Sorry to go all spelling police on you Dear, but shouldn't it be "lose" and not "loose" weight?

Otherwise, I agree with your advice. I'd add that I think the poster should go see a nutritionist for a second opinion on what to do to lose those last pounds.

And ask yourself these questions: am i changing up my exercise routine or is it the same old, same old? will only eating greens help me or should i incorporate more variety in my diet?

Good luck and try not to stress about it too much. You sound like you're in good shape so give yourself a bit of a break if you feel like you're starting to stress too much about it.

Thank you for the loose v. lose comment nicachica. It saved me from doing the same.

nicachica - I was going to type a comment about the loose/lose spelling too!

My advice might be to consult a nutritionist/personal trainer. Perhaps they can help.

Ack! Lose, not loose.. too, not to... nonexistent, not none existent...

I feel in this rut too...

Dear, we love you but please fix that egregious grammar error!!

I feel like I am in the same rut, I just signed up to consult with a holistic health coach... we'll see how it goes!

I would suggest keeping a food journal and tracking your calories everyday. You might be eating more than you think.

Also, maybe you should look into joining a team sport or some sort of group activity. It's a great way to get some more exercise plus you will meet some new people and maybe even a cute boy to date.

Are you on birth control? I had a friend that couldn't lose the weight either. She went off birth control and lost the weight. You also might want to get your thyroid checked out...that could have something to do with it.

I'm in the same boat as you. Dear is right- don't put all of your focus on losing weight(because that's all I've been thinking about for a YEAR and the scale hasn't budged!). I think it's time to change our ways! I know how frustrating it is... trust me- But I think Dear might be on to something!

I don't know what it says about me that the tag "loosing weight" makes me cringe. Anyway, it sounds like you are depressed. Lack of sex drive and not wanting to leave the house are pretty big signs. I'm not an expert, but maybe you should make an appointment with a therapist/psychiatrist. I believe that I've heard that there is a medical connection between depression and weight (both gaining and losing, if I am correct). This could have something to do with why you can't lose. And if it doesn't, maybe meeting with someone and talking will at least help you to get out of your funk.

I've been reading more and more about how stress/depression can make you gain weight or hold it around the middle even if dieting and exercising. I don't know enough about it to tout it, but you might want to do some research on that and see if you fit the profile - which you could because of the combination in your life right now of getting fired, no love life...

As an editor, I had to comment on loose/lose and the other errors, but it seems others have already pointed it out.

If medical problems have been ruled out, try zig-zagging calories. You could be slowing down your metabolism if you aren't eating enough. I think there are calculators online you can use to help you determine your numbers, but for example, I eat about 1450 calories for two to three days, then I eat 1850. If I go more than three days at the lower number, I notice I stop getting results. It's a way of tricking your body into not going into "starvation mode." If your body thinks it's not going to get enough calories, it starts to conserve, holding onto the fat for longer. Consider monitoring your portions, too. I am a health nut, but even health nuts can consume too many calories (even if it is from healthy foods).

Also, I know this seems trite, but try to find something that makes you happy--a hobby, a form of exercise, anything. I was at my highest weight when I was miserable. Now that life is good, I've never been so happy with my body.

I believe that stress can do that as well.
The real problem is the fact that you don't add in enough cardio plus the daliy excersize. I remember when I was dieting, I wasn;t getting any fiber. Fiber plays a VERY important part in dieting vitamins as well.

you say you stick to your greens, try to eat other veggies and fruits.

One more thing I thought of: I've found that weights work better to get the inches off, for me, anyway. I was scared to cut back on cardio and add more strength, but I'm so happy with the results. I'm almost the same weight, but my pants are loose on me now because I've lost fat and gained muscle.

It's frustrating, but experimenting is the only way to figure out what works for you. For me, it's all about weights and zig-zagging.

Sometimes a doctor doesn't hack it. Go to another one. Try an endocrinologist. Have you been tested for hypothyrodism? Do not be satisfied with a doctor who tells you that there isn't a problem because he/she can't find the cause. You owe it to yourself to find a cause for the following: unexplained difficulty losing weight, withdrawal from social life, and decreased sex drive.

Please, please go to see a mental health professional. You're showing signs of the beginnings of depression. The best and bravest thing you can do for yourself is find an ally and demand action.

Besides, what with losing the job and being in a transition period, you could use somebody to talk to to help you formulate a new plan, no?

I was in a similiar situation for years. I would work out all the time but would never loose any pounds. I was really stuck on the fact that I had to be a certain number to be ok with myself. If your working out alot you HAVE TO REMEMBER that muscle weighs more that fat!!!!!! You may have a low BMI (the fat that is actually on your body). You could always have that measured, it may put your mind at ease.

From the look of the whole situation it may be that your fixation on the weight could be a product of your view and if Im wrong (sorry) the hopelessness you feel about the situation. While your young, you have had a way of looking at situations that has been helpful for you in the past but it appears that it is not working any more.

I must commend you on getting other points of view.. Good Luck.

OK, THIS WAS MY QUESTION TO SUGAR. ILL ADMIT IT, AND IM GLAD SHE ANSWERED ME BUT WHATS WITH ALL THE "OHH YOUR SPELLING & GRAMMAR IS WRONG BLAH BLAH" THAT ISNT THE ISSUE HERE. :/

IM SURE IM NOT THE ONLY GIRL WITH THIS PROBLEM AS THE COMMENTS HAVE SHOWN. SHOW SOME RESPECT.

SUGAR ACTUALLY EDITED MY QUESTION QUITE ABIT, IN MY EMAIL TO HER I DID MENTION THAT IVE BEEN TO 5 DOCTORS FOR DIET HELP, AND NONE HAVE WORKED. I GO THE GYM EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY.
WHATS A GIRL TO DO...
THANKS.

& also thank you sugar for the advice!!

TFS, try not to beat yourself up about it. I too am in the same boat. Have lost and gained the same ten pounds in the past two years. It is frustrating. My sister did something last year that really resonated with me and I am thinking of doing it too. Rather than worrying about the weight and the number..she started out with creating a goal every week. The first week was to cut out all sugary treats, the second to walk around the block twice that week, the third to only eat organic,etc. So she focused on a new goal each week adding onto each one until by the end of the year she had lost twenty five pounds and gained a healthier attitude/lifestyle and smaller jeans! I'm going to try that this year too...i know its a little past the New Years resolution thing but heck does Fat Tuesday count?

I, too, struggle with this.

May I suggest something like Weight Watchers? Anyone with at least 5 pounds to lose can do it. It teaches great portion control, what you should be eating, etc.

Also, it could be that your body is going into starvation mode. If you're only eating mostly greens...your body may be holding onto those extra pounds since it thinks you're starving yourself. Up your fiber, dairy, etc.

Sometimes to jog my metabolism, I switch up my diet...for a few days eat a lot of food (but good, healthy food) and then some days, lower your intake. But never never never starve yourself!!!! Food is energy.

Good luck!

"I just want to get back into the shape I was in a few years ago."

no you don't. you want to get back to that WEIGHT. but that might be a completely different state of FITNESS. Sure, when I was in highschoool I weighed 25 pounds less than I do now, but I am waaaaaaaaaaaay more healthy and fit now than I was then!!

Also, please eat. Because not eating just tells your body to store everything as fat and burn as little as possible. Unless you want fat - in that case keep right on not eating.

Honestly, it sounds like you are ignoring all of the internal issues of your life and trying to blame all that on external apperances. Try exerting energy in the right areas and then everything will coem together.

^ lolz.

I am not a doctor or nutritionist or anything, so this is an unpolished thought...

Doesn't being stressed release cortisol (horomones?) into the body, which causes the body to either retain fat, or it somehow affects fat? And if I remember right, especially visercal (belly) fat?

So unless you destress, you're very unlikely to lose those last few. And I'm 22 also and I've just noticed my metabolism in general starting to slow down, so it could just be attributed to getting a bit older and all of the physical goodies that come with that.

You may have body dismorphia disorder.. where you think you're over weight or look over weight.. but are not

tfs, if you've starved yourself for days or otherwise deprived yourself of food, combined with working out like crazy, you have probably drastically slowed your metabolism and put your body into starvation mode. This takes a long time for your body to recover from. You need a balanced diet with 6-7 small meals a day combined with moderate exercise.

Going to doctors for "diet help" is meaningless unless they have diagnosed you with some kind of thyroid disorder. You say you've tried "every diet"- what diets have you tried? Because if it's some cabbage soup diet cr*p it's not going to work. Living on greens isn't enough. You need protein. You need healthy carbohydrates.

I say eat more. Shock your body a bit...because obviously your body is holding on to those last few pounds because you arent eating enough. Changing up your exercise routine will help too...and drinking TONS of water....you literally can pee some of the weight off...lol.

I agree about all the spell checkers on here....SHEESH!!! Talk about obsessive...lol.

Well...good luck!!

I feel stuck too. I am going to try and start me blogging again, that way I feel responsible even if not many people read it. That and getting rid of the bad things in the house. There isn't much but it all matters!

Hang in there girl, and if you feel depressed to the point of starving yourself again try talking to a professional. There is nothing wrong with it and they can help you feel better.

its the last 5 pounds that just dont seem to wanna go, so i suggest just toning the last 5 pounds, which will make u curvy, not flabby!

i suggest getting a personal trianer with a friend. its fun. me and my husband are working out with a personal trianer together and its fun doing it together =)

dont stress so much about it though...no need to be extra thin !

Sorry, but I'm an editor for a living, and bad grammar and spelling is rampant enough these days. A typo here and there doesn't bother me, but that many errors in a post is obviously distracting for many Sugar readers, myself included. It was meant to be helpful.

To TFS--I'm sorry if you took our posts about the errors as disrespect toward you. That certainly was not my intention, as I tried to post the most helpful advice I had to give you.

ditto brown_eyed_grrl, i keep reading more & more about strength training. i used to think the more cardio i did, the better, but i am slowly trying to get a minimum of cardio & pump up the weight-training.

a quote is as follows, "If you focus only on aerobics, your overall body shape will stay the same, even if you burn fat. For example, if you are pear shaped, you will just look like a smaller pear if you do only aerobic exercise. And your body will still be flabby."

that came from the yahoo fitness routine here - http://dietto.us/8-minutes-in-the-morning.html

I was in the same boat for a while, basically years after I put on that freshman 20 from college and it did not want to leave my lower body. But just recently it has come off, I am in the best shape of my life but it took a lot of hard work and healthy eating. I kept a food journal and cut out soda, fast food, fried food, and red meat. I also upped my strength training and picked up a lot of classes at the gym that were cardio/strength type. I did feel frustrated and confused for a while but I stuck with it and I can honestly say eating right and exercising are the only methods of losing those last stubborn pounds. GOOD LUCK!!! KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!!

Something important to remember...building muscles will help to burn fat and calories faster! So dont be afraid to get on a few machines and do some reps. I always find it so strange that at my gym, most women stick to the cardio machines and dont bother with weights. Its like they are afraid that they'll bulk up instead of tone and tighten. Not so!

Basically this is all great advice!
I say you should log your food intake and share it with someone. Hire a trainer or nutritionalist to look it over and help point out where you're going astray. Also have someone take your body measurements and body fat. Losing those last few lbs might not be healthy for you.
At the gym, what are you doing? Cardio? Strength? Might try to change things up. If you're doing more of one and less of the other, switch. Or try taking a class that's challenging. Yoga, Pilates, spinning. Sometimes just trying something new is enough to bump you out of that slump. Group classes might help you get out of your social life funk as well. You never know. Good luck though!

I hear this so often... the most frustrating part about it, is that you don't know what to do and you've tried everything.

I disagree with the advice they gave you. If you are really, really eating healthy (eating vegies, no sugar, low dairy, no fried food, etc.) and working out you should be losing weight... more importantly your body fat percentage should be decreasing. If you are not losing weight (decreasing your body fat and you have the body fat to spare) then you know that there is a underlining problem. My sister was in this same situation. She was a size 9 and now a size 2, really and she doesn't even work out.
It turns out that it's really all about toxins and it's all about food. The more toxins you have the more stressed your organs are.. blah.. blah. (There are tons of books on this) Basically, you must clean out your toxins, healing your organs so they can work properly. Raw veggie/fruit drinks are great but going on a raw food regiment is the way to go. It's very extensive.. you're not just eating celery sticks. Try... "The Raw Food Detox Diet" or "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen" there's tons of books. You will not only lose weight but your energy level will increase which is the only reason I eat raw food. It was amazing to watch her change.. but just a warning, it's a lot of work but if you're determined you won't go back.

A few things:
are you getting enough sleep?
are you drinking enough water?
do you have a lot of stress?
are you eating enough? (this can make you gain weight too)

I find those little things help a lot.

And do you really need to lose weight, or are you fixated on a number you used to be? If you really work out as much as you say and eat really healthily you probably wont be as thin as you were however many years ago - muscle weighs more than fat. What's your body fat percentage like? Can you fit into your old clothes? Weight isn't always all that important in terms of health.

You say you mostly live off of greens. Are you eating enough calories for your body type? If you are eating too few calories, then your body will go into store mode. Rather than losing weight from eating too little, it can cause you to gain, because everything you eat will be sucked up by your body, rather than taking the vitamins and minerals and passing the rest. Definately see a nutritionist to, at the very least, see the correct amount of calories you should be consuming.

Novaraen is so right!

The only thing that will work is consistent diet and exercise...........and unfortunately due to the hormonal influxes of the female body it may take weeks or months to even see a difference..........

..........But if you TRULY deep down really want to lose the weight you will forego all junk food and couch potato activities Immediately!!!!! I am a firm beleiver that there is no pain and no hunger that can keep a person who truly wants something from acheiving that goal.

I agree with Sarah1056's advice......but i think a good way to start is to follow sarahcamp's step -by-step idea... and a nutritionist can design an entire meal plan designed to help you loose weight as well. g-luck:)

Sorry i meant Leilani's step by step idea...but sarahcamp has some REALLY good (but hard) suggestions too!

i am totally in your exact situation right now, except for the job transition thing, but substitute that for giant freshman friend readjustment...and we could be the same person. for about 2 years i tried EVERYTHING to get back to the way i looked in highschool when i was captain of the swim team and a big athlete. i ate nothing but salad for 3 weeks, i did the special k diet, i swam for 2 hours a day, and still...i didn't look that way. i was really depressed and had a lot of headaches, and finally i went to a doctor who actually knew what was going on- i had hypothyroidism really bad- it can cause depression from messing up your metabolism and because it makes you feel crappy, and it makes your body hold on to food. i realized i wanted to look and feel like i did in h.s. because i was happier then, not because it was healthier. so now i eat fairly normally, and even though i still go to the gym every day, it's not as intense. like my grandma says, "that's not fat- that's woman," i'm older now, so i'm going to be a little bigger than when i was a teenager.

Thank you for the comment and advice everyone! its nice to see im not alone with this problem! (in a comforting way lol.)

pixelhaze - i sleep on average 12 hours at a time! sometimes more. i drink about 6-7 full pints of water daily, i own my own business and run it myself so i do get quite stressed out with that, esp at the mo because i dont make money from it & i need to pay bills that i cant pay since i lost my job. i eat 3 meals a day, never skip any & dont snack in between.

BRANDYNICOLE730 - i eat around 600 or less cals a day.

Novaraen - when i go the gym i make an effort to try everything and anything lol, i like doing weights but i have Tendonitis in my left hip which is so painful if i do alot of heavy listing. went to the doctor with it and all he suggested is "go on a diet"...lol?! never give me anything to ease the pain. so yeah. :/

id be worried if i was like obese, but either way its so frustrating when your putting in the effort to get fit and you body just isnt having any of it!

ohhh and the diet im on at the mo (started 2 days ago) is a diet by Dr Perricone (m.d). I use alot of his skin care products and their amazing so i have high hopes.

Start swimming. Its great interval training!

PFS... "its so frustrating when you put in the effort..."
you are SO right. I work and work and then I see no changes and I get so annoyed, but then I just have to keep on doing it, because I'll gain weight if I don't.
This hasn't helped me LOSE weight per se, but I have noticed a change in the way my body is shaped- I got a personal trainer. Don't know if that's an option for you right now because of your new business, but if you have a gym membership maybe when you have a little more cash you can just buy one or two sessions and see if it's something you are interested in. Also, I am like the other girls who mention weight training, even if you can't do it for your leg... My body started drastically changing when I started lifting weights, plus feeling the burn makes me feel so much better about myself.
Also, 600 cals a day is not nearly enough. I'm afraid you'll make yourself sick. Especially if you are going to the gym so much--- you REALLY need to eat more than that. It's a good possibility that these girls are right and you are putting yourself in starvation mode. Try incorporating some more protein, like a can of tuna or something.
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk more.

TFS, 600cal total per day? If so That is why you aren't losing weight. Your body is in starvation mode and won't let go of those extra lbs. You need to eat at LEAST 1200 or your body doesn't function properly. try including some more protein and good fats (avacado) some whole wheat along with your veggies. Upping you calories will definitely help. I notice you also said you sleep a lot, and that's probably why. You're body doesn't have enough nutrients to stay active.
Also, take some vitamins. On a low calorie diet, it's almost impossible to get everything you need nutrient wise, so it's a good idea to take suppliments. SOmething good, with extra iron and such for women.
Good luck

Whoa! 600 calories isn't nearly enough! No one should ever drop below 1200. You need to at least double your caloric intake so your body won't be in starvation mode.

Have you been checked out for an eating disorder? I hope you don't take offense to that, but 600 calories a day is alarming. I also mention it because many times people develop eating disorders when their lives are in disarray and they want control over some aspect of their life.

uh oh lol. i dont eat any sweets or chocolate or anything fatty in general though lol. ive always just ate alot of fruit and veg. if i do eat like something high is cals i feel so guilty with myself. :/

ive been told by 2 doctors that i do have a eating disorder but i just cant see how they can call it a eating disorder though. :s id say i would have if i was barely eating or over eating, i dunno...i just cant see how its harming me onl having 600 a day, i dont feel any different, i sleep ALOT n im tired pretty much all the time, but ive always been like that.

maybe theres something wrong with meee. :[

Your body is in starvation mode. You say you've been to see doctors- have you been honest with them about how little you're eating and how excessively you're working out? Have you listened to the doctors at all when they told you to eat a balanced diet with a minimum calorie intake of 1200 calories (and probably more if you're on the tall side)?

You should talk to a therapist to address the issues you're having. You simply cannot go on doing what you're doing and expect to be healthy and alert.

facin8me - my doctor put me on a diet that was no more than 900 cals a day. He said if i carried on id have eating disorder (anorexia). im only 5ft 3".
therapist cost pennies. pennies i dont have at the mo. :[

I previously made a comment but I had to add a few more. Please try Acupuncture and/or a Traditional Chinese Herbalist. Losing weight should actually be the least of your problems. The depression and lack of sex drive are all signals that something is out of wack with your body. I've been through both of those and seeing a therapist won't help. It's not in your head (well.. not most of it atleast) it is your body trying to tell you something. Believe it or not but your organs affect these symptoms and if you heal your body, these will go away. (I'm telling you this from experience, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) has healed my depression, lack of sex drive, bloating, rashes, extreme stomach pain, acne, kidney infections, bladder infections, yeast infections and lack of energy) I was an absolute mess a few years ago and it's been a miracle that they have healed all these problems. Western Doctors could not explain WHY I was getting so sick and my Chinese doctors could. Now I just go to stay strong and healthy.