Stopped losing weight

dana7137

I've been using this app for 10 weeks. My goal was to lose 10 lbs. in 10 weeks, so I have my calorie limit set for losing a pound per week. I lost a pound per week for the first 4 weeks. Then... nothing. I've maintained for 6 weeks now, and I'm getting frustrated.

I weigh and measure everything I eat. I run and/or bike 5 days per week. I do a pretty solid job of keeping my macros balanced (I added in a protein supplement because I wasn't hitting my daily protein goal when I first started).

What gives?

melanieliving

1- Patience, things take time.
2- are you tracking accurately (is your goal set correctly, are you over estimating calories burned, underestimating calories consumed?)
3- are you eating the right foods.

Also with so little weight to lose, 1lb a weeks is very ambitious and not really realistic. When you are so close to ideal weight you can expect to see changes in the 0.25-0.5lbs range weekly.

If you open up your diary, you may be able to get more insight. But that's totally up to you.

SezxyStef

normal body stuff...but your goals are too aggressive btw...you should aim for 1/2lb a week...you didn't put those 10lbs on in 10 weeks did you?

I personally would look at the calories burned if you are sure you are measuring/weighing correctly and logging accurately.

CICO....it's a math equation and if you aren't losing the equation is off.

dana7137

As far as tracking exercise, I use a Garmin. I know that the calories burned may not be *exactly* accurate, but I also don't usually eat back all of the calories that the device says I burned. Also, according to other running calculators I have used, I generally burn 100 calories/mile when I run; the Garmin is accurate based on that.

jmasci20

I bet you're not burning that many calories running. I use a heart rate monitor and only log 80% of the amount shown. I also agree with others that you're bound to hit a big plateau if you're halfway to a 10lb goal. I have 4 to go with 13 hone and I'm bracing myself for the slowdown!

dana7137

I don't see how you could assert that opinion without knowing a) how much I weigh, and b) how strenuous my workouts are. I don't subscribe to the cliche theory of, "I guess you must be doing it wrong!" unless there is some specific thing that can be pointed out and a real solution. It only adds to my frustration. I understand basic math and the principle of CICO. I religiously weigh, measure, and count my calories and accurately log my exercise to the best of my ability, given the technology that is available to me (i.e., this app and Garmin's app). I am literally doing everything I can (including spending half the day with a growling stomach) to lose these last 6 pounds. Randomly ignoring 20% of the calories I burn doesn't seem like a valid solution to me. Did you arrive at that number scientifically? Should I randomly add a percentage to everything I eat, too?

Camo_xxx

Since you understand basic math you probably understand margin of error.

the fact is you say you have not lost any fat for 6 weeks so lets assume you are eating at maintance even though you think you are eating at a 500 calorie a day deficit.

500 calories is actually pretty easy number to be off if you have not honed your program over a length of time. the typical areas of " calorie leak" as I call it can often be found in

1. the food database. try using the USDA entry from the database or entering your own items based off off your own research.

2. calories burned. areas to be addressed here. a. your BMR is not accurate. B. you exercise and daily activity burn is wrong.

you can either make some assumptions here and make adjustments or go back to square one and do some testing to get accurate BMR and TDEE to find your actual number.

MFP, Garmin, Strava, heart rate monitors, they all have a margin of error and unless you test and track you will not know exactly what that is.

So if you want scientific, get busy testing your BRM and TDEE and make sure all your food entries are based off USDA data. or just assume your exercise burn rate and logging is off by the fact you have not lost any fat in 6 weeks and readjust your program by the desired daily deficit.

brianpperkins

The science is you are not losing then you are either retaining enough water to offset loss or not losing.

Netting 100 calories per mile means an approximate weight of 158.7 pounds.

dana7137

I have researched the things I eat most often to be sure that I am getting as accurate of a calorie count as possible. A lot of the entries in the database are complete garbage, and I know that.

What type of test(s) would determine a more accurate BMR and TDEE?

The thing that is throwing me is that I was losing the weight steadily at the beginning and then it just stopped.

Camo_xxx

as an example of exercise calorie burn margin of error.

I ride my bike 150 miles a week on a regimented training routine that includes max effort days, interval training days, base mile days.

Using a garmin GPS, cadence sensor and heart rate monitor and the data crunched trough Starva using their alothograms I get my power measured in watts and kilojoule used.

I have logged and tracked it on spreadsheets and over a period of time comparing the calories thought to be burned to actual results I was able to ascertain the margin of error with my program.

dana7137

brianpperkins wrote: »

The science is you are not losing then you are either retaining enough water to offset loss or not losing.

Netting 100 calories per mile means an approximate weight of 158.7 pounds.

Can you give me the equation through which you arrived at that number?

eh_2002

I have also hit a plateau and I have been told by 2 different people that I need to up my calorie intake for a week or two to try to get things going again.

brianpperkins

dana7137 wrote: »

brianpperkins wrote: »

The science is you are not losing then you are either retaining enough water to offset loss or not losing.

Netting 100 calories per mile means an approximate weight of 158.7 pounds.

Can you give me the equation through which you arrived at that number?

weight in pounds x distance in miles x .63

http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

All online formulae are based on averages ... but ... the 100 cal per mile estimation without factoring weight is meaningless.

StaciMarie1974

Potential stall reasons: you're eating more than you think, you're burning less than you think, medical issue affecting weight loss.

You mentioned in your first post that you have been stalled for 6 weeks. You could give it another 4-6 to see if anything changes, or take 100-200 off your daily calories now. 6 weeks is enough to conclude you're likely eating at maintenance even though you think its a deficit. If you weigh all solids, measure all liquids, account for all calories in as accurately as possible: then the issue is probably with the calories out.

All the devices use assumed formulas, but not all bodies work just like the average one should. Might be your metabolism is a little low compared to standard. Might be that your activity level setting in MFP is a little higher than reality. Might be that you are burning less on your runs than Garmin shows.

donjtomasco

I realize men and women have different body things going on. But this might help. When I started this in February at Gold's Gym, the guy who signed me up helped me with a general diet and macro plan, along with a doable workout plan (I am 52, work full time and blah blah blah), and he told me "If you stick with this, you should lose weight starting out, then don't be surprised if you don't lose weight, and even maybe gain some weight, just stick with the plan and around week 5 or 6 you SHOULD really start seeing some results". Okay, so I lost some, then dammit, I gained some, but with a leap of faith I just kept going. Sure nuff in week six the hard pounds started coming off. So, maybe that helps you some. I am now in week 8 and my goal of 1 pound a week has actually become more consistent and is around 1.25-1.5 lost per week. Keep up the hard work. It will happen when it happens, one day at a time!!!!!

Camo_xxx

eh_2002 wrote: »

I have also hit a plateau and I have been told by 2 different people that I need to up my calorie intake for a week or two to try to get things going again.

And if you ask them to explain why they will probably regurgitate some internet myth like "starvation mode ". Lol

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

Your body is way to complex to figure everything out.

Best you can hope for is to make small changes, evaluate the results and try something new. I'm assuming you are now accustom to endurance running/biking. You don't need as much calories for the steady state cardio anymore.

First set yourself to 0.5 pounds per week, may attention to macros. Check out http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ I use that and set my mfp accordingly. A calorie is a calorie, but you are a human, so its going to be trial and error.

Also try eating more for a week or so. Go on maintenance, then back to cutting. Swap out your work outs for some HIT or strength training (stronglifts 5x5).

You could also toss out the scale and get a tape measure. ::flowerforyou::

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bkyoun

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

Emilia777

Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »

Your body is way to complex to figure everything out.

Best you can hope for is to make small changes, evaluate the results and try something new. I'm assuming you are now accustom to endurance running/biking. You don't need as much calories for the steady state cardio anymore.

First set yourself to 0.5 pounds per week, may attention to macros. Check out http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ I use that and set my mfp accordingly. A calorie is a calorie, but you are a human, so its going to be trial and error.

Also try eating more for a week or so. Go on maintenance, then back to cutting. Swap out your work outs for some HIT or strength training (stronglifts 5x5).

You could also toss out the scale and get a tape measure. ::flowerforyou::

I second the suggestion that you vary your exercise routine, and especially encourage you to check out strength training if you don’t do it already. Keep in mind, though, that you might retain more water after it because your muscles need to repair, so the scale may not move in the direction you want. I recently got back into strength work about 3 weeks ago and at first gained a couple of pounds. It’s only this week that they starting coming off on the scale. The tape measure can be your best friend

Good luck, and you’ll get there!

keithcw_the_first

I want to echo the responses here that say "make a small change and see what happens." Maybe it's a margin of error thing. Maybe it's a metabolism thing.

Change something and re-evaluate. Too much cardio? Not enough strength training? I don't know. Make a change, observe and record, and then re-evaluate again.

brisingr86

Although it seems counter-intuitive, I agree with considering upping calories (especially if you're spending half the day with a growling stomach). If your body isn't getting what it needs, then it may be holding tighter onto what it has (metabolism can adapt). I have been in stall before, have a day where there's lots going on and I eat a ton and then a few days later of back on healthy habits, I have a good loss. General advice for breaking a plateau is change something and see what happens over a month or so. Do you just run? Maybe try adding weight/strength training activities for a while? Or try swimming or another form of cardio if you have access. Also, are you taking measurements? Are you possibly not losing weight, but still losing inches (body fat)? It would be helpful to know if that goal of 10 lbs in 10 weeks is a short term goal (i.e., you want to lose 50, but you set a smaller goal to start) or overall. That would be helpful where people are suggesting lower expectations for how much to lose per week. Good luck getting the scale moving in the right direction again.

brianpperkins

brisingr86 wrote: »

Although it seems counter-intuitive, I agree with considering upping calories (especially if you're spending half the day with a growling stomach). If your body isn't getting what it needs, then it may be holding tighter onto what it has (metabolism can adapt). I have been in stall before, have a day where there's lots going on and I eat a ton and then a few days later of back on healthy habits, I have a good loss. General advice for breaking a plateau is change something and see what happens over a month or so. Do you just run? Maybe try adding weight/strength training activities for a while? Or try swimming or another form of cardio if you have access. Also, are you taking measurements? Are you possibly not losing weight, but still losing inches (body fat)? It would be helpful to know if that goal of 10 lbs in 10 weeks is a short term goal (i.e., you want to lose 50, but you set a smaller goal to start) or overall. That would be helpful where people are suggesting lower expectations for how much to lose per week. Good luck getting the scale moving in the right direction again.

Metabolic adaptation doesn't work as you're describing.

blankiefinder

If you're not losing, then you're not in a deficit, plain and simple. Whether it is from overestimating burns, underestimating foods, or just that you have a lower metabolism than the generic approximation that MFP calculates, it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you need to eat a bit less. Drop your calories by 100-200 and continue for another month then re-assess.

dana7137

I am hesitant to drop my calories by too much more. My daily goal on MFP is 1,230. According to the calculator a few posts up, my BMR is 1,235 and my TDEE is around 1,750.

Thanks for the suggestions on varying my exercise, I will try that. Again, I don't usually eat back all of the calories my device says I burn when exercising, so I *should* theoretically still be creating enough of a deficit for at least 0.5 lb./week loss even though I'm shooting for 1 lb./week.

kimny72

OP, just wanted to add that with so little to lose, normal body fluctuations, like water weight, could be masking small losses. Has your diet been a bit higher in salt lately? Sometimes "diet" foods can have a lot more sodium than we are used to. Are you running longer or harder than you used to? Was your TOM during this timeframe? All these things could cause you to gain and lose several pounds of water weight.

Also understand that all these numbers, BMR - TDEE - calories burned - calories in a serving, they are all estimates.

You will never get to your goal weight and stay there, your weight can fluctuate a solid 5 lbs or so from day to day. So don't get frustrated!

chubbard9

dana7137 wrote: »

I am hesitant to drop my calories by too much more. My daily goal on MFP is 1,230. According to the calculator a few posts up, my BMR is 1,235 and my TDEE is around 1,750.

Thanks for the suggestions on varying my exercise, I will try that. Again, I don't usually eat back all of the calories my device says I burn when exercising, so I *should* theoretically still be creating enough of a deficit for at least 0.5 lb./week loss even though I'm shooting for 1 lb./week.

You said you bike every day. If you are purely eating 1230 a day, you need to eat your exercise calories back.
What, exactly is your height and weight? Don't be ashamed to post it!

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MattMMorrissey

I usually don't eat back my calories I gained from exercise and it has worked for me. I had a lot more weight loss to achieve than you, but it has been working for me. I do cardio in the morning before I eat and again after work. I have plateaued many times when I work out a new muscle group. Try a different exercise like rowing machine etc. Every time I switch to a different machine I will have no lose for days and then one day I wake up and have lost more weight. BTW 185lb male eating 1450 avg calories a day until I reach my goal.

spoonyspork

I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.

However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.

Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?

stacyjh1979

dana7137 wrote: »

I am literally doing everything I can (including spending half the day with a growling stomach) to lose these last 6 pounds.

My only suggestion is don't spend the day with a growling stomach in order to lose 6 pounds. Unless you are planning to live with a growling stomach for a lifetime this is not a solution either. Will there be times you feel hungry and your stomach growls? Yes but it should not be a constant and it's not a sustainable lifestyle change so if you lose that 6 pounds by being constantly hungry you are just going to gain it back if/when you stop starving yourself.