3-month Plateau
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The first thing I would look at is accuracy. Are you weighing everything and are you logging accurate. If you are, how many times have you "cheated" or had a high calorie day? If it's been a while then you might need a refeed or simply a diet break for a while.
I'd like you to elaborate on this, please. It does not make sense have a "cheat" day or a "refeed" if you are not already lose weight.0 -
The first thing I would look at is accuracy. Are you weighing everything and are you logging accurate. If you are, how many times have you "cheated" or had a high calorie day? If it's been a while then you might need a refeed or simply a diet break for a while.
I'd like you to elaborate on this, please. It does not make sense have a "cheat" day or a "refeed" if you are not already lose weight.
IF she's being 100% accurate, which she's not, then a plateau with low calories and high amounts of exercise indicates hormonal imbalance (leptin being the main one). Adding a higher calorie day or a high calorie with high carbs (which is what an actual refeed is) can bring balance back to hormones. I'm sure you've seen many threads on here from people talking about how they stuck to their diet for months, but saw a huge drop after a cheat day.0 -
Does anyone have suggestions on how to accurately stay within calorie goals? Weigh food, etc?
use your food scale for everything at home.
make sure that you are logging EVERYTHING to the best of your ability...
I would also make sure that you are using correct MFP entries from their database and cross check it with a site like self nutrient data…
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Look at what you are eating. Change it up or eat less carbs. Change the workout maybe to shock your body a bit. Those are the things I've heard helps when you reach a plateau. And yes weight in everything and every morsel that goes in your mouth. You may be eating more than 1200 calories without realizing.0
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Changing the workout really has always helped me with plateaus - adding HIIT or increasing resistance training, adding a longer run...also- especially if you feel burnt out, taking a training break and THEN coming back fresh and changing up your schedule can be a real boost.0
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The first thing I would look at is accuracy. Are you weighing everything and are you logging accurate? If you are, how many times have you "cheated" or had a high-calorie day? If it's been a while then you might need a refeed or simply a diet break for a while.
I'd like you to elaborate on this, please. It does not make sense have a "cheat" day or a "refeed" if you do not already lose weight.
IF she's being 100% accurate, which she's not, then a plateau with low calories and high amounts of exercise indicates hormonal imbalance (leptin being the main one). Adding a higher calorie day or a high calorie with high carbs (which is what an actual refeed is) can bring balance back to hormones. I'm sure you've seen many threads on here from people talking about how they stuck to their diet for months but saw a huge drop after a cheat day.
This is pretty similar to what my trainer has told me too and when I was losing weight I noticed the cheat days actually helped. He simplified it for me by telling me I'm keeping my metabolism up by having a cheat day no more than once every 7 days. Of course, I don't go overboard on cheat days! I just am able to indulge a little where I couldn't before! As far as workouts go, I change my cardio and strength routines every four weeks so I think in that aspect, I am doing pretty good!
I seriously think it's motivation and getting advice from everyone is definitely a motivator to keep going and utilize the great advice everyone has! Here's to losing weight over the holiday season and hotting my goals!!0 -
Look at what you are eating. Change it up or eat less carbs. Change the workout maybe to shock your body a bit. Those are the things I've heard helps when you reach a plateau. And yes weight in everything and every morsel that goes in your mouth. You may be eating more than 1200 calories without realizing.
The only thing I agree with is log accurately and weigh.
You can't shock your body and carbs are fine unless op has a medical condition...0 -
Every time I plateaued or stalled I could trace it back to my logging getting slack. I wouldn't add the chocolate after dinner or the second serving of whatever etc etc etc
Once I tightened up my logging and was honest and accurate the weight started shifting again. Weigh everything you eat on a food scale.0 -
Start first with CONSISTENCY and ACCURACY.
Also, you're on 1200 and not counting the exercise calories against it? Classic reason for metabolic rate to drop further and also a good reason as to why weight loss would stall IF the two above were applied.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Some people are eating too few calories. 1200 calories is probably putting your bodies into "starvation mode" and starts retaining fat. You need enough calories. Just also need the right amount of cardio and general exercise.0
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CafeMatrix wrote: »Some people are eating too few calories. 1200 calories is probably putting your bodies into "starvation mode" and starts retaining fat. You need enough calories. Just also need the right amount of cardio and general exercise.
Starvation mode is a myth. You would need to eat nothing for a prolonged period for your body to start canobilizing itself.
If you gained weight from starving no one would would ever die from starvation.0 -
CafeMatrix wrote: »Some people are eating too few calories. 1200 calories is probably putting your bodies into "starvation mode" and starts retaining fat. You need enough calories. Just also need the right amount of cardio and general exercise.
The evidence of the man who ate nothing for 382 days and lost a load of weight disproves your hypothesis.
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CafeMatrix wrote: »Some people are eating too few calories. 1200 calories is probably putting your bodies into "starvation mode" and starts retaining fat. You need enough calories. Just also need the right amount of cardio and general exercise.
Starvation mode is a myth.
You don't need cardio or general exercise to lose weight, but both are beneficial to overall health. Cardio raises one's TDEE so that once can eat a bit more.
I agree enough calories is necessary within your deficit to properly fuel your body. However, if you're not losing weight inaccuracy of calories in and/or out is generally the real problem. In other words, you are probably eating more than you realize.0 -
The first thing I would look at is accuracy. Are you weighing everything and are you logging accurate. If you are, how many times have you "cheated" or had a high calorie day? If it's been a while then you might need a refeed or simply a diet break for a while.
I'd like you to elaborate on this, please. It does not make sense have a "cheat" day or a "refeed" if you are not already lose weight.
IF she's being 100% accurate, which she's not, then a plateau with low calories and high amounts of exercise indicates hormonal imbalance (leptin being the main one). Adding a higher calorie day or a high calorie with high carbs (which is what an actual refeed is) can bring balance back to hormones. I'm sure you've seen many threads on here from people talking about how they stuck to their diet for months, but saw a huge drop after a cheat day.
@usmcmp, thank you elaborating. My interest is piqued.
Do you possibly know of some documentation that demonstrates higher calories for one day or higher carbs for one day will return leptin levels to normal? And, if they are returned to normal levels, how long before they drop again?
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@SLLRunner I'm not a huge fan of these articles, but there are studies at the bottom that I find interesting:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/refeeds-for-fat-loss-the-science-behind-leptin.html
http://dynamicduotraining.com/nutrition/the-science-behind-refeed-days/
This is where I first heard about leptin (there's several articles that were written):
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-hormones-of-bodyweight-regulation-leptin-part-1.html/
I would say that not everyone will find they need a refeed. Plenty of people don't have a dramatic enough of a deficit to impact hormones or they regularly "cheat". Refeeds are used by some bodybuilders during the cutting phase due to the deficit and often eating lower carb (not necessarily low, but lower). Carb cycling worked well for me for a while to keep the fat loss going, but I reached a point during competition prep where I plateaued and when a refeed was added (at TDEE with 100g protein, 20g fat, the rest carbs) the weight dropped significantly the next two days. If I hadn't been accurate with logging then improving accuracy would have come long before a refeed.
There is a relationship between leptin, insulin, ghrelin and cortisol. I haven't attempted to fully understand it and I probably should at some point.0 -
@SLLRunner I'm not a huge fan of these articles, but there are studies at the bottom that I find interesting:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/refeeds-for-fat-loss-the-science-behind-leptin.html
http://dynamicduotraining.com/nutrition/the-science-behind-refeed-days/
This is where I first heard about leptin (there's several articles that were written):
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-hormones-of-bodyweight-regulation-leptin-part-1.html/
I would say that not everyone will find they need a refeed. Plenty of people don't have a dramatic enough of a deficit to impact hormones or they regularly "cheat". Refeeds are used by some bodybuilders during the cutting phase due to the deficit and often eating lower carb (not necessarily low, but lower). Carb cycling worked well for me for a while to keep the fat loss going, but I reached a point during competition prep where I plateaued and when a refeed was added (at TDEE with 100g protein, 20g fat, the rest carbs) the weight dropped significantly the next two days. If I hadn't been accurate with logging then improving accuracy would have come long before a refeed.
There is a relationship between leptin, insulin, ghrelin and cortisol. I haven't attempted to fully understand it and I probably should at some point.
I do agree. If you are doing everything by the book (weighing foods and logging) and have been stuck for a while a refeed maybe in order.
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When I stalled, I reviewed what I wasn't doing right..realized I was not drinking enough water and a bit dehydrated. Upped my calories by 400 and drank 60 ounces of water.. started losing once again
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@usmcmp, I am learning about leptin, so forgive me if I'm not following. What I gleaned from these articles is that eating at a larger deficit for a prolonged period of time causes a leptin decrease, but a refeed up to TDEE or slightly above is supposed to raise leptin levels so hopefully weight loss starts again. Well, it seems to me if you're truly eating at a calorie deficit and you eat at maintenance or slightly above one or two days a week, you're total overall calories are still at a deficit. Thus, the weight loss happens. because of the deficit and not the refeed day.
If you think you're eating at a calorie deficit but you're really not due to inaccuracy, a refeed day is the worst action a person could take. I've seen plenty of posts where people think they should just start eating more when they are not losing weight.
However, I see nothing in the articles that addressed my questions above. I have a difficult time believing that you can overeat one day and have a drop in the scale the next day just due to overeating (or refeed). It seems to me that it would be more coincidence than anything and part of natural fluctuations.0 -
sunandmoons wrote: »When I stalled, I reviewed what I wasn't doing right..realized I was not drinking enough water and a bit dehydrated. Upped my calories by 400 and drank 60 ounces of water.. started losing once again
You upped your calories by 400 for one day only and drank 60 ounces of water? Or, you did this for a prolonged period?
Either way, you still had to be in a deficit to lose weight.0
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