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2007/06/15, 02:38 PM
I am 23, 5'7", 161lbs. I have lost 5 lbs in the past 2 months, but can't seem to take it off any faster than this, and even the slightest slip up with diet puts me back to where I was the week before. Last summer, I weighed 136lbs and felt great. Now, I have a desk job and a car- this is how I put on the weight- but I've been working for three or four months to fix it, yet can't lose it the way I used to be able to! If I eat less than 1600-1700 calories a day, my blood sugar drops out, I feel bad, and I gain weight- yet at that range, I don't seem to lose anything...I take brisk walks after lunch at work each day for 30 minutes, but I've started mixing that up with climbing the 6 flights of stairs in my building 3-4 times a day, 3 reps...this has helped a little, but I'm still not seeing anything significant. I am a healthy eater, not too much fat or sugar, healthy proteins, carbs, and veggies/fruits. I do push-ups, crunches, squats, and moderate lifting at home (2 10lb weights, I can't really manage more than that, I get tendonitis in my shoulders...) Why won't the weight come off? So frustrated.....
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2007/06/19, 05:27 PM
First of all, I gotta say that I fully understand your situation because I am also experiencing the same problem.
Its great that you are going for walks at lunch and climbing stairs whenever possible, however you may want to try and do some extra cardio throughout the day, 30 min of walking seems like it may not be enough. If you are not into running, try taking an additional 45-60 min brisk walk in the evening.
Also, you say that you are a healthy eater for the most part, however try keeping a journal of absolutely everything you eat throughout the day, you may realize it, but you may be taking in way more calories than you should have....or maybe possibly not enough.
Believe me...i know its frustating...but with a clean diet and plenty of exercise, the weight has gotta come off eventaully!! (at least thats what i keep telling myself) :)
Good Luck!
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2007/06/20, 11:43 AM
Slorbets, thanks for your reply- this seems to be a really common issue, and unfortunately, one with few simple solutions.
I guess I am skeptical about this website's calorie recommendations- at 5'7", they recommend I intake about 2100 calories a day, 1800 minimum, to lose weight in a healhty way- that is with the assumption that I am moderately active with a slow metabolism...but I'm afraid to eat that much...if I'm not losing weight at 1600-1800 calories a day, how will increasing that by 200 calories a day help me?
I use the nutrition tracker on this website to track my calories, and I've found they vary, from 1400-2000 calories a day, depending on my habits/if its the weekend, etc. Do I really have to eat the same amount of food every day to lose weight?
It seems very challenging, and I want to try to strike a balance- I want to be a healthy person, but I don't want to have to obsess about every single thing I eat and do- otherwise, what's the point? I'm willing to modify my behavior, but not so much (considering the 60 minutes a day that I spend exercising is half of my free time for the day) that life ceases to be enjoyable.) I don't want a quick fix, but I want something simple enough that I can do it every day without suffering.
I'm thinking about going vegetarian, both for health and the "good feeling"...any opinions on how the drop in animal fats might effect my dieting plans? I will still eat reduced fat cheeses and yogurts, egg beaters, etc, for the protein and calcium.
On the bright side, it seems I'm down to 160- if this keeps up, I might have less to complain about in fitness forums...
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2007/06/20, 01:12 PM
I think that the calories on this site are a little high.
"if I'm not losing weight at 1600-1800 calories a day, how will increasing that by 200 calories a day help me? "
If you were starving yourself your metabolism would slow down tremendously. By eating more you would effectively jump start your metabolism and my actually start losing weight. However, If are getting about 1700 a day, at your height and weight I pretty sure this doesn't applies to you.
If you can afford 20 min a day 3-4 days a week, I would recommend doing some sort HIIT. (High Intensity Interval Training) An example would be...Run for 30secs to a min, walk for 1-2 min, repeat for a total of 20 min. This type of cardio will give your metabolism a little kick in butt and it will last for up to hours after you stop exercising. I have personally experimented with it and can tell you that it works well. In fact, I got such boost from it that I had trouble sleeping if I did too close to bed time.
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2007/06/20, 04:46 PM
Thanks, Pemdas- I was a little worried about not following their calorie recommendations, but I know that I'm getting enough nutrition, so I didn't see the need to up my intake- I'll give the HIIT a try, and post back in a few weeks on how its going.
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2007/07/24, 04:45 AM
The reason why the site suggests that you consume daily intake of 2000+ is because this the equilibrium for most people between over consumption and under consumption - both have a negative effect. obviously over consumption of calories ends with you have break excess 'fuel' thus you store this excess as fat. Under consumption of 'fuel' has a negative effect because your body is tricked into thinking you are starving yourself of neccessities and when at rest any and all calories are stored for future use. having a balanced diet of the recommended caloric intake is the best nutrional rule for healthy toning and exercise regime:big_smile:
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2007/07/24, 04:35 PM
As I said in a previous post --tweek it to your needs, take it down calories a bit at a time until you see you are losing -try keeping a day that you eat more than you would calorie wise to throw the body off (not junk, just more calories), vary exercise so body doesn't adapt --our bodies are clever and catch on quick, lol! :) Good luck
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Veda
It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. - Mabel Newcomber
Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. - Napoleon Hill
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