4-5 lbs to goal- what to do when stuck
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ladygirl123
Posts: 37 Member
My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
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Replies
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I would...
And also take a step back and make sure you're being meticulous with your weighing of your food, and logging every last thing.
When you're this close to goal, every little bit matters.0 -
Why would you raise calories in order to lose weight?ladygirl123 wrote: »My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
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Why would you raise calories in order to lose weight?ladygirl123 wrote: »My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
True - to clarify I meant adjusting your expectations to a .5 lb/week average loss...not necessarily your settings.0 -
OP is asking if she should change it to 1.5lb/week, yes?0
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I can't tell from the way she worded it. Regardless, if she isn't losing it's because she either hasn't given it enough time (wait at least a month of no losses) or she's eating too much. Her goal is either too high (unlikely) or she is eating more then she thinks (quite likely). I just replied to another post about a weight loss stall, I'll repeat my advice here:OP is asking if she should change it to 1.5lb/week, yes?
Plateau's almost always occur for a limited number of reasons. If it's less then a month, it's not a plateau and you should just wait longer. If it's more then a month with no weight loss, examine these things. I can say with 99.99% certainty that one of the following points is cause for the plateau:- Are you actually losing weight and the nonlinear nature of weight loss is just disguising the loss? Weight does not drop off in a linear fashion. This is why it is important to take daily weights and watch the trend, not the number. I prefer to weigh daily, take an average of a week's worth of weights, then compare those weekly averages over the course of a month. You might notice while the current number doesn't indicate loss on a particular day, the trend of the overall weight is moving down.
- Are your calorie goals and exercise goals putting you in a deficit? You may need to simply reduce your intake, increase your activity, or both.
- Is your calorie count and/or calories burned count (if you eat back burned calories) accurate? Even if your goals are correct, you might not lose weight if your counts are off. If you aren't weighing all your food on a scale (not using estimation or cups/spoons) your count is very likely inaccurate. This includes eating out and eating food you did not prepare/weigh yourself. Give this guide a read: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1 As to calories burned, no matter what MFP, a cardio machine, or even an expensive fitness device tells you, your calories burned count is probably off to some degree. Consider not eating back exercise calories and using a TDEE method to calculate a calorie goal that takes exercise into account
- Are you actually meeting your calorie and exercise goals consistently? Having a perfect count, and goals that create a deficit don't matter one bit if you are not hitting them on a fairly consistent basis. How many days do you simply go over or not track at all? How many cheat days? It's very common to see diaries that are iron glad Monday thru Friday and then have no info at all for the weekend.
- You have a medical condition. This is LEAST likely. Do not jump to this conclusion first. Examine and reexamine the previous points before you explore this one. If you do think you have a medical condition go see a doctor. Do not waste time self diagnosing or self medicating.
0 - Are you actually losing weight and the nonlinear nature of weight loss is just disguising the loss? Weight does not drop off in a linear fashion. This is why it is important to take daily weights and watch the trend, not the number. I prefer to weigh daily, take an average of a week's worth of weights, then compare those weekly averages over the course of a month. You might notice while the current number doesn't indicate loss on a particular day, the trend of the overall weight is moving down.
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With 4-5lbs to go, set your weight loss goal to 0.5lb/week.
Get a food scale.0 -
Changing the rate of loss to 0.5lb/week in MFP will increase her total calories. I ask again, why increase calories to in order to lose weight? Sure, I'd change my personal expectations to 0.5 lbs a week, but actually changing your goal in the system will increase your calories which would be counterproductive.With 4-5lbs to go, set your weight loss goal to 0.5lb/week.
Get a food scale.0 -
Upping your calories will not help you lose weight. The problem is, the more weight you lose the less "wiggle room" you have in your calories. If you're at 1200 calories already, you really shouldn't be trying to eat less, that is if you really are eating only 1200 calories.
Are you using a food scale to weigh almost everything you eat? If not, get one and use it as much as you absolutely can. I can't see your diary but if you're entering things like "1 medium apple" or "1 tablespoon of peanut butter" then odds are you are eating more calories than you think you are.
Are you using a MFP's or an exercise machine's calorie amounts when you add exercise? These can be overinflated and you might be negating your calorie deficit if you're eating all of those extra calories. A heart rate monitor is a far more accurate to calculate cardiovascular exercise calorie burns.
One last bit of advice... our weight is not static, it's a range of about 5 calories. We bounce up and down as our bodies retain and shed water due to our electrolyte balance, hormone fluctuations and muscle repair. If you're already so close to goal and still aren't satisfied with the way you look it may be time to consider body recomposition rather than simply losing more pounds. Start a regimen of lifting progressively heavier weights while eating at maintenance.0 -
ladygirl123 wrote: »My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
Try adjusting your macros as well.. Up the protein, cut the fat and carbs. I would also adjust your goal to higer lbs lost per week and see if that helps. You could also try switching up any workout schedule/routine you have to try to shock your body.
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MsSquatAlot wrote: »ladygirl123 wrote: »My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
Try adjusting your macros as well.. Up the protein, cut the fat and carbs. I would also adjust your goal to higer lbs lost per week and see if that helps. You could also try switching up any workout schedule/routine you have to try to shock your body.
Macro adjustment (while keeping calories constant) won't change rate of weight loss. "Shocking your body" isn't a thing.
I would guess OP is just not that accurate with weighing & logging foods. When you have more to lose, you have more room for inaccuracy. When you're this close to goal, you don't have the wiggle room.
That's not an accusation...we've all been there.
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Changing the rate of loss to 0.5lb/week in MFP will increase her total calories. I ask again, why increase calories to in order to lose weight? Sure, I'd change my personal expectations to 0.5 lbs a week, but actually changing your goal in the system will increase your calories which would be counterproductive.With 4-5lbs to go, set your weight loss goal to 0.5lb/week.
Get a food scale.
It will only change her calories if she's actually capable of losing 1 pound per week at 1200 calories, which I suspect she isn't. MFP's minimum for a female is 1200 calories so selecting a rate of loss which would put a woman below 1200 calories is going to still give her a goal of 1200 calories. I'm betting that if she set it for .5 pound per week (250 calories more) she'd still have a 1200 calorie goal or one only slightly higher.
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Didn't know they worked it like that. Learn something new every day. So I guess if that's the case, changing the goal wouldn't be detrimental, it would just be irrelevant.
Changing the rate of loss to 0.5lb/week in MFP will increase her total calories. I ask again, why increase calories to in order to lose weight? Sure, I'd change my personal expectations to 0.5 lbs a week, but actually changing your goal in the system will increase your calories which would be counterproductive.With 4-5lbs to go, set your weight loss goal to 0.5lb/week.
Get a food scale.
It will only change her calories if she's actually capable of losing 1 pound per week at 1200 calories, which I suspect she isn't. MFP's minimum for a female is 1200 calories so selecting a rate of loss which would put a woman below 1200 calories is going to still give her a goal of 1200 calories. I'm betting that if she set it for .5 pound per week (250 calories more) she'd still have a 1200 calorie goal or one only slightly higher.
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Didn't know they worked it like that. Learn something new every day. So I guess if that's the case, changing the goal wouldn't be detrimental, it would just be irrelevant.
Changing the rate of loss to 0.5lb/week in MFP will increase her total calories. I ask again, why increase calories to in order to lose weight? Sure, I'd change my personal expectations to 0.5 lbs a week, but actually changing your goal in the system will increase your calories which would be counterproductive.With 4-5lbs to go, set your weight loss goal to 0.5lb/week.
Get a food scale.
It will only change her calories if she's actually capable of losing 1 pound per week at 1200 calories, which I suspect she isn't. MFP's minimum for a female is 1200 calories so selecting a rate of loss which would put a woman below 1200 calories is going to still give her a goal of 1200 calories. I'm betting that if she set it for .5 pound per week (250 calories more) she'd still have a 1200 calorie goal or one only slightly higher.
Exactly. If I see someone stating that they are at 1200 calories, and they aren't a small female, it's a good bet their goal is set too aggressively and they aren't really going to be losing at the rate they set it at anyway.0 -
I re-read this a few times, and she seems to be asking if she should increase her deficit for a 1.5 loss, not decrease to a .5 loss "Should I change it to .5 MORE calories"0
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I re-read this a few times, and she seems to be asking if she should increase her deficit for a 1.5 loss, not decrease to a .5 loss "Should I change it to .5 MORE calories"
Either way, the answer is "no". Increasing to 1.5 pounds per week will still have her at 1200 calories since that's as low as it will go. Changing it to .5 pound per week will likely not alter the calorie goal by much, either, but eating more calories isn't the answer, in any event.
The solution would be to verify that she's actually eating 1200 calories or burning as many calories as she thinks she is. Since we can't see her diary and she hasn't popped back in to clarify things, the conversation is currently at a standstill.0 -
Sorry guys I was tied up..to answer a few of your questions. I do weigh everything I eat, to perfection absolutely not. I try to measure mostly grams and pounds rather than guess. If I'm out dinning (which I barely do these days) of course I dont, I don't carry my scale with me, except for this weekend at a BBQ. My friends thought I was nuts but I didn't give a crap about them. Too many freaking BBQ/pool parties, why do we need to eat so much to socialize? but we also have to live alittle don't we?
I also know abusing it, will not help me get to my goal. I only use a heart rate monitor (Polar Ft7- may not be what most are using, like Fitbit, but it works for me) when I work out - strength training and cardio. I don't log or try to eat strength training calories burned I just log for my own info always trying to beat it the next time around, and I do try to eat only half of cardio calories burned.
I meant .5 lbs less, sorry for the confusion. But I only said that because someone recommended and I thought it was insane. I said ".5 more calories" meaning that would mean more calories.
I didn't think so. My body frame is very small and I understand because of that, it may be more difficult for me to burn fat, than most.
I still don't feel like I'm where I want to be. Most of my weight is on my thighs and arms, just want to lean those a bit, that's all. Don't want to starve my self. I probably need to give myself more time and or continue being consistent with my logging. Yesterday I went over 125calories and I beat myself up. I don't want to continue doing that either.
Do you think I need to increase my cardio? UGHHH I hate cardio!0 -
Sometimes suprising your body by switching up what you eat can help. I use protein shakes that are 24g of protein each then can add a scoop of a different one for a boost (18g more) which has helped me break my plateau.0
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ladygirl123 wrote: »Sorry guys I was tied up..to answer a few of your questions. I do weigh everything I eat, to perfection absolutely not. I try to measure mostly grams and pounds rather than guess. If I'm out dinning (which I barely do these days) of course I dont, I don't carry my scale with me, except for this weekend at a BBQ. My friends thought I was nuts but I didn't give a crap about them. Too many freaking BBQ/pool parties, why do we need to eat so much to socialize? but we also have to live alittle don't we?
I also know abusing it, will not help me get to my goal. I only use a heart rate monitor (Polar Ft7- may not be what most are using, like Fitbit, but it works for me) when I work out - strength training and cardio. I don't log or try to eat strength training calories burned I just log for my own info always trying to beat it the next time around, and I do try to eat only half of cardio calories burned.
I meant .5 lbs less, sorry for the confusion. But I only said that because someone recommended and I thought it was insane. I said ".5 more calories" meaning that would mean more calories.
I didn't think so. My body frame is very small and I understand because of that, it may be more difficult for me to burn fat, than most.
I still don't feel like I'm where I want to be. Most of my weight is on my thighs and arms, just want to lean those a bit, that's all. Don't want to starve my self. I probably need to give myself more time and or continue being consistent with my logging. Yesterday I went over 125calories and I beat myself up. I don't want to continue doing that either.
Do you think I need to increase my cardio? UGHHH I hate cardio!
I'll repeat my last paragraph from my original post:
"One last bit of advice... our weight is not static, it's a range of about 5 pounds. We bounce up and down as our bodies retain and shed water due to our electrolyte balance, hormone fluctuations and muscle repair. If you're already so close to goal and still aren't satisfied with the way you look it may be time to consider body recomposition rather than simply losing more pounds. Start a regimen of lifting progressively heavier weights while eating at maintenance."
If you'd really like to tighten up, focus less on the scale and more on body fat percentage. Lift weights twice a week, don't do more cardio.
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Shouldn't eat less than 1200 calories anyways just weigh your food and exercise more good luck0
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ceoverturf wrote: »MsSquatAlot wrote: »ladygirl123 wrote: »My settings are currently at 1200 cals - 40% carbs, 30% pro 30% fat. With 1lb weight loss a week. Which is not happening. Should I change it to .5 more calories
Try adjusting your macros as well.. Up the protein, cut the fat and carbs. I would also adjust your goal to higer lbs lost per week and see if that helps. You could also try switching up any workout schedule/routine you have to try to shock your body.
Macro adjustment (while keeping calories constant) won't change rate of weight loss. "Shocking your body" isn't a thing.
I would guess OP is just not that accurate with weighing & logging foods. When you have more to lose, you have more room for inaccuracy. When you're this close to goal, you don't have the wiggle room.
That's not an accusation...we've all been there.
Oh okay then you should probably tell all of these *HIGHLY* regarded websites that "shocking your body" isn't a thing.
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/shock-your-body
http://www.livestrong.com/article/353683-how-to-shock-your-metabolism-while-dieting/
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/results.php
https://getyouinshape.wordpress.com/2007/10/10/how-to-shock-your-body-to-burn-more-fat/
Considering I have successfully shocked my body out of a number of plateaus, I am pretty sure macro adjustments work. If you adjust your macros to mostly fat without changing caloric intake this will change the rate of weight loss.0
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