How do you get through stalls in weight loss?

Domicinator

I've been on the path to major weight loss since May 1, 2015. I've noticed three different trends in how my body responds to my 1,500 calorie a day diet (as well as lots of biking and elliptical training). I usually go several weeks where I lose about 2 lbs. a week followed by about a week or so of no weight loss at all.

Currently I am in a phase where my weight hasn't dropped an ounce in the last week. This is the third time I have been through this in the last three months. (I've lost 40 lbs. total so far.) Every time I have had this kind of week, it has made me want to quit. I get very frustrated by it. All I really know to do is just work through the frustration and stay the course--eventually the weight starts coming off again.

The one thing I have changed in my "program" recently is the addition of biking. I have a theory that I am adding some muscle in some places that I didn't have it before due to biking about 10 miles a day. Other than that, I'm logging everything and weighing/measuring everything. I don't do cheat days and I rarely go over my 1500 net calories for the day.

I was just wondering how some of you deal with stall outs in weight loss. My dad and brother both lost a lot of weight and said this was how they were too--every now and then things seemed to just stall for a few days. I have found that to be correct, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

DemoraFairy

That isn't really a stall - weight loss isn't linear, you can't expect to lose weight every week. It's perfectly normal to go a week or two without losing (and it's especially noticeable if you're weighing weekly and not daily).

Also you're probably not putting on muscle (or at least any significant amount of muscle) while in a deficit.

The way to deal with it is just to accept that it happens and it's perfectly normal and expected.

malibu927

Wait it out. If it runs into 3-4 weeks without a loss, then it's time to reevaluate your logging. Besides, 40 pounds in three months is a HUGE number, even a bit quicker than suggested (.5-2 pounds per week).

Domicinator

Yeah--I have MFP set to 2 lbs. per week, but that's just how my body does it I guess. I don't ever feel like I'm not eating enough or anything like that. I think I'm just not accounting for some of the burn that I do through exercise and daily activity.

arb037

A 1 week stall can often times just be water retention, and once the body recalibrates he cells it flushes and you have a woosh effect where you will drop more weight than normal for the week.
You havent mentioned any of your stats like age height, weight, bodyfat%.
Something else is our metabolism adapts over time ( a process called adaptive thermogenesis) so that 1500 will work for some time then it wont, at that point you will either have to do one of two things. Reduce Calories more/ increase exercise OR ( better option) REVERSE DIET.
http://www.muscleforlife.com/reverse-diet/
Reverse diet is needed when you reach your goal anyway to prevent the rebound effect so.

zyxst

I've found the hardest thing about weight loss is being patient.

Domicinator

arb037 wrote: »

A 1 week stall can often times just be water retention, and once the body recalibrates he cells it flushes and you have a woosh effect where you will drop more weight than normal for the week.
You havent mentioned any of your stats like age height, weight, bodyfat%.
Something else is our metabolism adapts over time ( a process called adaptive thermogenesis) so that 1500 will work for some time then it wont, at that point you will either have to do one of two things. Reduce Calories more/ increase exercise OR ( better option) REVERSE DIET.
http://www.muscleforlife.com/reverse-diet/
Reverse diet is needed when you reach your goal anyway to prevent the rebound effect so.

I'm 37 (soon to be 38), 5'11", 209 lbs., currently 28% body fat

Domicinator

arb037 wrote: »

A 1 week stall can often times just be water retention, and once the body recalibrates he cells it flushes and you have a woosh effect where you will drop more weight than normal for the week.
You havent mentioned any of your stats like age height, weight, bodyfat%.
Something else is our metabolism adapts over time ( a process called adaptive thermogenesis) so that 1500 will work for some time then it wont, at that point you will either have to do one of two things. Reduce Calories more/ increase exercise OR ( better option) REVERSE DIET.
http://www.muscleforlife.com/reverse-diet/
Reverse diet is needed when you reach your goal anyway to prevent the rebound effect so.

I just read through this link--I AM BOOKMARKING THIS. Thank you so much--I do NOT want this weight coming back and I have never heard of reverse dieting before.

Need2Exerc1se

One week? I wouldn't even consider that a stall. But when I get stalls I just keep to my plan and focus on my health. Eventually my weight starts to move again. But sometimes it is up to a month for me. But that's okay. I never think of giving up because I never plan to give up. Never. My plan is to maintain my diet after I reach goal.

Also, you aren't likely gaining much muscle, but you could be retaining water in your muscles since you started biking.

Domicinator

zyxst wrote: »

I've found the hardest thing about weight loss is being patient.

Same here. I try to think of it as "10 lbs. at a time", so if I am at 230, my next goal is to get under 220, but the second I hit 219 I'm impatient to get down to 209.

Domicinator

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

One week? I wouldn't even consider that a stall. But when I get stalls I just keep to my plan and focus on my health. Eventually my weight starts to move again. But sometimes it is up to a month for me. But that's okay. I never think of giving up because I never plan to give up. Never. My plan is to maintain my diet after I reach goal.

Also, you aren't likely gaining much muscle, but you could be retaining water in your muscles since you started biking.

Yes--I have been thinking a lot about the "maintenance" period lately and how I'm going to tackle it. I want this to be a forever thing, not just lose all the weight and then eat it all back and say "oh well!" I have seen so many people fall into that trap.

CSARdiver

You'll find it difficult to maintain a loss of 2lbs/week the closer you get to your goal. I recently changed mine to 1 lb/week as I found it difficult to maintain training with the reduced calories.

I've also found that much of this is routine, as you body becomes more fit it will become more efficient, so you will have to work harder for the same caloric burn. If you are maintaining the deficit through exercise you will have to work longer and harder to keep this up.

As for maintenance there are great tips at the National Weight Control Registry: http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

velveteen7845

zyxst wrote: »

I've found the hardest thing about weight loss is being patient.

I agree. Sometimes all you can do is to stick to your plan and wait.

Kalikel

Short stalls, like two to five weeks, I just wait. Eventually, there will be weight loss and often, a whoosh. The waiting sucks, but the whooshes are lovely.

When it crawled to a stop and I just wasn't losing, I took a six month break.

callsitlikeiseeit

thats normal. not a stall LOL

just keep on keepin on. as long as you are in a deficit, the weight will come off. just not as fast as we would like it to, sometimes

Machka9

Domicinator wrote: »

Currently I am in a phase where my weight hasn't dropped an ounce in the last week. This is the third time I have been through this in the last three months. (I've lost 40 lbs. total so far.) Every time I have had this kind of week, it has made me want to quit. I get very frustrated by it. All I really know to do is just work through the frustration and stay the course--eventually the weight starts coming off again.

Stalling for a few days or a week or 10 days is completely normal. Happens all the time. I don't worry about it.

I just stick with what I'm doing ... if it goes on past a week, I might add a little bit extra exercise or tighten up my eating a little, but generally not too concerned.