What Should I do?
 

Hello! any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!

In January I started my weight loss, weighing in at my highest ever, 263lbs. (Keep in mind, I am 26 year old female and I am about 5'5.)

I was going GREAT! Averaging about 2.1 lbs loss per week, I lost 50 lbs from January 1st to June 11th. Once I hit 50 lbs it was like I hit a brick wall...I have lost VERY little in the last 5 weeks. HELP!!!

I figured out, according to my food logging, my carbs were out of control between 130g - 160g per day, so I have been cutting that down drastically, but having a hard time reaching 1200 calories a day that way, also my fat intake which was about 20gs avg has significantly raised trying to cut my carbs.

Please help me, I need advice! I still have another 50 lbs to loose!

Have you reduced your calories since you've dropped 50lbs?

Fat is a metabolically active tissue, so with less fat comes the neeed for less calories. Some suggest a 50 calories reduction for every 10lbs lost.

I am no expert on this, but could she be eating too few calories? I feel that 1,200 per day is pretty low, and the body could be going into conservation mode. That is a guess though.

Also, list what you are doing for activity/weight training/cardio.

First I want to say that it's awesome that you have lost the weight that you have, take pride in what you have achieved, forget about the past 5 weeks and focus on the past 6 months. That is the first hurdle for you to over come so you don't become disheartened now that you progress has slowed down.

I am in the same boat as you right now, i made some simple changes to my lifestyle and the weight fell off me and now for the past 6 weeks the weight loss has been slow with gains and losses.

From the shock of starting a diet your body and lifestyle went through an overwhelming change and now after 6 months your -50 lb body has adjusted to the changes you made back when you started.

Now it's time for new changes and I don't mean just reducing calories again because you have to be careful or you'll start to starve yourself and that will have a negative effect on your weight loss. The best suggestion is to research so healthy eating and maybe add some exercising to you weekly goals. Without knowing what you have done and been doing it's a little hard to suggest what the best step is now.

Hi thank you!

I have been working with a trainer, we usually do strength/weight training and cardio about 3-4x a week.

I reduced to 1200 calories only about 8 weeks ago and it went very well until now.

Sorry, I missed where she said 1200 calories.


Yes, your problem may be too few calories.

Your BMR is about 1800 or so.

I would say if you ate 1500 per day and burned 200 or so you should lose some weight.

Now, if you've been eating 1200 calories and also exercising, no wonder why you've slowed down.

Given your exercise routine I would probably try eating 1500-1600 on workout days and 1300-1400 on off days.

Over time your metabolism will slow when on are have a low net calorie level. If you were not exercising 1200 might be fine.

You might want to start increasing your caloric intake. I disagree with stocky above, fat is metabolically inactive (it just sits there and takes up space) and serves as an emergency fuel source, so an initial drop in calories would force the body to use it's own reserves (fat) as fuel for all your bodily functions. However, now that you're lighter and can move around more, plus the fact that you've started training, means that you need to eat more to feed those great, very-active furnaces called muscles. I agree that reducing carbs overall is the way to go, but if you add them back in small quantities right after you work out you can maximize your muscle recovery rate (and minimize next day soreness).

Another reason weight loss might have seemed to stall is if you really are building a little muscle underneath that fat. Muscle, volume-by-volume, is about twice as heavy as fat, so just a bit of firmness can negate the weight loss caused by an inch or two down around the waist. Going by how you feel in the morning or how your clothes fit is just as important a measure of progress as the number on the scale.

[QUOTE=tandoorichicken;16387]fat is metabolically inactive (it just sits there and takes up space) and serves as an emergency fuel source, so an initial drop in calories would force the body to use it's own reserves (fat) as fuel for all your bodily functions.
QUOTE]


WRONG

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/con...6/779.full.pdf


Edit: I should add that Vesceral fat is more active than subcutaneous fat but neither is as active as muscle.

@stocky

You're right. My bad. Jeez, you didn't have to yell :p

Still, during a partial fast (i.e., calorie restriction), your body increases its use of your internal fat reserves. But this still only takes you so far. Once you add exercise to the mix, it's imperative that you get enough protein to feed your exercise, just enough carbs post-workout to refuel your muscles, and enough fat overall to convince your body that it doesn't need to hold on to so much of its own. Further caloric restriction after you're exercising regularly will just make the body stubbornly hang on to bodyfat.

Thank you both!

How many grams of fat/carbs/protien should I be getting a day?
I will aim for 1500 on work out days and 1300 on off days - but I want to make sure I am getting the correct percentages. thanks again!