I SWEAR I am doing things right and I am not losing weight...WHAT GIVES?

cookielover · 02-13-2008, 01:12 PM

I have become addicted to the gym...well not so much the gym but to the calories I am burning. I workout for about an 1 1/2 per day. I started going to the gym because the scale wasn't moving, but guess what? The scale still isn't moving!
I cut out all re-fined carbs, such as bread, and pasta, because I thought that would also help but so far no luck...so I thought I would come to you guys for a bit of advice...

Here is my diet:
Breakfast:

Starbucks mocha half sweet-non fat- no whip 175 calories ( I cant give it up...I tried but when I don't have it I eat and eat and eat, because I am looking for my fix!)
Fruit salad-berries, pineapple, melon, grapes- 250 grams

Lunch

Chili 1.5 cups
Sour cream-fat free 2 to 3 table spoons

Dinner

Chicken breast no skin 4- 5 oz.
Salad- cabbage-veggies-lettuce- 1.5 cup
Tomato -just a few chopped up for taste
Green peppers small hand full
Sour cream-fat free 2 to 3 table spoons
Frank's Red hot sauce ( I use the sour cream and the hot sauce as dressing- it is only 45 calories and 0 grams of fat. I figure it helps make up for the mocha in the morning!)

Snack

Protein drink with 23 grams of protein (right before bed)

I drink 10 - 12 glasses of water per day.
Totals for the day:
Calories: 1450
Fat: 34 grams
Carbs: 179 (they are from fruit, milk, and bean products)
Protein: 101 grams

I am burning 900 to 1000 calories per day- 6 times a week. I do cardio every other day, and strengh training on the other days- which consist of Tai chi, yoga, an hour of curves, and an hour walk. Sunday I rest. My scale has refused to budge. I want to know if anyone has suggestions for me. I don't want to lose my spirit and put the breaks on and turn into a couch potato, but it is hard to be motivated when your scale is not backing you up.

My pants are still tight too...I could accept all of this if I could fit into to smaller clothes and have a NSV, but I am still in my FAT pants!

Has this happened to anyone else?

ANY advice is appreciated!
I have never worked this hard to stay in the same spot.

losingjusme · 02-13-2008, 01:40 PM

how about your inches? i, too, am addicted to the scale.

you may want to read this thread too. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/askin...r-scale-52121/

you didnt say how much you've lost and how long you've been 'stuck'

travelgirl · 02-13-2008, 01:51 PM

Whatever you do, don't give up! I wish I had some sage advice for you, but I just don't. I have been playing around with the same 10 lbs for the past 7 months. I think sometimes a plateau is simply unexplainable, and we just have to keep after it! I don't know.

cookielover · 02-13-2008, 01:52 PM

As far as inches go...my legs are turning into chicken legs, but the rest of me is still a pumpkin...I am still in my size 18 pants...which is what I was in last November.

I have been stuck since Jan 1. I have lost a total of 3 pounds since then. At first I was good humored about it. I just thought that I needed to bring my A game to the table. I have been increasing my workout routine since then. Now I am going full tilt. I have lost 49 pounds since I was banded on October 3rd. I have lost a total of 24 inches.

Chrisann · 02-13-2008, 02:01 PM

Changing the fat into muscles maybe? The scale won't change in that case.

losingjusme · 02-13-2008, 02:05 PM

Amy,
hopefully this will make you feel better... i've been bouncing up and down the same 10 pounds since AUGUST

Marimaru · 02-13-2008, 07:00 PM

Amy, with all the weight you've lost since October, your body may just be readjusting. If you keep going your course, you'll likely wake up and the scale will have jumped down a number that seems impossible over night.

But you might consider changing up your diet. Since you are counting calories, I'll mention that I simply cannot lose weight unless I eat less than 1300 calories a day. You may just need to go down a little. Looking at what you have above, the easiest way to do that probably would be to have solid protein at lunch instead of chili.

Do things like calculating your loss per week, etc. That helped me in the beginning when I would get stuck.

jfran · 02-13-2008, 08:32 PM

I am stuck too and have been for 5 + weeks now. I am still exercising but trying to very my routine. I went to the doc and got a fill. I had lost 0 lbs since the last time but I have converted fat to muscle (4lbs!) so at least the exercise is paying off in some way. I am hoping this fill will be what I need to start losing again. Good luck and let us know how you do!

cookielover · 02-13-2008, 10:56 PM

I am totally going to take the solid protein for lunch suggestion to heart! I will try that tomorrow to see if that won't kick this thing in the ass. Also I put away my scale until the March 1st. (A watched pot never boils. Well it is worth a try.)

LJM- You truly are an inspiration to me. I follow your blog, and I love of your snapshots of your exercise accomplishments- it keeps me motivated to stay the course.

Thank you to everyone who is putting in their two cents...I really need the encouragement!

socalgal3 · 02-14-2008, 12:37 AM

Amy- 50 pounds since October is AWESOME! Sometimes we hit a plateau and then the weight eventually comes off. I agree with some that you may be building muscle which won't show a loss on the scale. Also, I think you may want to reconsider a protein shake right before bed. If you go right to bed, you can't burn any of those calories. Maybe have that protein earlier in the day. Just a thought. Hang in there and good luck!

Leena · 02-14-2008, 07:57 AM

I would say cut your calories down. I tend to loose well when I'm at 600-800 calories a day, with working out-cardio 45 min to 1 hour a day. I've also never been able to eat 1.5 cups of chili, for me this would mean I'd need a fill. Also eating 4-5 oz of chicken on top of 1.5 cups of veggies would make me explode. And I'm not really tight now either.

When was your last fill?

simmons775 · 02-14-2008, 08:52 AM

Amy

I know you have heard this before, but really, try not to get discouraged. I started working out 5 times a week for 1 hour at the beginning of November. If you click on my ticker and look at my weight chart, you will see I lost almost no weight for a long time and I know there were weeks I gained and just didn't report it. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it takes up less space. So, you may gain a little weight for awhile, but you will look leaner and feel stronger. When you build up a good muscle base, after about 3 or 4 months, you will burn calories much more efficiently. Muscle burns waaaay more calories than fat so when you are sitting on the couch doing nothing on a rainy day, you will feel better knowing that your body is still burning fat because it needs to do it to feed the new muscles you have developed. Hang in there. It was hard for me to make the transition as well. Now, I am thrilled with how my body is taking shape. It is still a major work in process, but I actually have muscle definition in certain areas and my stamina has increased tenfold. It will happen for you too.

Kelly

Sula · 02-14-2008, 09:02 AM

It seems like you are doing everything right, but when I first looked at yoru post, I thought immediately that you weren't getting enough protein. I see a bit in the milk of the latte, probably a tiny bit in the chili and sour cream, and then the chicken. I think there is some in different kinds of lettuce and more in spinach. Are you sure about your protein intake?

Seems like you are doing the right stuff however, not eating poorly, exercising like a mad-woman...so beat me. Keep it up tho.

**Jack** · 02-14-2008, 01:03 PM

cookielover:

1) it must be the name itself....I think I gained 2 pounds just reading it a few times...HAR!!!

2) scales lie;

3) could you do ANY of this preOp???

4) have you actually taped legs & arms for 'inches lost' comparison?

5) do you have some full length photos you can compare preOp with now?

6) I've taken 18 months to lose FIVE pounds!!! I don't think I have anything to tell you....

cheers & good luck in your program, I'm inspired by it....

JaxBandster · 02-14-2008, 02:13 PM

I only WISH I could have that many carbs in a week!!!!!!!!!!

My post-op diet only allows for 30 a day, not including veggies. But, I definitely lose weight.

I would absolutely increase the protein though!

Good luck!