Please help me out of this Plateau

kearly206

Here's, my story.

I started in January at 261. I started logging and doing everything right EXCEPT in the first month or so i cheated and didn't really log much during the weekends. the effect? I lost 2 pounds a week for 5 weeks. I weigh everything i can and use measuring cups ONLY when i'm measuring olive oil or liquids. So with that information for the last 3 weeks i've been hitting the gym and cardio (spin classes) hard. 4-5 days a week for the last 3 weeks. the first week i lost .8 pounds which is fine but the last 2 weeks i haven't lost a thing and this is frustrating because i'm working my butt off. weekends i try to log everything i can but weighing it is tough because i'm always out and about but it's never been an issue for me because i've ended up losing it on my weigh in days anyway. I've used MFP before and had success but fell off the rails for about 6 months when i injured my back at the gym. so i've been back since the first of january with a goal of losing at least 30 pounds before July 1 of this year because thats my wedding day.

Before the 3 weeks i didn't exercise at all and once i started to the weight really didn't go anywhere. Is this a plateau? I also don't eat my calories back at all. I also have my activity level set to not active. Is this my downfall? am i eating too much? too little? I'm only posting because i haven't really been through this before at least not this bad. I'm wondering if i should go back to all the foods i was eating when i had success? if anyone could help me out that would be awesome all suggestions welcome. Also i've seen the flow chart and since i've been through this before i know what's on there, if that's really all the there is to it then i have no idea what to do except stop exercising.

Thanks in advance, Kevin

StaciMarie1974

Jan 2016 or 2017? If 2017 you need patience. That was 6 weeks ago. A plateau is 4-6 weeks without any scale movement.

In the past 3 weeks you have become more meticulous about logging AND started aggressive workouts, yes? New workouts = muscle repair = water weight. Keep the accurate logging going, and expect results within 4-6 weeks.

How many calories are you eating? Do you feel satisfied, energetic?

kearly206

1780 per day and I thought about reducing to 1680 because MFP said to haha. I do feel hungry sometimes but I'm switching to more protein dense foods instead of carbs. And if exercise and lifting is the case then I won't change anything

lightenup2016

Water weight from increased exercise. You're likely losing fat but the loss is masked by extra water weight. Be patient and at some point you should get a "whoosh".

quiksylver296

I agree with retained water from new exercise. Your body uses water to repair the muscles. As it figures out exactly how much water it needs to do that, it will hold on to extra. Each person is different, but I've heard people say it's lasted as long as 4-6 weeks.

dremond82

As long as you are below your maintenance calories and exercising, you are losing weight. Whether this weight is fat or muscle is based entirely on your workout routine and the proportion of carbs/protein you are consuming in your diet.

As Staci pointed out, you are retaining water. Get yourself a gallon of purified water from the store. Drink it every day. Just rinse out each morning and refill. Gallon of water each day will flush out the excessive sodium and help you drop your water. I gained TWELVE POUNDS of water weight over a 3-day trip to Disney in which I had some salty food and only a couple bottles of water a day. Took me five days of guzzling water and peeing my brains out to drop all that weight back off.

How are your spin classes? I've never been to one. Is the cardio steady-state, or is it interval training? Most people's metabolism slows down to compensate for the extra work being done with steady-state cardio; a lot of people break that cycle by switching over to HIIT cardio such as sprinting.