Health & Exercise

plateau - frustrated

I was fit and happy with my body when I got pregnant.  Size 2 - 5'2" 122 pounds (ideal weight: 117).  I gained 37 pounds while pregnant.  Nursing did not work out for me, first of all I had a low supply to begin with and had to supplement from the beginning.  Eventually what little supply I did have dried up.  Now I am almost five months post-partum and no where close to fitting into my old clothing.

My husband and I are graduate students, so unfortunately money is tight.  I was a WW Lifetime member before getting pregnant, having lost 70 pounds from 2008-2010 and maintaining that loss until this time last year when I became pregnant.  So I know (or so I thought) how to lose weight and maintain it.

The day the doctor gave me the green light to exercise I started running again - did a couch to 5k program in August/September, now am running a Running 4 Fat Loss program which has me doing about 20 miles a week with interval training.  

I'm back on WW, eating the minimum amount of points - some days I am so hungry I could just cry.  I am avoiding sweets, processed foods, and eating mostly clean.  I only eat out twice a week, and when I do I'm still measuring/portioning out everything.

And still - no success.  The size 8 jeans I had to buy because school started and I didn't have any pants feel snug at the end of the day.  I walk to and from campus - 20 minutes one way with a heavy laptop bag.  My schedule is packed I'm not sure how I could possibly fit anything else into it.  I have no idea what to do, but I am becoming more and more frustrated and depressed while the scale stays the same.  Am I doomed to be this weight/size the rest of my life, no matter what I do?  Why is the weight not coming off? 

My husband thinks it's my birth control situation.  I had an IUD put in at my 6 week post-partum check up.  He could feel the IUD when we tried to have sex and it didn't get any better.  2 weeks ago I had the IUD removed and started on the pill.  I don't want to use the hormones as an excuse - when I lost those 70 pounds I was on the pill the entire time, so it's not the pill right?  

Thanks if you read all that I am just really frustrated and don't have a lot of people to vent to.  

Re: plateau - frustrated

  • No worries- it took my body awhile to bounce back too.

    One thing I learned and saw in my body was that I needed to change up my workout routine. I know you said you run, but perhaps run every other day and on the days you don't run do some HIIT workouts or sprinting? Also cutting sugar- I know the good thing about WW is eating a little of everything and staying within your points but maybe cut sugar for a month and see?( I know that's hard- I am doing no sweets November- Thanksgiving is your free pass for pie and such but the rest of the month the only sugar I'll have will be from fruit. ugh hahaha).

    I was running and eating the same and doing weight watchers and my body was so used to my normal routine that it just leveled out weight wise- now I've incorporated lifting and daily HIIT/tabata workouts into my routine and I've noticed I've dropped below pre pregnancy weight!

    Birth control can very well play a role - I retained 5-10 pounds when I was on the pill. I seemed to be okay on Nuva ring but our bodies are all different with birth control. It's whacky. Plus time of the month, water retention all plays a role too-- I know the week before AF comes my skinny jeans are super snug because I'm so bloated. Also I try hard to avoid salt that week b/c it makes it so much worse.
  • I don't eat much sugar to begin with.  I do a lot of my own baking, from healthy recipes (skinnytaste, women's health, etc), the only place where I'm getting it regularly is breakfast, but I don't think that 1/3 cup of brown sugar for a dozen oatmeal muffins is what's keeping me heavy.  I could eliminate desserts altogether, but that's still a very small portion of my diet.

    What bothers me about using birth control as an excuse is I lost all of my weight previously while on the pill.  I know how my cycle used to behave, and I was still able to lose weight regardless of what time of the month it was.  I'm also only 5"2" so water retention for someone my size maximally would account for 3 pounds - not the 9 I am battling against.

    However, I am miserable and hungry all the time.  I'm scared if I eat more I'll gain weight, which would be more devastating than the lack of progress on the scale.  I really don't want to have to buy anymore clothing at this size but I am freezing!
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  • If you are hungry all the time, then my thinking is something is up with your diet.  You're probably not getting enough calories or the right kind of calories.  I'm not a fan of WW.  I know many people are and many people swear by it, but did nothing for me but left me feeling hungry. 
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  • Sunidaze said:
    If you are hungry all the time, then my thinking is something is up with your diet.  You're probably not getting enough calories or the right kind of calories.  I'm not a fan of WW.  I know many people are and many people swear by it, but did nothing for me but left me feeling hungry. 
    I don't have an opinion either way about WW, but I agree with this.  Even if you were losing weight by being hungry all the time, how is that sustainable?  It's possible you just aren't giving your body enough calories; try eating more than the minimum (I mean, you're running 20 miles a week and walking a lot besides; you *have* to eat) and see if you lose weight by nourishing yourself more.  It sounds like your weight is, while above your ideal, pretty close to healthy.  Being so hungry you could cry is not healthy.

    Which brings me to this...I've never been a size 2 so I don't know what it's like to lose that, but I'm about your height and size (5'3", size 8 pushing 10), and I'm content because I let myself do everything in moderation instead of starving myself to reach some ideal size/weight that might not even be attainable at my age after having two kids.  I run to set and achieve goals and to have time to myself outside, I eat mostly healthy foods in moderation, I'm never hungry unless I'm just too distracted to eat, and DH appreciates the fact that I still have a butt.  I'm at the upper end of the normal BMI range for my height and I'm in good health.  I could probably weigh less, but if that happens in the course of attaining a goal other than that (running a half marathon, etc.), that's great, and if not, it's my body, I choose what size I'm happy with, and I'm pretty happy as I am.  Why do you need to be a certain size or weight?  If it's just about being a WW lifetime member, or reaching an arbitrary number on the scale, not about doing what keeps you healthy and makes you feel fulfilled, step back and think about what you're doing this for.
    DD born 10/10/07 * DS born 11/25/11 * #3 due 3/9/2015
  • trudibell said:
    I don't eat much sugar to begin with.  I do a lot of my own baking, from healthy recipes (skinnytaste, women's health, etc), the only place where I'm getting it regularly is breakfast, but I don't think that 1/3 cup of brown sugar for a dozen oatmeal muffins is what's keeping me heavy.  I could eliminate desserts altogether, but that's still a very small portion of my diet.

    What bothers me about using birth control as an excuse is I lost all of my weight previously while on the pill.  I know how my cycle used to behave, and I was still able to lose weight regardless of what time of the month it was.  I'm also only 5"2" so water retention for someone my size maximally would account for 3 pounds - not the 9 I am battling against.

    However, I am miserable and hungry all the time.  I'm scared if I eat more I'll gain weight, which would be more devastating than the lack of progress on the scale.  I really don't want to have to buy anymore clothing at this size but I am freezing!
    The miserable and hungry part is concerning! If your body is hungry don't deprive it. I would def look into adjusting your WW points too. Or maybe switching up your diet? Paleo is interesting. I did that for a bit. Or just doing things in moderation. I know in this day and age women are very weight conscious. But if you are miserable and afraid to buy clothes-- that isn't good dear!Exercising and eating right and hitting your calories are a MUST to shed/maintain a healthy weight. I was very distraught when weight didn't come off RIGHT away after DD was born. And it took me about a year to get back into my skinny jeans. But I couldn't think about it every moment of everyday. What else do you do besides run? How many miles a day? Perhaps switch up workouts so you have a high impact day and low impact day- workout wise- if you do all high impact every day your body can't recover.
  • It's great you're happy at a larger size.  I'm not and I know I am not at my healthiest at this size.  Thanks for the advice.
  • For one thing, stress can actually cause weight gain for some people.  Stop stepping on the scale and stop putting so much pressure on yourself.  I'm not sure how often you weigh yourself...but maybe try weighing yourself once every two weeks.  Focus on being healthy, not on being skinny.  You shouldn't be feeling so hungry to the point you are frustrated.

    I am about 125 but after I gave birth, I was about 150.  It took me about a seven months to loose the weight...and some women told me they thought that was really fast.  Your body has been through a lot and it takes time to loose weight.  I lost the weight by cutting out processed foods and cooking my meals from scratch but not denying myself the occasional treat.  If you are eating healthy 80% of the time, you are doing great.  I reduced the amount of white foods that I have (flour, sugar, white rices) and ate more fruits/veggies but I have treats sometimes.  I also did short work outs daily and got extra exercise by take my LO and dogs to the park and doing active things with my family that I enjoy.  I did baby and me fitness classes too.

    Honestly, if you are focusing that much on your weight and feeling like you are starving, you are not taking care of yourself.  It sounds like you are in a healthy weight range and that maybe you see yourself as being bigger than you actually are.

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  • It's really not helpful to claim that someone is "messed up" or "not healthy" when they are asking for help/tips on how to break past a plateau.  I eat plenty, three meals a day plus three small snacks.  My son is also thriving, obviously I put him first, just because I'm frustrated with my weight-loss goals doesn't mean that I don't.  I appreciate what you're saying, you could just say it a lot briefer and with a lot less judgment.  Thanks.
  • I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across as judgmental and certainly not to suggest that you're not caring properly for your son. I thought when you said you were "miserable" and so hungry you could cry, that clearly that wasn't healthy and you might be pushing yourself too hard and too soon. If you insist you're healthy nonetheless, I have a lot to say, but nothing that will help you. Good luck with breaking through your plateau.
    DD born 10/10/07 * DS born 11/25/11 * #3 due 3/9/2015
  • I'm not sure with WW but I have heard from a lot of people that they needed to increase their calories to get over the plateau and lose more weight. Just a thought. Also how much water do you drink daily?
  • I'm not sure with WW but I have heard from a lot of people that they needed to increase their calories to get over the plateau and lose more weight. Just a thought. Also how much water do you drink daily?
    This. WW is too low for most people. You start off with a good loss because you are cutting calories, but because your calories are too low, you plateau very quickly and it is very hard to break. 

    Eating more will help. If you are hungry, you need to eat. If you aren't sure if you are hungry, drink 4 oz of water and see if that helps if go away. Dehydration is often confused for hunger. 


    All of this.

    If you're not eating enough, your body is storing the fat because it's not sure it's going to eat again soon.  It'll make it harder to lose weight.

    You should try tracking your calories on an app or MyFitnessPal or something and make sure you're in the healthy range.

    If you are and still aren't losing weight, I suggest seeing a doctor to see if there's an underlying problem.

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