My body seems to want to weigh what it weighs

[Anonymous]

I joined WW 3 months ago online and since then have been more mindful of what I eat (more produce, less junk) and have been exercising much more. I have lost 5 pounds, but keep fluctuating up and down a couple. The thing is, I really don't see a correlation between my diet and activity level and my weight. I seem to stay the same weight no matter what--sound familiar to anyone? It is discouraging because I feel like I can be very rigid with myself in terms of nutrition and exercise or I can be lazy and eat crap and my body just wants to stay the same weight.

When I was younger, I ate whatever the hell I wanted and hardly exercised at all and I stayed the same (slim) weight. After each kid, I've put on about 10 pounds. I'm starting to think that my metabolism just compensates at whatever age/stage I am. This makes it hard to stay on course with healthy habits since I can't see any major impact. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

All I can say is "I hear you!" For every "expert" who insists it's an easy "calories in/calorie out" equation, I find real people who share your experience. The only thing of benefit I've found is that the junk food really doesn't taste all that good to me after eating health for a while. Hopefully the answer can be found on DCUM!!!

[Anonymous]

You may want to take a look at Break Through Your Set Point:

http://www.amazon.com/Break-Through-Your-Set-Point/dp/0061288675/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312476783&sr=8-1

[Anonymous]

Ditto. I'm 5'10' and I have scarily crept up to 180 in the last year (in my late 40s.) CRAP. I will follow PP's link but I feel like I will have to live like a monk to have a break through weight loss. 20+ pounds...

[Anonymous]

When was the last time you had a physical with a complete blood panel? How about your thyroid?

[Anonymous]

How long are you fluctuating between less calories and more calories? How often are you weighing in? It could just be that your set calories are somewhere inbetween those two numbers and going back and forth is keeping you at the same weight.

[Anonymous]

Were you REALLY diligent for those 3 months on ww? I could say my body is the same, but I do know I sabotage myself. I will be soooo good for 3 weeks, see progress and then go on a terror and eat terribly and gain. I'm great at exercise, but I have never been able t drastically change my habits for longer than 4 weeks before cracking in a major way. As I've gotten older, my body just can't handle those 3500cal days like it used to. Basically, I need to figure out a way not to have those 3500cal days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were you REALLY diligent for those 3 months on ww? I could say my body is the same, but I do know I sabotage myself. I will be soooo good for 3 weeks, see progress and then go on a terror and eat terribly and gain. I'm great at exercise, but I have never been able t drastically change my habits for longer than 4 weeks before cracking in a major way. As I've gotten older, my body just can't handle those 3500cal days like it used to. Basically, I need to figure out a way not to have those 3500cal days.

This, exactly. It's not necessarily enough to generally "be more careful." We deceive ourselves so much with a bite of this or that. The only way to make it happen is to keep track of every single thing that goes into your mouth, and be honest about portion sizes. If you're really cutting calories significantly you will lose weight. It's as simple as that. (But also the most difficult thing in the world.)

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks for all the replies. I had a physical in January, so I know my thyroid is OK.

I have been tracking everything on WW--but I don't weigh things, so it is possible that I am underestimating my portion sizes. The odd thing is, I lost the most weight (3 pounds) during the two weeks that I was on vacation eating whatever I wanted and not tracking. When I am home and track diligently and exercise more, I stabilize. I weigh in at least once a week (on a WW digital scale) but find that my weight can vary 2-3 pounds from day to day, even always weighing at the same time of day. Maybe I need a new scale. Maybe I need to stop caring.

[Anonymous]

This happened to me on WW. I've been doing it since May. I've lost 7lbs and some days I can get the scale to read down 1 more pound but that is it. I've always been a hard core exerciser. boot camp and running 15-20 miles per week. Right now I don't think the scale is budging because I am gearing up for a FET and I am on hormones. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either.

I think I underestimate things on WW too, especially when eating out. I usually go with 40 or 45 points in a restaurant meal if I have alcohol and just order what I want. That actually might be too low in some cases.

Hang in there.

[Anonymous]

That's been me my entire adult life. I weigh about the same now in my forties as when I was 20, which is about 10 pounds more than when I was 17 (the college years weight gain). If I really deprive myself I can lose a few pounds, but they won't stay off. My weight fluctuates by 3-4 pounds all the time, but I cannot get out of that range. Exercise doesn't make much of a difference, as I've exercised hard since I was a child. This is just the way I'm built - not heavy, not slim, on the curvy/slightly plumpish side, always thinking I'd look a lot better with 5-10 pounds off. I vacillate between accepting it and talking myself into pushing a bit harder to get those few pounds off. But, the rational part of me realizes that it's not going to happen, even less now that I'm in my forties. Most of the time I tell myself that I exercise and watch what I eat just for maintenance, to keep from getting thicker & flabbier with age. If I stay pretty much the same, the older I get the better I look for my age. LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happened to me on WW. I've been doing it since May. I've lost 7lbs and some days I can get the scale to read down 1 more pound but that is it. I've always been a hard core exerciser. boot camp and running 15-20 miles per week. Right now I don't think the scale is budging because I am gearing up for a FET and I am on hormones. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either.

I think I underestimate things on WW too, especially when eating out. I usually go with 40 or 45 points in a restaurant meal if I have alcohol and just order what I want. That actually might be too low in some cases.

Hang in there.

Exercise is helpful and incredibly healthy for you in a million ways, but the only way to really lose noticeable weight is to count those damn calories. WW is a great program but you do need to be strict about measuring and keeping track. Otherwise your mind will trick you into cheating. This is why a lot of people are drawn to very restricted programs like Atkins or pre-measured programs like Jenny Craig. I think WW is the most realistic and healthiest option, but it does require more discipline in some ways.

[Anonymous]

OP, for some people it's about more than just WW. WW is a good start for me, but I'm one of those people who has slight blood sugar issues and needs to keep her blood sugar up throughout the day. As a result, the 6 small meals approach works better for me.

So, tracking and portion control, but not 3 meals and a snack. And... then the approach is still high fiber, low processed foods, but high protein as well. Maybe you need to look at that.

Also, for many, the free fruit and veg will undermine you. Especially the free fruit. If you're eating a lot of fruit, start cutting back.

[Anonymous]

OP, at the point that people are advising you to restrict produce so you can be thinner, it's safe to say that the discussion has turned from health to weight, and while it's no one's call but yours which you want to value, may I just say EAT THE FRUIT.

For all the platitudes about needing to be more diligent about restricting your food and it's calories in, calories out, research has shown what you're finding -- bodies have a weight they're most likely to be. You can fight it, but maybe you don't want to spend your time that way, and you can be healthy if you eat well, get the right exercise for you, and so on (get enough sleep! wear sunscreen! wash your hands!)

Or get used to a lifetime of self-denial. But smaller pants! Yay, small pants (if that's what you want)!

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks for all the insights, very helpful. I tend to agree with the last PP about where my priorities lie. I guess I just don't care enough about losing 5 more pounds to be crabby and feel deprived all the time. I don't want to carry a food scale around with me. I don't want weight and diet to dominate my life.

I want to feel healthy and if I look better as a result, great. Restricting produce seems wrong to me. As a matter of fact, the number of points WW charges for me to drink a glass of 1% milk also seems wrong to me. I am a petite white woman and know that that puts me at risk for osteoporosis. Why should I minimize my intake of low-fat dairy just to make the WW points for any given day?

I think I am realizing that:

1) My body does seem have a set point.
2) I care more about being/feeling healthy and happy than about being skinny, skinny, skinny. I am 5'2" and 134 pounds. Seems OK to me. I think I'll just keep trying to be mindful about what I eat, choose the healthier option when possible, and try to tone my transverse abs!