Weight loss plateau for 5 months, desperately need help :(

mochicakes92

I have not been losing any weight since February. I started out 200 lbs last September and would slowly work my way down by creating a deficit of 1600 calories for a while, then after losing around 5 lbs and reaching that plateau I would slowly raise it again to the normal 2000 calories or so and then drop it down to say 1500 once I had gotten used to eating 2000 calories again. I would repeat this cycle a few times over the months until I had dropped from 200 to 180ish, and whenever I raised my calories I never gained. But the last time this worked for me was in February. It doesn't work anymore and I feel like I have tried everything. I eat only around 1500 calories a day now (give or take), and I don't gain or lose. For a while I was even eating around 1200 and still saw no results. I am not gaining any, but I am also not losing any. I reallly don't know what to do. Should I eat more, eat less? I really don't see going under 1300 again as a viable option for me. Should I incorporate more strength training? I am so lost and confused. Someone please help. I also do cardio but I generally try to make up for the deficit again for fear of consuming too few calories. Should I just not make up for that deficit? I need help, and lots of it.

heatherloveslifting

1) you will very likely get more help if you open your diary
2) do you do any activity? If so do you eat back exercise calories?
3) do you weigh or measure everything?
4) do you log every single thing religiously?
5) have you seen a doctor to rule out metabolic disorders (unlikely)

mochicakes92

1) you will very likely get more help if you open your diary
2) do you do any activity? If so do you eat back exercise calories?
3) do you weigh or measure everything?
4) do you log every single thing religiously?
5) have you seen a doctor to rule out metabolic disorders (unlikely)

1) I want to open my diary but am embarrassed lol, especially with how not good I have kind of been doing lately. I feel almost like a "wtf ever, nothing is going to improve so why try that hard" attitude at this point. And also, today was a REALLY off day. I'll do it but I am scared of the criticism lol xD
2) I generally do the Leslie Sansone "Walk at Home" program for 20-30 minutes a day, and do a LOT of running around and organizing at work that I just log as cleaning. Somedays I eat back all of the deficit, other days I am terrified too.
3) I weigh myself every few days or so.
4) I log EVERYTHING religiously.
5) No, but that does seem highly unlikely lol.

If I open up my diary and you guys just ignore today's entry like it never happened lol, would it be easier?

mochicakes92

Alright, I opened up my diary lol. Like I said, today was a total off day, so that's kind of why I was embarrassed lol

MyaPapaya75

Hi I looked at your diary and past days...your sodium is high some days and calories too..also your workouts don't seem a lot if your trying to lose weight. Not judging just offering advice. In addition...you are not consistent always with logging these can be the reasons why you seem to be in a plateau but really are not....try being really diligent for 2 months then see if your losing.....good luck

mochicakes92

Hi I looked at your diary and past days...your sodium is high some days and calories too..also your workouts don't seem a lot if your trying to lose weight. Not judging just offering advice. In addition...you are not consistent always with logging these can be the reasons why you seem to be in a plateau but really are not....try being really diligent for 2 months then see if your losing.....good luck

So sodium = bad, right? I see so many mixed reviews on this lol. Also, add more cardio, or...? I have been lifting but I don't really put that in my log.
And if I do more cardio should I make up for the deficit by eating more? That is really a big question I have, I guess. I feel like the cardio really doesn't even make a lot of sense to do at all if I am just going to eat it back up. So should I take in like 1500 calories a day and burn 200 and then just leave it at that?

Bec_88

hi!

my only suggestion would be..

in your settings do you have your job as one that has the running around included, or as sedentary?

you may be 'doubling up' if you log cleaning as the running around at work, when this could already be included in your daily calorie intake.. just a thought to consider

if you want to do more cardio, maybe try the c25k phone app, it works wonders

mochicakes92

I'm just frustrated because for a while I was AT 1200 total daily and nothing happened. But I've always heard you should never go under 1200 calories a day. So really I was going as low as possible and STILL nothing. I'm sooo confused.

FlowmO

Are you drinking enough water?
It helps your body in so many ways and I feel less hungry if I drink lots of water.

Also, no judgement or anything... but vegetables?
And some fruit?

(just looked at a couple of your diary entries)

I believe mindset is also a big part of losing weight.
Love yourself!
Just the way you are!
Take care of yourself, you are your own best friend...
Believe in yourself!
You can do it!

Good luck &take care


PS if you eat too little, your body goes in starvation mode and you won't loose weight, maybe even gain weight.
So try to eat enough!

shadus

So sodium = bad, right? I see so many mixed reviews on this lol. Also, add more cardio, or...? I have been lifting but I don't really put that in my log.
And if I do more cardio should I make up for the deficit by eating more? That is really a big question I have, I guess. I feel like the cardio really doesn't even make a lot of sense to do at all if I am just going to eat it back up. So should I take in like 1500 calories a day and burn 200 and then just leave it at that?

Sodium = Water Retention, it's not bad per-say if you're healthy, but it can cause your weight to fluctuate up for a day or two after consuming a large amount of it. If you're concerned... drink more water, 80oz a day or so should keep flushing it through pretty rapidly.

My best advice after looking over your diary is this: Eat back 50% of your exercise calories that you log instead of all of them.

I also would be curious to know, what is your height? I'm curious to calculate what your BMR/TDEE numbers show and see if that is matching up to what you're seeing.

MyaPapaya75

I would invest in a good heart rate monitor "Polar" is what I use to calculate what your burning per workout as opposed to MFP database ..if you want to keep it simple eat back 1/2 of your workout calories don't force it **eat more veggies and protein** don't think of those as free calories for junk....I personally do not eat back my workout cals but that is what works for me it may not work for you. Try more cardio maybe walking perhaps a burn of 400 or so..I saw you did things like a burn of 69-100 I don't think you will get far with that honestly.....and probably will have to limit that fast food to one time a week......sodium I try to keep at 2500....and my carbs to 180g per day....again this is what works for me and only advice. Good luck

FifiFrizzle

First, big congratulations on keeping going even though you have plateaued for such a long time. DO NOT GIVE UP.
Second, are you actually eating enough?
Third, I think you will find it easier to lose weight if you exercise for sixty minutes five times a week. But not if you eat so that there is no calorie deficit. Use the calculator on this site to get your recommended calories. And mix up your exercise, take on a new cardio class or something.
Fourth ST three times a week maintains your muscles and you need muscles to burn fat. So if yo are going to skip any exercise, DON'T SKIP THE ST.
Fifth are you sleeping well and are you drinking 8 glasses of water?

If all these things don't work for you, maybe try to confuse your system by going on a diet of some sort.

mochicakes92

Thank you guys for all the feedback!! It really means a lot, and also that you all aren't super critical lol. And what some of you said about trying in a new fitness regime, my friends and I decided we are going to take a pole fitness class and see where that gets us, so I'm excited and hope that makes a difference!!
Also, I sooo realize that a lot of my eating habits are bad, and working on them is hard for me. I'll be out with my boyfriend and we'll have nothing else to do so it's like "Hey, let's go eat" or something, and we are also broke so cheap fast food is the option. I know it's awful because I am a socially bad eater, but when I am by myself I tend to do better. Also, as far as the veggies go there are just very select few veggies that I can bring myself to eat. I am such a picky eater and it's honestly been a hard thing to deal with now that I'm trying to improve my health lol. So my question is, it's not so much about calories then but more so where they come from then, correct? I lost 20 lbs just kind of winging it, but honestly I do still need help and improvement big time. So it really means sooo much to me that you guys took the time to look over my diary and give feedback on this thread!

mochicakes92

So sodium = bad, right? I see so many mixed reviews on this lol. Also, add more cardio, or...? I have been lifting but I don't really put that in my log.
And if I do more cardio should I make up for the deficit by eating more? That is really a big question I have, I guess. I feel like the cardio really doesn't even make a lot of sense to do at all if I am just going to eat it back up. So should I take in like 1500 calories a day and burn 200 and then just leave it at that?

Sodium = Water Retention, it's not bad per-say if you're healthy, but it can cause your weight to fluctuate up for a day or two after consuming a large amount of it. If you're concerned... drink more water, 80oz a day or so should keep flushing it through pretty rapidly.

My best advice after looking over your diary is this: Eat back 50% of your exercise calories that you log instead of all of them.

I also would be curious to know, what is your height? I'm curious to calculate what your BMR/TDEE numbers show and see if that is matching up to what you're seeing.

My height is 5'7" ^.^

crimsontech

I wish I could offer advice. But I want to tell you that I'm cheering for you because you have stuck with it for so long. I was plateaued for a whole year. In fact, I have only started losing weight again for the last month and a half, so I know VERY WELL what you are going through right now. I was losing and regaining the same 5-10 pounds forEVER.

For me, the only thing that seems to be working for me is to eat 1200 per day. I was stuck between 285-292 pounds from last July/August until earlier this month, and now I am finally in the 270's with a very consistent 2 lbs/week loss.

I hope you can find the number that works for you... I suspect I may have thyroid issues or something that's causing my system not to follow the simple calories in vs. calories out method. But for now, 1200 is working, so I'll just keep doing it until it stops doing so.

Scubanana7

I think you are doing a pretty good job with your total number of calories. However, you are young and unfortunately, you seem to eat a lot of junk. Not criticizing---I'm a Mom of a 23 year old daughter who is also trying to lose weight, so I am going to talk to you like I talk to her. Forget all those folks who say a calorie is a calorie. Not really true when you are trying to lose. Yes, it did work for the first 20 pounds. That's because when you have more to lose, it is easier to lose. Now that you have dropped the easy pounds, you are going to have to work at it a lot harder.

Start being sincere about your desire to eat healthier. That is what you stated in your profile. And you Are doing a good job of trying to keep your calories in check and trying to get some exercise. Unfortunately, you need to revamp your game plan a little. Find veges that you will eat. They are very important. Even fast food places have grilled chicken and salad choices. You can NEVer GO WRONG with salad! Unless you throw a bunch of extra calories on it! Also, there is no fruit in your diet nor lean meat. It is great that you are eating eggs/eggwhites almost daily. That is very good for you and good for weight loss. Also, and this is hard.....do NOT drink your calories. Sodas are just garbage calories. I know that is hard, but many of us have conquered the Soda Monster. It can be done. There is nothing wrong with some pizza, just eat less and fill up on a salad with it. And, like someone else said, try to limit the fast food or look for something healthier at the fast food place. If you want a burger, that is okay. Just don't touch the fries and the soda. Water will not kill you! lol I hated water at first. It is a habit you can make if you want.

Also, as someone else mentioned....if you are really serious about dropping some more weight, it would be very helpful if you did UP your exercise. Walking is great. Turn on your fav music and DANCE your heart away. Can some of your cheap dates be roller skating or walking around the park. If money is tight, then a home-made picnic is pretty cheap (with fruits, healthy sandwich, or salad). You can have a nice walk around the park, find a romantic spot, sit down and enjoy the food and the company. Take a ball and toss it around. Or a hula hoop. Make it a fun date. Play on the swings/slide. Play chase! Find places to go dance. That burns a lot if you can stay away from the sodas or alcohol. There are a million ways to incorporate FUN play into exercise. And that can be easy on the budget. Find free concerts...even if it is not your type of music. It is something to do and you can dance to anything! :bigsmile:

Good luck honey. Hope I didn't sound mean. I am just a Mama. You will feel amazing when you get a little weight off--you have already done a good job and you are definitely not toooo heavy, so you do not have a long way to go. Just eat a little better and move a little more and it will happen.

thesophierose

Eat more.

mochicakes92

I think you are doing a pretty good job with your total number of calories. However, you are young and unfortunately, you seem to eat a lot of junk. Not criticizing---I'm a Mom of a 23 year old daughter who is also trying to lose weight, so I am going to talk to you like I talk to her. Forget all those folks who say a calorie is a calorie. Not really true when you are trying to lose. Yes, it did work for the first 20 pounds. That's because when you have more to lose, it is easier to lose. Now that you have dropped the easy pounds, you are going to have to work at it a lot harder.

Start being sincere about your desire to eat healthier. That is what you stated in your profile. And you Are doing a good job of trying to keep your calories in check and trying to get some exercise. Unfortunately, you need to revamp your game plan a little. Find veges that you will eat. They are very important. Even fast food places have grilled chicken and salad choices. You can NEVer GO WRONG with salad! Unless you throw a bunch of extra calories on it! Also, there is no fruit in your diet nor lean meat. It is great that you are eating eggs/eggwhites almost daily. That is very good for you and good for weight loss. Also, and this is hard.....do NOT drink your calories. Sodas are just garbage calories. I know that is hard, but many of us have conquered the Soda Monster. It can be done. There is nothing wrong with some pizza, just eat less and fill up on a salad with it. And, like someone else said, try to limit the fast food or look for something healthier at the fast food place. If you want a burger, that is okay. Just don't touch the fries and the soda. Water will not kill you! lol I hated water at first. It is a habit you can make if you want.

Also, as someone else mentioned....if you are really serious about dropping some more weight, it would be very helpful if you did UP your exercise. Walking is great. Turn on your fav music and DANCE your heart away. Can some of your cheap dates be roller skating or walking around the park. If money is tight, then a home-made picnic is pretty cheap (with fruits, healthy sandwich, or salad). You can have a nice walk around the park, find a romantic spot, sit down and enjoy the food and the company. Take a ball and toss it around. Or a hula hoop. Make it a fun date. Play on the swings/slide. Play chase! Find places to go dance. That burns a lot if you can stay away from the sodas or alcohol. There are a million ways to incorporate FUN play into exercise. And that can be easy on the budget. Find free concerts...even if it is not your type of music. It is something to do and you can dance to anything! :bigsmile:

Good luck honey. Hope I didn't sound mean. I am just a Mama. You will feel amazing when you get a little weight off--you have already done a good job and you are definitely not toooo heavy, so you do not have a long way to go. Just eat a little better and move a little more and it will happen.

This is probably one of the most helpful encouraging things I have read on this whole site, and it does make a lot of sense. Like I said, me and my friend decided we are going to take a pole dancing class twice a week now, so that will definitely up the exercise! And yes, I will make a list of all the veggies I like and start eating those more. As far as fruit goes i LOVE watermelon but saw how expensive that got so I kind of cut back on that. When you are broke and busy a lot, cheap sodium filled foods just kind of become your default. But I have been feeling more conscious of that lately, which I feel is a good first step!

SarahRea32

Hi. Just quickly, had a look at your diary. My nutritionist suggest 3 meals plus 2 snacks a day, plus a post workout protein shake if you weight lift. If you want to lose weight, your body will do it most efficiently if you give you it good fuel. This means loads of veggies, 2 fruit a day and lean protein at every meal with sensible carbs (i.e. brown rice other whole grains). I would definitely eat back some of you exercise calories, as someone else mentioned ~50% would probably do it and it might be worth checking out your BMR/TDEE.

Good luck and don't give up

wblau1991

Try modifying your macronutrients. Try lowering your carbs slightly and increasing your protein and fat intake. I've heard of people being "carb sensitive" before. Generally people recommending eating around 1g of protein/lean body mass. Unless you have kidney problems or your doctor does not recommend you eating higher amounts of protein you should be okay. Keep it up!

FattieBabs

The dancing sounds great! Well done for sticking with it and losing so much in the first place. So to repeat some of the advice here, more water, more lean meat and veg. Less processed food, and find an exercise you really enjoy. And sort out that boyfriend of yours! It has taken me a year to educate my husband not to pour booze down me all the time and to be supportive. He is now very encouraging and is starting to look at his weight seriously. Having a supportive partner is half the battle. If I know I am going out to eat I eat under the day before. As long as the average over the week is on target you should be ok. Really good luck to you. It will all be worth it!

mochicakes92

Oh I forgot to mention I also usually drink around 64 oz of water a day lol, I just don't always log it. So yes, lots of water. But thank you all so much for the advice, I already feel a LOT more hopeful about this whole situation and more informed on what I need to do and change. Thanks so much on that!

shadus

My height is 5'7" ^.^

So you're Female, 20 years old, 5'7" tall, and weigh around 183 lbs? That gives us...

BMI: 28.7 (Healthy BMI Range: 118-159lbs)
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1637.72
Sedentary Rate: 1959.26
Light Activity Rate: 2236.82
Moderate Activity Rate: 2530.71
Very Active Rate: 2808.27
Extremely Active Rate: 3102.16

Based on what you've said your activity level looks like "Light" most likely (at least from what is logged plus what you've said.) I find these to be the most likely scenarios:

1) You're eating back to many of your exercise calories or counting them when you shouldn't (double dipping.)
2) You're failing to log extremely bad days (you've got... a ~lot~ of missing logs.)
3) You're not accurately logging (likely unintentionally) what you do log.
4) You've got a metabolic issue and you're burning ~far~ less calories than you should be (unlikely if you were cycling your intake and not gaining weight at 2000 calories a day.)

All that said, my guess is #1 and #3 specifically. At the weight you have to lose you should likely be in the 1lb/week range for weight loss at the moment, so assuming your tdee is light, then you would need 2236 calories a day to maintain your weight, anything less than that will cause you to lose weight (depending on how much less, it could vary greatly), so that would put your calorie intake around 1700 to lose 1lb a week. Your current diet is not nearly low enough to put you in starvation mode^1 based on your logged entries and caloric consumption.

So... what can you do about it?

1) Change your goal to 1700/1650 (or tell mfp, 1lb/week, light activity in your settings) calories and quit eating back your exercise calories, you're not doing enough exercise to rate up at moderate and your tdee number is already taking into account your normal exercise. So don't eat them back unless you do something *exceptional* exercise wise. If you go for 6 hour hike, sure log that, eat back say 50% of the calories and move along (I say 50% because mfp's calorie numbers for exercise (like most sites that use generic formula to estimate) are completely absurd.)
2) Start logging accurately. Get a food scale. Measure everything you put in your mouth by the gram and oz. If you can't measure it, don't eat it. Seriously, this isn't something I'm suggesting for a long term time... say 2 weeks. The scale costs^2 less than your average fast food meal for 2. Looking at the food you log I can guess you're going "omg, I just use the number on the package or website" What if I told you they had found those to be off by as much as 50% in some cases? Yeah... seriously.
3) Log everything that passes through your mouth no matter how ****ty the day is or how great it is food wise. Even if it has -0- calories log it. Seriously, this will make it 1000% easier for people to help you find issues if they continue. This includes all strength training and cardio you do period.
4) Food is not a hobby, it can be enjoyed with family and friends, but you shouldn't find yourself eating when you're bored to remedy boredom. Instead of a suggestion of going to eat, find a new hobby, go on a hike, go walk around a park, go play some mini-golf, go bowling, go do some kinky stuff with your bf or something, ANYTHING to break that cycle. Boredom eating is the #1 dietary suicide item out there. Find something to replace it.
5) If you do all these items and you are STILL failing to lose weight after two weeks of doing them... get to a doctor. Something is wrong. Get a full blood panel including thyroid and liver function.

^1 Starvation Mode - See http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/761810-the-starvation-mode-myth-again for real science on how adaptive thermogenesis works... and also read: http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2012/12/starvation-mode-revisited.php most people have -0- understanding on how this works and misunderstand it completely and misrepresent it's effects. Regain is a far bigger issue than slowing/stopping actual weight loss. That is almost always a miscalculation on food, exercise, etc.

^2 A digital scale that works well for weighing food - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SVNEWA

Lastly-- Good luck! The fact that you've not fallen completely off the horse after 5 months of plateau speaks volumes on your willpower and dedication! You CAN do this and get past this. Hang in there and you'll be losing weigh soon again... and don't ever let it go 5 months again. Plateau's don't last longer than a couple weeks at worst, if they do something else is knocking your progress back somewhere. Go get help after a month without loss

PS- Yes, fast food is bad for you... high cholesterol & triglycerides, high bp, etc... are the issues, not weight gain so long as you're paying attention to the calories. There have been more than a few people who have lost 60+ lbs in a couple months eating NOTHING but fast food to prove a point, myself included. It's not healthy but from a strictly weightless perspective it can easily be done.

Liliansamata

Have you thought of doing zip zag calories? I have just come through my second plateau. I am 5'7 and doing the following:
Monday-1396
Tuesday-1117
Wednesday-1676
Thursday-1396
Friday:1257
Saturday:1536
Sunday:1396
Good luck for the rest of your weight loss journey

appletonirvinea

Are you from UK? If u are it will be easy to get a copy but if not try amazon.com invest (its worth it) in hairy dieters cook book it's amaizing or Jamie 15min meals. Dont let your low in come scare you, you can eat on a low budget but you have to plan and be organised. Find out when your supermarkets reduce and shop then buy meat etc cheap and freeze for use later, also bulk cook meals and freeze portions that's what I did with hairy bikers, it will be cheaper than your take always! And better. You can even buy cheap veg blanch and freeze, but bags of frozen veg are good too and actually some taste better. You can freeze reduced berries etc too! You need to be organised, and plan your meals that way no waste and no impulsive buys. You can do this you just need to change the way you think about healthy food being more expensive. I can cook a healthy Indian meal for 6 for the prize if a take away for 2!

phoenixgirl81

Hey there.

I looked back a couple of weeks and I have to agree that you need fruit and veggies in your day. Make a list of all the fruits and vegetables that you like and start putting them in your day. e.g. I love bananas, mandarins, strawberries, pineapples, pears and dates. I'm not a huge fan of other fruits, but if they're cheap I might just buy them and give them a try. I also love lychees and rambutans, but they're more expensive so they are only my "sometimes foods". I love pretty much every vegetable now, but I used to be a vegetarian who hated vegetables! Try introducing them one at a time in smaller amounts until you get used to the newer tastes and textures. You can do so much with vegetables; I love to bake them (maybe use a pastry brush to brush on some olive oil or use the spray stuff - experiment with different flavours - I love cumin and garlic, or even rosemary!), stirfry them in different spices, or steam or boil (as a last resort because they can easily go mushy if you cook them too long). Another GREAT way to have your veggies is to cook them in a soup and then just blitz it so you can't see the individual vegetables (if this is something that makes it hard for you) and then you can sneak in heaps of veggies to your day that way!

Another way to make a little money go a long way while still eating healthy and not using too much time to prep/cook food is to invest in a slow cooker (crock pot?). I got my 3 litre one for $26 and I can make enough meals in one go WHILE I'M AT WORK to last for days. Just throw the ingredients in the cooker and come back a few hours later and VOILA, instant meals with hardly any sodium (if you use fresh foods), that can be really hearty and certainly filling. You can make chilis, casseroles, soups, etc all while you're out of the house. Then just divide it into different portions and reheat as needed.

I can also second the advice not to drink your calories. Juices are not a good use of your daily calorie goal. You're better off eating the fruits themselves. They give you more fibre that way and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

I also noticed you have a lot of pre-packaged snacks. You can make a lot of them yourself for less calories and less sodium.

I hope this helps.

Alta2000

I looked at your diary since February. Your food is full of processed items and lacks fruits and vegetables. Cut down on cold cuts/hot dogs/salad dressing, etc. No slim fast. Eat a green salad and top it with beans and corn, or tuna in olive oil, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes and olives, etc. Baked potato with plain Greek yogurt instead of ranch dressing. Chicken with fresh vegetables.
More ideas
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/158675-jillian-michaels-s-fat-burning-meal-plan-from-self-com?hl=recipes+michaels

Drink a lot of plain water. Cut out any soda.

Also, include more exercise like those from blogilates.com, or go on Befit channel on youtube and find different videos to incorporate. Do the 30ds shred by JM, it is free on youtube, and use bottles filled with water.