Frustration with plateau

kim4286

I have been using MFP for 11 days and have not lost anything. I am looking for suggestions as to what I am doing wrong. Here is some background:

I am 30 years old and currently weigh 129 (5'3). I am 5 pounds away from my goal weight - and the scale hasn't budged in 2 months. I am very active and do kickboxing 6 days per week. I stay within my daily calories during the week and have cut out alcohol during the week. Previously, I was on weight watchers where they had the concept of "weekly points" and "active points." Since I was always under my points and exercise a lot I always had a weekly "surplus" that I saved for Saturdays. I still seem to have that mentality that since I am so rigid during the week, that I can splurge on a Saturday since I am used to those extra points. Not that I am going crazy on Saturdays but definitely not within the calories. Since MFP does not utilize the concept of saved calories, is this what is sabotaging my success?

Thanks for any input you may have - I felt like I always had a "system" that worked in losing weight but has not been successful this time.

TavistockToad

How much above your calorie goal do you eat on a weekend?

I eat 100-200 less on a Monday to Thursday so that I can eat more at the weekend.

jemhh

kim4286 wrote: »

I have been using MFP for 11 days and have not lost anything. I am looking for suggestions as to what I am doing wrong. Here is some background:

I am 30 years old and currently weigh 129 (5'3). I am 5 pounds away from my goal weight - and the scale hasn't budged in 2 months. I am very active and do kickboxing 6 days per week. I stay within my daily calories during the week and have cut out alcohol during the week. Previously, I was on weight watchers where they had the concept of "weekly points" and "active points." Since I was always under my points and exercise a lot I always had a weekly "surplus" that I saved for Saturdays. I still seem to have that mentality that since I am so rigid during the week, that I can splurge on a Saturday since I am used to those extra points. Not that I am going crazy on Saturdays but definitely not within the calories. Since MFP does not utilize the concept of saved calories, is this what is sabotaging my success?

Thanks for any input you may have - I felt like I always had a "system" that worked in losing weight but has not been successful this time.

You are fairly small and very close to your goal weight. Your deficit may be small enough that it would take 3-4 weeks of strictly eating by it to show a scale loss. Considering most people's normal margins of error, your weekend splurges could very well completely negate your deficit.

kim4286

My typical allowance is 1290. On Saturdays I probably double. Just wondering if "storing" calories/exercise for the weekend is ineffective.

TavistockToad

kim4286 wrote: »

My typical allowance is 1290. On Saturdays I probably double. Just wondering if "storing" calories/exercise for the weekend is ineffective.

It's not for me if I hit my weekly goal.

That being said, as jemhh said, you need to be accurate and expect slow weight loss - I'm trying to lose the last 5ish pounds and find that alcohol or high sodium days stop any progress for a few days, so it does take 3 good weeks for the scale to move!

RoxieDawn

kim4286 wrote: »

My typical allowance is 1290. On Saturdays I probably double. Just wondering if "storing" calories/exercise for the weekend is ineffective.

Yes and no.. With someone that has a great deal more to lose they can do this almost effortlessly. I am considered short, so this plan would not work for me in the least, it takes me 3 or more weeks to get the scale to move.

However, with only 5 pounds to lose and very small deficit, this is doable but your loss will be quite slow.. As long as you can have patience and no matter how long or what path it takes to get your there, you can certainly bank calories, use some exercise calories (very few) and add them to the weekend..