2 years in - but it's not working any more?

jenanon1

I've been logging faithfully for over 2 years now. Year 1 I lost about 60lbs, nice and slowly, tailing of towards the end of the year. Year 2 only lost 20lbs but I had slacked off a bit, eating a bit more and exercising a bit less. Now I'm into year 3 and my weight loss appears to have stalled big time. I know I was slacking over Christmas and had started eating more sweets again, but have been faithfully logging, weighing everything for the whole time and was maintaining nicely. I wanted to start losing again so I've been avoiding sweets for the last two or three weeks and tightening up my logging again but appear to be putting weight back on. I'm 5 foot 7, 245lbs as of this morning. Eating about 1400 per day, eating back some exercise cals and weighing everything. I eat mostly my own cooking which is done from scratch. I think I might be perimenopausal lately and feel like I'm retaining water but surely I should be losing a little? Help! I feel like a rookie but I know this works and it has before so why isn't it now?

scolaris

I'm puzzled you could gain, or even maintain, at 1400 calories over such a long time. That makes me think you might be eating more than you realize. I would go very back to basics on the weighing/measuring/logging.
You also don't mention your typical activity. If you were more active previously & now you're not doing those things, that could kill your deficit in a hurry.
Just for comparison I'm 5'6" and 169ish. I've lost 30+ lbs slowly, like you, but I eat anywhere between 1700 and 2200 calories most days. I do walk a lot & visit the gym several times a week to do yoga or dance or lift. I'm 52 & done with menopause, thank goodness... I believe active menopause is a bit of a bugger that can slow ones progress but it can't refute thermodynamics completely!
Several years is a loooong time to live in deficit. Have you ever given yourself a proper diet break of eating at maintenance and using that time to re-focus on your goals? I only started in August but I've already needed a few breaks.
Anyway, I hope something there is helpful. You've done so much already. Don't get discouraged now! It's a long journey, and new puzzles emerge along the way. I wish you well. xo

Yi5hedr3

Simple - keep carbs under 100 grams/day. Stay at deficit.

ilex70

I would try a diet break. Set MFP to maintain your current weight, target that for at least two weeks, maybe more.

And agree too that not losing on 1400 at your weight is pretty hard to explain, even if you are very sedentary. You might find that increasing your protein is helpful if you aren't eating much at present.

I'm 45, pretty sure I'm in peri. I started out with a lower calorie intake than you are currently using, but I also started at a lower weight. I do exercise. Just walking at first, now fairly intense cardio roughly 4 hours a week.

Keep at it.

Francl27

All I can think of is that you have a health condition, or are overestimating exercise calories and eating back too much, or you are using inaccurate entries.

Ninkyou

I looked at your diary and just since March 25th you've had SIX days of being over your goal. I added all six days together, and you're 1,810 calories over (assuming your logging is super accurate). That's alot to be over in a week. So I went back further to February and from Feb 6th to the 16th, you're over everyday, for a total of 1700 calories. You're certainly not going to be losing weight like that. It's not a mystery why you're not losing.

Bottomline: You need to consume less calories.

jenanon1

But assuming I'm accurately logging (a big assumption I know) then that adds up to 3500 cals, a pound over target, and target is 1.5 lbs loss a week. I do get what you are saying but I'm not convinced that is enough to stall completely or even gain weight unless my tdee is waaaaay lower than mfp thinks. I will however look at tightening up again and keep to my cals (as I said I know I've been slacking and you are correct in that I've been over eating for a while compared to a definite decent deficit).

VintageFeline

Are you saying it's only been two or three weeks since you started back at your deficit? If so your losses could absolutely be masked or you could have a little hangover gain from prior to that. My body take a few weeks to catch up with itself with losses and gains so I don't worry until I get to say 6-8 weeks of accurate logging before reassessing.

jenanon1

Good point. I'm tempted to eat at maintenance for a couple of weeks, then try again for 4-6 weeks as losses could indeed be being masked. Thank you all for your input, it's greatly appreciated

Francl27

You should still be losing even eating 1800 a day.

Wondering about those 'pats of butter' entries though?

Either way, you've been at this for a long time... Personally I'd go see a doctor first, then I'd just take a diet break... eat at maintenance for a couple weeks. See what http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ tells you for lightly active and use that. Then switch to a 20% deficit and don't even worry about exercise calories.

brenn24179

after 2 yrs I start putting my weight back on, this has gone on for years, maybe I get complacent and start eating a bit more but here recently I have cut out junk food and it has helped. I get so carried away with it.

kshama2001

jenanon1 wrote: »

I've been logging faithfully for over 2 years now. Year 1 I lost about 60lbs, nice and slowly, tailing of towards the end of the year. Year 2 only lost 20lbs but I had slacked off a bit, eating a bit more and exercising a bit less. Now I'm into year 3 and my weight loss appears to have stalled big time. I know I was slacking over Christmas and had started eating more sweets again, but have been faithfully logging, weighing everything for the whole time and was maintaining nicely. I wanted to start losing again so I've been avoiding sweets for the last two or three weeks and tightening up my logging again but appear to be putting weight back on. I'm 5 foot 7, 245lbs as of this morning. Eating about 1400 per day, eating back some exercise cals and weighing everything. I eat mostly my own cooking which is done from scratch. I think I might be perimenopausal lately and feel like I'm retaining water but surely I should be losing a little? Help! I feel like a rookie but I know this works and it has before so why isn't it now?

I'm a little shorter, 6 years older, perimenopausal, and have been your weight. If I were eating 1400 calories, I'd be dropping pounds like crazy.

You may be due for a whoosh, but I suggest you continue to tighten up your logging. Butter is my kryptonite. I suggest you weigh it.

Francl27 wrote: »

You should still be losing even eating 1800 a day.

Wondering about those 'pats of butter' entries though?...