Desperate for advice

[Dalis3600]

I started my weight lose journey at 156. I got down to 130 and maintained there for about a year before deciding it was time to make the final cut. I' got down to 117. Now I'm stuck there and feel incredibly frustrated. Not just at the inability to lose the last couple pounds but how unforgiving it feels like my body is being. I've lost weight before so I know how it works. But this time is different. It feels like my body is being so incredibly unforgiving. I can't have a single burger without my body holding on to every bit of it for an entire week. Logically I know one burger isn't going to make me gain a three pounds of fat overnight but the scale goes up and it stays there until I work it off all week. Same with carbs. so it really limits what I can eat without feeling like it's going to stop my progress for an entire week, even two. I have no idea what to do and am at the point of wanting to give up. The only logical thing I can think of is that my maintenance calories are lower than what they where before. But I can't imagine anyone surviving off of less than 1500. I am tiny at 4'9 and have a small frame. I'm 25. Maybe I need a reality check but less than 1500 to maintain sounds ridiculous.

[SuffolkPunch]

The problem is that you are at a low glycogen and water state so eating anything above what you normally eat - especially more carbs or sodium will have this effect. But it's not a sudden increase in fat, it's just glycogen and water. That's why you believe it takes all week to get rid of it - you restored some glycogen and then it took time for it to be reduced back down to its previous levels.

Remember that increases in fat can ALWAYS be explained by an excess of calories - a large excess too - 3500 calories over and above your normal maintenance levels to gain 1lb of fat. Not something that happens from 1 burger.

It's not sustainable living like this - your ideal body shape should include normal levels of water and glycogen, you can't stay in a depleted state for ever. Also, if you are interested in gaining more muscle (which everyone should be IMO) then being in a depleted state makes that hard if not impossible. You need energy to grow muscle.

Maybe look at something like the New Rules of Lifting for Women (book). This might help clarify the role of muscle tissue in your goals.

[faithbrah]

the reality is that with those stats, your calories are going to be incredibly low. that's why it's hard to fit even a single burger in that diet

[Tommy W.]

At 4-9 1,500 calories isnt low. You need to go lower

[Dalis3600]

At 4-9 1,500 calories isnt low. You need to go lower

I’ll do it. See what happens. I am small.

[MrCarrot]

The problem is that you are at a low glycogen and water state so eating anything above what you normally eat - especially more carbs or sodium will have this effect. But it's not a sudden increase in fat, it's just glycogen and water. That's why you believe it takes all week to get rid of it - you restored some glycogen and then it took time for it to be reduced back down to its previous levels.

Remember that increases in fat can ALWAYS be explained by an excess of calories - a large excess too - 3500 calories over and above your normal maintenance levels to gain 1lb of fat. Not something that happens from 1 burger.

It's not sustainable living like this - your ideal body shape should include normal levels of water and glycogen, you can't stay in a depleted state for ever. Also, if you are interested in gaining more muscle (which everyone should be IMO) then being in a depleted state makes that hard if not impossible. You need energy to grow muscle.

Maybe look at something like the New Rules of Lifting for Women (book). This might help clarify the role of muscle tissue in your goals.

^ Everything that he said is correct. Your body is low on glycogen and water so when you eat a burger your body is soaking it up.

You don't have a pic and your bodyspace says you're 19% bf. But at 117 pounds and 1,500 calories I wonder whether you should eat at maintenance, or just above. Replenish your glycogen stores for a few weeks and build some muscle. You'll probably feel better, and then when you come back to cutting you'll have some additional muscle and the weight loss will be easier again. If you dont like the fact you aren't losing fat for a while (or in fact gain a little back) then do what I do and don't look in the mirror for a while :-)

At 4-9 1,500 calories isnt low. You need to go lower

I'm not a woman so I don't know for sure, but I imagine my 12 year old daughter eats more than 1,500 calories a day.

[bawk_chicken]

Resort to old school tactics. Drink two cups of water sometime before a meal as an appetite suppressant. If you’re able to do 1200 calories a day safely, it could be a start into dropping weight (it will take some time obviously. But slow and steady sometimes will win the race)