I think I've plateaued

SammyBlz1

Hello, my name is Sam and I'm 19. I started myfitnesspal(again) in October and have lost 40 lbs since, starting at 171. I'm 5'3. My goal weight was 130 and now I really want to get to 120. I fluctuate constantly between 133-131 depending on the time of the month. I decided that after dieting like crazy and working my *kitten* off by going to the gym twice a day, that it was time for a binge day the other day. I have fallen back to about 132/133 but I'm pretty sure i didn't even eat that many calories to gain a pound and I was trying to get rid of the plateau. Its been three weeks since I've lost any weight and honestly I just feel like somehow I've put on weight when I look in the mirror even though I am at the same weight I was just the other week.
Another thing is after my plateau that TOM started two weeks early. I'm going to assume it is from the stress on my body and how stressful my week was last week. Thats probably another reason I binged, because I just wanted sweets so bad. Now it makes sense.
I eat extremely healthy and pretty low carb, except recently I've started to incorporate oatmeal into my breakfast. Its very difficult to eat well at my college but I've been managing. I usually eat a large breakfast after I go lift weights and then something small for lunch and protein for dinner.
my breakfast is usually
-Eggs
-A half a cup of oatmeal for fiber
-Three orange slices
-A 1/2 cup of pineapple
-Sometimes a banana w/ it
-Water
-Coffee w/ creamer and a small packet of sugar (I dunno if i should cut this because of the creamer. I just really love coffee and know it boosts metabolism)

Lunch is usually
-Grilled Chicken
-Vegetables
Its all small servings because they don't give much out at the caf. You have to go get another plate and honestly I am not going to get another plate because then I'll overeat. They seriously count the small pieces of grilled chicken while serving it. I don't really eat lunch anymore because of eating breakfast. I tend to snack on a small helping of raw vegetables now instead.

Dinner
-Tuna Packet or Salmon packet
-A small chicken Salad
-Grilled chicken

I usually eat dinner around 5 and workout later with cardio, incorporating the bike and elliptical. I don't like the treadmill because I'm very clumsy(lol) and most likely would fall on my *kitten*.

I've been working out a lot harder these past few days since my binge day and honestly I'm extremely frustrated because I'm also bloated from that TOM so I'm unsure if the binge worked or not. I walk everywhere and workout constantly and I don't think I can workout more than I am now.

SammyBlz1

I'd really appreciate if someone could help me get out of my plateau It would make my day. lol

TheVirgoddess

How long have you been in the 131-133 range?

SammyBlz1

I can't get a scale and weigh my food in the caf. I don't have money for a scale and I'm almost 200% sure I'll get yakked about. I measure my food and have very small servings. I started my period two weeks early because of stress on my body and stress involving school. I sleep for about 7 hours a night.

Amanda4change

Looking at previous months did you gain during your TOM? was it consistent? I gain 5-7 pounds every single month the day before TOM, it drops off before my period ends. My suggestion is keep doing what you are and wait to see what the scale says after your period ends.

StaciMarie1974

I'd say give it more time. Several things have changed recently. Increasing carbs if you were previously avoiding them can cause water weight. Cafeteria food is probably high sodium, also water weight. New fitness routine or recently increased intensity of fitness routine is another source of water weight, as is stress and TOM.

Water weight is temporary and is not a true weight gain.

Give it some more time and re-evaluate after another 6-8 weeks.

SammyBlz1

I'm 11 lbs from where I want to be. My original goal was 130 and I am at 131/133 depending on the day. lol. I'm generally under my calories needed for that day and I definitely burn them off at the gym.
I have been in this range for about three weeks now. I came back from the holidays and lost a bunch of weight very quickly. During the holidays I maintained and went to the gym but had carbs because i was spending time with my friends at home and we have a lot of restaurants there.

tephanies1234

Take a break from working out 2x a day everyday....sounds stressful

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Why did you change your goal from 130 to 120?

ew_david

One binge day can put you at maintenance regardless of how little you ate during the other 6 days. So if you have them often, you are not in a deficit.

SammyBlz1

@Amanda4change I'm unsure of how much water weight I gained because I binged saturday evening and then monday I had started my period, two weeks before it was even due. The weight I weighed in at this morning was 132.8 and it was the same yesterday though I am feeling bloated and unhappy. lol I know that sometimes it can get up to a 5-6 lb difference for me.

SueInAz

Despite the snarkiness of the earlier posts, it does get more difficult to lose weight as you get closer to goal. You have to be a lot more precise about what you're eating in order to keep losing. You mentioned you're lifting weights. Are you lifting for low reps and progressively heavier weights? That may be the key to lowering your body fat which it sounds like is what you really want, not just another 10 pounds lost.

SammyBlz1

_dracarys_ wrote: »

One binge day can put you at maintenance regardless of how little you ate during the other 6 days. So if you have them often, you are not in a deficit.

I'm confused by what you are saying about this. I binged by eating junk but I was probably only 300 calories over my goal. So about 1500. It had been about two or three weeks since I even had a cheat meal and I used to eat like that constantly at home without any weight gain.

SammyBlz1

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Why did you change your goal from 130 to 120?

I like the way my body is starting to look and I wish to be leaner. I used to be 120 my freshman year of highschool and gained a bunch of weight because of bad eating habits. I have decided this is a lifestyle change I need to keep.

ew_david

SammyBlz1 wrote: »

_dracarys_ wrote: »

One binge day can put you at maintenance regardless of how little you ate during the other 6 days. So if you have them often, you are not in a deficit.

I'm confused by what you are saying about this. I binged by eating junk but I was probably only 300 calories over my goal. So about 1500. It had been about two or three weeks since I even had a cheat meal and I used to eat like that constantly at home without any weight gain.

But you don't know how much you're actually eating, since you said you don't weight or measure your food. It's very easy to eat more than you think.

Amanda4change

Water weight at TOM is caused by hormones (even if your period is early, you still have the hormones present that cause the water weight). Now because it's early you may not have as much water weight, but you will have at least some (given that it's been your bodies standard). The fact that you can feel the bloat also indicates you have water weight. The final few pounds are going to come off slower than the first pounds you lost did. Have you been taking measurements as well? Are you seeing any results on those?

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Have you measured body fat % and skeletal muscle %?

StaciMarie1974

That's not what binge means so some reading (myself including) took your statement to mean you ate a lot more than 300 extra.

A few thoughts: At your current size, you don't burn a lot of calories. Its just not mathematically possible. That means you can't aim for a big deficit either. Even if you're very active and factoring in cardio, you're probably burning no more than 2000-2400 per day and maybe not that much. I do not mean this as an attack, just a statement of the way the body works. A smaller body uses less energy. What that means is your deficit is going to be small - probably 250-500 per day. And you're estimating the best you can do to eating at a school cafeteria and having limited control over food choices. Put those factors together, and weight loss will be slow & gradual. Last but not least, you really have to be patient because water weight will easily mask your efforts. But over time, as in a month or two, you should see gradual results.

So 1) take some satisfaction in what you've accomplished so far and 2) keep working on it, and trust the science. If in another 1-2 months you're not seeing any progress then you may need to reevaluate what you're doing. By somehow improving accuracy in what you log in or out.

SammyBlz1 wrote: »

_dracarys_ wrote: »

One binge day can put you at maintenance regardless of how little you ate during the other 6 days. So if you have them often, you are not in a deficit.

I'm confused by what you are saying about this. I binged by eating junk but I was probably only 300 calories over my goal. So about 1500. It had been about two or three weeks since I even had a cheat meal and I used to eat like that constantly at home without any weight gain.

SammyBlz1

midwesterner85 wrote: »

Have you measured body fat % and skeletal muscle %?

No. I'm not really sure how to do this.