the days leading up to my cheat day and after. 

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You do realize that most these sites probably gave the same eating goal because YOU selected the same weight loss amount. You say subtract 1000 calories by selecting 2 lb weekly weight loss, you'll end up at the same figure.

When people say eating more to not make your body adapt slower - they mean don't take such a big deficit, which of course means eating more, but still losing weight.

Just slower.

Though, you are already slowed down it appears with your attempt to make a big deficit, so you didn't actually gain anything.

You didn't gain fat fast, don't attempt to lose it fast, or it'll include muscle mass.

Also be aware that you feeling full and your body being fully fed for level of activity are 2 unrelated things.

Most people are attempting to lose weight exactly because they ignored that principle but it worked the opposite direction then, gaining weight.

Don't use your stomach, use your head. Undereating does mess up hunger cues easily, not to be trusted.

1200 is minimum recommended to get adequate nutritients in eating average diet for a sedentary woman.

You really sedentary, you really want to work with minimums and get those kind of results?

[Heybales]

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@AtomHF wrote:

If you are doing all that, maybe you are building lean tissue and losing fat (weight staying the same). Anyoutfits fitting better?

I assumed you weren't logging the calories on your cheat day. On a cheat "day" one meal can mean 2K calories easy (e.g. chipotle burrito, chips and a drink).

If you are dieting, training, leaving a real deficit and are a healthy person, I would put my money on the fact that you are building muscle tissue and losing fat (hence not losing weight on the scale). This will change if you keep pushing forward. I would recommend buying a fat analyzing scale and looking at the trends. 

Best of luck!

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Sadly, no one can build muscle mass as fast as fat can be lost.

And a woman without the best hormones to accomplish it, not even doing progressive lifting, eating in a deficit - no, not going to happen.

Besides, the body doesn't build new muscle until existing is tapped out for use, and there is nothing tapping it out in this case.

It's a common phrase thrown out to feel good about no weight loss, but highly improbable, and usually impossible.

But, start of any exercise your body does add water weight for several improvements - but that maxes out.

And water is a part of Lean Body Mass (LBM), which includes muscle too.

And while that is being added you can indeed lose fat and inches, since that water is spread out through the body.

There is also no such thing as lean muscle, as in having any control over getting it in contrast to fat muscle. Body decides the amount of fat in the muscle, endurance cardio only thing shown to increase some fat for easy access during exercise.

Otherwise, lean muscle is something you request from the butcher in cut of meat.

Now, you having fat OVER the muscle hiding it is different.

[Heybales]

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@Lindaluvs2soak wrote:

I agree with the calories are not to low, I had a trainer once that said no woman should ever eat over 1300 calories until she is an athlete.....and the whole starvation mode is crap, if you ever watched survivior they put that right to shame, they lose tons of weight in 39 days starving themselves,,, so let's put that to rest....I hear your frustration it has happened to me like that for years, I think I'm the only one who really can't lose weight, but thanks for sharing.....good luck we can get there

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Bad bad advice here all around, based on faulty info. Yikes, no wonder you are stuck.

At least learn that starvation mode, aka adaptive thermogenesis is true. Search google for those studies to see how easily it can happen, and how they account for it in studies.

As to the effects and why it happens....

[reuel]

i think only you have an answer to it.

when i am not losing weight as i should be, i do a trial and error process with my "bad habits" ... yours are cheat day and "light exercise."

how about you try a week or a month without the cheat day? .... and if that does not work, you can bring back the cheat day, but workout and get your heart moving. and if that does not work, remove cheat day, increase your workout and introduce something in your eating habits that wont drive you insane (say, a cheat meal, instead of a cheat day).

eventually, you will figure out what's wrong with what you are doing. there are just too many factors involved, and only you can really find out what it is (be it inaccuracy of calorie count - people tend to forget to factor oils... sometimes, i do. or wrong activity estimation)

[Lindaluvs2soak]

ONE cheat day a month won't do anything, it's good to mix up your body and get it thinking what are they doing.....besides everyone has to live, go a head and enjoy yourself...you make up for it the day before and day after anyway

[NicoleLambo]

My best advice would be to watch for hidden sugar. Caloric intake is important but be sure to watch for sugar as well. Example: a handful of almonds and a soda both have about the same amount of calories, but almonds contain lots of fiber that slow the release of energy. Soda on the other hand causes a huge rise in blood sugar, resulting in fat storage.

It doesn't sound like your drinking soda or eating cookies but watch for added sugar in other places, or sugar without fiber.

Examples: fruit juices, white breads, tomato sauce, cereal (even the healthy looking stuff), peanut butter etc.

great documentary about it called "fed up" on Amazon Instant VIdeo.

[DominicJ]

"ONE cheat day a month won't do anything, it's good to mix up your body and get it thinking what are they doing.....besides everyone has to live, go a head and enjoy yourself...you make up for it the day before and day after anyway"

Define "cheat day"

A lb of body fat is 3500 calories