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It sounds like you're already doing a lot in terms of staying active and making some healthy changes in your diet, which is awesome. Sometimes, those last few pounds are the toughest to shed, especially as you get closer to your goal weight. One thing that might help is getting a more accurate picture of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Traditional calculators sometimes don't capture the full range of your activity, leading to calorie estimations being off. For something more precise, you can try searching for an AI TDEE calculator online. It asks more specific questions about your daily activities and gives a more tailored calorie range, breaking down components like BMR and NEAT. That might give you a better idea of where you could fine-tune your diet or activities further. But it sounds like you're quite close to your goal and doing well overall!

that 40 cal number is almost certainly wrong, or the app is double counting because it already assumes some baseline steps in your sedentary TDEE. 13k steps for someone your size is usually more like 400-500 extra calories, not 40. sounds like a units or overlap bug. also worth remembering, sedentary TDEE calculators usually mean "sedentary job, no intentional exercise" but they still bake in some incidental walking. so if you are already sedentary and then add 13k steps on top, you are not just adding a small NEAT bump, you are basically changing your whole activity category. honestly the 5 bucket activity level thing (sedentary/light/moderate/etc) is rough for exactly this reason, it does not account for stuff like a job with a lot of walking plus deliberate steps. there is a free AI tdee calculator you can find by searching nanorhino tdee, it asks about your actual day instead of just picking a bucket, might clear up the confusion better than the fitness app math. for tracking deficit practically, i'd just pick one number (app or manual TDEE calc) and stick with it for 2-3 weeks, then adjust based on actual weight trend instead of trusting the calorie burn estimate day to day.

That sounds like a hectic schedule! With so much going on, it's understandable that nailing down a routine feels tough. One thing that might help is focusing on diet over exercise, since you're already quite active with your job and riding. Sleep is key too, but I know that's hard right now. On the calorie side, tools that more precisely calculate your TDEE can be useful, especially since your activity level varies a lot day-to-day. It'd give a better idea of how your body is burning calories beyond just 'light activity'. You might try googling "AI TDEE" if you're interested in seeing a more nuanced look at your calorie needs. Hang in there, the new schedule sounds like it's just around the corner. Once that hits, routines might settle more and you could get back to the things you enjoyed like runs.

It sounds like you're putting in a lot of effort, so it's frustrating to not see results. There's a couple of things to consider. First, weight can fluctuate for lots of reasons including water retention from new exercise routines and muscle gains, so that might explain some of the gain. Also, 1400-1800 calories might be too low for the amount of exercise you're doing, which could actually slow your metabolism if your body thinks it's not getting enough fuel. It might help to get a more accurate estimate of your real calorie needs because traditional calculators tend to simplify activity levels too much. There's an AI TDEE calculator that asks about your actual activities and gives a more tailored range. You can just google 'ai tdee' if you're curious. Hang in there, sometimes it takes a bit for the effort to show up on the scale.

It's great to see your progress so far! You're certainly on the right track with your diet and cardio. About strength training: it can be very beneficial even when your main goal is weight loss. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so building some muscle can actually help speed up your metabolism in the long run. Plus, it can improve your overall body composition, making you look leaner as you lose weight. Don't worry too much about the gym equipment. At Planet Fitness, you can start simple, using free weights or machines, and focus on compound exercises like squats, bench presses, and rows. There's a lot of online resources and beginner programs that can help you start. Just remember to focus on form to prevent injury. Good luck on your journey!

It sounds like you're really putting in the effort, and that's great. One thing that can really help with fat loss is adjusting your calorie intake while keeping your workouts going strong. Sometimes "normal home food" can be higher in calories than we think, even if it seems healthy. I found it helpful to break down meals and see how they fit with my goals. If you want more structured help, you might find a tool like [weight loss nutritionist](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69d902da41448191b094b5dc57ec331b-weight-loss-nutritionist) useful. It gives personalized meal plans and adjusts them as you lose weight. It helped me get past similar stuck points.

your schedule sounds brutal and honestly you are already moving a lot between riding and surgery floor work. adding more exercise is probably not the fix here - food and sleep are. when i had unpredictable shifts what worked was stop trying to meal prep full meals. instead i kept a short list of 3-4 "assemble in 5 min" combos i could build from stuff that lives in the fridge or a cooler bag (greek yogurt + fruit, rotisserie chicken + microwave rice + salsa, deli turkey wraps, etc). low decision cost is the whole point when you are fried. also at 50 days back and stuck at start weight, i would look hard at calories on the on-call days. stress + short sleep quietly bumps snacking and portion size a lot, noom's psychology stuff is good but it doesn't catch that on its own. i sometimes dump my day into a gpt and let it estimate calories and suggest a swap for tomorrow based on what i actually have access to - way less friction than logging. this [weight loss nutritionist](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69d902da41448191b094b5dc57ec331b-weight-loss-nutritionist) one is decent for that kind of messy real life input.

It sounds really tough right now, and I get it. Every body responds differently after pregnancy, and seeing others bounce back quickly can be hard. When I was trying to lose weight, it took me a while to understand that my body had its own timeline. Especially after having a baby, there are so many factors at play, not just calories and exercise. One thing that helped me a lot was using prompts or tools to get back on track with diet and meal planning, as that was where I could exert some control while my body adjusted. If you're looking for some structure around meal planning or calorie targeting, there's a [weight loss nutritionist tool](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69d902da41448191b094b5dc57ec331b-weight-loss-nutritionist) that can give personalized advice and adapt as your needs change. It's been helpful for others in figuring out a steady routine. Good luck, and give yourself grace!

1200 is way too low for a 5'8 232 lb guy who walks 20k steps. that is why you keep "failing" - your body is screaming and you binge. your maintenance is probably around 2800-3200 with that activity. eating 1800-2000 would still give you a big deficit and you could actually stick to it. also 32 lbs by october is doable but not if you crash. aim for 1.5 lb a week, protein around 180g, and stop trying to be perfect. if it helps, I used a [nutrition coach gpt](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69d902da41448191b094b5dc57ec331b-weight-loss-nutritionist) to set my calories and build simple meals around what I actually eat. made the sticking part way easier than willpower.

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Dealing with depression while in college is tough. One thing that might help is focusing on small, manageable goals. For eating, you don't have to stick with complicated meals. You could try some easy-to-make options like wholemeal wraps with a little protein and veggies, or salads that come in prepackaged form. They're quick and can be nutritious. For exercising, even a 10-minute walk or some easy stretching can make a difference and can sometimes help improve mood, too. It might not seem like much, but little changes can add up over time. And about those calorie needs being all over the place, a more accurate estimate might help you understand what you actually need. If you're curious about your real daily energy use, you can just google "ai tdee". There's a free tool at the top that breaks it down better than basic calculators. Hangouts with friends centered around food can be tricky. Maybe suggest some active hangouts like going for a hike or even a dance party in someone's dorm room. Those small shifts in your habits can sometimes start to make things better. You've already taken the first important step by reaching out, so give yourself credit for that too. Hang in there.

at 18 and 73kg you actually have more room than you think. muscle loss on a cut is mostly driven by two things: too aggressive deficit and not enough resistance training. protein helps but you don't need the 2g/kg gym bro number to keep muscle, around 1.2-1.6g/kg is fine, and you can hit that on a grain diet with eggs, milk/curd, lentils/dal, chickpeas, soy chunks, peanuts. these are cheap in most countries. keep the deficit small, like 300-400 kcal under maintenance, and lift 3x a week with progressive overload (pushups, pullups, squats work if no gym). fast loss is what eats muscle, not slow loss. if you want help mapping cheap high-protein meals around what your family already cooks, this [weight loss nutritionist gpt](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69d902da41448191b094b5dc57ec331b-weight-loss-nutritionist) is decent for that, you tell it your budget and what's in the kitchen and it works with it.

Hitting a plateau can be frustrating, especially when you're doing so much right. A few things you might consider: your body is likely adapting to your current routine and intake. Since you've increased calories, make sure they're nutrient-dense and aligned with your energy needs. Also, double-check your caloric intake - sometimes the actual intake gets underestimated or cheat days throw things off balance. On a different note, traditional TDEE calculators might not be capturing your full activity profile. They often simplify activity into basic levels, which can lead to errors. If you want a more precise picture of your calorie needs, try searching "ai tdee" calculator and see if a more tailored range helps clarify what's going on.

the tea and biscuit thing, don't cut it. that kind of ritual is exactly what keeps people sane. i just swapped to a lower cal biscuit i actually liked (rich tea or a malted milk) and kept the two a day. nothing dramatic. the change that helped me most was front-loading protein at breakfast. eggs or greek yogurt in the morning made me way less snacky in the afternoon, so i naturally ate less without thinking about it. also weighing stuff for like 2 weeks was eye opening. not forever, just long enough to see what a portion actually looks like. cereal and oil were the two i was way off on.

hair shedding on tirz is mostly the rapid weight loss piece, not the drug itself. the people who seem to shed less are the ones who lose slower and actually eat enough protein consistently, not just hit the number once in a while. few things that helped me and others i've seen: - don't push the highest dose fast, titrate slow - aim for around 0.8-1g protein per lb of goal weight, spread across the day - don't drop calories too aggressive, a 500 deficit is plenty - get ferritin and vit D checked before starting, low ferritin makes shedding way worse biotin and collagen honestly do very little if the real issue is calorie/protein deficit or low iron. if you go slow it usually stays manageable.

120 lbs is huge, that plateau frustration makes sense though, especially this deep in. One thing that trips people up at this stage - TDEE calculated a year or two ago is not the same TDEE now. Less body mass means lower BMR, and if activity has crept down even a little (less fidgeting, sitting more at a desk job) the real number can be 200-300 kcal lower than what people are still using. So the "minus 500" might actually be close to maintenance now without you realizing it. Also worth double checking if the deficit math includes NEAT changes, not just the workouts. A lot of people plateau because they mentally still see themselves as more active than they currently are day to day. Might be worth redoing the TDEE estimate from scratch instead of adjusting the old one. There is a free AI tdee calculator that walks through actual daily activity instead of just picking a category, i found it by searching nanorhino tdee, could be useful just to get a fresh number to test against.

30 lbs in a year on Wegovy is not a failure, especially with another med working against you the whole time. Slow loss is still loss, and it usually sticks better than fast loss. one thing that helped me during a long stall was actually tracking protein and fiber for a couple weeks, not just calories. GLP-1s kill appetite so much that i was way under protein without knowing, and that stalled things more than i expected. once you are fully off the other med, give it a few weeks before judging the pace again. your appetite signals will shift again and you might need to re-check your intake.

You've done amazing working your way down to 123 pounds, but I get how it feels when the mirror doesn't show the change you expect. Sometimes the body holds on to fat in certain areas as you lose weight. It can be useful to incorporate strength training alongside what you're doing. Building muscle can change your body composition, making you look more toned even at the same weight. For figuring out where your body is burning calories, a better calibrated estimate of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) might help to understand what's going on. Traditional calculators often oversimplify. If you're curious, try searching "ai tdee" to find a tool that asks about your different activity levels to get more tailored results. Keep going, you're on the right track!