Eating clean but not losing!

Hi Emilie-- what are your caloric intake? I know that you do need to be at a certain amount because otherwise your body is going to hold onto what you are getting since it thinks there is not enough. On the flipside of course, if your intake is too high and your activity level is not high enough, you could be not burning enough.

Just my 2 cents.

Are you drinking a lot of water? I'm no fitness expert, but are you mixing up the exercise routine? FH has been running/biking about every other day and mixes it up with weights and machine work the other days.

I forgot to mention that I'm 5'1" and 138 lbs so technically "overweight" according to BMI and I HAVE TO lose about 6 lbs to get into my wedding dress. I'm getting married on June 24th.

Have you lost inches?? Sometimes pounds don't always matter. I feel like when I get really motivated and in shape I don't lose a bunch of weight but I feel like I look better and more toned. Scales don't always matter

Even with clean eating, it is possible to overeat. I would still track calories. It is very easy to go over if you are having nuts as a snack as they are high calorie.

Try adding some weights and strength training as well.

Yeah the problem is that I get a little obsessive about calorie counting (not to mention the scale) and I really don't want to go down that road again. I DO need to be drinking more water. I also cut out juice b/c it is high in calories but doesn't make me less hungry. Do you put any stock in this "no juice" trend?

Yeah that's the thing I snack on GORP and dried fruit all the time.

I am doing a little strength training (you know those heavy ropes that you make waves with?)

Ditch the scale! It is pure evil!

Have you noticed any changes in how your clothes fit?

As a person who has roller coasted up and down usually 50-80 lbs I surely feel your pain.

I'm in the same boat as you right now. The scale is not playing nice, but I notice changes otherwise. Get rid of the scale!

Pounds don't matter aa much as inches. Muscle weighs more than fat, and takes up less space. Be sure you're burning more calories than you consume. It is good to cut liquid calories if they aren't satisfying for you. Be sure you are staying hydrated. Also, dried fruit and nuts have a TON of fat and sugar. It is healthy fat and natural sugar, but that doesn't matter to your waistline.

It's not the quality, but the quantity when you want to lose. Eating clean is great for health but overeating on health food is a reason people stay overweight and do not lose.

I lost about 10 lbs in about 4 months, but I think I just got lucky so I don't really have great advice for you besides tracking things and sticking with it.

PLEASE don't worry too much about the BMI standards. Per my height the calculator says "Normal Weight" is 105-140 pounds. I've been down to 120 when I was going through a rough time in my life and that was when I was barely eating and my arms looked pretty darn twiggy. I'd be emaciated at 105.

Audrey - it is the quality AND the quantity.

I'm not a pro by any means -

overeating isn't good, even when it's healthful food. stay hydrated, stay away from booze, keeping eating good foods in the right portions, and keep up with the workouts as well.

in the days leading up to the wedding avoid foods that cause bloat - even broccoli. a quick online search will show you what other foods cause this.

whatever you do, don't starve yourself because you'll pass out on your wedding day or feel awful!

I'm 5'2 and weight 133, so I know how you feel about every pound making a difference as a shorty! good luck to you

ETA - piggy-backing Nano's comment. BMI scale says 119 is healthy for me. I weighed 117 once because I worked retail and burned a ton of calories. someone asked if I had cancer because I looked so thin. all that matters if that you're happy and you can fit into the dress.

What's gorp? Wait. It's trail mix.holy shit you've been snacking on trail mix all day?

You realize a single cup of trail mix can easily be 700 calories? That's almost half my fault calorie allowance!

'clean' isn't the answer. Easy less food. Easy low calorie options.

Think of your calories like a budget. . Certain things are more expensive than others. . Like.

So example Tank of gas. 30$. Necessary for living right?

Foundation. 30$. Not so necessary.

Think of chicken and veggies like your tank of gas. And the foundation like ice cream.

Mostly you want to choose the tank of gas. Sometimes you choose the foundation.

The question is. If you only have 30$ for the week. Do you sacrifice the tank of gas and walk? Or do you go into debt in your cc to buy the foundation and the tank of gas.

That's how your calories are. Of you choose to 'go into debt' then what you've done is either eliminated your deficit or going over and your now in surplus. Is it a crisis one day? No. But if you constantly use that cc you're going to be in trouble. Same with your food.

@Pahina sorry no. Yes quality is good because it keeps you fuller you get more "bang for your buck" out of the calories. But have you ever seen studies where they lose weight eating 1000 calories of junk per day? When people think they are eating healthy they OFTEN overeat on these foods and consider them "free" which they are not. I agree that you should aim to have quality and quantity but that is very hard when you're starting out. You must must must watch your portions.

@JoRocka that's a great analogy

I'm not necessarily eating "clean" but I've reduced the amount of processed foods I eat; I prefer to cook myself (one of my hobbies), and I start off with as many whole foods as I can. I also use the Lose It app, which gives me my calorie budget for each day, based on my weight that morning. It's set up almost exactly as @JoRocka described - you have a budget and need to stick to it. I was amazed at just how many calories I consumed while thinking I was making healthy choices.

I agree gorp is extremely high in calories, ON PURPOSE. It is for backpacking and hiking, not doing 30 minute runs. I would cut the gorp. Dried fruit has a lot of sugar and it's easy to over eat.

You do lots of cardio, but you need to add in some strength training also. Muscle will lose inches (not weight) and increase your metabolism.

Jo, you are amazing.

Excellent analogy.

Smaller portions and only eating when you are truly hungry (not to be mistaken for thirsty). Eat only until you are no longer hungry (not to be confused with feeling full).