Plateau? Diet for athletes question.

galephys

This is going to be long... sorry!
I am an active 27yo woman: I walk about 1.5-2 hours every day, take high level pole fitness classes every week and train at home every other day at worst. I am also training for 5k with a running app which makes me run\walk for 30 minutes every day, slowly shifting time to running. On top of that I do beginners yoga and stretching routines every day.
I eat clean as much as possible with my unusual job, stay away from junk food and soda, cook at home and drink only wine, and not too much. I allow myself a few things: pita chips, pistachios and trail mix. I cut the bread, even though I LOVE bread and chocolate.
Quiet a while ago, October 2011, I got a body composition report, which showed 16% fat, body cell mass 38%, 1463 basal metabolic rate. I am MUCH more active than I was at the time, built a 4-pack (6-pack is coming), strong arms and back and working on the lower body. Home scale shows 14.5% fat, 5lbs bone, about 63% muscle ( my scale is in kilos, so it's 2.3kg bone. 28kg muscle), water averaging 62%.
My goal according to MFP is 1200 net calories a day, and I am averaging a bit under, which brings me to average 1500 food a day, 300-5000 exercise. I try to keep it balanced, but naturally end up with more carbs and low on fats, but targeting protein. Every now and then I force myself into eating fats and I keep an eye on protein.
With all that said, I don't know what is going on with my weight: at first I quickly lost 6lbs, got down to 115lbs. And then BAM! - back to 118 and stayed there for a week! The strangest part is, my measurements are all the same! Arms, neck, biceps, bust, under bust, waist, belly, butt, hips, calfs, wrists... same! Percent of water is the same.
What am I doing wrong? Why did my weight suddenly go up to where it was? Should I cut more calories? Should I increase calories? Change my carbs\prtoeins\fats balance? Right now the target is 55\15\30.
thank you for reading and advice!

Koalahug

I have the exact same problem as you! Same weight as you and do roughly the same amount of exercise and eat the same! Good luck finding out it has baffled me ! I suspect some water weight goes undetected ? I drank a lot more water every time this happened and it went down ! However you say your waters the same ...I shall have an investigate and see what I can find out !

Good luck!

galephys

The only thing I can think off is waste (haha) and water, since it has beet really hot for the past week... but I always drink a lot and I have been exercising even more during this time, because my competition is next week. So, I don't know. Cycle related?... I'll update if anything changes.
P.S. phew. I am not the only one! thanks!

Christina8585

Honestly I don't know anything about maintaining weight at your weight level, but I'd suggest salmon baked at least two to three times a week. That's what I did awhile ago with good results and I'm doing it again.

sunlover89

If your goal is to burn more fat (decrease bf%) up the protein and fat and lower the carbs - 15% protein is crazy low for an athlete! Ditch the sugary trail mix and anything sweet that will trigger fat storage. Snack on pieces of chicken/turkey and low GI fruits like apples and plums.
Are you lifting?

PetiteLittleFlower

I am going through exactly the same, it is so frustrating. I don't exercise as much as you I don't think but I am quite active.

If anyone would also mind taking a look at my diary and giving some advice I would really appreciate it. Saves me putting a thread out

galephys

My fat is kinda low as it is, according to charts, but I can see it all gathered at my bum and legs now))))
I guess you are right, I should at least double my protein. I need to avoid protein powder though, as I agreed with my BF (don't ask...).
I snack mostly on apples, pineaple, peach, mango, strawberry and baby carrots, but I love bread and it is hard for me to just cut it put as a whole, so I left myself pita chips and trail mix, the latter I am slowly reducing every day until I run out of it. Pieces of chicken is a GREAT idea! thank you! I can grill it on George Foreman grill until crispy and dry and keep in a bag to much at work. That's great!
Are you saying if I increase protein it will help me move from the point I am now because more muscle burs more calories?'
Oh, and I don't lift yet - will start after a pole fitness competition. I pole dance with focus on tricks, which means I "lift" myself all the time and therefore have strong upper body. Lower body is a different story... that's why I am learning to run and will lift (read "squat").

PetiteLittleFlower

My fat is kinda low as it is, according to charts, but I can see it all gathered at my bum and legs now))))
I guess you are right, I should at least double my protein. I need to avoid protein powder though, as I agreed with my BF (don't ask...).
I snack mostly on apples, pineaple, peach, mango, strawberry and baby carrots, but I love bread and it is hard for me to just cut it put as a whole, so I left myself pita chips and trail mix, the latter I am slowly reducing every day until I run out of it. Pieces of chicken is a GREAT idea! thank you! I can grill it on George Foreman grill until crispy and dry and keep in a bag to much at work. That's great!
Are you saying if I increase protein it will help me move from the point I am now because more muscle burs more calories?'
Oh, and I don't lift yet - will start after a pole fitness competition. I pole dance with focus on tricks, which means I "lift" myself all the time and therefore have strong upper body. Lower body is a different story... that's why I am learning to run and will lift (read "squat").

I think the advice was to increase good fats Hun and protein and decrease carbs as much as pos.