Weight stays the same no matter how hard I work, feeling like giving up - advice?

[PrincessCardia]

Hi everyone! My name is Whitney. I have never posted in the community before but I would really like some advice. 

I am 26 years old. At my highest weight as a young teenager, I weighed about 360 lbs. I got down to the 180s right before I entered college, then ended up ballooning back to 266 in 2016. I have since made many lifestyle changes (not just with physical activity and eating habits, but also with relationships and mindfulness, etc.) and that brings me to where I am today.

This spring, I hit an all-time low of 174 lbs which was a miracle to me! In May, my mom was hospitalized for an emergency leg amputation and as you can imagine, things were really crazy for a while and I didn't exercise like normal; I also had a lot of fast food meals going back and forth between the hospital. I climbed back into the low 190s for a few months until recently, when I have tried to get back on track. However, now it seems I am STUCK at exactly 186.6 lbs. No more, no less, no matter what I do. It has been this way for weeks. I spent this morning crying which is what prompted me to come here. 

I don't know what I am doing wrong. Every day I make sure to get my 10,000 steps in as well as practice 20-40 minutes of yoga for mindfulness and flexibility. Five days a week, I do about an hour of cardio and strength training. These past two weeks I have tried to really look at my eating. I upped my veggie intake significantly and cut out a lot of unnecessary carbs like breads as well as processed snacks. I have been adhering to 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat which was recommended by my doctor. I end every day with a calorie deficit, usually even on my "freebie" days (which is generally just one free dinner at a favorite restaurant.) 

I am to the point where I just want to give up. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with me, and how I can combat this? I appreciate your advice.

Blessings,

Whitney

[Mukluk4]

The body is a complex thing and it's responses to drastic weight changes after you've been at an equilibrium is perplexing to about everyone on the planet.  You've also had some significant gains and loses over the years that may even have thrown your body chemistry out of wack.

The first thing I would look at is all the health measurements that are not related to weight.  Is your RHR, Cardiovascular good?  Are you diabetic or pre-diabetic?  Are you stronger now than you were before?  Are you faster or able to run longer distances?  Have you had an extensive physical with your doctor within the last 12 months?

Assuming all those work out in the positive direction then I'd review what you were doing at the time you were at the 170 range and compare it to what you are doing now at the 185 range (and dig down deep not just generalized)?  What are those differences?

Once those are identified, determine what adjustments you want to make versus those you may not want to make and you'll just have to live with those outcomes.  Your happiness and how you wish to live your life should never be about the # on the scale.

[PrincessCardia]

Hi Mukluk! Thanks so much for responding. 

As far as non-weight goes, I can definitely see and measure progress. My RHR runs about 61-65 most days (it was in the 70s when I got my Fitbit in May) and I had two EKGs earlier this year for an unrelated issue (as well as a general physical) and everything checked out fine. I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic. I am definitely stronger and have better stamina as well as flexibility from the yoga I've been practicing, which is nice since I never had that before. I can see more definition in lower legs especially, even though the scale is seemingly frozen. 

The biggest difference I can think of between the 170s vs. now is that right now my eating is healthier, but my workouts have changed. I used to go to a gym every weekday after work and I did an hour of cardio 3x a week then a half hour of cardio/half hour of weight machines 2x a week. I cut the membership to save money and commuting time/gas, so I have been doing my workouts at home. I wonder if it is possible that I just need to play around with some different home workouts if that's the case (or consider signing back up for the gym if that doesn't bode well). 

Thanks again for your insight, I really appreciate it. 

[Daves_Not_Here]

Hi @PrincessCardia - welcome to both this forum, and to the most common struggle faced by people on this forum!  If you do a search on "stalled", "can't lose weight", etc., you will find at least 100 threads started by people who have experienced maddening weight loss stalls.  Read those threads for lots of good ideas and advice, much of it repeated.

I am the forum loon, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.  Here are my opinions:

• Exercise and "working hard" are counterproductive to weight loss.
• Your eating (what, when, and how much) is the key to breaking a stall.
• The conventional nutritional advice offered by doctors is not effective for breaking weight loss stalls.
• The fact you are stalled at your weight is evidence that you do not have a calorie deficit, regardless of what the Fitbit app may say.  All that exercise has likely made you more efficient in how you burn energy.
• You have a regular routine and have reached a stable weight.  To break your stall will require breaking your routine.  The larger the break, the faster the effect.
• Changing macro-nutrient ratios seems to work for a lot of people -- some have luck with low-carb eating; others have luck with plant-based low-fat eating.  You could try one approach for several months and switch to the other if it doesn't work.
• The advice to eat lots of small meals and graze throughout your waking hours seems not to work.  You could try limiting yourself to 3 meals per day with no snacking.

Hope this helps!

[SunsetRunner]

Another vote for having a detailed look at your intake. Exercise is great, good for your health, preserves muscle mass whilst in a calorie deficit and can make some difference to your daily calorie burn BUT your intake is the most important thing for weight loss (diagnosed health issues aside). "Healthy" food can be a real calorie bomb eg nuts, dried fruit, avocado, olive oil. This is amplified if you don't have a good handle on your portion sizes (and the only way to be a sure as you can be about the calorie content of what you are eating is to weigh all solid food  in grams and measure all liquids, including pre-portioned food, even if you just do it for a bit so you know what your portion sizes are).

The hard to thing to swallow (and I have been there too) is that regardless of how hard we are trying and how much we are 'doing everything right' if we are not losing weight it is because we are consuming the same number of calories that we are burning each day (this is still the case if you have metabolic problems like thyroid or PCOS, these conditions just mean you have lower TDEE than would normally be expected). What you eat, when you eat, how many carbs etc don't really matter for weight loss but are personal preference that matters for nutrition, satiation and adherence to diet or health if you have something like diabetes.

A way forward could be to change nothing for the next week. During this week weigh and measure everything you are eating now, see how much calories that is per day, then eat less than that and see how it goes.

Good Luck, I know how frustrating it can be.

[bikerhiker]

Whitney, I would look into your stressful event with your mother and see if you have any hidden resolved subconscious concerns about her conditions.  Do you sleep really well every night (deep sleep) after the event with your mother?  

[writergal28]

Do your clothes still fit you well?  If so, you might have gained muscle.  How do you FEEL, otherwise?  Is your sleep good?  Or it could be stress.  

[SunsetRunner]

“I can see more definition in lower legs especially, even though the scale is seemingly frozen.”

You are losing fat. You can’t see more definition without losing the fat. The scale may not be moving because it could be masked by water weight from the number of carbs you eat and/or you may be gaining muscle. Don’t worry about what the scale says. Rely on progress pictures and body measurements to determine success. The scale doesn’t tell the whole story.