Original email for context: I tried doing a round back in Feb…and just felt so horrible got off after 15days…again have not gained any wait…but can’t seem to lose any….keep staying about 155-150…I do have a somewhat muscular build…but I am only 5ft 3″ so should weight about 125…would think I am not in the category of “close to goal weight” since I easily have another 25 to go….any thoughts?
Over time I have come to see that perspective what how overweight we are can really vary from person to person- for instance, you mentioned having a somewhat muscular build – so this could then mean that even if you are 150 lbs, if you have a much higher ratio of lean mass making up that 150lbs, then you have less fat than some other lady your height and weight – this can mean that for her, being 25 lbs overweight is still enough to lose at a more normal pace, but for you being more muscular, you may not be in that territory where you don’t really have much left to lose – if that’s the case I will share my advice in a minute on how to work through that.
But just for a little further example here – I’m only 5’1” – most women my height would be in the 110-115, maybe 120 lb max range to be considered a healthy/normal weight. I am 127-130 lbs and it would be quite difficult for me to lose any more fat and maintain that weight loss- this is because, like you, I now have a very muscular frame, and with the body fat testing I’ve done, at my current weight around 128 lbs, I am only 16-17% bodyfat- this is below the “normal” level and into “athlete” territory – so I just have more muscle (about 10-20 lbs more) than the average woman of my height – which is that much more on the scale, but isn’t something to need to get rid of. But when I was in my early twenties and weighed about the same for a time, I was not muscular at that time, and I was indeed overweight. So I hope that shares a little perspective on trying to notate just how your own body is and then see what’s normal for you.
So let’s say the weight loss is slow for you right now or even stalling out. If it’s because you are getting to those last pounds of fat at this point, actually increasing your calories really may be the ticket. Some ladies when stuck, find that adding a protein portion or more veggies and eating more like 700-800 calories really helps get their weight loss going again. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, and you may even be trying to eat less than you were, but believe me, this happens pretty often, and what happens is when things start feeling SO extreme for the body- which it will feel that way more easily the less fat you have, the more you need to actually be a bit more gentle about your process so that it can keep responding and not just totally lock up on you.
One of my hCG interview guests actually discussed this on our interview you can listen to her experience here.
