advice please - diary open

redmaryclare

Hi everyone

I started my journey 10 weeks ago and have lost 9 lbs which I know is quite good but I lost 7 lbs in the first month and only 2 lbs in the last 6 weeks.

I eat an average of 1450 cals a day but fluctuate quite a bit coz I like some high cal days. My exercise is swimming and walking and I don't eat back exercise calories.

I am 5' 3" and started at 168 with a target of 140 and I am now 159.

I have opened my diary for you to look at. And I have got more accurate in my food weighing over the weeks.

Also I am perimenapausal and haven't had a period in 2 months. So it is possible I will see a weight shift when it eventually comes.

I'm finding the logging and food fine and enjoying the exercise but just feel frustrated at this plateau.

StaPositv

I did not look at your diary. However, in reading your post, I did notice that your exercise regimen lacks strength training. You don't need to lift like a body builder; just using light weights and a variety of arm curls, shoulder exercises, and back exercises with 12-15 repetitions can build lean muscle. Lean muscle will help make your cardio workouts like swimming and walking more effective in burning fat. Plus, as a peri-menopausal woman, you will want to build lean muscle to prevent bone loss (osteoporosis). This should help you end the plateau. As you get stronger, you can gradually increase the weight. Change up the exercises (type, intensity, length), so it doesn't become "routine" for your body and hopefully will prevent future plateaus.

Seffell

Hi,

I looked at your diary. It looks fine to me. It seems you're accurately logging stuff.

2lbs in 6 weeks little indeed. But maybe 1450 on average is a bit high for your current weight.
Lets assume your maintenance is similar to mine (I'm taller - 5'7 but I move very little cos of health issues and I'm 156lbs at the moment). My maintenance from both formulas online and mine own calculations from the dieting experience (lots of excel tables here ) is around 1700 cal a day. So if yours is 1700 (just assume it is for a while) then you make an average of 250cal deficit a day.
So for 6 weeks that is about 10500 cal. With 3500cal/lbs this is 3lbs in total. So if your maintenance calories are actually close to mine it is possible to be losing only a little.
I've lost just above 3 lbs the last month with 1700 maintenance on average and eating on average 1300cal/day.

amyepdx

It's not a plateau if you are having higher calorie days (as you said) than your planned deficit goal.

RodaRose

Change settings to one half pound loss per week and keep days consistent. Try that for a month.
If you can, do a progressive weight lifting routine. You will look and feel great.

redmaryclare

Thanks everyone, useful advice. I admit I am a bit scared of strenghening exercises because of a back problem but will use your advice to get over that.

I lost a 1lb this morning so hopefully things are shifting. I think I am really on 0.5lb per week and I do get the feeling 1800 cals is a lot for me at this height and weight. I don't feel hungry on 1450.

My high cal days and low cal days average 1450 so I am at a deficit just not a big enough one.

Thanks xx

jandsstevenson887

I'm 5'3" and I've been losing 1lb/week. I started at 154 and I'm currently at 142 in 3 months. You can look at my diary.

Aurora1511

Having looked at your profile, it's quite clear that you are going way over on your 'fat' each day. Some days you are eating double what is recommended. Reign in the fat content and you should see a difference on the scales. Sticking to your calorie target only works if you keep an eye on what those total calories are actually made up of.

SezxyStef

StaPositv wrote: »

I did not look at your diary. However, in reading your post, I did notice that your exercise regimen lacks strength training. You don't need to lift like a body builder; just using light weights and a variety of arm curls, shoulder exercises, and back exercises with 12-15 repetitions can build lean muscle. Lean muscle will help make your cardio workouts like swimming and walking more effective in burning fat. Plus, as a peri-menopausal woman, you will want to build lean muscle to prevent bone loss (osteoporosis). This should help you end the plateau. As you get stronger, you can gradually increase the weight. Change up the exercises (type, intensity, length), so it doesn't become "routine" for your body and hopefully will prevent future plateaus.

So much not true in this post...mostly what is bolded.

You do not build lean muscle doing 12-15 reps of light weights.

You build muscle by doing a progressive load lifting program and a calorie surpluse or eating at maintenance or just below and doing the lifting (recomp)

Keeping muscle at this point is what is a good thing...and to do that resistance training of the whole body not just arms and back is important.

Changing up exercises is not necessary either.

SezxyStef

OP you are not in a plateau...you have lost weight in the last 6 weeks just not in the speed in which you want.

The first couple of weeks you will see a large shift in weight due to loss of fluid etc then it slows down. If you are not losing as fast as you like it's in your logging somewhere....you are either not using correct entries or not recording everything.

redmaryclare

Thanks for your advice.

Why would reducing my fat % help? I find if my carbs are too high I feel hungry and I don't eat meat (only fish) so find it hard to get my protein much higher. Most of my fats are healthy fats. Not aaying you are wrong but interested in finding out more.

SezxyStef

redmaryclare wrote: »

Thanks for your advice.

Why would reducing my fat % help? I find if my carbs are too high I feel hungry and I don't eat meat (only fish) so find it hard to get my protein much higher. Most of my fats are healthy fats. Not aaying you are wrong but interested in finding out more.

There is no reason to do that actually.

Many have success with HFLC WOE...fat and protein do help keep you feeling fuller longer.

Rocknut53

Aurora1511 wrote: »

Having looked at your profile, it's quite clear that you are going way over on your 'fat' each day. Some days you are eating double what is recommended. Reign in the fat content and you should see a difference on the scales. Sticking to your calorie target only works if you keep an eye on what those total calories are actually made up of.

No true at all. Calorie deficit is all that's needed.

sllm1

There's nothing wrong with 1/2 pound per week, especially if you are satisfied at your current calorie level. It's something that you can sustain over the long haul. The issue is that, because the loss is slower, it can feel like you're not losing and water retention, hormones, etc., can play into that. Just remember that if you are logging accurately, it's working. Do what you know is right, and the numbers on the scale will follow in their own time. Just focus on sticking with the plan and the scale will move like it's supposed to.

20yearsyounger

One of the things I like to look at as well is sodium. I don't think the sodium on some of your entries are correct which makes me wonder if those entries are correct. High sodium can mess with the scale as your body retains and releases water. It all works itself out in the end. Just keep at it though, weight loss isn't linear.

cerise_noir

Aurora1511 wrote: »

Having looked at your profile, it's quite clear that you are going way over on your 'fat' each day. Some days you are eating double what is recommended. Reign in the fat content and you should see a difference on the scales. Sticking to your calorie target only works if you keep an eye on what those total calories are actually made up of.

Nope. All that matters is a calorie deficit. High fat is fine.

redmaryclare

Thanks for the reassurance on fat levels and the encouragement. I do feel like it is working and sustainable and I have the right mind set. Just want to be at target now!!!!