Weight = Stuck

Question
Hello Laurie,

I am one of those people that can't seem to lose weight no matter what I do. In order to keep this short let me get to the facts.

29 years old, 5'2 & 130 lbs
2 children = youngest is 2
Not on any medications
Only known health condition is endometriosis (have not had hysterectomy or meds)

What I've tried:

* Went from desk job to active job
* Gave up soda (drank about 3 a day)- now I drink lots of water
* Progesterone cream (told I might have hormone imbalance from endo)- no longer using it, gave me headaches
* Healthy eating/tried strict calories for awhile but was told wasn't eating enough
* Started working out 5 times a week on different machines for 30 mins, expanded to an hour when I didn't see any weight loss
* Blood tests run, negative for thyroid problem

I've tried all of this for months and have not lost a pound! What is going on? The really odd thing is that I can eat huge amounts of chocolate, soda, steak, etc and won't gain any weight. So really my weight is very "stuck". I can't gain it, I can't lose it.I would really appreciate any advice you can give me because I really have no idea what to do at this point. Even my family and friends are amazed I haven't lost a pound after witnessing all my hard work.

Thanks again,
Brianna

Answer
Hi Brianna,

I know how frustrating this can be!
I wonder for how long, and how consistently, you've stuck with any of these?
If you eat less and exercise consistently (especially for an hour, 5 days a week) for a whole month with no exceptions, you may see results. I would suggest you try this for 30 days, while keeping a food diary.

You see, people tend to remember their hard work, and brush off an occasional slip or treat. So we end up focusing on all the working out and all the smart lunches, but ignoring the cookies someone brought in to work, the dessert for the special occasion, the 3 days we didn't feel like working out last week, and the quart of ice cream we had to have due to cravings.

Since you know you can have huge amounts of chocolate, soda, and steak, I assume you have done this, and adding those calories in to your diet will certainly negate any results you've had!

Because of your small size you can't expect to lose more than about 1/2 pound a week, even with a reasonable (1200-1500) calorie restriction and daily exercise.

So try again for 30 days in a row (note any exceptions in your food journal as they are bound to occur!) and see if you don't get 2 pounds off. I know it's slow-going, but in the mean time you'll be developing great eating and exercise habits, and when you stick with those, the rest of the weight will come off too!

Keep in touch to let me know how it goes :)

Laurie

1. Prev:Cutting weight before a tournament.
2. Next:Detox