I've hit a wall...

dunkut

Hey everyone, I have been reading boards here for quite sometime to try and gather knowledge for the weight loss battle. Brief history started out 4/29 at 300lbs, and am now down to 274, but I have hit a wall and been stuck here for 3 weeks. Just wanted any input I could get on how to blast through it. Everyone says eat your excerise calories and in the past few weeks i have been eating more in to them than i used to. I did not eat back the calories every in the start, you can look in my log and see the workouts have gotten more intense, just not sure what else I can do. I know many will tell me to eat them back, and the reason i haven't eaten most back is i don't entirely trust the machines and what MFP tells me i burned. Going to get a HR monitor today, guess the general question is what do you think of the diet, and how to get through this rut. Any help is appreciated, i have been lifting pretty intense so I know muscle is growing, but to be set up to lose 2lbs a week and stay flat could mean a few things. Not eating enough, or I am building 2lbs of muscle a week which seems extreme, but heck i'm no professional. Any input is great, thanks.

lauren3101

Holy sodium levels!

Seriously, cut back on that. Adding strength training to how much salt you are eating means you've probably got a huge amount of water retention which is hiding your weight loss.

Aside from that, you are doing the right thing; get that HRM and don't be afraid to eat back your exercise calories.

sourmash1973

Some tips for busting through.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1047963-tips-for-busting-through-a-plateau

firefightingwoman2455

I just got one of the UP bands by Jawbone. It helps me get a more realistic picture of what I am doing in a day. It's an investment but I love mine so far. Just may give you more information that you need; only a suggestion.

KANGOOJUMPS

did it hurt>
Did you get a concussion?

dunkut

yeah sodium was super high recently, I try to watch it best I can.

Yes the wall hurt and sucks badly

Koldnomore

You are not building 2 lbs of muscle a week - not possible. I'm looking at the sodium also. You don't log water so I have no idea if you are even drinking any. Keep eating back at least half the calories you earn and drink more water.

cwolfman13

Have you adjusted your calorie goal down since you've lost that much weight? You're have to if you haven't already.

Do you weigh and measure your food or just eyeball servings? Most people who just eyeball end up about 20% - 30% over what they think they're consuming.

You are supposed to eat back exercise calories, but a database is a piss poor estimate as there are just too many variables. Machines are better and a HRM is even better...but in the end it's still an estimate. I used to knock off about 30% from what my HRM told me. Another reasonable estimate is to take 7-10 times the minutes you've exercised with 7 being roughly a 4 mph walk and 10 being a level of effort to where you are unable to really hold a conversation or do anything except focus on the task at hand. If you're walking or running you can also estimate by assuming roughly 100 calories per mile give or take. Running does burn about 25% more, but the actual burn number isn't that much greater unless you're talking substantial mileage. However you go about it, you have to understand that it's an estimate and you're never going to get an exact number.

Watch your sodium

If you're substantially overweight, you may be somewhat insulin resistant even if you're not diabetic or pre-diabetic...maybe cut back on carbs some. When I first started out, I didn't lose much until I cut the carbs back to around 150 grams per day. It's no biggie now that I'm at a healthy weight and I get it on where fitness is concerned...but early on, I do believe I was somewhat resistant to insulin...just my experience.

Also, just patience...plateaus happen...just keep workin'....get your nutrition on and get your fitness on and things tend to work out in the end.

Lastly...can't help myself...



Just playin' bro...

Nachise

I'm on a mission to lose 90+ pounds. I've lost 40 already. Sometimes you just hit a wall because your metabolism is readjusting. From October to March, I hit a wall. The good news is that despite all the holidays, I only gained a pound. I finally budged, and I started losing again. I had surgery in June, and just got released to resume exercise again.

I agree with Lauren. Cut the sodium. One easy way to do this is to cut down processed foods, and eat fresh as much as possible. Then only you have control over the saltshaker.

Good luck. Don't quit.

dunkut

I drink at least ten cups of water a day, I just do a bad job at logging it lol. I work for Burger King corp and am in 5 restaurants a day, so the days I eat stuff there sodium is absurd. I need to watch that better as it has slipped, I do weigh all my food and log everything I consume. I also know I am not gaining two pounds of muscle a week, so just need to practice patience.

lauren3101

I drink at least ten cups of water a day, I just do a bad job at logging it lol. I work for Burger King corp and am in 5 restaurants a day, so the days I eat stuff there sodium is absurd. I need to watch that better as it has slipped, I do weigh all my food and log everything I consume. I also know I am not gaining two pounds of muscle a week, so just need to practice patience.

I would strongly suggest taking your own lunch, I'm a big advocate of IIFYM but a Burger King a day and that much sodium simply isn't healthy, and unfortunately it will hide your weight loss.

jwdieter

Calorie burn estimates seem to go kinda haywire at high weights imo.

dunkut

Lauren I usually do, just a couple of off days

likitisplit

If your workouts are more intense, you're probably temporarily gaining water. Do nothing different for three weeks and see what happens.