Need help with losing weight

[MiniTiger]

Hi gals, I really need help on this:

Over the past three years I've actually gained near to 30kg of weight. My period didn't come for like, close to 2 years. I don't know if this is linked, because these two things happened together, but recently I've started going to a gynaecologist for checkups and taking medication to let my period come. I've also started hitting the gym on alternate days, and cut down my normal food intake. However, my weight is still very stagnant after 2 months. Initially, it went down by about 4kg but then my period came and it bounced back to original and now it won't go down again.

On normal days, I only eat lunch and dinner. Lunch is whatever my mom cooks for me (which will consist of brown rice, 1 vege, either lean meat/fish and either egg/fish cake). Dinner is usually a subway sub (i only eat either egg mayo/veggie delight/tuna/roasted chicken breast with lots of lettuce). I've cut down on eating meat as much as possible, to the extent of eating only veggies once a week. Please note that I grew up HATING veggies and used to ask the stall auntie not to add veggies to my food. My lady boss said it might be water retention but I'm not too sure.

For my exercise routine, I do a comination of weights and cardio. Weights will include leg extension and curl, back exercises like the vane and pulley and chest exercises like the chest press. I also do sit ups using the gym ball and free weights for biceps. After that I complete my workout with 15-30 minutes of cardio.

I don't know if I'm doing anything wrong or what, but my weight just won't come down. Worse still, it makes me really depressed to stand on the weighing scale only to see that my weight has gone up again, albeit just by a few hundred grams.

Does the problem lie with my diet or my exercise routine or do I have to consult a doctor? Can anyone help? TIA~

[MafiaPrincess]

Read the nutrition stickies. Calculate your maintenance calories and the macros. See how what you are eating adds up to the calories and macros you should be eating to start.

[FITmamaOFtwins]

calculate the weight YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE x (times) 14 now - (subtract) that by 400.... eat exactly that many calories.... no more, no less!

make sure its 5 small meals each one consisting of protein and a healthy carb.

combine that with strength training 3 days a week and 60 minutes of cardio 4 times a week and BAM.... watch the lbs sheddddd

[kimm4]

calculate the weight YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE x (times) 14 now - (subtract) that by 400.... eat exactly that many calories.... no more, no less!

make sure its 5 small meals each one consisting of protein and a healthy carb.

combine that with strength training 3 days a week and 60 minutes of cardio 4 times a week and BAM.... watch the lbs sheddddd

Do not do this!!^^

You have no idea what the OP weighs so why would you recommend this? If person uses this method with a goal weight in mind, they could end up starting with calories being way too low. When they stall out/plateau they'll have no where to go.

It doesn't matter how many meals a person chooses to eat in a day, because it makes no difference in the end result. You tell her to eat protein and carbs, but don't mention anything about healthy fats? Healthy fats are crucial for fat loss.

Why 60 min of cardio? Is that a magic number? Many people here don't focus on much cardio. We focus more on heavy/intense lifting, with shorter rest periods and let our diets do the work for us. The results don't come from cardio sessions, so save your energy.

[CandyXXX]

I don't mean to jack anyone's thread but I am having a similar problem. I am very active. I am trying to lose about 12 pounds of fat and I cant. It is frustrating to step on the scale week after week only to find no success. I run 3.1 miles 6 days a week and lift 3 days. I eat about 1300 to 1500 calories a day. I am 6 feet so I thought that was the appropriate calorie intake. I eat 4 to 5 small meals. I have one cheat day a week where I eat one luxury food item as I call it. I do everything right I feel and the weight wont come off. I think I read that stress inhibits weight loss. Is this true? I don't know what else to do other than starve myself. Week after week I want to break the scale literally. I have been at this process for about 3 months now.

[thedogdidit]

I don't mean to jack anyone's thread but I am having a similar problem. I am very active. I am trying to lose about 12 pounds of fat and I cant. It is frustrating to step on the scale week after week only to find no success. I run 3.1 miles 6 days a week and lift 3 days. I eat about 1300 to 1500 calories a day. I am 6 feet so I thought that was the appropriate calorie intake. I eat 4 to 5 small meals. I have one cheat day a week where I eat one luxury food item as I call it. I do everything right I feel and the weight wont come off. I think I read that stress inhibits weight loss. Is this true? I don't know what else to do other than starve myself. Week after week I want to break the scale literally. I have been at this process for about 3 months now.

Have you read the Calculating Calories sticky yet? At 6' tall, I can pretty much guarantee 1300 is way too low for you. How much do you weigh?

[CandyXXX]

No, I haven't read the stickies. I did visit other sites that calculate caloric intake and from what they calculate I AM INDEED not taking in enough calories. Maybe thats why I feel hungry all the time. According to the other sites, it says that I should eat around 2000. I hate to tell my weight :) but I weigh 190.2 now.

[hieronymous]

No, I haven't read the stickies. I did visit other sites that calculate caloric intake and from what they calculate I AM INDEED not taking in enough calories. Maybe thats why I feel hungry all the time. According to the other sites, it says that I should eat around 2000. I hate to tell my weight :) but I weigh 190.2 now.

I am the same height as you and I cannot imagine consuming only 1300-1400 calories a day. I am currently maintaining my weight at between 2200-2500 a day.

Definitely check out the Nutrition stickies and the Training stickies.

You aren't that far off from a healthy weight. Good luck.

[TeayotaSoupra]

I don't see why so many people stress over the scale? I can tell you right now my numbers hardly ever move and the lowest I can get to is 150 and i'm 5'5. I don't care how good my body looks i'm 150lbs!
And I agree with above that most cardio is overkill. I run a mile almost every other day but thats because I need to be able to run 1.5 miles within a limited time once i'm able to test again. If I didn't have this i'd do cardio maybe once a week.

I can't say much about eating since i'm HORRIBLE about actually eating when I need to. BUT.. 2 meals a day doesn't sound like enough. Your metabolism will increase a bit if you eat healthy snacks between your 3 major meals that you should be having. I've started to snack on little carrots and nuts.

[CandyXXX]

Hier...so would u agree with about 2000 calories a day? How many do you consume when you are trying to cut?

Yeah I don't know why the scale makes me crazy. I like how I look except when I gain weight I gain it primarily in the hip area and I just want to cut that back down to where I am normally. I run because I actually like running. I used to run track so its just a habit.

[hieronymous]

Yeah, that's what I was eating when I was losing weight - 2000ish.

[britchick884]

Hier...so would u agree with about 2000 calories a day? How many do you consume when you are trying to cut?

Yeah I don't know why the scale makes me crazy. I like how I look except when I gain weight I gain it primarily in the hip area and I just want to cut that back down to where I am normally. I run because I actually like running. I used to run track so its just a habit.

2000 sounds good I'm 5' 10 and 187 my maintenance comes out to about 2500 so as I'm trying to lose body fat I eat 2000 a day. My scale weight hasn't changed in 8 weeks but my clothes are falling off me and my body fat has gone from 31% to 28% run the numbers they work :)

[CandyXXX]

Thanks guys for all the valuable insight. I will bump it up and let u guys know how its working out for me.