Stuck at the same weight - any suggestions?

gregbennett1973

Hi all. This is my first post. Thanks to MyFitnessPal I've managed to lose 37 pounds since the new year. I'm very happy with that so far, but unfortunately I seem to have hit a period (six weeks) of very slow weight loss.
Can anyone suggest ways to break through this wall? I've tried a refeed day, but that didn't seem to work. I'm not especially keen to add more exercise into my week, because time is pretty short for me. Is there anything else I can try? Or might I start losing more weight again if I just stick it out and wait for the plateau to come to an end? So far I've simply counted my calories and stuck pretty much exactly to what MyFitnessPal allows me. Should I start going under my allowance a fair bit?
Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks a lot.

dom85

Hi, I wouldn't start to eat less as this can totally mess up your metabolism but it would be interesting to see what kind of food you're eating and what type of exercise you are doing?

harlanJEN

What is your daily caloric intake? What type of workouts are you doing?

Without knowing that data, I offer this:

Periodize your eating and workouts. Instead of doing more, change up the QUALITY of the exercise. Quality / intensity vs. quantity. If you are not strength training, DEF incorporate strength training.

Food. Again, look at QUALITY. also look at your diary for a pattern or trend you can focus on and tweak. Example: are u eating a Snickers bar for an afternoon snack? Switch that to a protein bar such as a Quest bar or a Cliff Mojo bar . Go for good ratio of protein to sugar. MORE protein vs. sugar.

Overall: focus on lean protein ( don't overlook plant based protein), vegetables, fiber rich fruit and healthy fats. Round out with some WHOLE grains. Emphasize low glycemic load foods, crowd out processed foods.

If you've been steadily eating at deficit since January, then I suggest it's way time for a break. A refeed day is excellent, but not enough after months of deficit eating. Eat at TDEE/ maintenance level for 1-4 weeks. I'd DEF take advantage of the higher cals and start hitting the weights.

You've made great progress ! It's now time to tweak, fine tune and switch it up.

Good luck!

Jen

gfroniewski

What is your daily caloric intake? What type of workouts are you doing?

Without knowing that data, I offer this:

Periodize your eating and workouts. Instead of doing more, change up the QUALITY of the exercise. Quality / intensity vs. quantity. If you are not strength training, DEF incorporate strength training.

Food. Again, look at QUALITY. also look at your diary for a pattern or trend you can focus on and tweak. Example: are u eating a Snickers bar for an afternoon snack? Switch that to a protein bar such as a Quest bar or a Cliff Mojo bar . Go for good ratio of protein to sugar. MORE protein vs. sugar.

Overall: focus on lean protein ( don't overlook plant based protein), vegetables, fiber rich fruit and healthy fats. Round out with some WHOLE grains. Emphasize low glycemic load foods, crowd out processed foods.

If you've been steadily eating at deficit since January, then I suggest it's way time for a break. A refeed day is excellent, but not enough after months of deficit eating. Eat at TDEE/ maintenance level for 1-4 weeks. I'd DEF take advantage of the higher cals and start hitting the weights.

You've made great progress ! It's now time to tweak, fine tune and switch it up.

Good luck!

Jen

I couldn't have said it better myself. Without specific diet and exercise info this is the best advice you will get!

gregbennett1973

Thanks very much. My main exercise has been walking with a little bit of exercise bike. I think I'll start a bit of strength exercise then. I can afford a bit of time for that. I think my food intake is reasonably good already. I seem to score quite well on the ratios of carbs to protein to fat, ie I get fairly similar levels to what MyFitnessPal suggests.
I don't really know what TDEE is, I'm afraid. Do you think I should be taking a break from eating low calories for a while then? I have a daily limit of 1850 on MyFitnessPal and I tend to be slightly under that amount (having taken into account exercise) every day. Thanks again

wannabesexymama

since you are more active best I can say is change you activity level in your settings this could help you get back on track your body may need more calories

Sjenny5891

I found that bumping my goal up to -1 pound/week or maintain for about a week helped jumpstart my weight loss again.

I also tend to retain water when I eat too much Sodium. Sometimes changing what you are eating does the trick.

harlanJEN

TDEE is total daily energy expenditure. Is the total cals your body uses each day. BMR ( basal metabolic rate) , workouts and normal everyday activity ( NEAT) makes up our TDEE.

To get a good ballpark of it, go to Scoobysworkshop.com and use the link for accurate calorie calculator. Be HONEST, don't underestimate, your activity level. Moderate is pretty standard for most folks. If have active job, active daily life and u workout, may be more than moderate. 1850 is prob too low. I'm a 49 yr old woman , 5'4 , and I strength train. 1800-1900 is my deficit cal range. Just to give you a point of reference. Set goal to 1/2 lb per week, no more than 1 lb. otherwise, your deficit may be too low and will stall body recomposition. Yep! Body recomp should now be primary goal vs. weight loss. It's FAT u want gone. More muscle. Take advantage of that testosterone! Build you some muscle. It LOVES calories. Muscles need and use calories, fat doesn't.

Instead of making time for strength training, make that your primary with walking and biking as secondary. Same time allotment, just altered type.

gregbennett1973

Okay. Thanks very much for the advice.

dom85

I would maybe look at some different forms of training. Metabolic/plyometric training is great for building strength and burning calories as it involves big explosive movements that use large muscle groups. Have a look on youtube for some examples, the beauty of this kind of training is that you can do it at home and half an hour of maximum effort is just as (if not more) effective as an hour+ of traditional cardio on bikes/treadmill etc.

Hope this helps