i am 5'5'' and currently weigh 140 lbs *YUCK*. I dont know my BF% but I did just buy calipers online to find out. I was 160 and now I am stuck. I have dropped down to 133 and my body keeps wanting to go back to 140. I cant figure it out. I have changed my routine to look like this:

monday: yoga class
tuesday: "boot camp" routine with high intensity multiple exercises using a step, jump rope, etc. - 20 minutes
wednesday: circuit weight training - full body - and 20 minutes of higher intensity cardio
thursday: "boot camp" routine with high intensity multiple exercises using a step, jump rope, etc. - 20 minutes
friday: REST
saturday: circuit weight training - full body - and 20 minutes of higher intensity cardio
sunday: 5 mile run - average pace

where as before i was doing cardio - running or elliptical for 45-60 minutes and chaning the interval routines & weight training twice / week (with dumbells/swiss ball/band as i dont belong to a gym).

Question is: how long does a body recognize change in the program? It has been a couple weeks and Im still at a stand still. I understand that my body has apparently adjusted to this weight but it is not where I need to be as I am clearly over-fat. I changed the routine to try and "shock" the system as others have indicated... & I just dont know what i am doing wrong.

In terms of nutrition intake - i log everything into sparkpeople.com and make sure i am within the range recommended in all categories - usually consuming about 1550 calories spread across 5-6 meals, 70 oz of water and eating protein with carbs and healthy fats to keep myself balanced.

I WAS eating only 1200-1300 calories while doing the old exercise routine and was told mybody may have been put into "starvation mode" b/c that was a low intake but I'm not sure. Nothing has changed & i am beyond frustrated and confused.

Just b/c my body WANTS to be at thsi weight, how do I get it to lose again and get down to about 125-130 lbs??????????

any help is greatly appreciated.
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
SW: 160 / CW: 140 / GW: 130
"nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.....calvin coolidge"

Hey Skyler. I'm not sure how true this is but I can research it more for you. Your body is used to 1200 calories a day so if you were to consume more calories for a certain period then your body keeps that food so that you don't starve. Weigh yourself everyday. If your body gains 2 lbs, go back to 1200 calories for only the amount of time to get rid of those 2 lbs then go back to consuming more calories. If when you weigh yourself again and find that you gained back those 2 lbs then once again go back to the 1200 calories. You have to train your body to that. You need to train your body to accept those extra calories and make it think that it is 1200 calories instead of 1600 calories. Sort of speeds up your metabolism. I hope you get what I am trying to say but I will definatley keep looking around for you to get more information on that. I have sort of that problem too. Have a great day.

wow. i wonder if that really works.....have you done that, jodee?? i ve never seen that way of handling this before...i was told to eat at the higher level and eventually(like 3 weeks) your body will figure it out?? now i am confused again! yikes!!!!

I know it works for alot of people. You just can't start eating again like you did before you started losing weight. You have to maintain your weight when you hit your goal. Remember that you are trying to burn more calories than you eat so if you start eating pizza (ei. 2000 calories) or something like that, then your body is going to keep that food in storage with out burning off the balance of what it is used to (1200 calories) So your body is keeping 800 calories in storage. I would gradually start eating other foods but always make sure that you don't over do it. You dont want your body to think its starving and start storing those extra calories. You are doing awesome Skyler. Keep up the great work.

ok - so you are talking more about maintenance than losing, right? that would make sense to me to trick your body that 1600 = 1200 calories to get to a healhty level of maintenance. you think that i should go back to eating 1200 calories in general (from your knowledge/experience) even though i was told that MAYBE i wasnt eating enough to maintain all the exercise i do and it could have been ruiniing my efforts w/ my body holding onto the food that i did eat?

this is all so confusing..i really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!