Plateau help

MadamChick

Hi,
I have been stalled since June. I would love some help to break the plateau or tips to deal with it. I have tried lowering my calorie goal, raising it, eating exercise calories and not eating. I have had slip ups but I have been consistently (except Christmas) tracking daily. I also have started running and usually get my step goal of 11k. Love your thoughts and advice.

Maxematics

It seems like you tried to make too many adjustments in a small time frame. If you haven't lost weight since June, an increase in calories is never the answer. What is your current calorie intake? Do you eat back any exercise calories right now? Do you weigh your food on a food scale?

MadamChick

My current calorie goal is 1800 and I don't eat my exercise calories. Yes, I weigh in a scale.

Maxematics

MadamChick wrote: »

My current calorie goal is 1800 and I don't eat my exercise calories. Yes, I weigh in a scale.

How long have you been eating 1800 calories without exercise calories? What is your height/weight? Do you weigh the food in grams?

MadamChick

I moved to 1800 calories around November from 1500. I weigh in grams. I am about 5'6 and I weigh 165.

Wendyanneroberts

I know we are all different, but I hope this helps. Not a professional but currently following MFP and finding it works for me. I'm 49, 5' 5" and 163 currently. You're probably more mobile than me, because of my disability, therefore burning more calories. I restarted my weight loss journey April 2016, todays my 9mth anniversary. I have logged accurately, every day since then. Some days I go over, but with accurate logs, I usually manage to rebalance. I also try to balance out my macros as well, but I find calorie limits more important. Due to illness etc, I can't always "lose", so sometimes I maintain, if needed, better than not logging and regaining. (My past experience).
I don't eat back any exercise calories personally, but I'm also unable to do much, through disability. That said; I can maintain my current weight on 1,800 calories per day (average), and lose weight on 1,400 to 1,500 calories per day. I have noticed my weight loss is not consistent, but over the past 9 months, it's still moving in the right direction. Was 12st 13lb back in April and 11st 9lb now. Some weeks I don't lose, or only lose 0.5lb, stay the same for a while, then 2 or 3 wks later I may lose 2lb average wk for a couple of wks.
I do weigh all my food at home and rarely eat out. I follow a healthy eating plan most of the time, allowing treats, as long as they fit my calorie limit. Calorie cycling also seems to really help me; ie an average of 1,500 calories per day = 10,500 in a wk. Some days I may only have 1200 calories and others 1,900 calories, as long as my average is on track. In the past I stuck to the same diet and calorie limit, day in and day out, and I barely lost weight, in comparison.
Hope you find what works for you, message me, if you like and I could share more. Good luck and keep at it.

kimny72

Would you be willing to open your diary?

If you were consistently eating 1500 cals, then switched to eating 1800 consistently, and you didn't gain weight, something is off.

FitOldMomma

Plateaus are so frustrating! But, there's always a way to break through if you give it time and consistently eat the proper balance of calories. If you've not lost any weight though for 6 months, you simply are taking in too many calories to have a deficit needed for loss.

For myself, it meant cutting down on processed foods with it's added sugar and sodium. I reduced my carbs to 25% of my daily calories and strive to get plenty of protein and healthy fats. I understand it's Calories in - Calories out, but I am much more satisfied with protein and fiber packed meals.

Kudos to you for not giving up, and to continue logging your food.

lorrpb

I researched this a couple years ago and read everything I could find about plateaus. My conclusion: plateau is almost always due to calorie creep. .

You say you have not been consistent in your calories, up, down, more, less, and slips ups, logging consistently for only the last 2 weeks. This is the problem.

Weigh your food, log it religiously, and keep up a reasonable activity level, whatever that means to you. Set a plan and stick to it with no changes for at least 6 weeks.

Where's the flow chart?

ninerbuff

Check this first and be honest with yourself.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10459226/youre-not-plateauing/p1

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

everher

How long did you try lowering your intake?

I am 5'5 so near your height and weigh 191 as of this morning and MFP has me at around 1500 calories a day to lose a pound a week. You are likely more active than me, but 1800 calories sounds like a lot at your weight and height in order to lose weight unless you are highly active.

What do you have your activity level set to on MFP if you don't mind me asking and why raise your calories from 1500 to 1800?

tonysan65

I have also had this problem and have not been able to solve it. I am on a two pound a week loss program, that leaves me approx 1400 calories a day. I do not even count my exercise calories. Most of the time I get a message saying I am not eating enough. I have tried eating a little more but that only seemed to add weight. I weight my food, although I know my calorie count so well that I do not need to do this. My doctor has contributed the problem to my age, 73, and low metabolism. I feel good and I do not see any increase in my body bulk. I will check back for any help, thanks for listening.

cebreisch

Every time I hit a plateau it's usually because I've gotten too lax, so there are things I have to put into place to get past it:
* Log every little thing down to the condiments. Every little morsel, every little taste.
* Do not eat back exercise calories unless you're running marathons every day or doing P90X.
* Make sure you're getting in enough water
* Make sure you're getting in enough fiber

Do that for at least 2 weeks. If nothing happens with you're weight, lower your calories by about 50-100 a day.

THat's what's usually gotten me past it.

leibenkat68

Also have learned from nutritionist that you need to divide your weight in half and that's how many ounces a day of water your body needs. Your body will then begin to release excess water that it has been storing due to taking in what your body needs.

kimny72

@MadamChick How long have you been aiming for 1800 cals? And has your weight changed at all during that time?

There are a lot of entries in your diary for "2 slices" "1 tablespoon" "1/2 cup". Are you weighing these and just using the volume measurement to log them? I also see some generic entries - Are these recipes you created or something you found in the database?

You should avoid generic entries as they were added by users and you have no idea where they got the numbers from. If you are not in a position to know the exact serving size or ingredients used, you are better off finding a restaurant entry rather than a generic one.

You shouldn't assume that because a package says a slice of something weighs 20 grams it actually does. Quaker Oats says that 1/2 cup of oats weighs 40 grams, but when I poor the oats into a measuring cup on a scale, I hit 40 grams long before I fill up the measuring cup. A full half cup weighs closer to 50 grams. Weigh peanut butter, mayo, etc as well. A can of soup will say 2.5 servings per can, but when I measure it out, it's not even 2 servings.

The nutrition info on the package is correct for the weight in grams. They then estimate the volume measurement to the nearest whole amount, and sometimes don't do a great job.

cerise_noir

kimny72 wrote: »

@MadamChick How long have you been aiming for 1800 cals? And has your weight changed at all during that time?

There are a lot of entries in your diary for "2 slices" "1 tablespoon" "1/2 cup". Are you weighing these and just using the volume measurement to log them? I also see some generic entries - Are these recipes you created or something you found in the database?

You should avoid generic entries as they were added by users and you have no idea where they got the numbers from. If you are not in a position to know the exact serving size or ingredients used, you are better off finding a restaurant entry rather than a generic one.

You shouldn't assume that because a package says a slice of something weighs 20 grams it actually does. Quaker Oats says that 1/2 cup of oats weighs 40 grams, but when I poor the oats into a measuring cup on a scale, I hit 40 grams long before I fill up the measuring cup. A full half cup weighs closer to 50 grams. Weigh peanut butter, mayo, etc as well. A can of soup will say 2.5 servings per can, but when I measure it out, it's not even 2 servings.

The nutrition info on the package is correct for the weight in grams. They then estimate the volume measurement to the nearest whole amount, and sometimes don't do a great job.

All of this.

Maxematics

I agree with the above. I know you said you weigh your food in grams, but your diary doesn't seem to reflect that and there are more than a few strange entries.

leanjogreen18

Diet fatigue happens. We begin logging every morsel we eat after months of logging we begin taking a bite here or there, licking the spoon or just forget to log.

Try tightening up you logging and see if that helps.

callsitlikeiseeit

jaynalawayna

This chart is good - I'm frustrated as well - I was doing great, slow but steady since 2011 - went from 220 to 182 then plateaued for a long time. I was at a pretty low calorie intake (1000-1200 daily) so bumped it a bit by adding some protein snacks - nothing - tried exercising differently - then my doctor see's some worrisome numbers involving my kidneys and he changes my medications. Boom - plateau broken - only it went in the wrong direction and I gained back 15 pounds within a month. Now I am at a new plateau. Higher than when I began the journey. I'm going to continue to eat well, get back to exercising better, and I'm not going to sweat it anymore.

MadamChick

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it! I will work harder at tracking more accurately. I must have some bad habits that are working against me.