Need help with this plateau

fatnat1234

I lost 30lbs of the 70 I gained during pregnancy. My weightloss seems to be the same no matter what I do. If I have 1200 calories and workout, or if I don't work out I seem to only lose 0.5lbs per week if I'm lucky.
Lately I have just been stuck. Any suggestions would be great
Thanks

diannethegeek

It's hard to answer these kinds of posts without more details. How long has it been since you last saw a drop on the scale? A plateau is something like 6-8 weeks without a drop on the scale and with no changes to your routine (since diet & exercise changes tend to come with some water weight retention - which can screw with the scale). If it's only been a few weeks, then it's possible that it's just a natural stall and will go away on its own.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear

Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.

Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.

You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.

And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to age, size, or medical issues, then it may be best to talk to your doctor.

tl;dr version:

glassyo

How long have you been stuck?

fatnat1234

Thanks for the advice Glassyo

fatnat1234

Thank you "diannethegeek" I have been stalling since around March. I have been within the same 5lbs. It all depends on what time of the day I get on the scale.
I thought when you workout more you had to have the extra calories burned. My food allowance is 1200 calories. I weight and measure everything. I prep meals in advance to make sure I'm not guess. I always fill out my diary the night before and make changes if something comes up. I love the graph you added at the end and the links you recommend. I will use all your advice and see what happens. I can definitely open my diary to you I would love to get as much help as possible
Thanks again

glassyo

fatnat1234 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice Glassyo

I'm kinda hoping you didn't see my first response and that wasn't sarcastic.