Scared of weight loss plateaus.

urshela111
urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last year i lost 9 kgs in 3 months and after that i plateaud at 60kgs for 2 months. I gave up because it affected it mentally. I started working in the hotel industry and over the course of 9 months i gained back the 9 kgs.
Now its been 2 weeks since iv been working out, but im scared il plateau again and the frustration will be back.

P.s (iv read everything about plateaus)
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Replies

  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    displaced1 wrote: »
    60 kg is about 132 lbs. Depending on your height that may be a healthy weight. I'm not judging what you want as a goal weight but just mentioning it.

    Yep and the scale will and should move slowly and there isn't much room for error. Fortunately, there is also no need to rush.
  • chelllsea124
    chelllsea124 Posts: 336 Member
    Plateaus will happen every time. So what do you do? Not try at all? Doesn't seem like a feasible option to me. Just stick with it, no matter what, and you'll get it. And once you come off of that plateau, you'll feel even better about the success. Good luck! :)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    cheryldumais wrote: »
    Just because you have never been to Spain doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I hit a plateau that lasted three and a half months. I was weighing and measuring and logging everything. I have now lost 84 pounds. What caused it? Who knows. Eating at maintenance for a week got me going again. I went back to dieting and continued to lose at slightly higher calories. I am now 10 pounds from goal. I agree that you may continue to lose inches even if your actual body weight isn't moving. With bodies that have a huge percentage of our weight made up of water we have to understand that although calories in vs. calories out will determine our fat loss body weight is affected by so many things. A classic example is (TMI warning) how often your bowels move. That can affect your weight if things have slowed down. The closer you get to goal weight the slower the loss will be. Many people think they are on a plateau if they aren't losing 2 pounds a week. That just isn't a plateau. If it happens you can get through it. Just don't quit. You have to keep going and keep in mind that if you aren't gaining you are ahead of the game. I decided when I got stuck that if that was my maintenance level I would just live there. I was so unwilling to gain back the weight I had lost. Eat at a level you can live at. Crash dieting never works. This is an eating plan not a diet to go off of and go back to "normal" eating (as in what you were doing before that caused the weight gain). Good Luck.

    This can't be compared to denying the existence of Spain, but to referring to Europe as a country. You are saying what I said - body weight is so much more than just fat, and don't quit just because you can't see the drop on the scale every week.
  • urshela111
    urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
    Here i am back at the plateau again. At 61 kgs. Having lost 9 kgs. This time iv measured my self to keep a tracks of inches lost. Havent seen any significant or any changes at all past 4 weeks.
    I have however increased my workout and switched to strength training. Done carb cycling.
    But i will eat at maintainence for a week then switch to my deficit at 1200 kcal.
    Thank you all!

    My weight past three days have 61.1, 61.2 and 61.5 i have started gaining. Now i just want to be sure if im in a plateau at all or it is just water weight fluctuations.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    If you've increased your workouts and started strength training, you're likely retaining fluid for muscle repair.

    How did you come to that 1200 cals? If you don't have much weight to lose (ie less than 20 lb), you should only be aiming for 0.5 lb per week, and you need to eat 50-75% of any calories you burn from exercise as well.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    If you've read everything about weight loss plateaus, you'd know that they don't exist.

    Weight loss comes from a consistent calorie deficit over time. Weight gain happens when you over time consistently eat more than you burn.

    A smaller body requires less energy than a bigger body.

    Weight fluctuates naturally from day to day, independently of "real" (fat) loss and gain. These fluctuations can easily outweigh(!) the amount of fat you're able to lose in a week, maybe two. Weight fluctuations are sudden, can be quite large, but in both directions. Weight loss/gain happens through small increments in one direction.

    To see if you're still losing, you have to weigh yourself regularly and consistently, and look at the trend over time. To keep losing, you have to keep a consistent calorie deficit. To keep having a consistent calorie deficit as you get lighter, you may have to tighten up your logging. You may also have to reassess your weight goal. Is a few pounds worth the extra effort to achieve and maintain? (This last bit is up to you to decide. The rest is not.)

    This!

  • Rickster1967
    Rickster1967 Posts: 485 Member
    Plateaus are a normal part of the process

    Therefore, mentally prepare for it to happen, stick to your plan and give the process time to work. Why be scared and why let a normal phase put you off the whole plan?
  • urshela111
    urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    If you've increased your workouts and started strength training, you're likely retaining fluid for muscle repair.

    How did you come to that 1200 cals? If you don't have much weight to lose (ie less than 20 lb), you should only be aiming for 0.5 lb per week, and you need to eat 50-75% of any calories you burn from exercise as well.


    I used the app to generate the calorie intake limit. Thanks a lot. I actually have 20 lbs to lose.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    urshela111 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    If you've increased your workouts and started strength training, you're likely retaining fluid for muscle repair.

    How did you come to that 1200 cals? If you don't have much weight to lose (ie less than 20 lb), you should only be aiming for 0.5 lb per week, and you need to eat 50-75% of any calories you burn from exercise as well.


    I used the app to generate the calorie intake limit. Thanks a lot. I actually have 20 lbs to lose.

    What weekly weight loss goal did you set it to?
  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    I use this:
    https://www.caloriesecrets.net/how-many-calories-should-i-burn-a-day-to-lose-weight/
    my fitness pal caps at 1200 and messes up when it comes to adding exercise calories. I.e. if it didn't have the cap it may have put your calories at 1000 then you add your exercise calories on top, instead your adding to the 1200... so there's an extra 200cal boom.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    edited October 2017
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    I use this:
    https://www.caloriesecrets.net/how-many-calories-should-i-burn-a-day-to-lose-weight/
    my fitness pal caps at 1200 and messes up when it comes to adding exercise calories. I.e. if it didn't have the cap it may have put your calories at 1000 then you add your exercise calories on top, instead your adding to the 1200... so there's an extra 200cal boom.

    I've never noticed that MFP "messes up when it comes to adding exercise calories". It has always seem straightforward to me ... very clear and easy to use.

    I'm at 1440 cal on MFP.
    I burned about 350 calories in exercise.
    Now I've got 1790 calories to eat.
    Excellent! :grin:
  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    I get given 1200 no matter my activity level for the 1kg per week loss as it is where it caps.
  • mer55
    mer55 Posts: 28 Member
    Weight Plateaus DO exist!! It is a normal body compensation for changes we make in our eating/nutrients, etc. I lost 55 lbs on WW 9 years ago. The first 35lbs came off slowly, but steady. Then I hit the dreaded plateau! I logged, measured, weighed EVERY morsel that went into my mouth, HONESTLY, and every week for 6 weeks I would weigh in, and nothing, sometimes even a small gain!! I had a total meltdown at the scale on week 6. My leader took my journal and we poured over my food choices. After losing 35 lbs and doing moderate exercise, she felt I wasn't eating ENOUGH! So, she upped my protein, and added more healthy carbs, and the very next week I was down 3 lbs!! Our bodies do strange things, and yes, calories in and calories out are the rule, plateaus DO occur and you just have to work through it. I am 10 years older now and gained 25 of the 55 lost back, and it is coming off very slowly, but I am taking every ounce lost as a success. I am geared for the plateau and will make adjustments as they occur. Good luck and hang in there!!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    I get given 1200 no matter my activity level for the 1kg per week loss as it is where it caps.

    You have to enter your exercise separately.

    My activity level is sedentary (but I manually adjusted my calorie amount to 1440) ... and then I add my exercise, selecting the low/light/slow options most of the time.
  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    I get given 1200 no matter my activity level for the 1kg per week loss as it is where it caps.

    You have to enter your exercise separately.

    My activity level is sedentary (but I manually adjusted my calorie amount to 1440) ... and then I add my exercise, selecting the low/light/slow options most of the time.

    yes, it gives 1200 for sedentary, lightly active, and active, because it cannot go below 1200, so adding exercises on top means a sedentary person will have a few 100 extra calories than they should. This is because it is not considered safe for a person to consume less than 1200 cal per day. But if a sedentary person were to consume 1200 plus exercise calories they will not lose at the same rate as an active person who ate 1200 plus exercise calories.
    i.e. for me to lose 1kg per week (without exercise and sedentary) I would need to consume around 750cal (not saying anyone should do that). So my first 450 calories burnt doing exercise should not count when on the 1200 calorie program.
    This is why it is not feasible to aim for 1kg per week loss per week because that aint going to be good for the body.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    edited October 2017
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    I get given 1200 no matter my activity level for the 1kg per week loss as it is where it caps.

    You have to enter your exercise separately.

    My activity level is sedentary (but I manually adjusted my calorie amount to 1440) ... and then I add my exercise, selecting the low/light/slow options most of the time.

    yes, it gives 1200 for sedentary, lightly active, and active, because it cannot go below 1200, so adding exercises on top means a sedentary person will have a few 100 extra calories than they should. This is because it is not considered safe for a person to consume less than 1200 cal per day. But if a sedentary person were to consume 1200 plus exercise calories they will not lose at the same rate as an active person who ate 1200 plus exercise calories.
    i.e. for me to lose 1kg per week (without exercise and sedentary) I would need to consume around 750cal (not saying anyone should do that). So my first 450 calories burnt doing exercise should not count when on the 1200 calorie program.
    This is why it is not feasible to aim for 1kg per week loss per week because that aint going to be good for the body.

    MFP is designed so that exercise is added on, especially if you set yourself at sedentary.

    I managed to lose 25 kg just fine on 1250 cal + a portion of my exercise calories for the first 16 weeks of my "diet" and then on 1350 cal + a portion of my exercise calories for the next 16 weeks of my "diet".

    I dropped 15 kg during the first 16 weeks, and 10 kg during the second 16 weeks.


    I opted to eat about 50% of my exercise calories back when I was lightly active (walking for an hour or so), 75% of my exercise calories when I was moderately active (cycling for, say, 3 hours or so), and about 95% of my exercise calories when I was quite active (cycling for, say, 6+ hours).


    Oh, and no plateaus either.
  • urshela111
    urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    urshela111 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    If you've increased your workouts and started strength training, you're likely retaining fluid for muscle repair.

    How did you come to that 1200 cals? If you don't have much weight to lose (ie less than 20 lb), you should only be aiming for 0.5 lb per week, and you need to eat 50-75% of any calories you burn from exercise as well.


    I used the app to generate the calorie intake limit. Thanks a lot. I actually have 20 lbs to lose.

    What weekly weight loss goal did you set it to?

    1kg per week. (2lbs)
  • urshela111
    urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
    meganpettigrew86 wrote: »
    I get given 1200 no matter my activity level for the 1kg per week loss as it is where it caps.

    Same.
  • urshela111
    urshela111 Posts: 25 Member
    mer55 wrote: »
    Weight Plateaus DO exist!! It is a normal body compensation for changes we make in our eating/nutrients, etc. I lost 55 lbs on WW 9 years ago. The first 35lbs came off slowly, but steady. Then I hit the dreaded plateau! I logged, measured, weighed EVERY morsel that went into my mouth, HONESTLY, and every week for 6 weeks I would weigh in, and nothing, sometimes even a small gain!! I had a total meltdown at the scale on week 6. My leader took my journal and we poured over my food choices. After losing 35 lbs and doing moderate exercise, she felt I wasn't eating ENOUGH! So, she upped my protein, and added more healthy carbs, and the very next week I was down 3 lbs!! Our bodies do strange things, and yes, calories in and calories out are the rule, plateaus DO occur and you just have to work through it. I am 10 years older now and gained 25 of the 55 lost back, and it is coming off very slowly, but I am taking every ounce lost as a success. I am geared for the plateau and will make adjustments as they occur. Good luck and hang in there!!

    Thanks so much!!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    urshela111 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    urshela111 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    If you've increased your workouts and started strength training, you're likely retaining fluid for muscle repair.

    How did you come to that 1200 cals? If you don't have much weight to lose (ie less than 20 lb), you should only be aiming for 0.5 lb per week, and you need to eat 50-75% of any calories you burn from exercise as well.


    I used the app to generate the calorie intake limit. Thanks a lot. I actually have 20 lbs to lose.

    What weekly weight loss goal did you set it to?

    1kg per week. (2lbs)

    I set mine to 0.5 kg/week. MFP gave me 1250 cal. After a month or so, MFP dropped me to 1200 cal, but I raised it manually back up to 1250 cal.

    I lost 1 kg/week for the first 16 weeks, but I set my goal at half that.
  • MissyCHF
    MissyCHF Posts: 337 Member
    edited October 2017
    I've Plateaued since June after losing 31lb, I have tried changing the type of calorie I eat - more protein for instance. Today I was in Lidl store looking for their high protein rolls, when I spied their Pecan Plaits, I bought 3 for £1 and I have just eaten all three @ nearly 400 calories each!!

    May I add I'm sedentary, have 1200 cal's per day, with a goal I have just reduced yesterday to ½ lb per week
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,593 Member
    smithmssycatsmithiris30 wrote: »
    I've Plateaued since June after losing 31lb, I have tried changing the type of calorie I eat - more protein for instance. Today I was in Lidl store looking for their high protein rolls, when I spied their Pecan Plaits, I bought 3 for £1 and I have just eaten all three @ nearly 400 calories each!!

    May I add I'm sedentary, have 1200 cal's per day, with a goal I have just reduced yesterday to ½ lb per week

    Well ... at least you know why you've plateaued. :)
  • mandrewes
    mandrewes Posts: 24 Member
    There are a lot of mechanisms that mean a calorie deficit goes down after several months of a diet.

    Of course one weighs less so one uses fewer calories lugging less weight around

    There is quite a bit of research that shows that someone expends (significantly) fewer calories after weight loss compared to a twin that weighs the same as them but hasn't lost weight.

    (There is research that shows that a high percentage fat and may be protein diet may help minimise this effect.)

    This could easily add up to 500 calories or more a day - that is what was a pound a week loss is now no loss at all.

    Less of the hormone leptin from less fat also makes food more attractive.

    Of course this all made good sense in prehistoric times or even more recent times - after a few months of famine it was important to refuel the body as soon as possible.

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