Plateau going on 5 weeks! HELP!

StalgiaPasternak

Hi,

So I'm 5'6", 180lbs and I've been stuck here after losing 18lbs. Basically, I stopped counting calories and I have a feeling I've actually been below 1200 calories often because I'm just never really hungry no matter how little I eat. It's very bizarre. Basically, in mid-September I stopped eating lunch and just drink San Pelligrino all day. I eat breakfast 400 calories aprox and then I eat whatever I want for dinner and I sometimes have treats. I managed to lose 18lbs that way and I have to say that was after 2 years of yo yo dieting where I did count calories here and on other sites (WW).

Now I've been stuck for 5 weeks. I've been working out A LOT and I can see that I'm building muscle and am toning but I still have another 40lbs or so to go to be at goal (although if I'm firm and feeling hot I don't really care about a number).

What should I do to break this plateau? I am wondering if maybe I've messed up my metabolism by skipping lunch and only eating two meals a day but I'm increasingly reading this whole metabolism thing is way blown out of proportion. I've read about cycling calories and I'm also wondering if really the problem isn't about how much I eat but more about whether or not I'm eating clean enough. Currently, I'm eating healthy but not clean. I eat treats almost daily (although mind in small portions and low in cals) and I eat bread, drink wine, etc.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who has experienced a plateau like this I would really appreciate any advice. I am partially afraid to force myself to eat when I'm not hungry cause it took me a LONG time to get to a place where I'm actually only eating when I'm feeling hungry and as I never feel hungry (like literally! I went 24 hours where I forgot to eat!) I already feeling like I'm forcing myself to eat breakfast every morning.

Any advice would be welcome and thank you!

LolBroScience

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Hi,

So I'm 5'6", 180lbs and I've been stuck here after losing 18lbs. Basically, I stopped counting calories and I have a feeling I've actually been below 1200 calories often because I'm just never really hungry no matter how little I eat. It's very bizarre. Basically, in mid-September I stopped eating lunch and just drink San Pelligrino all day. I eat breakfast 400 calories aprox and then I eat whatever I want for dinner and I sometimes have treats. I managed to lose 18lbs that way and I have to say that was after 2 years of yo yo dieting where I did count calories here and on other sites (WW).

Now I've been stuck for 5 weeks. I've been working out A LOT and I can see that I'm building muscle and am toning but I still have another 40lbs or so to go to be at goal (although if I'm firm and feeling hot I don't really care about a number).

What should I do to break this plateau? I am wondering if maybe I've messed up my metabolism by skipping lunch and only eating two meals a day but I'm increasingly reading this whole metabolism thing is way blown out of proportion. I've read about cycling calories and I'm also wondering if really the problem isn't about how much I eat but more about whether or not I'm eating clean enough. Currently, I'm eating healthy but not clean. I eat treats almost daily (although mind in small portions and low in cals) and I eat bread, drink wine, etc.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there who has experienced a plateau like this I would really appreciate any advice. I am partially afraid to force myself to eat when I'm not hungry cause it took me a LONG time to get to a place where I'm actually only eating when I'm feeling hungry and as I never feel hungry (like literally! I went 24 hours where I forgot to eat!) I already feeling like I'm forcing myself to eat breakfast every morning.

Any advice would be welcome and thank you!

You're kind of all over the place here, but if you're not tracking... it's really difficult to tell if you're in a deficit or not. Do you ever binge eat after these periods of fasting or skipping meals? I did notice you said you eat "about" 400 calories and then eat "whatever I want for dinner". That's pretty general, so I'm assuming you're eating far more than you think you are.

Track your intake again and find your maintenance level of calories. From there, create a small caloric deficit and be consistent with measuring and tracking your foods.

Do not complicate things with the whole clean foods vs dirty foods, calorie cycling etc.

Focus on mostly nutrient dense foods, but you don't need to cut out anything unless you have some underlying medical condition which is effected by those foods.

concordancia

Go back to counting calories.

999tigger

Seriously read the stickies and learn what some of the principles of dieting the MFP way are. You seem to have ignored loads of them and then act surprised its not working as you expected.

ana3067

What everyone has said so far.

sodakat

Doesn't San Pelligrino have calories too? How can you drink it "all day"? I'm more surprised that you lost weight eating like you've been than that you are "plateauing" now.

Why don't you just give straight up calorie counting a go? Its so very simple.

lynn_glenmont

You're kind of all over the place here, but if you're not tracking... it's really difficult to tell if you're in a deficit or not. Do you ever binge eat after these periods of fasting or skipping meals? I did notice you said you eat "about" 400 calories and then eat "whatever I want for dinner". That's pretty general, so I'm assuming you're eating far more than you think you are.

Track your intake again and find your maintenance level of calories. From there, create a small caloric deficit and be consistent with measuring and tracking your foods.

Do not complicate things with the whole clean foods vs dirty foods, calorie cycling etc.

Focus on mostly nutrient dense foods, but you don't need to cut out anything unless you have some underlying medical condition which is effected by those foods.

Actually, if she's gone five weeks without losing weight (and she's overweight at 180 and 5'6"), it's pretty easy to tell that she's not in deficit. But otherwise, I'm in complete agreement with you. Track, determine maintenance (although the mere act of tracking often causes people to cut calories enough that she'll start losing again), set a daily or week deficit calorie goal, be consistent in measuring and logging. Don't complicate things.

xsmilexforxmex

herrspoons wrote: »

Basically, I stopped counting calories

Cause, meet effect.

Yep. You're not at a plateau... you're just not eating at a deficit.

StalgiaPasternak

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

Lourdesong

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

If you're really interested in what's going on, you're either going to have to go back to logging, or... submit yourself to science so they can determine for you why you are defying physics.

xsmilexforxmex

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

I'm sorry. I thought you wanted help. My mistake. You obviously know what's going on with your "plateau" so keep doing what you have been and ignore what everyone here is saying.

ana3067

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

Then start logging daily to see if that 900 calories trend is representative of your daily intake.

PikaKnight

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

Maybe try tracking everyday for 2-3 weeks to verify that every day is as low as you think/got for that 1 day. Also, if you aren't using a food scale, then get one and weigh out your food. Eyeballing portions could have skewed the numbers you inputted.

Or you can just keep declaring a plateau and not go back to logging and just stay where you are at.

PikaKnight

xsmilexforxmex wrote: »

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

I'm sorry. I thought you wanted help. My mistake. You obviously know what's going on with your "plateau" so keep doing what you have been and ignore what everyone here is saying.

:laugh:

ana3067

Lourdesong wrote: »

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

Actually no, you are wrong. I was eating 1200 calories before and tracking religiously for months. I am eating WAY less than I was when I was tracking and the San Pelligrino I am drinking is the unflavoured zero calorie bubbly water not flavoured with all that sugar crap. The few days I double check and enter my calories I'm only eating about 900.

If you're really interested in what's going on, you're either going to have to go back to logging, or... submit yourself to science so they can determine for you why you are defying physics.

My guess would be that you think you eat 900 daily but in reality you might do this a few times a week max and then you eat higher calorie items on other days because no one can legit survive on 900 calories a day.

findingabetterway

I am taking a nutrition class at the local college and also a weight management course, both to learn the skills I need to lose weight. One interesting thing that I learned is that you need proper nutrition to lose weight efficiently. 900 calories, which you think you eat, would be a starvation diet. It is almost impossible to reach adequate nutrition on that caloric intake. Losing weight like that is forcing your body to utilize its own muscle and organ tissue to get the nutrients it needs.
You are cutting calories too drastically and are not getting enough nutrients so your body becomes much less able to use your fat for energy. You would be much better off by eating more calories from nutrient dense foods i.e. fruits, nuts and vegetables. So eat what mfp tells you to in the calorie department, but then exercise one hour a day and eat that back also. Do this extra eating with nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Right now, you probably should be eating 1600 calories or so based on your weight. Then add on exercise and try for 500 calories of exercise per day. Doing that will give you approximately 2 lbs per week of weight loss.

Anyway you look at it, your "plateau" is a warning sign that your body is giving you to change your ways.

LolBroScience

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

You're kind of all over the place here, but if you're not tracking... it's really difficult to tell if you're in a deficit or not. Do you ever binge eat after these periods of fasting or skipping meals? I did notice you said you eat "about" 400 calories and then eat "whatever I want for dinner". That's pretty general, so I'm assuming you're eating far more than you think you are.

Track your intake again and find your maintenance level of calories. From there, create a small caloric deficit and be consistent with measuring and tracking your foods.

Do not complicate things with the whole clean foods vs dirty foods, calorie cycling etc.

Focus on mostly nutrient dense foods, but you don't need to cut out anything unless you have some underlying medical condition which is effected by those foods.

Actually, if she's gone five weeks without losing weight (and she's overweight at 180 and 5'6"), it's pretty easy to tell that she's not in deficit. But otherwise, I'm in complete agreement with you. Track, determine maintenance (although the mere act of tracking often causes people to cut calories enough that she'll start losing again), set a daily or week deficit calorie goal, be consistent in measuring and logging. Don't complicate things.

It was more of a "tongue in cheek" comment...

Last line of my first paragraph. I'm aware.

StalgiaPasternak

@findingabetter Thank you for your useful and insightful help. I do suspect that it must be that I am not eating enough as I burn about 700 calories a day in exercise and barely eat so that combined with my limited food intake I think is leading to a starvation mode. I think maybe I have to start cleaning up my diet. I've researched a bunch of healthy diets but I'm not sure what is the best to follow. I have the fast metabolism diet book which I think could help only I read how much food I have to eat and it's all a bit overwhelming and the prep is awful. Many of my friends are encouraging the Paleo diet but it seems very meat heavy. Have you run across any diets that are fitting in your studies? Also, isn't it amazing how horrible negative and aggressive people can be on here? So rude and disrespectful and certainly not helpful.

xsmilexforxmex

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

@findingabetter Thank you for your useful and insightful help. I do suspect that it must be that I am not eating enough as I burn about 700 calories a day in exercise and barely eat so that combined with my limited food intake I think is leading to a starvation mode. I think maybe I have to start cleaning up my diet. I've researched a bunch of healthy diets but I'm not sure what is the best to follow. I have the fast metabolism diet book which I think could help only I read how much food I have to eat and it's all a bit overwhelming and the prep is awful. Many of my friends are encouraging the Paleo diet but it seems very meat heavy. Have you run across any diets that are fitting in your studies? Also, isn't it amazing how horrible negative and aggressive people can be on here? So rude and disrespectful and certainly not helpful.

I know right! Comments like "Actually no, you are wrong" could be way more tactful and are generally considered very rude when people are actually trying to help. My guess, if it were someone in person it would have gone more like: "Thanks for your input but I have logged some days and found X... is it possible to stop losing weight when you eat too little?"...

And the answer to that - is "No". Starvation mode as you describe it is a myth, you can however lower your metabolism in VLCD's. It's called metabolic adaptation. (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19198647)

Maitria

When you do log, how are you counting the calories? Are you measuring, weighing, eyeballing?

Even if your metabolism was really screwed up from eating less, it's not screwed up enough to stop you from losing weight with an intake of 900 calories a day at 180 lbs. The energy your body needs to exist is more than 900 calories. If you've ruled out all possibilities of user error, your only option is to go to the doctor and get tested to see if you've got a seriously malfunctioning system.

ana3067

You're eating more than you think you are.

Please provide us with an example diet of yours for days you work out and days you don't work out, including measurement or weight of the foods you eat (I'm guessing you do neither), any oils you add when cooking food, any sweetener you add to your drinks, all fruits and veggies, all liquid consumption other than straight water.

StalgiaPasternak

ana3067 wrote: »

You're eating more than you think you are.

Please provide us with an example diet of yours for days you work out and days you don't work out, including measurement or weight of the foods you eat (I'm guessing you do neither), any oils you add when cooking food, any sweetener you add to your drinks, all fruits and veggies, all liquid consumption other than straight water.

So when I was counting calories I would get a Starbuck's breakfast sandwich (390 or 400 calories for lunch), have a Subway sandwich for lunch (550 calories) and then have Chicken and some veg for dinner with maybe a cookie or two (European cookies I buy only have about 40 calories for two!!!) The only place that I would be less anal about measuring calories was at dinner time since it wasn't a pre-bought meal but I would use super healthy recipes that are clean eating or for a while WW recipes.

Now, without counting calories (which I have to say was a huge stress relief and I honestly do believe that not having that stress helped me to lose 18lbs in a far more relaxing manner) I have the same breakfast sandwich from Starbuck's (400 calories) and then I don't eat lunch just drink lots and lots of water and then I eat a similar dinner but I probably eat more rice or pasta than I did when I was measuring or counting but I know all about how those two things can be uber calorie dense so I don't exceed a cup that's for sure.

Then working out I work out about 5-6 times a week mostly doing the cross trainer (NordicTrack) and then I do kettle bell workouts and a yoga class once a week because my muscles were getting way to tight from all the exercise. I do an hour on the NordicTrack and vary the program from Hike, to Climb, to Ski and I do the KettleBell work out for 30 minutes. I sometimes do Yoga after to stretch out.

I'm really happy with the exercise because I feel far more positive and I have way more energy and I have to say my bum and thighs are looking way better and my arms seem more toned. I wonder if maybe my plateau is that I'm gaining muscle?

As I explained, I'm really never hungry at all and I'm wondering if that is a sign of something? I will eat the Starbuck's sandwich at 7am for example. Drink water all day and then by dinner at 6pm I'm feeling totally fine with the idea of skipping dinner because I'm not feeling hungry. I force myself to eat though because I feel like that is just not healthy to not even eat at least 2 meals a day. I don't snack at all either.

It's all very bizarre! I don't know if I should be signing back up for some kind of program where I have to count calories or points to force myself to eat certain things and see if that works but I have to say that I did that off and on for 2 years and it really depressed me. I don't think it has a positive psychological impact on me. That's why I was thinking maybe clean diet or paleo or something where I eliminate sugar, gluten, processed anything and don't have to measure may be better. I also find it very stressful to have to plan all my meals and do the shopping and research recipes. I use to love that but now that I have a career and a toddler I really find it exhausting to have to be so diligent that way.

I was kind of hoping someone on here may have had a similar experience and could tell me how they got through it. To summarize:

Eating less or around 1200 calories a day
Working out 10 hours a week
Never feeling hungry
Stuck at a plateau for 5 weeks
Bottom and thighs toning as well as arms
Feeling energetic
Oh and I can't sleep

StalgiaPasternak

I know right! Comments like "Actually no, you are wrong" could be way more tactful and are generally considered very rude when people are actually trying to help. My guess, if it were someone in person it would have gone more like: "Thanks for your input but I have logged some days and found X... is it possible to stop losing weight when you eat too little?"...

And the answer to that - is "No". Starvation mode as you describe it is a myth, you can however lower your metabolism in VLCD's. It's called metabolic adaptation. (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19198647)
[/quote]

Exactly! So strange to me that people would speak to someone asking for help like that! In the age of the internet we can all look stuff up ourselves and the only reason why I posted here is because all the articles I've read on plateaus is not really helping me to resolve the issue and I haven't found any that really relate to my situation. I think I agree with you about starvation mode being a myth I mean how can you explain impoverished countries right? Only, I have read a few stories on here and elsewhere of women and men finding that once they ate more the weight started flying off again so I'm wondering if that could be it.

emdeesea

Why don't you just go back to logging everything for one month starting Monday. Do it until Jan. 1 and see what happens. If you see no movement and no results then go back to square one and start over.

Another thing is this: if your'e only eating 900 calories, that's not enough and your loss will slow down. I'm 5'6" and weigh about 150, and eat about 1,500 a day and lose about a half pound a week. When I was stupid and eating only 1,000 a day, my loss slowed down. The same week I bumped it up to 1,500 a day I start losing again.

Anyway the idea is if what's you're doing isn't working, do something else. So go back to logging everything that you eat, and bump up those calories to about 1,400-1,500 a day. Do that for one month then reassess.

zyxst

I think OP should talk to a doctor, therapist, nutritionist, and possibly someone at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ since keeping a food diary and calorie counting isn't working.

Best of luck.

StalgiaPasternak

zyxst wrote: »

I think OP should talk to a doctor, therapist, nutritionist, and possibly someone at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ since keeping a food diary and calorie counting isn't working.

Best of luck.

I am quite shocked you would make this kind of suggestion! Are you a qualified person to assess something as serious as an eating disorder based on a thread online?

I am just as puzzled as anyone that I am suddenly never hungry when I use to be such a gourmande. The fact that I am trying to figure it out indicates that I am worried as well and certainly don't need projections by strangers added to what could simply be a matter of tweaking something.

StalgiaPasternak

emdeesea wrote: »

Why don't you just go back to logging everything for one month starting Monday. Do it until Jan. 1 and see what happens. If you see no movement and no results then go back to square one and start over.

Another thing is this: if your'e only eating 900 calories, that's not enough and your loss will slow down. I'm 5'6" and weigh about 150, and eat about 1,500 a day and lose about a half pound a week. When I was stupid and eating only 1,000 a day, my loss slowed down. The same week I bumped it up to 1,500 a day I start losing again.

Anyway the idea is if what's you're doing isn't working, do something else. So go back to logging everything that you eat, and bump up those calories to about 1,400-1,500 a day. Do that for one month then reassess.

I see what you are saying and this could work only as I said I really find having to count calories depresses me that's why I'm considering Paleo or Clean Diet so that I don't have to do that.

emdeesea

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

I see what you are saying and this could work only as I said I really find having to count calories depresses me that's why I'm considering Paleo or Clean Diet so that I don't have to do that.

Well, part of being an adult is sometimes doing things we don't like. So it's up to you. Good luck.

Francl27

I agree with going to see a doctor, if you're eating too little and are never hungry, that's not normal.

StalgiaPasternak

Francl27 wrote: »

I agree with going to see a doctor, if you're eating too little and are never hungry, that's not normal.

Yeah it's weird. Doctors are so useless though. I find you really have to figure things out these days. All they do is try to give you drugs. Or, they don't do anything and say it will just improve on its own! lol Must be nice to make so much money for doing very little (talking about GPs here).

StalgiaPasternak

emdeesea wrote: »

StalgiaPasternak wrote: »

I see what you are saying and this could work only as I said I really find having to count calories depresses me that's why I'm considering Paleo or Clean Diet so that I don't have to do that.

Well, part of being an adult is sometimes doing things we don't like. So it's up to you. Good luck.

It's not that I haven't done that religiously many times. In fact, there could probably be 5-6 years of my life over the course of the past 15 years I was doing that. I just find it's depressing and unsustainable and quite frankly not realistic (at least for me) long term. I want a lifestyle change not a temporary fix. Those never work.