stuck on a plateau... looking for advice

durrryea
durrryea Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been at or below my calorie goal and exercising frequently for the past two weeks. But I've only lost 0.4 lbs! Anyone have some advice for a frustrated tracker? Thanks!

Replies

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    MFP%20Flowchart%20lemonlionheart_zps3s3xqead.jpg
  • glenelliott5872
    glenelliott5872 Posts: 150 Member
    We all have weeks like that :)
  • durrryea
    durrryea Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks!
  • tomdanielholmes
    tomdanielholmes Posts: 1 Member
    Drop your calorie intake by 200 calories. Either that or you are not logging all the food you are eating, sauces, milk in tea etc, it all adds up and it really can hinder weight loss if you are eating right up to the limit.

    I plateaued at about 71kg 6 weeks ago, dropped the calories to about 1400 a day and I weighed 66.3kg this morning. Same exercise regime, just a 200 calorie drop daily. Well worth it.
  • mae3599
    mae3599 Posts: 29 Member
    Dun give up ! Everyone had plateau and thats the challenging part good luck !
  • Krystle1984
    Krystle1984 Posts: 146 Member
    It's only been 2 weeks, and you lost 0.4lbs. That does not constitute a plateau. When you've spent 2 months trying to shift that last 2lbs... That's a plateau! Lol!

    You probably need to tighten up your logging. Buy a digital food scale and weigh and log all solid food. Cups/tablespoons etc should only be used for liquids. I bet you notice a big difference if you start weighing everything.

    If you are already weighing your food (and using accurate entries from the database) then just be patient. Weight loss isn't linear and the scale will move eventually. :)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    tomdanielholmes wrote: »
    Drop your calorie intake by 200 calories. Either that or you are not logging all the food you are eating, sauces, milk in tea etc, it all adds up and it really can hinder weight loss if you are eating right up to the limit.

    I plateaued at about 71kg 6 weeks ago, dropped the calories to about 1400 a day and I weighed 66.3kg this morning. Same exercise regime, just a 200 calorie drop daily. Well worth it.
    Just say no to this.
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    It's only been 2 weeks, and you lost 0.4lbs. That does not constitute a plateau. When you've spent 2 months trying to shift that last 2lbs... That's a plateau! Lol!

    You probably need to tighten up your logging.
    If it's not a plateau, how do you know she needs to tighten up her logging?

  • Krystle1984
    Krystle1984 Posts: 146 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    tomdanielholmes wrote: »
    Drop your calorie intake by 200 calories. Either that or you are not logging all the food you are eating, sauces, milk in tea etc, it all adds up and it really can hinder weight loss if you are eating right up to the limit.

    I plateaued at about 71kg 6 weeks ago, dropped the calories to about 1400 a day and I weighed 66.3kg this morning. Same exercise regime, just a 200 calorie drop daily. Well worth it.
    Just say no to this.
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    It's only been 2 weeks, and you lost 0.4lbs. That does not constitute a plateau. When you've spent 2 months trying to shift that last 2lbs... That's a plateau! Lol!

    You probably need to tighten up your logging.
    If it's not a plateau, how do you know she needs to tighten up her logging?

    I don't. I did say if she was already weighing food just be patient... But I guess you missed that part... Weighing is just a good practice for everyone. :)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    tomdanielholmes wrote: »
    Drop your calorie intake by 200 calories. Either that or you are not logging all the food you are eating, sauces, milk in tea etc, it all adds up and it really can hinder weight loss if you are eating right up to the limit.

    I plateaued at about 71kg 6 weeks ago, dropped the calories to about 1400 a day and I weighed 66.3kg this morning. Same exercise regime, just a 200 calorie drop daily. Well worth it.
    Just say no to this.
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    It's only been 2 weeks, and you lost 0.4lbs. That does not constitute a plateau. When you've spent 2 months trying to shift that last 2lbs... That's a plateau! Lol!

    You probably need to tighten up your logging.
    If it's not a plateau, how do you know she needs to tighten up her logging?

    I don't. I did say if she was already weighing food just be patient... But I guess you missed that part... Weighing is just a good practice for everyone. :)
    I didn't miss that part. I did miss the part explaining why you said she probably needs to tighten up her logging. Oh, because it's not there.

  • Krystle1984
    Krystle1984 Posts: 146 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    tomdanielholmes wrote: »
    Drop your calorie intake by 200 calories. Either that or you are not logging all the food you are eating, sauces, milk in tea etc, it all adds up and it really can hinder weight loss if you are eating right up to the limit.

    I plateaued at about 71kg 6 weeks ago, dropped the calories to about 1400 a day and I weighed 66.3kg this morning. Same exercise regime, just a 200 calorie drop daily. Well worth it.
    Just say no to this.
    Krystle1984 wrote: »
    It's only been 2 weeks, and you lost 0.4lbs. That does not constitute a plateau. When you've spent 2 months trying to shift that last 2lbs... That's a plateau! Lol!

    You probably need to tighten up your logging.
    If it's not a plateau, how do you know she needs to tighten up her logging?

    I don't. I did say if she was already weighing food just be patient... But I guess you missed that part... Weighing is just a good practice for everyone. :)
    I didn't miss that part. I did miss the part explaining why you said she probably needs to tighten up her logging. Oh, because it's not there.

    Because generally when people post this kind of thing one look at their diary shows they are usually not logging accurately. That's why I said probably... And explained the most accurate method. That way the OP can reassess her logging if it isn't as accurate as it could be and she might find she sees a loss by tightening up.

    Next time I will be careful to explain myself a bit better/ask some more questions...
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    MFP%20Flowchart%20lemonlionheart_zps3s3xqead.jpg
    Stealing this!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Plateaus in weight loss are 6 weeks or more of no weight movement if one has been consistent with diet and exercise. Plateaus are really rare though. Any deviation from plan wouldn't constitute a plateau, just possibly a stall. Lots of people call it a plateau, but totally forgetting they added something to their current program.
    So if you aren't losing, it could be a myriad of things like inconsistent logging, incorrect logging, over estimating calorie burn, lack of sleep, stress, etc.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited June 2015
    2 weeks isn't a plateau, and you've lost in that time so you really can't say its a plateau.
    I've had 6 weeks go by and doing everything right and not lost and then a week later experienced a nice whoosh of a loss.
    How accurate have you been logging your foods? if you have doubts tighten up the food logging, weigh your foods etc and all will be well. Sometimes the body just holds onto water weight. Keep up the good work :smile:
  • durrryea
    durrryea Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks, all! I will keep at it :)
  • leanne0627
    leanne0627 Posts: 109 Member
    Just keep at it. Weight loss isn't linear. I seem to lose weight 5 lbs at a time after TOM once a month then nothing the rest of the month until after that time again. Weird but so glad I didn't give up when I didn't lose for weeks at a time. Water weight glycogen stores etc all can cover scale loss. Measuring myself has been a great tool to stay motivated when the scale doesn't move so if you don't measure you might want to start. Good luck!

  • tazmainian_dv
    tazmainian_dv Posts: 60 Member
    As you loose weight your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) may change. Meaning that the calories that you need to survive may have changed. So...if for example your RMR is say 1800 calories a day to survive and maintain your current weight you will need a deficit of 500 calories a day to loose weight.

    As we go through this process of loosing weight our bodies adjust and try to save as many calories as it can. So working from the above example of 1800 your body may have adjusted to an RMR of 1700. That 100 cal difference is enough to put you in a plateau.

    There are numerous ways to factor your RMR but the most accurate way is to use an indirect calorimeter like the one found here http://breezing.com/ Also this site explains the process pretty well.
    http://www.jcmg.org/jcmg.nsf/web/What’s-Your-Metabolic-Rate~-Testing-Available-by-Indirect-Calorimetry

    Quite a few dietitians, weight management Dr's, and exercise physiologists use the device to ascertain your RMR and set your caloric goals.

    So without the expense of the above experts try lowering your caloric intake for a week or two. If that does not seem to work try raising it. It is abet unscientific but it is what people have been doing for ages.

    I plateaued for months once. I was working out hard and eating right and within my goals. Nothing seemed to break the plateau and I was discouraged. After talking with my trainer and doing some research I decided that I needed to shock my system, kinda like a reset, to get my body back on track. I stopped working out for a month. It worked. At the time I did not know about using my RMR as a key factor in weight management or training. Since that time I have learned a thing or two.

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