[chiaraluna]

Howdy! I'm 5' 6", have a medium frame, and am a not-large 148 lbs, and I'm trying to lose the 10-15 lbs that will put me smack dab in the middle of my healthy weight range (I'm rather on the high end and I don't like that.) I started the summer 154, thanks to my freshman 15, but the first few pounds just melted off when I went vegan again. Since then, I've cut calories and have started exercising a lot more, but I am not losing anything... in fact, when I weighed myself this morning I'd jumped to 151. I assume that part of that is just water retention, but I still can't understand why I just can NOT lose any weight!<br><br><br><br>
I eat every three hours (this seems to be my body's schedule), so I end up eating 5-6 meals of 175-600 calories. My daily intake is usually 1600-1800, which I <i>thought</i> was reasonable. I do an hour of pilates twice a week, and pretty intense cardio for an hour or so 2-3 days a week.<br><br><br><br>
My main thought at the moment is that maybe I'm just not taking in enough calories, but it's very difficult to make myself eat more when I'm trying to lose weight -- in my mind, that is a stupid thing to do. According to a couple of "calculate your daily caloric needs," I need roughly 2200-2300 calories/day (though one of them said 2700... but I didn't believe it) based on my lifestyle & activity levels (.<br><br><br><br>
What am I doing wrong?! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wall.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":wall:">

 

[GhostUser]

i think your calories look great,(1600-1800) but i would up your cardio... maybe to 5 days and do some intervals on whatever machine you are on.<br><br><br><br>
for instance, walk 3 minutes, run one minute, then up your incline, walk two minutes, run two, then up the incline and walk 5, then run 3, etc, etc.

 

[MarrakeshXpress]

I don't know what the weather is like where you are but I always find that my weight and water retention gets kind of whacky in the summer months. Currently, I'm about 4 pounds heavier than I was when I came home from school but aside from keeping tabs on what I eat and making sure I get at least half an hour of exercise a day, I'm not doing much to get my weight back down. Throughout the years, I've just found that I weigh more when its hot out. I have a lot of Irish heritage and I think that the heat is inflammatory to my chemical makeup. If I don't lose the weight when it starts to cool down, thats when I'll start to worry.

 

[honeyfugle]

you could try eating 3 large meals rather than 5-6 small ones. mabye that could give your body more time to burn off the calories from each meal.

 

[GhostUser]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>honeyfugle</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
you could try eating 3 large meals rather than 5-6 small ones. mabye that could give your body more time to burn off the calories from each meal.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
that's not really how it works.

 

[honeyfugle]

well, to be honest i'm only going by what i've read. i guess this may be a lesson to me that i shouldnt believe all i read...!

 

[GhostUser]

if you eat 2000 calories a day it's 2000 no matter when you eat it. the only advantage to eating 5-6 smaller meals is that your body assimilates the nutrients better, and you don't get the crashes from low blood sugar.<br><br><br><br>
there's a lot of information on fitness and nutrition out there, and most of it is BS, IMO. it's easy to get misled. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[gaya]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>purrpelle</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
if you eat 2000 calories a day it's 2000 no matter when you eat it. the only advantage to eating 5-6 smaller meals is that your body assimilates the nutrients better, and you don't get the crashes from low blood sugar.<br><br><br><br>
there's a lot of information on fitness and nutrition out there, and most of it is BS, IMO. it's easy to get misled. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""></div>
</div>
<br>
and doesn't eating several smaller meals boost metabolism or something? What does that mean, i really don't understand it.

 

[Libellula]

i always understood it to mean that it doesn't boost metabolism per se, but by keeping blood sugar levels at an even keel so that you're not overeating at each meal or letting your body slip into starvation mode by allowing your body to get to that point, as i have found eating only three meals and no snacks gets me to the point where i am too hungry and overeating..<br><br><br><br>
i'm not sure if i am right..

 

[taurushead]

libellula- > i second that whollllleheartedly. when i go for three meals i over eat. and if i eat smaller meals i never get that awful low blood sugar feeling . its great. ill never go back!

 

[chiaraluna]

Neither will I! I also really enjoy getting to eat all day long... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Libellula]

i like spacing things out rather than crammign them all in into three meals. I can't imagine trying to stuff 2400 calories into three meals..

 

[chiaraluna]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/yes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":yes:"> Agreed! I am perfectly happy with my 300-calorie mealettes, and whenever I eat with friends at a restaurant and condense two of my meals into one large one I end up feeling like a whale. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Libellula]

same here. it was hard to camp last week cos as i said to my boyfriend "i don't eat meals. I just eat. all day."

 

[gravity_defiant]

Were you working out much before just recently? Is it possible that you're losing fat but building muscle mass with all the Pilates? Since muscle is denser than fat, you might be getting smaller--and more importantly healthier!--even if the scale isn't showing that. You might want to check your measurements or just the fit of your clothes, rather than the scale. Good luck!

 

[Tori'sMom]

I found that upping my calorie intake for a few days to "jump start" my metabolism helped alot. along with changing my exercise routines. i asked my doc about plauteus (sp) and he told me to do that and every 4-6 weeks change up exercise routines.

 

[theatregirl]

Only eat when you are hungry and don't eat if you aren't. By truly tuning into your body clock rather than the clock on your wall telling you it is a mealtime, you can lose weight. If you are hungry EAT. But don't eat if you aren't.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/carrot.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":vebo:">

 

[nichalps]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>theatregirl</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Only eat when you are hungry and don't eat if you aren't. By truly tuning into your body clock rather than the clock on your wall telling you it is a mealtime, you can lose weight. If you are hungry EAT. But don't eat if you aren't.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/carrot.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":vebo:"></div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I tried doing that the other day - every time I thought I felt hungry, I thought about whether or not I was physically hungry or I was just bored hungry and then I didn't eat unless I decided that I was physically hungry and I wound up only eating 800 calories the entire day...but I really did feel a lot better than I normally would by the end of the day. But I know, I know 800 calories isn't nearly enough. It was just an experiment though. d=

 

[mycocktailsmile]

eat 3 meals a day of about 200(breakfast) 400(lunch) and 400(dinner) which makes 100 cals and that should make you lose weight<br><br>
you need to cut about 500 cals per day per pound you want to lose a week<br><br>
ignore all those sites that tell you your dietry requirements they are rubbish just go with the traditional 2000 a day because its more reliable<br><br><br><br>
good luck<br><br>
xxx

 

[Libellula]

1000 cals a day is starvation and messes up your metabolism.