Getting Stuck

forruths

I have been following the numbers (calorie allowance) from MFP very successfully since August 2015. I was 292 lbs when I started and I've lost 70lb. I set myself as slightly active as I generally walked 6000+ steps a day and I aimed to lose 2lb a week when I started out. I ate back about half my exercise calories. I started adding walks (about 4 miles each) 3 times a week. In October I switched and started going to the gym twice a week-25 mins HIIT and Cardio, 20 mins weights, 30 minute Aqua class. I also do a 5+ mile walk once a week. My steps are generally between 8000-10000 a day. I am in my early 50s and have significant arthritis in one knee (exercise helps significantly but it does cause me a lot of pain some days).

Over the months I have pushed myself in my gym sessions-I've upped my weights and now spend at least 35 mins doing HIIT/cardio.

I expected weight loss to slow and it did so I set MFP to a weight loss of 1.5 lb a week and carried on weighing and counting. I try to eat mostly healthily with some treats and within my calorie amount for weight loss. Even though I add an extra gym session some weeks I am keen not to add extra sessions of gym on an every week basis as I want this to be a permanent lifestyle change this time, something maintainable. I have lost weight in the past by eating less and exercising more than is maintainable in my life so this time I am trying to be more sensible and take on what I can maintain and enjoy as part of my busy life.

But now I appear to have plateaued-no weight loss and apparently little body shape change for the last month. I weigh, count and log religiously and I admit that during this last month I had a week in the USA to visit an ailing family member. I walked a lot and exercised that week but also ate more calories-but not over my maintainance level.

I'm frustrated by the stall and am looking for advice as I'm obviously doing something wrong and I'm struggling to see what. I want to lose another 50lb or so. I don't mind if it's slow but I do want the trend to be down.

I have just set my activity to sedentary with the thought of eating that basic 1200 calories plus half of what my Fitbit adjustment is. Does this sound sensible or foolish?

I would really like some helpful advice from those of you who are further along this journey. Also looking for MFP friends who are on a similar journey. Thanks.

ARGriffy

I find trends in my diary is I stall, have a look at your diary and see if you have had a higher level of anything over the time that might be slowing you ( or masking a loss ) such as salt or sugar? Also trust the system, be very tight on weighing the food you log and maybe switch up your exercises and do something totally new to shock your body and it should reveal the loss you have had in the last month

silvilunazul

After losing so much weight (congrats!) your body needs a lot less energy because it's a lot smaller. At this point small underestimations of what you eat, which before did not greatly impact progress, can now be very significant. It is important to be as precise as possible in weighing food and not overestimating exercise calories. Diet is for weight loss, exercise is for fitness. Keep the fitness goals and gains independent of weight loss. I've noticed that connecting exercise to how much I am "allowed" to eat has backfired against me as I've in the past fallen into the trap of thinking that it's OK to have more treats than I should have.

In sum, when we are not losing weight for a reasonable period of time, it means we're eating at maintenance and need to make adjustments. MFP and other TDEE calculators can be inaccurate; there is evidence that people who have lost weight have a lower energy expenditure than those who are the same weight naturally. So we need to test what our energy expenditure really is. It is not easy, but it's so worth it.

forruths

Ok, so I guess it's time to tighten the belt but to try and keep this doable I've set my goal to 1lb a week and I'll try eating up to one third of my Fitbit calories and see if this gets me started on a downward trend again. If I reduce calories by too much I simply won't stick to it.

AngelUKCH

You are not alone. It is very strange cause I doubt I could underestimate way over 3000 calories (cause sometimes I don't just maintain but put on!) worth every week which is the deficit MFP and Fitbit tell me I have. So so frustrating and so baffling