Stuck

[limewave]

Okay girls, I'm stuck. My weight has not dropped an ounce in two weeks and I've been working my butt off. I've been really careful to make sure I'm eating enough healthy foods to keep my body from going into starvation mode while I'm working out--but not so much that I shouldn't be losing weight. Any suggestions to get things going again? My doctor said I need to lose about 15-20 more pounds before I can call it good. I'm so frustrated right now.

Thanks for your help.

[traveller_62]

Hang in there Limewave. It is not at all uncommon to hit plateaus during weight loss. I have the exact same problem. It took me almost an entire year to shed 10 pounds last year. I worked and worked and was very diligent about my diet and yet the weight came off very slowly. My body shape changed but the weight didn't.

I think part of it is that you might be adding muscle mass and muscle tissue weighs more than fat. So even though you are doing good things for your body you aren't yet seeing the results as weight loss.

A lot of people restrict their calories too much during dieting and this triggers the "starvation" response in which the body tries to compensate by slowing metabolism. It sounds like you are aware of this phenomenon and aren't restricting your calories too much.

If you can, see if you can get a resting metabolism rate test. My understanding is that this is an easy, non-invasive test and it will give you a sense of what your normal metabolic rate is.

Try focussing on other goals...like working out at least X number of days a week and on continually improving your diet. Try not to put so much emphasis on weight loss as the goal. If you focus on healthy living eventually that weight will come off. If it comes off because you've really changed your eating and exercise habits for the long term it is more likely that the weight will stay off.

-traveller

[Veronica]

Ha - my doc just told me I could lose a few pounds. I kind of glared at her (my husband says I should have punched her in the nose.) I see her once a year, so I cut her some slack. They go strictly by BMI. According to BMI - I am overweight. And for those of you who know my husband - he's borderline! Needless to say, we don't use BMI to gauge our health. I know what my body fat is - I had it tested at a Sports Medicine Facility. Yes, I have gained 3 pounds since then, but I doubt they are all fat.

More important than the number on the scale is how do you feel? Do you feel healthy and happy?

V.

[Grog]

I agree that you have to be careful. You're most likely gaining muscle so that doesn't change your weight but it sure changes your silhouette. Measuring yourself with a tape might be another way of seeing your progress (or seeing your you fit in your old pants!).

How do you feel about your body (not about your weight loss)? is also a good question to ask.

Take care!!

[runnergirl]

Do you calorie count now, or do you go by paying attention to when you're no longer hungry? You might try switching from one to the other. I broke through a 2 year plateau that way.

Also, I think it was you that posted an awsome women's ride poster a while back. Is there any chance you could email me a high-res copy? I'd love to use a similar one here.

[Selkie]

Ha - my doc just told me I could lose a few pounds. I kind of glared at her (my husband says I should have punched her in the nose.) I see her once a year, so I cut her some slack. They go strictly by BMI. According to BMI - I am overweight. And for those of you who know my husband - he's borderline! Needless to say, we don't use BMI to gauge our health. I know what my body fat is - I had it tested at a Sports Medicine Facility. Yes, I have gained 3 pounds since then, but I doubt they are all fat.

More important than the number on the scale is how do you feel? Do you feel healthy and happy?

V.

Brava, V!! What a healthy attitude. You are an inspiration.

[Veronica]

Thanks - it took me awhile to get to this place. A lot of it is coming to terms with the parts that aren't going to change. And the realization that I will never weigh 120 as long as I'm alive, 'cause that's how much just my bones, muscles and other non fat bits weigh.

V.

[DirtDiva]

The lightest I've been in my full-grown life is 55kg/121lbs and I'm only 160cm/5'3". Heck, I'm the same clothes size now as I was then (NZ/UK 10, which I think is a US 6) but I'm 5kg/11lbs heavier. It's not like I'm seriously muscled or anything, I just must have been made of something different when I was 18 than I am now.