what am I doing wrong?

[Anonymous]

I'm 36 and have two kids (4 and 2) and am 5'2. Before kids, healthy weight was around 110-115 and I was a long-distance runner. I gained 25 pounds with each pregnancy and never lost the last 10 pounds with each, so now I'm 5'2 and 140. I no longer run, but I track my macros, eat about 1200 calories per day with low carbs and high protein, lift weights 3-4 times a week, walk 8,000-10,000 steps a day and the weight is refusing to budge. I'm at a loss and am so, so frustrated. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

You could be in peri-menopause. Which havoc for hormones.

[Anonymous]

Have you been keeping with this routine since you had a kid? You need to add in some cardio. Why not run again?

Also, what's a typical day of food look like for you? I assume your calorie count is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

You're gaining muscle? Why is it bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you been keeping with this routine since you had a kid? You need to add in some cardio. Why not run again?

Also, what's a typical day of food look like for you? I assume your calorie count is incorrect.

I've been keeping with this routine for pretty much the past year, so since my youngest turned 1. I can't run anymore due to a hip injury (running related), but I do walk 10,000ish steps per day and use my Peloton bike twice a week or so, when I can.

Breakfast: black coffee, siggis yogurt
post weights, I'll drink a protein shake
lunch: big salad of spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, chickpeas and either hardboiled egg or tuna
dinner: either a stirfry, salmon and quinoa and spinach or something similar.
I don't snack and I don't have a sweet tooth.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you need a diet break? Or you are calculating your calories incorrectly and eating a lot more than you think.

[Anonymous]

You may be consuming too little calories, OP. If you are only consuming 1000-1200 cals per day and doing all of the exercises like you claim, then your body is probably adapting to too few calories and is lowering your basal metabolic rate. Increase your calories to 1500-1800 per day. After exercising, your caloric intake will probably be around 1200-1500. You will lose weight slowly. You are starving yourself too much and your body is adapting. If you consume more cals, you will also build more muscle with all of the weight lifting, which will also help to increase you basal metabolic rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 36 and have two kids (4 and 2) and am 5'2. Before kids, healthy weight was around 110-115 and I was a long-distance runner. I gained 25 pounds with each pregnancy and never lost the last 10 pounds with each, so now I'm 5'2 and 140. I no longer run, but I track my macros, eat about 1200 calories per day with low carbs and high protein, lift weights 3-4 times a week, walk 8,000-10,000 steps a day and the weight is refusing to budge. I'm at a loss and am so, so frustrated. Any advice?

1. How accurately are you tracking calories? Couniting every lick, bite and taste?

2. How consistent are you at hitting the numbers you claim? Do you really only eat 1200 cal 7 days a week? Do you eat the same on the weekends that you do during the week.

3. How long have you given this? a week, two weeks, months?

Most people can not and do not REALLY stick to 1200 cal a day 7 days a week for a long period of time. they try hard for a few days, give up, start again and so on and this is what prevents progress.

Another thing to consider if you aren't really being 100% consistent is to up the calories. The reality is that 1200 cal is not sustainable and most really eat that low for a few days, overeat, go back to 1200, overeat and so on to the point where overall calories are actually much higher and preventing fat loss.

So by upping the calories you allow yourself, while still eating in a deficit, you are more able to stick to that range long term and see progress.

We all think eating fewer calories is the best and will in theory give the fastest results. But in reality it is more likely to lead to a restrict, overeat cycle with no real progress.

[Anonymous]

How stressed are you? Are you sleeping? Tracking alcohol?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may be consuming too little calories, OP. If you are only consuming 1000-1200 cals per day and doing all of the exercises like you claim, then your body is probably adapting to too few calories and is lowering your basal metabolic rate. Increase your calories to 1500-1800 per day. After exercising, your caloric intake will probably be around 1200-1500. You will lose weight slowly. You are starving yourself too much and your body is adapting. If you consume more cals, you will also build more muscle with all of the weight lifting, which will also help to increase you basal metabolic rate.

+1

Increase calories really slowly and focus on adding in extra protein for the bonus calories.

[Anonymous]

I’m very similar to you. 5’2” and started at 145 after my last baby. I did intermittent fasting and only ate between 11am and 6pm for 8 months. I was able to lose a consistent 1-1.5lbs a week. I started tracking my calories closely for the last 15 pounds and have been maintaining at 107lbs now for and year and a half. I focused on dieting, not exercising.

Drink a lot of water, fill up half of your plate with vegetables and do not snack between meals. Two 700 calorie meals (at 11am and 5pm). Black coffee and water. It will suck for 6-8 months but then you will be slimmed down and feel so much better.

Don’t eat bites off the kids’ plates! Yeah, food is wasted but you aren’t a garbage can!

[Anonymous]

OP, join the Facebook group for Macros Inc.
Free consultations and great support group.
Sorry to hear your struggle. Being short can suck.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried weight watchers? It does cost money but I have found it very helpful to make sure I"m eating the right amount and the right stuff. I have gotten "stuck" on plateaus and find that if I shake it up for a few days -- maybe eat three solid meals a day, work out a little more -- the weight then budges. But bottom line, tracking EVERYTHING I eat and staying on a plan has helped me lose 15 pounds since New Year's Day.

[Anonymous]

Oh man. I don’t know. I think I would walk less and weight lift more. Walking is time consuming with not a huge payoff. Keep up the peloton 2x week and instead of all that walking do longer and heavier weight sessions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh man. I don’t know. I think I would walk less and weight lift more. Walking is time consuming with not a huge payoff. Keep up the peloton 2x week and instead of all that walking do longer and heavier weight sessions.

Agree with this though keep moving daily but incorporate more weights. Are you lifting heavy? Muscle will give you more return for the weight loss.