@ChristmasCrazy wrote:
April 2018 I started a plan to lose weight. I was 134lbs/135lbs. I'm 5'4 and 34 years of age.
July 2018 I was 116.lbs
September 117lbs
December 118.5lbs
January/February 120lbs
Feburary till now May I been 128lbs or 129lbs.
I already checked with my doctor. Got blood work done, all sorts of testing and I'm health as a horse. No issues.
I drink at least 128oz or more of water. I run in place for a hour or 2. Walking, strength training video's here and there. I just, can't seem to get back to 120lbs or 116lbs. I track my calories via LoseIT app and track my work routines via Fitbit. I stay at or near 1200/1300 calories a day. Limit my sodium to 1,300 or 1,400 mg a day. Could be less depends on the day. Carbs are under 130 a day. I change my routine up and still no weight loss. Thoughts?
@ChristmasCrazy
You need to consider that when you went into the initial weight loss, you were losing mainly water weight through glycogen depletion (your first reserve tank for energy) through a caloric reduced diet. And then when you start to add some exercises, you will start to tap into your second reserve tank, which is your fat stores. But when you start doing any exercises and depending on the intensity, amplitude and duration, you are telling the body to start the adaptation process. And that includes dynamically increasing your glycogen stores so you can do those additional workouts and complete them which you didn't do prior to your weight loss journey. Also in the process of adaptation, your body starts to become stronger and robust in a way of increasing lean muscle mass as well as increasing bone density and this is good for preventing and reducing injuries as it should. For a normal woman, a 0.12 to 0.25lb lean muscle mass increase per week is not uncommon. So if you add up your increasing in muscle growth plus your your bone density plus your increase in glycogen stores, then your current weight seemed just about right.
What is important is not the number on the scale but rather it is your blood work and your doctor said you are healthy. That is MORE important than trying to look thin as sticks or go for the 110lb look, which is abnormally thin. The issues I see, as I work in health care, is that mainly women who are fixated by these thin model bodies which is not only unhealthy, but also extremely dangerous to your health. The reason is simple.. If you want to weigh the same as when you first lose your weight, then you have to undo your increased in lean muscle mass and bone density as well as reducing your glycogen stores, while keeping the same exercise output and intensity. You will face some hurdles if you do this.
1, You will hit the wall (become anemic) and reduce metabolism rate which then makes you easily tired and can't finish the workout.
2, Increased injury rates. Most running, cycling and swimming sports are safe and are injury free if you have the body that can cope with it. Most injuries are not always due to bad form, but rather a body suffering from malnutrition.
3, Increase chances of Osteoporosis; a bone disease which makes the bones porous after severe blunt impact and or trauma. You don't usually break your bones quite easily, but for people who suffer from this bone disease they do. Stress fractures on the feet of runners or problems with their hips. It is no wonder that 1 in 2 women suffer from osteoporosis. Sometimes, people go so far to achieve a certain look and weight that they sacrifice their health.
That 10 lb difference that you are worrying about could just be weight of your lean muscle mass, increased bone density and increased in water weight due to increased in glycogen stores to complete your exercises. If your doctor says you are healthy, you are within the fat and glucose level parameters that deemed being healthy and you are very unlikely to face issues other men and women face today as they fixated on achieving a number on the scale without realizing the consequences of their actions.
Hope this helps.
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