HELP! STUCK, WEIGHT UP AND DOWN

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My weight has been yoyoing up and down for a few months...between 200-206. The lowest ive gotten is 200.6. Next day im thinking im goin to hit ONEDERLAND and BAM! 205 the next day. Its been doing that for atleast 2 months. Ive changed from doin cardio so much and added weight training only to gain more weight and once i stop i just go back to yoyoing the same 5 pounds. Anyone know wat i can do to break this nightmare of a plateau?! Im seriously thinking of goin on a fasting diet or something til im clear of the 200s even if only by 2 pounds. So desperate!

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Setting your diary to public or giving us some more details might help get you more specific advice. Until then, these are my really general tips. Maybe something will help you out.

    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so since you last saw a drop on the scale, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You don't mention anything about counting calories. Are you doing that?

    New/increased exercise will cause water retention, which can add weight, but it's only temporary.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    When I got fit before (before my last baby) I stalled out well above my goal weight. I started working out with weights, and I stayed stalled for a good six weeks. Something made me stick with it, and the scale moved... A lot. Keep at it and don't give up.

    Also, it don't hurt to get super-focused on your food weighing and logging for a while. When I do, I lose more.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    My weight has been yoyoing up and down for a few months...between 200-206. The lowest ive gotten is 200.6. Next day im thinking im goin to hit ONEDERLAND and BAM! 205 the next day. Its been doing that for atleast 2 months. Ive changed from doin cardio so much and added weight training only to gain more weight and once i stop i just go back to yoyoing the same 5 pounds. Anyone know wat i can do to break this nightmare of a plateau?! Im seriously thinking of goin on a fasting diet or something til im clear of the 200s even if only by 2 pounds. So desperate!

    Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Diannethegeek gives good tips above. If you aren't using a food scale to weigh/measure all your food & drinks you should try that first. If you aren't logging start logging to get an understanding of how much you really are eating and drinking. You can not out exercise a bad diet.
  • ettaterrell
    ettaterrell Posts: 887 Member
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    What weight loss plan are you following? That will help a lot of us to know who can help answer your questions. I'm a LCHF plan so I couldn't answer if your following a SAD or other diet plan.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    A fasting diet isn't necessary :]

    Are you eating at a deficit, first of all? You seem to be doing a good amount of exercise which is great - but are you tracking your food accurately? Are you weighing your food if you are tracking? The key to weight loss is that deficit. That's all that matters. You don't need to put yourself through any 'fasting plans' and you don't need to kill yourself in the gym! That's the good news! But you need to tighten up the logging. Try that for a couple of weeks and you'll be surprised :)
  • kiramommy08
    kiramommy08 Posts: 44 Member
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    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Weight loss is always and forever about what you put in your mouth. If you're not losing you are eating too much, end of story, full stop. Stalling when you start a new exercise regime is normal due to water retention for muscle repair masking loss, so its not technically a plateau or stall, you're just not seeing the true picture on the scale.

    Really, what you need to get a grip on is your calorie intake, log those snacks, save calories to allow for those snacks. Bottom line, eat less!
  • kiramommy08
    kiramommy08 Posts: 44 Member
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    No i dont count them
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    No i dont count them

    There's your answer. A calorie is a calorie whether eaten at 1pm or 1am. You haven't stalled, you're eating too much.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    No i dont count them

    Accurate logging will help you see how much you're eating. It sounds like you're destroying your deficit. Start logging them, and find ways to either incorporate the snacks into your goals or not eat them.
  • kiramommy08
    kiramommy08 Posts: 44 Member
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    At night i tend to have a hard time knowing rather to log what i eat on the previous day (before 12am) or the next day (after 12am) cause i will get up around 1am or 2 am and will eat and that is what doesnt get logged. So i should log them for the previous day (before 12am, since its dark) or the new day (after 12am since its technically a new day) if this isnt too confusing
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    At night i tend to have a hard time knowing rather to log what i eat on the previous day (before 12am) or the next day (after 12am) cause i will get up around 1am or 2 am and will eat and that is what doesnt get logged. So i should log them for the previous day (before 12am, since its dark) or the new day (after 12am since its technically a new day) if this isnt too confusing
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.

    It's personal preference. If you do choose to log them the previous day, know that if/when you close your diary out it won't send to your news feed.
  • kiramommy08
    kiramommy08 Posts: 44 Member
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    Ok that makes sense. So what day do i log the calories for? Previous day or new day
    No i dont count them

    There's your answer. A calorie is a calorie whether eaten at 1pm or 1am. You haven't stalled, you're eating too much.

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    At night i tend to have a hard time knowing rather to log what i eat on the previous day (before 12am) or the next day (after 12am) cause i will get up around 1am or 2 am and will eat and that is what doesnt get logged. So i should log them for the previous day (before 12am, since its dark) or the new day (after 12am since its technically a new day) if this isnt too confusing
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.
    aggelikik wrote: »
    Well. I do count calories but im a stay at home mom so i sleep alot during the day and up most of the night so with being awake at night comes the late night snacking, i hardly ever exercise anymore due to the cold weather but when i do the scale goes up instead of down. I just changed my calorie settings for the first time like last week after the big weight drop. One thing about this tho ive hit a plateau before but i didnt have a yoyo. Just a stall and i broke right past it after a few weeks of a new exercise. What im goin thru now is just plain rediculous!

    Do you count your late night snacking calories? If not, you have your answer.

    Doesn't really matter as long as it's consistent. So make a choice on what day to log them for and do that every time going forward. The easiest for me would be to just log it as I eat it and not worry about what day it is as long as I'm hitting my goal.
  • kiramommy08
    kiramommy08 Posts: 44 Member
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    Thanks ladies!!!
  • lisah180
    lisah180 Posts: 69 Member
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    I've had good luck logging my dinner and snacks first and than I know how many calories I have to eat during the day ((I found that I would eat too much during the day and not save enough calories for the evening)) so my dinner and evening snacks from yesterday are already logged today if that makes sense..