I can't go below 216 LB!!

[newbldr]

Hi,

I'm a 35 year old male, 6'4 and 216 pounds. Three years ago my doctor weighted me and I was surprised to find I weighed 230. I Increased my physical activity and was more careful with what I ate. I now weigh 216 pounds.

My goal is to weigh 200 pounds. However, no matter what I do I simply cannot get below 216. Here is a mystery for you to solve......

5 weeks ago I weighed myself... I weighed 216 pounds just like the week before and the week before that (okay, with the occasional 217, 215...). So I decided to go on a vegetarian diet. A week later I weighed 220.

I was beginning to get frustrated so I took the low carb route for a week and actually lost 5 pounds!! At least I was back to "normal" 215/216 level. THEN....

I go away on vacation for 3.5 weeks. I travel extensively, scale hills and trails, major cities on foot, all the while watching what I eat (more or less). I do a lot of walking in my daily life, but on this vacation I walked... and walked and walked. I felt like I got tons of exercise.

Then I got home after this huge lifestyle change and what did I weigh? You got it... 216 pounds.

How is it possible to change my lifestyle so drastically and still not gain or lose a pound??

Cheers if you can figure this out!

 

[weightlosspro]

whats the "more or less" about? sometimes you have to be very strict to see immediate results.

Also, walking isnt really that helpful. Try 15-30 minutes of jogging every day if your goal is 200

It will take a combination of your new eating habits and more intensive exercise to get past these last few pounds.

 

[Steve]

Also, walking isnt really that helpful.

How not?

It's interesting that we have a member on this very forum who has lost 200 lb and her primary source of 'cardio' has been walking.

Walking is exceptional for some.

 

[Aleeluh]

How not?

It's interesting that we have a member on this very forum who has lost 200 lb and her primary source of 'cardio' has been walking.

Walking is exceptional for some.

Mainly how I lost my weight too :O

 

[maleficent]

Also, walking isnt really that helpful. Try 15-30 minutes of jogging every day if your goal is 200

It really depends on what you consider walking... mall stroll yeah probably not effective...

my inability to take deep breaths at the current time (backed up by CT scans and xrays) make jogging very difficult for me... I can walk at a pace that some people jog at... Walking is very helpful...

 

[txsqlchick]

I lived abroad for years and walked everywhere, was still fat at the end of it.

I'm a big fan of the elliptical machine.

 

[Steve]

Walking isn't magic. But it isn't pointless or useless. As with anything else, including running, weight lifting, HIIT, etc... if you're eating more energy than you require, no type of exercise is going to magically cause you to lose weight.

 

[txsqlchick]

Walking isn't magic. But it isn't pointless or useless. As with anything else, including running, weight lifting, HIIT, etc... if you're eating more energy than you require, no type of exercise is going to magically cause you to lose weight.

I agree on both counts. Perhaps walking allowed me to maintain my weight and eat more than I would have otherwise, but I didn't lose weight in Europe until I started working out regularly and watching what I ate. When I got back here I gave myself some time to get used to all that tasty yet toxic food that I hadn't seen in years. Then I got back on the wagon.

 

[newbldr]

Wow... nobody even tried to answer the original question.

I met a woman who lost an incredible amount of weight (fat) by simply:

a) walking everywhere

b) drinking lots of water

c) curbing her food cravings

So two years ago I decided to walk everywhere and drink lots of water. I lost ten pounds or so but that's it. Since then I can't lose any more weight.

As for curbing my food cravings... I wouldn't know where to begin. I virtually never eat ice cream or sweets of any kind. I don't even like them. I haven't been to a McDonalds or Taco Bell fast food type place in 10 years. I'll order a pizza 3 times a year. I cook all my own food, mainly a Mediterranean diet always full of fresh vegetables. Sometimes I eat out for lunch - maybe sushi or a sandwich.

I admit my one weakness is carbs. I haven't eaten pasta regularly in a long time, but until recently I was eating a lot of rice and bread. I've just started cutting them out...

Still, I just wonder how someone can uproot themselves from their normal lifestyle for a month and return and still weigh exactly the same... Or maybe this isn't weird?

 

[amagheti]

i think the problem is that you are not consistent (as in - trying different "diets" every week). also, the increase in exercise on your trip may have caused you to gain a bit of muscle, and muscle weighs more. its not hard to loose weight if you really wanted to really - just being consistent is the key. go to the nutrition section, find out a reasonable deficit that you need to eat at (calorie wise) in order to loose weight by reading the stickies, track what you eat consistently (i suggest fitday.com) and results will come. good luck

 

[txsqlchick]

Wow... nobody even tried to answer the original question.

They did; maybe you didn't like the answer. Go back and read what Steve wrote. He's blunt, but he's usually right too.

I met a woman who lost an incredible amount of weight (fat) by simply:

a) walking everywhere

b) drinking lots of water

c) curbing her food cravings

So because it worked for her, you thought it would work for you too? Personally I have tried that approach too and it didn't do squat for me either.

So two years ago I decided to walk everywhere and drink lots of water. I lost ten pounds or so but that's it. Since then I can't lose any more weight.

As for curbing my food cravings... I wouldn't know where to begin. I virtually never eat ice cream or sweets of any kind. I don't even like them. I haven't been to a McDonalds or Taco Bell fast food type place in 10 years. I'll order a pizza 3 times a year. I cook all my own food, mainly a Mediterranean diet always full of fresh vegetables. Sometimes I eat out for lunch - maybe sushi or a sandwich.

I admit my one weakness is carbs. I haven't eaten pasta regularly in a long time, but until recently I was eating a lot of rice and bread. I've just started cutting them out...

Still, I just wonder how someone can uproot themselves from their normal lifestyle for a month and return and still weigh exactly the same... Or maybe this isn't weird?

Because believe it or not, walking doesn't actually burn that many calories. I burn maybe 250 in an hour of walking. That's as much as I burn in 20 minutes on the elliptical, if you believe the "calories burned" readouts. Running and biking are also better exercise than walking in terms of calories burned per hour.

I'm no expert, I'm a beginner myself...but I didn't start to see any significant progress until I A.) got serious about fitness and working out, and B.) found religion about counting calories.

My first calorie-counting sessions were sobering eye-openers. I found I could easily...EASILY...down 3-4,000 calories a day, all while kidding myself that I wasn't eating all that much or that my diet was relatively "healthy". Clearly it wasn't, since I ate myself all the way up to 256 lbs. Once I was brutally honest with myself and looked at the numbers, I was shocked but also motivated. I thought to myself, "Well shit...if THIS is what I'm eating, no wonder I'm fat." As for my activity levels...hahahaha...they were ridiculous. I thought housework was good exercise. Bzzzt...nope.

I would recommend keeping a food journal for at least a couple of weeks; be brutally honest about what you're eating and how much of it you're eating. Count up the calories and see where you are. Then calculate your baseline metabolism and keep track of your activity (fitday.com can help a LOT with this). They even have reports where you can see your caloric deficit/surplus for each day.

My guess...and this is just a guess...that the problem may be with your diet. I was in denial about my food intake and I think that's a pretty common problem. Start tracking your food to see if that's where the problem lies.

Also...I would increase your workout times/frequencies. How often are you working out? What do you do for exercise? Walking is not a complete waste of time and it's good exercise, but if it's not working for you anymore...try something else.

 

[newbldr]

thanks, txsqlchick.

i've been down the calorie counting road in the past. i usually don't start my day until 9:30 or 10am. Even on days when I start at 7am, I generally skip breakfast, just coffee. I usually have an early lunch around noon or 12:30.

Lunch generally consists of a 450 - 550 calorie meal. My standard lunch for a long time was a salmon sushi roll until i cut back on carbs. Now I'll eat about 8 ounces or so of grilled boneless chicken and maybe something else like an apple.

Then dinner, usually a salad with a light oil/vinegar dressing, meat or fish typically grilled with some seasoning and olive oil with veggies. Add a couple of beers and some wine with dinner

I don't snack much unless I've gone on a long walk. Then I'll need to grab a snack - usually an energy bar. Sometimes I'll grab some chips and salsa.


... a few points on my activity:

- i don't live near a gym (so the elliptical is out for now)

- i tried running but the bottom line is i get shin splints easily, so i don't think it's good for me

- i used to bike regularly, but now i live in nyc and it's really not safe.

- in addition to walking everywhere I go, i also live in a 6 storey walk-up

 

[douknowjello]

Not knowing your personally this obviously is a total guess here but I agree with everyone elses advice of actually keeping a food diary. I personally gained my wait eating crap and junk and overeating. But I've read several people's stories in this forum that said they always ate healthy like you. They fought their weight regardless of the healthy food because of being unaware of how much they were actually eating and not controlling portions. If you use fitday it counts the calories for you as well as breaks it down so if you don't want to really focus on it you could just log them in so you have a food log history to go back over later. I've learned alot that way and found a few things I needed to change that weren't obvious at first.

As for exercise maybe you could find some new or used exercise equipment since you don't bike much anymore or use a gym. Just gives another option each day if you're on a time crunch or bored with the same routine.

Another thing I'm surprised somebody hasn't suggested is maybe it's time to set the scale aside and start using a tape measure? I've heard that last pounds are the hardest to lose and you do only have 16lbs left so you've done a great job already. With all that activity you could be losing inches regardless of what the scale is saying.

Anyway all of this is just a guess for sure because unless you start deliberately tracking stuff, even for a short time, how can you know what the problem is? And if it turns out there's still no hidden culpret I'd still give it some time and then after that if the you still can't lose anymore weight it may be time to go back to the doctor and make sure there isn't some health issue hindering the process. Best of luck and welcome to the forum ~Lisa

 

[newbldr]

thanks, linda. yes, i forgot what they say about those last few pounds.

if i use one of those online calculators I'm considered "overweight". but these calculators don't take into consideration my enormous calve muscles, for example (or my big irish head ). There's not much fat on me aside from a little belly fat.

I think the thing that just plain weirds me out is that when I moved to the city 2 years ago i increased my daily activity rate by 3X or 4X easily. Yet I still weigh the same amount i used to when i lived in a small town. I know i've increased my muscle mass because i can see it in my arms. This isn't from working out. it's just from carrying bags of groceries daily over long distances!

So maybe i've lost fat in exchange for muscle??? If so, i still find it strange that my weight doesn't change even when I radically alter my lifestyle for two years. I know I can easily put on weight. But for some reason 214 is like a brick wall for me...

 

[Steve]

Still, I just wonder how someone can uproot themselves from their normal lifestyle for a month and return and still weigh exactly the same... Or maybe this isn't weird?

Nope, not weird at all. Especially given the fact that you haven't tracked calories at all. Yea, you've changed around some stuff... went veggie, cut carbs blah blah blah.

But who cares what you're putting in your mouth if your calories aren't right for your goal, given the goal of weight loss?

You did a lot more activity and came back weighing the same.

So?

You probably made up for said activity by increasing your food intake... as most anyone would do if they weren't controlling/counting their calories. It's natural human reaction.

 

[Steve]

I think the thing that just plain weirds me out is that when I moved to the city 2 years ago i increased my daily activity rate by 3X or 4X easily.

You really think you increased your caloric burn by 4x?

Yet I still weigh the same amount i used to when i lived in a small town.

use it

food scale

buy one and use it

winging it works... until it doesn't. when is doesn't it's time to change what you were doing. it's not time to sit here confused. nobody should be confused unless they know exactly what sort of calories they're putting in their mouth, they know it should be a deficit, yet the weight isn't coming off. even then, from my experience, there's nothing to be confused about and it's more often people omitting calories from their tracking. but there have been times on occasion where one obviously have to take some corrective action to lose weight again, metabolically speaking. i don't think that's your case.

I know i've increased my muscle mass because i can see it in my arms.

You probably did. But nothing major if you weren't lifting weights progressively. I'm sure the fact that you lost over 10 lbs of fat magnified the muscle you already did have too.

This isn't from working out. it's just from carrying bags of groceries daily over long distances!

Generally speaking, muscular endurance type activities, especially when it's not progressed, isn't going to cause any serious muscle growth. Even noticeable.

So maybe i've lost fat in exchange for muscle???

I suppose there's a small chance if you were *really* untrained and sedentary before. Beyond that, I doubt enough to make up for what you aren't seeing on the scale.

If so, i still find it strange that my weight doesn't change even when I radically alter my lifestyle for two years.

I wouldn't find it strange.

 

[newbldr]

every time I've tracked and added up my caloric intake, it's always been lower than what i'm told i need to maintain my weight.

when traveling, i ate about the same as I usually do. but again, my activity level for the month was much higher.

 

[txsqlchick]

every time I've tracked and added up my caloric intake, it's always been lower than what i'm told i need to maintain my weight.

when traveling, i ate about the same as I usually do. but again, my activity level for the month was much higher.

You could be overestimating your own metabolism.

If you're not on a medication that is known to make weight loss difficult (such as those taken by type II diabetics and some steroids) and despite having a "caloric deficit" you are not losing weight, then something's not right here.

Could be that:

1.) You underestimate what you eat. Do what Steve said and get a food scale. It's one thing to estimate what 30 grams of Goldfish crackers looks like. It's quite another to measure it out on a scale. Measure every snack. Every teaspoon of ketchup. Every grape. Every energy bar. Everything. You may be surprised at the results.

2.) You overestimate your metabolism. This is easy to do, particularly if you perceive yourself as being active. One person's definition of "active" differs wildly from another person's. The number of calories you burn is only an estimate; there's really no way to know down to the calorie what you use in a day. All you can do is get reasonably close.

3.) You overestimate your amount of physical activity. This is very easy to do especially when you "walk everywhere". I "walked everywhere" in England too, meaning that I did not drive a car everywhere. Sometimes I biked, sometimes I took the bus, and I did a lot of walking...but not NEARLY enough to offset my caloric intake. Even if you walk a few miles a day, as I did, you can still gain weight pretty steadily if you eat enough. I'm living proof of this. Put "walking" out of your mind.

In short...you may walk a lot, but you're not getting the results you expect. You need to exercise more, change your eating habits, or both.

Also...you said you live in NYC. I can't believe there isn't a gym anywhere near you. If you're on Manhattan you're talking about an island that's 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It's tiny. Even if you have to ride the subway or a bus, you can probably find a gym that is an acceptable distance from you. I have friends in NYC and they have no problems finding health clubs.

 

[Steve]

every time I've tracked and added up my caloric intake, it's always been lower than what i'm told i need to maintain my weight.

when traveling, i ate about the same as I usually do. but again, my activity level for the month was much higher.

i'm not really interested in hearing, "when traveling i ate about the same..."

I mean if you're really going to suggest that you aren't losing weight yet you are eating in a caloric deficit day in and day out... that's fine. But do you realize what you are cornering yourself into?

What else would would there be but a metabolic dysfunction? If that's the case, you have to go get blood work done and test.

I'm sure some on here would back you too, suggesting it's a common occurrence. I on the other hand, would bet my bank roll against it.

So you either track your calories down to the breath mint you pop before walking into your meeting or you go get blood work done.

That simple. It's not a complicated situation.

 

[kenislosingit]

Advice for nwbldr

Hi nwbldr! It does sound like you have a pressing issue! I wish I were an expert and could offer professional advice, but I can only say what works for me. Weight loss for me has always been a struggle. Even quitting smoking was MUCH easier than losing weight is, because we always need food, you know? It takes tremendous commitment.
Here are some guidelines that I live by:
-Drink lots of fluid (with minimal diuretics - i.e. caffeine). Aim for 80oz plus eight ounces for every 25 pounds overweight
-Avoid extra sodium (causes water retention)
-The cardinal rule: Burn more calories than you take in!
-Keep a food diary/calorie count (this is incredibly helpful. I have a free account with thedailyplate.com and it is great! They have a huge database of foods and exercises, not to mention calorie calculators. More on that at the end of the post!)
-Remember: to burn a pound of fat, you must burn 3500 more calories than you take in. For example, if you eat 1700 calories a day, but can eat 2200 calories a day(including exercise) to maintain your weight, you will lose one pound a week. (2200cal-1700cal = net 500cal/day loss x 7days= 3500cal or 1lb.) Burn this formula into your mind!
-the first several weeks of any exercise routine will show muscle gain and little weight loss.

thedailyplate.com offers meal tracking and so much more. You fill out a little personal information (height, weight, general activity level etc.)and they will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Options can also be set, to say, 'lose 2 lbs. a week.' It will adjust your caloric requirements automatically. Setting your activity level to the most appropriate choice for you is also very important. Make sure, in addition to adding in the food you eat, that you also add in any exercise you do. At the beginning of every day, I plan out my meals and my exercise routine, then I add them all in to the page for that day. It will let me know if I have extra calories left over through the day, which I can use for snacks or even to count for a little extra weight loss!

Honestly, too, maintain a good relationship with your doctor. Always be sure to let them know your health plans, including weight loss. If there is a physiological issue, such as with your Thyroid, you will want to know as that can severely impact your weight loss or gain. I certainly hope I can help in some way and please keep everyone aware of your progress!

-ken