9 months out, can I get some help from the vets?

I apologize for another "why am I not losing anymore thread" but I'm feeling really discouarged despite following all the rules and advice the vets have given to everyone in the past. I'm just at the point where I am wanting any suggestions or advice to keep losing. I don't know if this is a stall or if my body is ready to stay at this weight. The past 9 months, I have not had problems with stalls so this is unusual for me.

Calories: I consume roughly 600-800 calories a day, it's really rare for me to go over 800. It consists of dense protein, eggs, cheese, and protein shakes. I don't eat out, I don't drink surgary drinks (aside from crystal light), I don't eat empty calories or carbs. 

Carbs: Before I used to keep my carbs below 30 grams but wanted to make sure I stayed in ketosis so bumped that to 20 grams. But lately I've pushed that even further to 15 and under if I can. Most of my carbs come from protein shakes and cheese.

Protein: 90-100+ grams.

Excercise: I do Insanity everyday for 6 days a week. I burn anywhere between 460-530 calories. While I drink a protein shake after my workout, I do not eat back my calories burned.

Fluids: 64oz+ daily.

I log everything I eat on MFP.


Before I started Insanity, I was stuck at 168.8 and the scale would not budge despite that I was still doing cardio and strength training everyday. My diet remained the same. My first week of Insanity I immediately dropped 4lbs. But I've stopped losing after that and the scale is stuck again. My first goal is to get to 150lbs and my ultimate maintenance goal is 130lbs. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm open to any suggestions.

Wow, I am not a vet but I wanted to tell you that its awesome how detailed your post is about your diet and exercise. I believe that is exactly what a vet needs to know to help you. You have done awesome though, if I can just tell you that!!! Best of luck and I hope some vets chime in for you and believe me, I will check back on this thread to see what they have to say.

I'm certainly no expert, but the only suggestion I can think of is to maybe increase your water.  Your muscles may be holding onto what you are consuming - thereby causing your stall.  How long have you been stalled?  If it's only a week or so, the answer is to give it time.  You are definitely following all the rules and there is NO WAY your body can continue to maintain at that level of input and output of energy.  Be patient and up your water?  (((Hugs))) for your frustration, but you ARE doing everything right...just keep it up and you will see results - I promise!

Deb

I don't think you're eating enough calories for the amount of exercise that you're doing.  I'm not a big believer in starvation mode, but I there's a calorie threshhold that your body needs to fuel basic functions and it need those calories every day.  If you're not giving it enough, it starts doing funky things to protect itself.  As long as you keep up your exercise regimen, up your calories to 1000 a day.  I'm not going to give any advice about the carbs because only you know how carb-sensitive you are. 

 I agree with this. 

 I agree too.  Though I am not a vet.  I think this may help you.

I completely agree.  When I stalled both before and now after surgery it was because I was eating too little.

If you eat 800 calories a day and burn off 500, you're expecting your body to run on 300 calories a day.  Not only will you stall, this is not healthy!

Try bumping them up for a few days - if you don't lose, then no harm no foul.  But I bet you will lose!

Great post.  You're doing a great job!!

Are you strength training? Weight training increases the metabolic burn, much more so, than aerobic exercise, where there is less of an after burn.

Is the Instanity workout the same or does the routine vary? If it is the same workout, your body doesn't burn as many calories, since it doesn't have to expend as much energy as it did, when you first started the workout. It might help to vary your workouts, so that you're not doing the same thing everyday.

Also, for that amount of working out and having 30 lbs to lose, I don't think that you are eating enough to fuel your workouts. As we have less weight and fat to lose, we don't have the fat stores to draw energy from, so we end up burning up muscle for fuel. The energy has to come from somewhere. I would increase your calories to 1,000/day, to see what happens. Also, you may also need more protein, if you are working out the intensely.

Also, having a body fat test may also help to determine how much lean muscle mass versus fat that you have.

Gail

okay, this is just my perspective, which is generally a little different from everyone else's.

it sounds like you are pounding the bejeezus out of your body.  i know that a LOT of people do the 600-800 cal limit.  my NUT specifically told me not to go below 1100-1200 cals for a healthy weight loss. and basically the usual of protein first, then veggies, then carbs.  i didn't get a really firm # for carbs, more of a focus on protein and cals (and fluid!).  i haven't been perfect, but i've lost a respectable 105.5 lbs, feel great, and so on.

i don't know about the exercise ('cause i'm the worst role model ever for it) but you may be overdoing it and sort of shocking your body into holding on to all the cals it can so you don't starve it.

Stalling SUCKS but it is definitely a part of the process.  at 9 months you are not done losing, i promise.  i'm still losing (although much slower) at 18 mos.  you may want to check back in with the doc's office to get some input from them.

i hope some of this helps.  try not to panic.  watching the scale not move scares the crap out of me too, but you've just got to have patience and trust your body, not puni****  ((((((hugs))))))

I'm not a expert, but here's my 2 cents.

I would increase water. A good rule of thumb for water is 64 oz for normal lifestyles. Then, we should add 8 oz of water for every 30 minutes of strenuous (heartrate above normal for a sustained amount of time) exercise.

I would also think about increasing your protein (not just calories). Your body uses carbs for energy during workouts and protein for recovery after workouts. Increasing carbs and protein teds only suceed in maintaining a weight. Increasing protein tells your body that you are not starving and it should use your fat stores during the workout.

Again, I'm not an expert. Please, please do your own research.