Frustrated - not losing weight.

[Anonymous]

I am 5'2", and a 33 year old female and I weight about 163 lb, so I'm not trying to lose vanity weight here. About 15 of that came on during quarantine. I've been tracking my food and eating 1500-1600 calories per day. I workout regularly, and for the past few months have been using the Madeline Moves app, which is strength with some cardio. I've consistently worked out for my entire adult life, so this wasn't my first time working out, but I change up the programs a lot to avoid boredom. According to my Apple watch - I realize this is not entirely accurate - I usually burn between 2100 and 2300 calories a day.

I don't know what to do anymore. I've had bloodwork done in the past, maybe 3 years ago, and my thyroid was normal, but I do have PCOS, which I am on medication for. I have no children. Do I go back to a doctor? And if so, what do I ask for, because I often just feel this stuff gets brushed aside and you're just told to eat 5-6 meals a day blah blah, which isn't actually science based. If I eat less than 1500 calories, I find that I'm really hungry and feel run down, and it's not sustainable for me. So if that's the answer, I guess I'm just going to accept that this is my body for the rest of my life. I just had to vent because I watched the scale fly up back in the spring (admittedly, I wasn't eating 1500/1600 calories a day then) but I haven't seen it drop at ALL since then. I just don't understand.

[Anonymous]

OK so let's say your goal weight is 130 lbs. You would need to eat between 1300 (which is a very low end and 1560 to lose weight. 1560 is the high end and would mean a slower rate of fat loss, but also more sustainable over the long term. So your current rang is not too par off.

So my big questions for how you are currently eating are:

1. How accurately are you really tracking? Are you weighing and measuring EVERYTHING? Are you counting things like little snacks you grab her and there? Are you measuring out all portions or eyeballing it?

2. How consistently are you sticking to your calorie range? Best way to track this is to take a calendar and every day you hit your range or below you get a red X, every day you go over you get a big black O. At the end of the month you should have Xs at the very least 80% of the time and really more like 90% if you are eating at the high end of where you need to be to lose weight.

3. You say you are too hungry if you eat under 1500 calories. What do your calories consist of? Are you eating high protein (at least 0.7 x goal body weight) and high volume foods? I can eat 1500 calorie of bread and lose weight, but I will be a lot more hungry than if I eat 1500 calories of protein and vegetables. I also find that too much cardio makes me really hungry so maybe reduce cardio and focus more on strength.

[Anonymous]

Are you interested in trying keto/Paleo/Whole 30? It's not sustainable for me, but many people have success using it to jump-start their weight loss. Eventually, you can re-introduce some of the "forbidden" foods, but you might find you don't even want them anymore, or will want them the rarely.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP - I hope that was a typo that you burn 2000+ calories day. You would have to be running ultra marathons for that

Have you considered giving intermittent fasting a try?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 5'2", and a 33 year old female and I weight about 163 lb, so I'm not trying to lose vanity weight here. About 15 of that came on during quarantine. I've been tracking my food and eating 1500-1600 calories per day. I workout regularly, and for the past few months have been using the Madeline Moves app, which is strength with some cardio. I've consistently worked out for my entire adult life, so this wasn't my first time working out, but I change up the programs a lot to avoid boredom. According to my Apple watch - I realize this is not entirely accurate - I usually burn between 2100 and 2300 calories a day.

I don't know what to do anymore. I've had bloodwork done in the past, maybe 3 years ago, and my thyroid was normal, but I do have PCOS, which I am on medication for. I have no children. Do I go back to a doctor? And if so, what do I ask for, because I often just feel this stuff gets brushed aside and you're just told to eat 5-6 meals a day blah blah, which isn't actually science based. If I eat less than 1500 calories, I find that I'm really hungry and feel run down, and it's not sustainable for me. So if that's the answer, I guess I'm just going to accept that this is my body for the rest of my life. I just had to vent because I watched the scale fly up back in the spring (admittedly, I wasn't eating 1500/1600 calories a day then) but I haven't seen it drop at ALL since then. I just don't understand.

At your height, you are not losing if you eat more than 1500 calories a day. There is no other way around it unless you are going to exercise everyday for atleast an hour.

The feeling of hunger will not kill you, OP.

You can choose to either remain at that weight or eat under 1500 calories. And you will need to continue eating under 1500 for the rest of your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP - I hope that was a typo that you burn 2000+ calories day. You would have to be running ultra marathons for that

Have you considered giving intermittent fasting a try?

OP Here. I meant total for the entire day - as in my TDEE is somewhere around there, not just exercise calories.

Answers to other questions... I track very closely. I use a food scale, and eat pretty simply as I'm not a great cook so everything is basic. I don't track every single day but only because if I prepare a meal that I'm going to eat 2-3x, and I've already put it into My Fitness Pal and I know it's 400 calories per serving, I just count it that way. I don't snack much, because it makes me hungrier - I typically just eat lunch and dinner, with usually a "dessert" after like a greek yogurt or something like that. Meals are usually some kind of meat, a ton of vegetables, and sometimes a starch/carb. Last night for dinner, I had turkey meatloaf, green beans, and a sweet potato. I find that sort of breakdown for meals is pretty ingrained in me.

I already do intermittent fasting, but only because I'm not hungry in the mornings. And it truly comes down to calories, which is what I'm really tracking. I've done Whole30 before, hated it and didn't experience any amazing results, scale or non-scale.

And while I don't exercise for an hour every single day, I use the Madeline app which is 45-60 mins, 5 days/week. Sometimes I will workout 6 and add in something else fun, depending on schedule, etc.

[Anonymous]

I mean, lol, lol, lol, lol. Where did you get the idea that you can eat that many calories and lose weight? In delusionaville??

[Anonymous]

I mean, lol, lol, lol, lol. Where did you get the idea that you can eat that many calories and lose weight? In delusionaville??

[Anonymous]

Tip. Eat one meal a day to jump start it. Make sure it is below 1000 calories.

[Anonymous]

Are you on hormonal contraceptive? If so, you probably won't be able to lose weight. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you on hormonal contraceptive? If so, you probably won't be able to lose weight. Sorry.

Why do you say that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP - I hope that was a typo that you burn 2000+ calories day. You would have to be running ultra marathons for that

Have you considered giving intermittent fasting a try?

OP Here. I meant total for the entire day - as in my TDEE is somewhere around there, not just exercise calories.

Answers to other questions... I track very closely. I use a food scale, and eat pretty simply as I'm not a great cook so everything is basic. I don't track every single day but only because if I prepare a meal that I'm going to eat 2-3x, and I've already put it into My Fitness Pal and I know it's 400 calories per serving, I just count it that way. I don't snack much, because it makes me hungrier - I typically just eat lunch and dinner, with usually a "dessert" after like a greek yogurt or something like that. Meals are usually some kind of meat, a ton of vegetables, and sometimes a starch/carb. Last night for dinner, I had turkey meatloaf, green beans, and a sweet potato. I find that sort of breakdown for meals is pretty ingrained in me.

I already do intermittent fasting, but only because I'm not hungry in the mornings. And it truly comes down to calories, which is what I'm really tracking. I've done Whole30 before, hated it and didn't experience any amazing results, scale or non-scale.

And while I don't exercise for an hour every single day, I use the Madeline app which is 45-60 mins, 5 days/week. Sometimes I will workout 6 and add in something else fun, depending on schedule, etc.

OP the truth of the matter is, you are eating too many calories. Forget how much you work out, it really does not matter. Exercise is great but fat loss comes down to calories consumed. If have you honestly been eating 1500-1600 cal/day 7 days a week for a month or more and not lost any weight then you need to reduce your calories. You are already eating at the top of where you should be eating. Which mean that even if you are in a deficit, it is a small deficit and will take even longer to show up on the scale and lose weight. Aim for a range of closer to 1400 cal/day. Track for a month and see where you are at. Losing weight involves being a little uncomfortable. You shouldn't' be starving all the time, but you will be hungry at times.

I also always recommend weighing yourself daily to track the trend. Weighing less often can hide progress because weight fluctuates every single day and the slower you are losing weight the easier it is for these fluctuations to be hidden if you only weight yourself once a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP - I hope that was a typo that you burn 2000+ calories day. You would have to be running ultra marathons for that

Have you considered giving intermittent fasting a try?

OP Here. I meant total for the entire day - as in my TDEE is somewhere around there, not just exercise calories.

Answers to other questions... I track very closely. I use a food scale, and eat pretty simply as I'm not a great cook so everything is basic. I don't track every single day but only because if I prepare a meal that I'm going to eat 2-3x, and I've already put it into My Fitness Pal and I know it's 400 calories per serving, I just count it that way. I don't snack much, because it makes me hungrier - I typically just eat lunch and dinner, with usually a "dessert" after like a greek yogurt or something like that. Meals are usually some kind of meat, a ton of vegetables, and sometimes a starch/carb. Last night for dinner, I had turkey meatloaf, green beans, and a sweet potato. I find that sort of breakdown for meals is pretty ingrained in me.

I already do intermittent fasting, but only because I'm not hungry in the mornings. And it truly comes down to calories, which is what I'm really tracking. I've done Whole30 before, hated it and didn't experience any amazing results, scale or non-scale.

And while I don't exercise for an hour every single day, I use the Madeline app which is 45-60 mins, 5 days/week. Sometimes I will workout 6 and add in something else fun, depending on schedule, etc.

OP the truth of the matter is, you are eating too many calories. Forget how much you work out, it really does not matter. Exercise is great but fat loss comes down to calories consumed. If have you honestly been eating 1500-1600 cal/day 7 days a week for a month or more and not lost any weight then you need to reduce your calories. You are already eating at the top of where you should be eating. Which mean that even if you are in a deficit, it is a small deficit and will take even longer to show up on the scale and lose weight. Aim for a range of closer to 1400 cal/day. Track for a month and see where you are at. Losing weight involves being a little uncomfortable. You shouldn't' be starving all the time, but you will be hungry at times.

I also always recommend weighing yourself daily to track the trend. Weighing less often can hide progress because weight fluctuates every single day and the slower you are losing weight the easier it is for these fluctuations to be hidden if you only weight yourself once a week.

THIS +1000000

The truth of the matter is, OP what you are doing isn't working so if you want something to change you have to change what you're doing. You need to weigh and log every single thing every single time. Simple as that. I don't understand why other posters will reply "that's crazy" or "that's so extreme". But in reality, people way overestimate the amount of calories they burn and way underestimate the amount of calories they consume. I am totally guilty of this myself. I am shocked to see how many calories of something may be, and how little they may be of something else. You can't use the cup, tablespoon, etc method. You have to weigh it. Weight doesn't lie.

I would give myself at least 3 months of being honestly consistent with my what I am consuming to see a real change. Consistency is key. Giving yourself time is key. Some people (like me) have bodies that take a few weeks to actually respond to a change. I can change my diet and it will take about a month for my body to finally show progress, even just a little. You can't expect to drop 5 pounds in a month, not in a safe way.

[Anonymous]

Your calories are too high. And you already know that.

It sounds like you're a very seasoned dieter. IME that tends to mean you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve you rationalize why you really aren't overeating. And honestly, you're not receptive to new information--you already know it all, and have a rebuttal for any advice. But at the end of the day, you're still eating more than your body needs.

And yes, with PCOS, your body's calorie needs are probably annoyingly small.

[Anonymous]

You are not actually hungry. Your body is just doing the typical hunger hormones at the time you usually eat. It will take a day, two tops, for your body to adjust skipping one meal. I am dieting right now, and eating once a day. I am not hungry at all. If Ieat at noon, I will start getting some hunger pangs a bit ahead. But, if for two days, I skip lunch and eat in the evening, my body will adjust to that and the next day I will have no hunger pangs at noon.