Plateau help!

[smiley1251]

Hello!  I have seen to hit a plateau at my current weight of 123-124 lbs at 5'7". I have been counting calories, making sure to hit my goals on fitbit, and working out on the side. I have recently gained 5 lbs and my body won't seem to get rid of it. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for losing this weight, or what works for you. Nothing I do seems to help /: thanks so much!

[SebringDon]

@smiley1251

At that height and weight, you're already on the lower end of ideal weight for even a small-framed woman, according to everything I've been able to find. Are you sure you need to lose that last five pounds? What's your doctor say?

[smiley1251]

@SebringDon

Oh yes deffitnetly! I need to lose more than 5lbs that's for sure! 

[dancefoxtrot]

smiley

go to a bmi calculator online. 119 is the lowest in the healthy weight for 5'7".  Be careful not to distort your image in the mirror and get into the underweight zone as it can harm your organs. 

Take care,

Barbara G

[RashedNaber]

Stay active throughout the day and try to aim on a healthy 1300-1500 calorie per day for a week or so. Keep eating regularly throughout the day and healthy snacks.

Also dont forget that you might have gained muscle mass and not fat!

Good luck

[Dominique]

I have to agree with @SebringDon and @dancefoxtrot: at 123/5’7, your BMI is 19.3, which is quite close to being underweight. Your body is probably merely doing what’s in your best interest.

You didn’t mention how long you have been dieting down to your current level and what was the starting point of your weight loss. You may want to take a break from your diet, for the reasons mentioned here.

[smiley1251]

I guess because I've always been 115-118, so being 123 really sucks. I don't understand why people discourage people from being underweight, but we have a whole body acceptance movement when people are overweight. My question was effective ways to lose the last few lbs and it seems like everyone who responded is telling me not to lose or that I should be content where I am... //:

[Dominique]

OTOH, I asked you what level you started from (assumably higher than the current one, since you’ve hit a plateau) and you’re now telling us you’ve "always" been at a lower level than the current one.

You can’t lose forever (which is why I asked you how long your weight loss have been going on), especially when you’re already quite lean. Which is why I provided you with a link explaining why it can make sense to take a short break, before starting to diet down again.

[divedragon]

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@smiley1251 wrote:
I guess because I've always been 115-118, so being 123 really sucks. I don't understand why people discourage people from being underweight, but we have a whole body acceptance movement when people are overweight. My question was effective ways to lose the last few lbs and it seems like everyone who responded is telling me not to lose or that I should be content where I am... //:

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Hi Smiley1251,

I understand your frustration.  This body issues in our society are really crap for both men and women, but more so for women.  This community; however, is about health and not body image.  People are discoruaging you because of health reasons and not body image.  Being underweight can have long term ramifications including reproductive issues.  It is not a healthy condition.  While you may be feeling 'attacked' for your desire to loose weight, I assure you it's not an attack, but a genuine concern for your actual health.  Don't let 'body image' drive your decision making.  Continue your exercise program.  Given your statistics, I imagine your body is currently beyond the average in terms of appearence and if you use exercise to shape and tone, the weight is, in the long run, unimportant.  Good Luck!

[bcalvanese]

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@smiley1251 wrote:

Hello!  I have seen to hit a plateau at my current weight of 123-124 lbs at 5'7". I have been counting calories, making sure to hit my goals on fitbit, and working out on the side. I have recently gained 5 lbs and my body won't seem to get rid of it. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for losing this weight, or what works for you. Nothing I do seems to help /: thanks so much!

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You should be in maintenance. Not losing. Your body is telling you to stop losing. So stop losing.

[smiley1251]

@Tisten23

since this post I've been able to get back to 119!! All my life I've been in the 110-115 range. Even if it is on the "lower" end for my height, it's my healthy weight... I don't know if that makes sense. I wear my weight differently, and I've never been told I look sick or underweight. I said plateaued because after the holidays I ended up gaining a few and the weight wouldn't drop. I realize now I used the wrong word, because I'm not actively dieting. I just didn't know what other word to use!! Thank so much for everyone's responses though.

[SunsetRunner]

that 5lb could well be muscle

don't just look at the scale, look in the mirror

that 15 minute walk to the supermarket and back? are you out of breath when you get there?

do you look slimer? fitter? more toned?

[Dominique]

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@smiley1251 wrote:
since this post I've been able to get back to 119!!

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If you were able to go from 124 (= an already lean level) to 119 between March 5 and March 10 (= in just five days), chances are this was mostly water weight. Five pounds are 5 x 3500 = 17,500 calories. There is no way a female your size could reach such a cumulative deficit in five days. If you really wanted these 5 pounds to be fat loss (taken from what little fat you currently are carrying), you would need to have a much smaller daily deficit for a much longer period of time. For instance, a 250 deficit over 70 days (250 x 70 = 17,500).

[smiley1251]

@Dominique

I guess it is possible, because it happened! But thanks for the math!!

[Dominique]

Yes, I’m sure it’s possible, and I have no reason not to believe what you reported was true. It’s a bit like boxers during the weigh-in before a fight: they may lose several pounds in a short time in order to be in their weight class. What I was saying is the weight loss you observed (124 -> 119) in a short time (5 days) was most likely primarily water weight. There is no way you could have created the necessary deficit for "real" weight loss via reduced intake, increased activity, or even both together.

[tamado]

Try going to bodyvisualizer.com/
put in your measurements and look at a non-descript image and see what you think.  It is easier to look at it if it doesn't have your face on it.  I used it to compare how far I had come when I felt I still looked fat.  It really helped me to see how far I have come (I do have a ways to go but I'm still 20 lbs overweight according to bmi).

Here is a before and after of me from the site.  When I put my measurements in, it was quite accurate with how I actually looked/look.