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Why am I not losing weight?
Okay I'm 5 foot 4 and I weight 140 pounds but I want to lose ten pounds. I run for two miles every day and I'm increasing the distance, I cycle and I have a job in a department store 5 days a week where I don't sit down all day. At most i eat 1200 calories a day but usually I am around the 800-1000 mark and sometimes I go down to 400 if I'm very busy or alternately not doing a lot that day. In short, why has my weight plateaued? Am I consuming too little calories? I mainly eat fruit, vegetables and proteins with very few carbs and no fats, oils, refined sugars or diary. I basically eat no junk food!!! I also find myself very tired at the end of each day from the physical activity I have done and I do increase the amount each day to try and get fitter. Why has my weight loss stalled? I mean most nights I go to bed hungry and I never eat until I'm full.
29 Answers
- Anonymous5 years ago
I have had the same issue all my life and I didn't get it for a long time. I have always been a clean eater but I've realized that many foods I considered healthy and low-calorie were not. When you read ALL the labels, you are shocked by how many calories people eat and it doesn't mean they eat junk. I also have a physically demanding job but that's only good for maintaining weight.
Recent studies have shown that many people cannot lose weight from exercise unless they do it almost everyday for at least 40 mins or an hour. And for some people, that will be only enough for maintaining their current weight, not for losing. Losing weight can be very difficult for some people and you are not alone with that. Do not go down to 400 calories per day. Have an HONEST and detailed food diary. Buy foods for a few weeks that have labels showing the exact amount of calories. You will be shocked that even health foods have more calories than what people need and I tell you why that's very useful: you see the portion size. The portion size that we need is tiny. I cook 99% of my meals at home but awhile ago I was very busy so I bought some frozen microwaveable meals that claimed to be healthy. Yes, indeed, they were not unhealthy (just a little bit of grilled chicken with a tiny bit of rice and veggies). However, when I saw the amount and the box said that's almost 400 cals, I didn't want to believe it because that portion was one third of what I usually ate as my own portion and I thought my portion was just an OK size one, definitely not large.
It is not good to go to bed hungry. When you feel hungry, that means your diet is not good because on a weight loss diet/lifestyle, you should never feel hungry since your body gets used to the good foods and it won't crave so much.
- 5 years ago
Never under any circumstances should you consume less then 1500 calories a day. Even that amount is less the what it takes for our bodies to function properly. And only if you are severely over weight should we have less then 2000 calories. And that is enough to keep our bodies working right and keep the hunger at bay. That's also how we maintain a healthy weight. Which you are at.. I'm 5 foot 2 and weight 150.. but I lift heavy weights. And muscle weighs more then fat. I'm lean as hell. I consume 2000 to 3000 calories a day. Do you see what I am getting at. The amount of calories your consuming is causing your body to go into survival mode. Meal prep. If you make your meals ahead of time it will help you avoid eating the wrong foods. And will help you eat more in a day, i recommend 6 small meals instead b of 3 large .Avoid breads, pasta and refined sugars. And you should be doing more cardio. Running alone won't work as well as cardio with strength training.
- 5 years ago
Like Fancynan said "When you cut your calories too low , your body will go into "survival " mode and hold every ounce of fat"
That seems to be true I've read many articles on it and my own twin brother seemed to have gone through that same dilemma
Dont be afraid to eat more carbs (complex) by the very active life style you seemed to have you shouldn't be starving your body the way you are rn
Even your own body is telling you when you describe that you go to bed Hungry!
I hate that feeling
And when it comes to your exercise routine change it up every now and then (3-4 months) So your body don't get used to it
If you do the same thing year round theres no need for your body to change/improve whatever your goals may be (muscle growth/fat lose/strength gains/athletic performance/Endurance training/etc.)
Source(s): Ps i got more ideas on how you could lose weight and no I'm not a personal trainer trying to sell you anything i just really like health&fitness and pretty passionate about it so let me know ill be glad to help Good luck :) - ?Lv 55 years ago
"Am I consuming too little calories?"
Yes. You have a very active lifestyle so your body is in a way "stuck" because it doesn't get enough energy, even if you're trying to lose weight. That's also why you're hungry. Keep your calorie intake around 1.500-2.000 for a couple weeks and see how it goes. I sometimes check out a fitness/bodybuilding forum where people occasionally ask why they aren't losing weight. Usually the solution has been to up their calorie intake a bit.
"I mainly eat fruit, vegetables and proteins with very few carbs and no fats"
Feel free to enjoy complex carbs (fullgrain) 1-2 before cardio to store energy. The carbs are stored in your muscles (and liver IIRC) as glycogen and it's the easiest energy resource to use. You might see an improvement in your performance. Fruits, vegs and protein are fine but getting also some fats is essential for your body. For example vitamin D which is important for bone health and is fat-soluable. "You need to eat fats to lose fat" as some say. If you dislike most animal products add a handful of nuts and dried (no added sugar) fruit pieces, spread peanut butter on bread (it's surprisingly delicious with rye bread!) prepare a fruit smoothie with avocado. I would still recommend at least some wild-caught fish.
P.S. You didn't mention your age so I just put "20" in the calculator.
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- Anonymous5 years ago
Diets are 90% of the time to blame. Everyone around me seems to think that they can run off their weight and I hate to break it them, but that is totally wrong! Bouncing just run off a 15💯 calorie meal you've just eaten. It will take at least 75 minutes, something most people don't want to do every day. Try to limit your carbs and sugars, stay active but not too much. Expanding too much energy may cause you to crave more high calories foods.
😒
- 5 years ago
It is quite plausible that you are struggling to lose weight as there isn't much to lose. This is quite a common issue for people who base their weight loss upon total weight, using body fat is a much better method, particularly for people as 'athletic' and active as you said you are.
Also if you aren't losing weight considering you intake and activity levels I would suggest you are doing something wrong, particularly with your exercise. Try mix up your methods of exercise e.g. HITT or interval training. The fact you consume small amounts of calories is probably why you struggle after exercise, you need to eat enough to allow your body to recover. So if you do increase you physical activity eat more (calories wise), infact increase it anyway as the amount you eat is tiny and not benefitical.
Despite what people may say, weight loss through exercise and much easier than with dieting alone. So perhaps focus on this aspect of your 'goals'.
- 5 years ago
It may be because it just hasn't been a long time since you've started. It usually takes 4-5 weeks to see improvement in your appearance. With the amount of cardio you're doing, you'll look amazing!
- 5 years ago
I dont know if anyone else mentioned this... But I was in your "shoes" once.
You can exercise till you re blue in that face, and the scale may stay the same or go up.... I m sure you must be aware that muscle weighs more than fat, and when you train as you do... I d be thinking that you re just subbing out your "fat-pounds" with your "muscle-pounds".
(I ve given up watching the scale... A measuring tape works better. Arms, legs, neck, bust, tummy, hips. That should tell you the story you ve been missing. 🙏🏼❤️☺️
- Anonymous5 years ago
Personally I think if you eat healthy and exercise. Weight loss gren store tea does make a difference, but if you are looking for miracles, and continue sitting on your couch. I doubt you will notice anything.
- 5 years ago
You need to boost your metabolism with some weight training. Try the Fat X 101 workouts.