Weight loss stalls

arditarose

I've been stalling for months now, between 136-139. I just dropped my calories today a bit more. Part of the reason I was stalling was my deficit was so tiny, and I was going a bit too high on the weekends, and basically wiping it out. Seems like you're confident in your logging though. So...I was no help.

Liftng4Lis

Be patient, it will come. I don't log water fluctuations either and I have them constantly. I figure, so long as I'm not gaining, I'm golden.

PeachyCarol

arditarose wrote: »

I've been stalling for months now, between 136-139. I just dropped my calories today a bit more. Part of the reason I was stalling was my deficit was so tiny, and I was going a bit too high on the weekends, and basically wiping it out. Seems like you're confident in your logging though. So...I was no help.

I am way under my deficit and never go over. I tend to have nausea and struggle to eat sometimes, so yeah.

The thing is that I'm eating at a level that I'll probably eat at the whole time I'm losing weight, since I can't really cut my calories any lower. Since I'm short and older, this rate only makes me lose a pound a week, so it's not super aggressive. I just don't get a lot of calories to play with. I just was wondering if there was any hope!

arditarose

mamapeach910 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

I've been stalling for months now, between 136-139. I just dropped my calories today a bit more. Part of the reason I was stalling was my deficit was so tiny, and I was going a bit too high on the weekends, and basically wiping it out. Seems like you're confident in your logging though. So...I was no help.

I am way under my deficit and never go over. I tend to have nausea and struggle to eat sometimes, so yeah.

The thing is that I'm eating at a level that I'll probably eat at the whole time I'm losing weight, since I can't really cut my calories any lower. Since I'm short and older, this rate only makes me lose a pound a week, so it's not super aggressive. I just don't get a lot of calories to play with. I just was wondering if there was any hope!

Have you taken a diet break? Sometimes nice to collect yourself and get back on the wagon.

PeachyCarol

arditarose wrote: »

mamapeach910 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

I've been stalling for months now, between 136-139. I just dropped my calories today a bit more. Part of the reason I was stalling was my deficit was so tiny, and I was going a bit too high on the weekends, and basically wiping it out. Seems like you're confident in your logging though. So...I was no help.

I am way under my deficit and never go over. I tend to have nausea and struggle to eat sometimes, so yeah.

The thing is that I'm eating at a level that I'll probably eat at the whole time I'm losing weight, since I can't really cut my calories any lower. Since I'm short and older, this rate only makes me lose a pound a week, so it's not super aggressive. I just don't get a lot of calories to play with. I just was wondering if there was any hope!

Have you taken a diet break? Sometimes nice to collect yourself and get back on the wagon.

No, but I haven't felt the need. I feel better now than I did before when I was eating more. If it would help break the stall, I'd consider it. Someone suggested it upthread, but whenever I've seen it mentioned on the forums, it was always mentioned as something for longer-term problems. I've only been doing this for a little over three months.

arditarose

mamapeach910 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

mamapeach910 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

I've been stalling for months now, between 136-139. I just dropped my calories today a bit more. Part of the reason I was stalling was my deficit was so tiny, and I was going a bit too high on the weekends, and basically wiping it out. Seems like you're confident in your logging though. So...I was no help.

I am way under my deficit and never go over. I tend to have nausea and struggle to eat sometimes, so yeah.

The thing is that I'm eating at a level that I'll probably eat at the whole time I'm losing weight, since I can't really cut my calories any lower. Since I'm short and older, this rate only makes me lose a pound a week, so it's not super aggressive. I just don't get a lot of calories to play with. I just was wondering if there was any hope!

Have you taken a diet break? Sometimes nice to collect yourself and get back on the wagon.

No, but I haven't felt the need. I feel better now than I did before when I was eating more. If it would help break the stall, I'd consider it. Someone suggested it upthread, but whenever I've seen it mentioned on the forums, it was always mentioned as something for longer-term problems. I've only been doing this for a little over three months.

Ah. okay.

AliceDark

Do you have any other issues that could be causing water retention -- OTC drugs like NSAIDs (doubtful because of your migraine issue, but maybe worth mentioning), lack of sleep, extra stress? 3 weeks is incredibly frustrating, but not so long that I would really start to worry just yet.

PeachyCarol

AliceDark wrote: »

Do you have any other issues that could be causing water retention -- OTC drugs like NSAIDs (doubtful because of your migraine issue, but maybe worth mentioning), lack of sleep, extra stress? 3 weeks is incredibly frustrating, but not so long that I would really start to worry just yet.

Well, I'm on a prescription NSAID for chronic pain, but I've been on that for a long time. No extra stress other than the ongoing bit from the head pain that should be resolved not being resolved is causing, and my sleep is fine.

I have had the odd salty meal here or there, and my weight has fluctuated with it, but I can't think of any reason why I'd be holding onto water.

I will say this. It is comforting to KNOW that my logging is tight. I'm annoyed by this stall and how long it's been, but I'm not stressing about it, because I know that I'm doing everything I should and I know that I'm eating at a deficit. It's a good feeling.

TheVirgoddess

I just had a 9 week period where I played with the same darn 3 pounds. It was really frustrating.

I posted on here, and the advice was to take a break. I didn't log a bite for 6 days (it felt nice, but I was ready to get back to logging!). Now that I'm back to logging, I'm trying to eat at maintenance for a bit. I've been in a deficit for 10 months now, so I'm giving my body a break.

The good news is I lost three pounds since I started my break/maintenance thing.

How long have you been eating a deficit?

TheVirgoddess

Oh I see you already answered the question I asked - sorry.

Hang in there, hon - things will start moving again. ((hugs))

PeachyCarol

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

I just had a 9 week period where I played with the same darn 3 pounds. It was really frustrating.

I posted on here, and the advice was to take a break. I didn't log a bite for 6 days (it felt nice, but I was ready to get back to logging!). Now that I'm back to logging, I'm trying to eat at maintenance for a bit. I've been in a deficit for 10 months now, so I'm giving my body a break.

The good news is I lost three pounds since I started my break/maintenance thing.

How long have you been eating a deficit?

Oh that three pound loss must feel so good! I've only been eating at a deficit a little over three months.

PeachyCarol

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

Oh I see you already answered the question I asked - sorry.

Hang in there, hon - things will start moving again. ((hugs))

Thanks fellow Virgo!

pmm3437

Those minute muffins are spiking your sodium intake every time you eat one. Almost 2800 mg of sodium in 1 muffin ( and pushing those days to over 4k mg ). Theyre showing up 3+ times a week in your dairy lately.

I noticed it while skimming your report details from the start of the year.

I would guess this is impacting your migraines. My mom has them, and sodium was a trigger or aggravated them.

May also be the cause of your plateau ( holding more water to compensate ).

Let me suggest you take a break from them for a week or two, see what effect the sodium drop has.

PeachyCarol

Trust me, sodium is not a migraine trigger for me. I don't think that those minute muffins are giving me a huge sodium hit, I barely put any salt in them at all. I might have the amount logged wrong in the recipe.

Edit: I went into the recipe to check everything. Thanks for bringing that to my attention! Turns out that it was the entry I used for the baking powder. I fixed it to the correct brand and now it's much better. There's only a dash of salt in them, but the entry that I was using for baking powder had the muffin providing all that sodium. The new entry is much better and more realistic. Thanks again.

Gianfranco_R

mamapeach910 wrote: »

Well, I'm on a prescription NSAID for chronic pain,

probably your body is still inflamed so it holds water. Have you checked if you are losing inches at least?

PeachyCarol

Thought I'd update everyone. I had a horrific migraine yesterday and barely managed to eat anything. Woke up this morning and was down 1.6 pounds from my lowest. I don't know if my stall would have been over because it was time or because I slept through most of yesterday or or or... but I hope it's over and done with.

Thanks for all the input.

veganbaum

mamapeach910 wrote: »

sjohnson__1 wrote: »

How much of a caloric deficit are you in? It may be leptin levels are too low. You can stimulate fat burning with a refeed once or twice a week. Essentially increasing your carbohydrate intake to a very high amount for one day, lowering your fats to around 20g and keeping protein relatively high. Your calories will increase to slightly above maintenance, (anywhere from 250-500 cals). This should spike ur leptin level and ur body will begin to burn fat more rapidly... Just a suggestion.

Hmmm... above maintenance? I've heard of refeeding at maintenance for longer periods, but I didn't think that applied in cases like this. I'm at a 500 calorie deficit, though I usually come a bit below my calorie allowance. I don't have much of an appetite due to pain levels most days. It would be interesting to get some more input on this approach. Thanks.

When I was closer to goal and steadily, but slowly, losing (I've been away for quite some time), I was cycling my calories. It was what I found worked for me. Three days low cal (not below 1200) three days at a middle range, then one day at about 3,000 (2xRMR). It's called spiking, as the PP mentioned. I don't understand the science behind it, and haven't bothered to look into it, but I know it worked. Before I tried that, I had stalled for, I think, about six months. I just remember it was quite a while. Something to maybe think about. My weekly calories were still the same as what MFP gave me, but when I was eating at that same amount every day, I was stalled. Changing it did something.

Sued0nim

@mamapeach910‌

sounds nasty - it couldn't be cluster headaches could it? http://www.migrainetrust.org/factsheet-cluster-headache-10908

PeachyCarol

rabbitjb wrote: »

@mamapeach910‌

sounds nasty - it couldn't be cluster headaches could it? http://www.migrainetrust.org/factsheet-cluster-headache-10908

No, definitely just good old fashioned migraines. In the US, there are two major treatment centers, and thankfully, I live near one and am under treatment at one of them.

One of the first things the neurologist there told me is that most people who have think they have migraines don't even know what a real migraine is. They only see people who have the really bad ones.

After seeing people say they can "cure" their migraine with an Excedrin and a diet coke, I believe him.

PeachyCarol

veganbaum wrote: »

mamapeach910 wrote: »

sjohnson__1 wrote: »

How much of a caloric deficit are you in? It may be leptin levels are too low. You can stimulate fat burning with a refeed once or twice a week. Essentially increasing your carbohydrate intake to a very high amount for one day, lowering your fats to around 20g and keeping protein relatively high. Your calories will increase to slightly above maintenance, (anywhere from 250-500 cals). This should spike ur leptin level and ur body will begin to burn fat more rapidly... Just a suggestion.

Hmmm... above maintenance? I've heard of refeeding at maintenance for longer periods, but I didn't think that applied in cases like this. I'm at a 500 calorie deficit, though I usually come a bit below my calorie allowance. I don't have much of an appetite due to pain levels most days. It would be interesting to get some more input on this approach. Thanks.

When I was closer to goal and steadily, but slowly, losing (I've been away for quite some time), I was cycling my calories. It was what I found worked for me. Three days low cal (not below 1200) three days at a middle range, then one day at about 3,000 (2xRMR). It's called spiking, as the PP mentioned. I don't understand the science behind it, and haven't bothered to look into it, but I know it worked. Before I tried that, I had stalled for, I think, about six months. I just remember it was quite a while. Something to maybe think about. My weekly calories were still the same as what MFP gave me, but when I was eating at that same amount every day, I was stalled. Changing it did something.

I'll remember that for when I get closer to goal. I'm still 60 pounds out, so I think this was just possibly inflammation from chronic pain, or too much salt, or the stars aligning wrong or... who knows?

Hopefully this morning's whoosh holds steady and I keep going from here.