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What goes up must come down...right?
tmove2015
Posts: 153 Member
Hey everyone, I'm Taneya! So I'm just curious to see if anyone has had a similar experience to me while on this weight-loss journey. So a little background info me: Started MFP again in Jan. 2015 at 197 pounds and I'm 5'2. I cut of lots of fast food, drank more water, exercised 4-5 times a week doing high intense workout videos. I lost about 20 pounds in 6 months. Which I though was long time-especially when I see people losing like 40 pounds in 6 months. I know I have some muscle but not that much to lose that slowly. THEN...in June I noticed my weight starting to plateau. I was between 177,178,179 then back to 178 for like the whole month of June and most of July....So of course I got confused frustrated slacked off. Now I've "got my groove back" and have been training since first week of August for my first 10K (woohoo!) and my weight has gone up to 180...I've been 180 for the last two weeks...WHY? You should know I workout at least 6 times a week and alternate between running and biking. (NSV: I just ran 4 miles in 40 minutes! YAY!) So what gives? I feel bloated a lot and I try to drink at least 3 bottles of water daily. I eat a lot of vegetables and chicken breast. Why am I not losing weight faster? -No i don't have food scale because I don't think that's habit I want to keep long-term (just being honest with myself).
So have you gone through this? What did you do to get unstuck? Helpful suggestions please!
Have a blessed day All!
So have you gone through this? What did you do to get unstuck? Helpful suggestions please!
Have a blessed day All!
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Replies
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You are eating more than you think. It was enough for the relatively slow loss the first months, now you are at maintenance. You can eat healthy food but still eat a lot of it
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eat less food....0
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You mentioned nothing about your calorie deficit.0
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You can run 100 miles a day, but if you don't get control of your eating you will not see weight loss. You will be awseomely healthy, heart wise, but you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose, period.
I get not wanting to weigh food forever, BUT you also have to walk before you run, right? You have to spend some time finding out exactly what you're eating, learn portion control and what the proper amount is for you. If will take forever to learn taht without spending some time breaking down what you're eating to know near exactly. Eye balling portions can account for 500-1000 cals a day!!! Did you hear me?
EM2WL group
EM2WL periscope
Check out these resources to learn more.0 -
Ok thank you all. I just try to stay in the green in cals at the end of each day. Can you explain how that works in to my calorie deficit or lack thereof please?0
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If you just started back < 4 weeks ago and have been training intensly you might be losing fat just fine but be retaining water. You also say that you feel bloated much of the time, which could also be water weight caused by a drastic change in diet.
If you are logging without weighing to the best of your ability, and being honest about your portions, I'd give it a bit more time. It's not uncommon to not lose anything the first 3-4 weeks of starting a new program.
You might also take note of what you eat when you feel bloated. It could be specific food causing it.0 -
Ok thank you all. I just try to stay in the green in cals at the end of each day. Can you explain how that works in to my calorie deficit or lack thereof please?
your calorie targets per these calculators are just estimates...to boot, people regularly underestimate their intake...often significantly...which really isn't hard to do.
weight management is all about energy balance. If you're losing weight, you're in an energy deficit...if you're maintaining weight, you're consuming a balance of energy...if you're gaining weight, you are eating a surplus of energy.
also, you can't look at little 2-3 Lb fluctuations as gaining weight...going from 178 to 180 or whatever is well within natural daily fluctuations.
to me it looks like you're eating maintenance.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Ok thank you all. I just try to stay in the green in cals at the end of each day. Can you explain how that works in to my calorie deficit or lack thereof please?
your calorie targets per these calculators are just estimates...to boot, people regularly underestimate their intake...often significantly...which really isn't hard to do.
weight management is all about energy balance. If you're losing weight, you're in an energy deficit...if you're maintaining weight, you're consuming a balance of energy...if you're gaining weight, you are eating a surplus of energy.
also, you can't look at little 2-3 Lb fluctuations as gaining weight...going from 178 to 180 or whatever is well within natural daily fluctuations.
to me it looks like you're eating maintenance.
Ok thank you so much for breaking this down.
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Can you open your diary?
There are some "measurements" that are very sketchy.
slice
cup
bowl
piece
If you are using these often, you can be underestimating your intake severely. And if you're underestimating your intake you will always be in the green even though you are actually eating 1000 calories more than you're recording.0 -
XavierNusum wrote: »You can run 100 miles a day, but if you don't get control of your eating you will not see weight loss. You will be awseomely healthy, heart wise, but you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose, period.
I get not wanting to weigh food forever, BUT you also have to walk before you run, right? You have to spend some time finding out exactly what you're eating, learn portion control and what the proper amount is for you. If will take forever to learn taht without spending some time breaking down what you're eating to know near exactly. Eye balling portions can account for 500-1000 cals a day!!! Did you hear me?
EM2WL group
EM2WL periscope
Check out these resources to learn more.
Whew! I hear ya loud and clear. It seems that could definitely be part of my problem. Thank you for the group links also. Maybe it's time to dig a little deeper!
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »If you just started back < 4 weeks ago and have been training intensly you might be losing fat just fine but be retaining water. You also say that you feel bloated much of the time, which could also be water weight caused by a drastic change in diet.
If you are logging without weighing to the best of your ability, and being honest about your portions, I'd give it a bit more time. It's not uncommon to not lose anything the first 3-4 weeks of starting a new program.
You might also take note of what you eat when you feel bloated. It could be specific food causing it.
Thank you. I do feel like I retain a lot of water and I know I do often eat things high in sodium, but I though as long as could flush it out with more water it would help...starting to rethink that.
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Hey everyone, I'm Taneya! So I'm just curious to see if anyone has had a similar experience to me while on this weight-loss journey. So a little background info me: Started MFP again in Jan. 2015 at 197 pounds and I'm 5'2. I cut of lots of fast food, drank more water, exercised 4-5 times a week doing high intense workout videos. I lost about 20 pounds in 6 months. Which I though was long time-especially when I see people losing like 40 pounds in 6 months. I know I have some muscle but not that much to lose that slowly. THEN...in June I noticed my weight starting to plateau. I was between 177,178,179 then back to 178 for like the whole month of June and most of July....So of course I got confused frustrated slacked off. Now I've "got my groove back" and have been training since first week of August for my first 10K (woohoo!) and my weight has gone up to 180...I've been 180 for the last two weeks...WHY? You should know I workout at least 6 times a week and alternate between running and biking. (NSV: I just ran 4 miles in 40 minutes! YAY!) So what gives? I feel bloated a lot and I try to drink at least 3 bottles of water daily. I eat a lot of vegetables and chicken breast. Why am I not losing weight faster? -No i don't have food scale because I don't think that's habit I want to keep long-term (just being honest with myself).
So have you gone through this? What did you do to get unstuck? Helpful suggestions please!
Have a blessed day All!
From what you wrote, I'm thinking two things:
(1) You are eating more than you realize. You can eat within your perception of healthy all you want, but if you don't eat at a calorie deficit you will not lose weight. If you want to know how much you're eating, it's a good idea to weigh your food and log everything you eat. If you don't want to weigh your food and/or log everything you eat, you're going to have to do some trial and error work by cutting back on your portions.
(2) You just started training again, so come of the scale fluctuation could be water retention as your muscles work to repair themselves.
So, eat less and be patient is my advice. 0 -
Ok thank you all. I just try to stay in the green in cals at the end of each day. Can you explain how that works in to my calorie deficit or lack thereof please?
If you're not weighing your food you are taking guesses at portions, and most people underestimate their intake.
Since it sounds like you do log your food, you might want to open your diary so we can give you some specific examples.
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Ok thank you all. I just try to stay in the green in cals at the end of each day. Can you explain how that works in to my calorie deficit or lack thereof please?
If you're not weighing your food you are taking guesses at portions, and most people underestimate their intake.
Since it sounds like you do log your food, you might want to open your diary so we can give you some specific examples.
Your insight is so helpful. I think I'm seeing a trend in my suggestions. I did open my diary so feel free to check it out. I don't know why I kept it closed you can see all the food on me anyway
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I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.0
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I agree, you are either underestimating or under-eating. Both will result in no weight loss.
Spend a month weighing everything and see what changes can be made. If it only goes up by 1-300 cals, then you may just need to eat more. Extreme deficits, especially for long periods, can cause weight plateaus due to metabolic suppression.0 -
XavierNusum wrote: »I agree, you are either underestimating or under-eating. Both will result in no weight loss.
Spend a month weighing everything and see what changes can be made. If it only goes up by 1-300 cals, then you may just need to eat more. Extreme deficits, especially for long periods, can cause weight plateaus due to metabolic suppression.
NO!
If so why do people starve to dead why does anorexia exist...please stop posting this.
Under eating doesn't cause plateaus or gain weight!!!!
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I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
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You all have been so helpful. Thank you for your insight! Please feel free to add me! Have a great day!0
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XavierNusum wrote: »I agree, you are either underestimating or under-eating. Both will result in no weight loss.
Spend a month weighing everything and see what changes can be made. If it only goes up by 1-300 cals, then you may just need to eat more. Extreme deficits, especially for long periods, can cause weight plateaus due to metabolic suppression.
NO!
If so why do people starve to dead why does anorexia exist...please stop posting this.
Under eating doesn't cause plateaus or gain weight!!!!
You speaking about cases of true starvation where people are either NOT eating are eating so little calories that the body starts to really burn anything it can for energy. That is most certainly the exception around here and not the rule. That is not what is happening with this lady or most people trying to shed a few pounds. This ain't survivor.
ED's are a very different story that I am not speaking about at all and I will not because those folks need professional help, not internet advice.
I'm speaking to the average person who automatically drops their calorie intake to 1200 and loses a few pounds initially then all of a sudden hits a wall. You body will survive if it's given any chance. It does this by burning whatever it can for energy and also making changes to require less energy. Reduced circulation, wonder why your hands and feet are cold, hair loss, hormonal issues, irritability and other issues. A lot of people cause there own thyroid issues by under-eating.
Are you under-eating
Under-eating does cause plateaus! Over-eating after a restrictive yo-yo diet causes weight gain. Not only that, but you end up with MORE fat than you previously had making the next yo-yo diet harder.
You may not like it or believe it but that doesn't change it's truth. Check the links I provided earlier.0 -
ahhhh a woo study on a site that wants you to buy a book.
Under eating does NOT cause plateau's
the average person who hits a wall you are speaking off is most of the time not weighing or counting their food properly...they lose some water weight to start with...but burning fat nope
It is not the truth
Science is
Eating LESS calories than you burn= losing weight
Eating MORE calories than you burn = gaining weight
Eating EQUAL calories as you burn = maintaining you weight
For EVERYBODY.....medical issues, medications, sex, age, etc can have their influence on how fast or slow you lose
That is the truth
Nothing more nothing less
Now you may not like this or believe this but search for some REAL (government) studies and it will tell you.
Most plateaus are caused by the fact that the person who loses weight gets lighter and their deficit gets smaller with it. The more you lose the less calories your body need.
When you dont adjust your calories along the way than at one point your deficit is that small that the losing is slowed down to a minimum or even stopped.
Because you eat at maintenance.
The moment the person starts logging/counting correctly or tighten up their logging by being more accurate ( which a lot of people starts doing when they "eat more to lose weight" ) they start losing weight again.
So this is not because they eat more...they just got more accurate and their deficit is there again and they lose weight.
But to close this whole discussion because i wont change your mind and you wont ever change mine
for people who believe you...try it peeps eat more lets see who is right
For others...just weigh your food accurate on a food scale in grams...dont use cups or spoons But weigh your food.
Eat less than you burn and you WILL lose weight....EVERYBODY!
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Good article on how starvation mode is a myth : http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
OP: you said you eat a lot of meals high in sodium.. Is it possible for water weight? do you eat a lot of frozen and prepacked meals/foods?
Are you using a food scale to weigh your foods? ( I apologize if it's already mentioned, I skimmed many of the comments)0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
Condiments, beverages and cooking oils can be huge! I don't have a recommendation. I bought one from my local grocery store for $12, I don't even know what brand it is. Any digital scale should be fine.
And no, eating more will not result in weight loss, so ignore that.0 -
Eating more will not make you lose weight. You may not like it or believe it, but that's the truth.XavierNusum wrote: »XavierNusum wrote: »I agree, you are either underestimating or under-eating. Both will result in no weight loss.
Spend a month weighing everything and see what changes can be made. If it only goes up by 1-300 cals, then you may just need to eat more. Extreme deficits, especially for long periods, can cause weight plateaus due to metabolic suppression.
NO!
If so why do people starve to dead why does anorexia exist...please stop posting this.
Under eating doesn't cause plateaus or gain weight!!!!
You speaking about cases of true starvation where people are either NOT eating are eating so little calories that the body starts to really burn anything it can for energy. That is most certainly the exception around here and not the rule. That is not what is happening with this lady or most people trying to shed a few pounds. This ain't survivor.
ED's are a very different story that I am not speaking about at all and I will not because those folks need professional help, not internet advice.
I'm speaking to the average person who automatically drops their calorie intake to 1200 and loses a few pounds initially then all of a sudden hits a wall. You body will survive if it's given any chance. It does this by burning whatever it can for energy and also making changes to require less energy. Reduced circulation, wonder why your hands and feet are cold, hair loss, hormonal issues, irritability and other issues. A lot of people cause there own thyroid issues by under-eating.
Are you under-eating
Under-eating does cause plateaus! Over-eating after a restrictive yo-yo diet causes weight gain. Not only that, but you end up with MORE fat than you previously had making the next yo-yo diet harder.
You may not like it or believe it but that doesn't change it's truth. Check the links I provided earlier.
Also, your article from the "Paleo and ancestral health community "... NO0 -
OP- One thing about your diary, start using an actual tablespoon to measure your creamer. My "tablespoons" I used to log were sometimes 3x that amount. That was an extra 70 calories a day, 490 calories a week, before I actually ate any food!
ETA: Watch the trail mix as well. I see you're always logging 3/8 of a cup. Measure (preferably weigh!) that out, as nuts are calorie dense.0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
Yeah, condiments are huge. I sometimes have to skip on them because they don't fit in my day. I even weigh my ketchup if I'm going to use it. Mayo, dressings, tomato sauce, etc-can be hundreds of calories if you use them every day.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
Yeah, condiments are huge. I sometimes have to skip on them because they don't fit in my day. I even weigh my ketchup if I'm going to use it. Mayo, dressings, tomato sauce, etc-can be hundreds of calories if you use them every day.
condiments are sometimes even more than my whole salad lol
Some lettuce tomatoes and cucumber...mehhhh couple of calories...ad only one spoon of Maries dressing and bammm 170 calories. And that is not even weighed out lol
So you better do because some foods are very calorie dense...oils etc 1 spoon is about 160 calories.
this is the very reason i log and weigh everything...a deficit is wiped out before you know it.
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arditarose wrote: »I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
Yeah, condiments are huge. I sometimes have to skip on them because they don't fit in my day. I even weigh my ketchup if I'm going to use it. Mayo, dressings, tomato sauce, etc-can be hundreds of calories if you use them every day.
condiments are sometimes even more than my whole salad lol
Some lettuce tomatoes and cucumber...mehhhh couple of calories...ad only one spoon of Maries dressing and bammm 170 calories. And that is not even weighed out lol
So you better do because some foods are very calorie dense...oils etc 1 spoon is about 160 calories.
this is the very reason i log and weigh everything...a deficit is wiped out before you know it.
Yep yep. Which is why hot sauce has saved my life. Ha (and I do find a way to log it even though it says zero calories).0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I_Will_End_You wrote: »I checked out your diary. If your logging is accurate, you should definitely be losing weight. Do you include condiments, drinks, sauces, oils used in cooking, etc...? I agree that your portion sizes are off, and a scale would be beneficial (even just temporarily) but it looks like more is missing. Most days you're well under 1200.
No I don't include condiments and I do have occasional alcoholic drinks with the husband that I don't always log. So I can see where the issues are with inaccuracy. Do you have any food scale recommendations?
Yeah, condiments are huge. I sometimes have to skip on them because they don't fit in my day. I even weigh my ketchup if I'm going to use it. Mayo, dressings, tomato sauce, etc-can be hundreds of calories if you use them every day.
condiments are sometimes even more than my whole salad lol
Some lettuce tomatoes and cucumber...mehhhh couple of calories...ad only one spoon of Maries dressing and bammm 170 calories. And that is not even weighed out lol
So you better do because some foods are very calorie dense...oils etc 1 spoon is about 160 calories.
this is the very reason i log and weigh everything...a deficit is wiped out before you know it.
Yep yep. Which is why hot sauce has saved my life. Ha (and I do find a way to log it even though it says zero calories).
yeah in my dreams i would love the hot sauce ....but cant have to many salt.....( and no peeps salt isnt bad i am not saying that..i love salt...but just cant have it lol)
There are more great sauces at this moment btw i mix some Bolthouse farmes dressing with vinegar...or water and spices and herbs...very good too and saves the "heavy densed dressings" and oils
But "forgetting" that tiny piece of butter or peanut butter..that one grape you throw in your mouth when passing by the fruit dish... that inch (cube) of cheese which can be over 50 calories....They all contribute to the normal error/in-accuracy of 23% everybody has in their diary.... it can quickly be hundreds of calories
Packed foods and servings sizes??.....well weigh them They are never the weight that says on the label...can be less...but lots of times it is more. So for some calorie dense food the error adds up quickly.
Now when you lose weight fine you have those errors too... only you dont notice this ..you lose weight right. But your weight loss slows down over time because of these reasons
1. The in-accuracy in your logging/weighing/choosing the right entry's
2. you get lighter ( lose weight) so your deficit gets smaller over time
3. Its a fact the closer to a healthy weight you lose slower ( again smaller deficit)
Choosing the right entry's is a big thing too.
Because the entry's on MFP are made by the members and really i saw whole avocado's for 100 calories
Just members who are not accurate or lazy whatever and made the entry and logged it that way.
When you chose an entry like that and your avocado is 300 calories well major in-accurate
For new foods i always check the USDA site.... from there i search in the MFP if i can find the right/same entry...that one i log. When not i make the right entry into the MFP database using the data of the USDA site.
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OP- One thing about your diary, start using an actual tablespoon to measure your creamer. My "tablespoons" I used to log were sometimes 3x that amount. That was an extra 70 calories a day, 490 calories a week, before I actually ate any food!
ETA: Watch the trail mix as well. I see you're always logging 3/8 of a cup. Measure (preferably weigh!) that out, as nuts are calorie dense.
Thanks I just had a wake-up call to that today..when I saw how much 1/4 cup serving was I freaked! I have definitely been under-estimating my food intake. Which now is starting to make more since of my progress thus far. Thanks!
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