Weight loss help (a little over 1 year post op)

Hey all,

 I'm a little over a year post op and I've lost 85 pounds.  I think I couldve lost more if I had started working out a while ago..(no ones fault but my own) anyways..I'm in the gym 5 times a week now for an hour a day (burning about 500+ cals a day).  I'm also using myfitnesspal.com to help keep track of my eating.  I've lost about 5 pounds in about a month and a half. Now I'm at a stand still.  Not sure what to do. Per myfitnesspal I'm eating 1,200 cals a day.  Does anyone have any suggestions or stories to get over this stall?  Myfitnesspal is saying I should be eating back the calories I burn but that seems weird to me but it says if I dont my body will go into starvation mode.  I tried eating a little more (tried not to go over 1,400 cals on days I work out) but still at a standstill. Anyways enough rambling does anyone have any ideas or advice to help me get the ball rolling again?  I'm happy with my weightloss thus far but I havent reached my "goal" yet.

Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope I get some good feedback :)

Amanda 

Your not gonna like to hear this.....

Just a guess/suggestion because this is VERY common.......

Try going lower on Cals and carbs for 7 straight days....... below 800cals. and below 40carbs..... protein over 90 and fluids over 64oz.

If you lose....you found the answer.... you already tried going higher......

Forget about the subtraction of cals for working out. What your doing is perfect for WL, but not at all an extreme. If you still have substantial body fat to lose your gonna be fine.....

Just a suggestion....

frisco

Thanks for the suggestions..I think youre right, definitely need to lower my carbs and up the protein. I'll give that a shot. Thanks :)

I would agree with Frisco on this (see, it does happen occasionally!) - if you tried moving one way from your norms and it didn't work, try the other way. Most of us who have worked well in the 1200 calorie range tend to by guys or larger build women. Most of the women who successfully end up in your goal range tend to use one of the lower calorie plans.

Our resting metabolic rate are closely linked to our lean mass, which relates closely to our ideal weight which doesn't change much as we lose; meanwhile, our activity or exercise burn rate is related to our overall weight (costs more to move all of our former fat around,) so that does go down as we lose. This means that as we lose, our overall calorie burn drops (unless we really ramp up the exercise to compensate,) and we run the risk of our caloric deficit (calories burned minus calories consumed) going to zero before we are done losing what we want to lose.

One of the problems with offsetting exercise calories with consumption calories is that the gym machines and various charts that specify calories for different activities are generally not very accurate, and tend to be on the generous side, so you are probably over-estimating your exercise burn. I normally cut those numbers in half when doing the mental math (mostly for the sake of curiosity) but overall considered exercise to be part of my general  or routine background metabolic rate and didn't really adjust either unless there were indications that my caloric deficit was dropping too low for the desired loss (IOW, as long as I was losing satisfactorily, I didn't mess with success.)

Thanks calsleevin..... I appreciate that !

I think we agree on more things than not....

Your posts are always backed up with substance and it's obvious that you are well educated at this.....

frisco

I lose weight at 1200 cals and an hour or so of exercise 6 days a week with my 6'2'' frame.  I would have to say lower those cals for you too or significantly increase the exercise as I am guessing you are not nearly as tall as me.  I also was a stair step loser so it could go a couple weeks with nothing, then a week of rapid loss, so be patient! 

Myfitnesspal really isn't geared to bariatric patients, so take what you read there with a grain of salt.

Most bariatric patients have lower BMR/RMRs than regular folks, meaning you need fewer calories per day.  It might be worth your while to get a test done of your metabolic rate so that you know what you're working with.  I see your surgeon is in Dallas.  If you're in the area, let me know and I'll post some info on a gym that does metabolic testing up around Willow Bend.  None of the measurements are perfect, but it gives you an idea of where you stand on the calorie-burning front.

And let me second the fact that the machines at the gym give totally inaccurate readings on the calories burned, even the ones that ask for your age/weight/sex.  Get a heart rate monitor (the kind with the band that goes around your chest) and you'll get a better idea of your calorie burn.  My experience is that the gym monitors are a third higher than the monitor.  And don't even get me started on what MFP shows as calories burned!  Nowhere near reality.

Are you drinking water? It always helps me. Also, sometimes your body needs to be shocked. Eat 1400 for 2 days, then drop to 1200, for 3 days. see if that doesn't help.

Are you doing strength work? If not, you should in order to maintain if not build lean mass. Also switch up your fitness routines. Your body gets accustomed to doing the same thing repeatedly.  Interval training is great for building fitness level and 'switching it up."

 Also, up your protein, drop your carbs, and keep calories under 900 or so.  Drink lots of fluids and get as much sleep as possible.  Sleep is critical to weightloss.