Hit a wall
sandeegriffin
Posts: 54 Member
So I've hit a wall with my weight. Sigh. How does one get over the wall and keep from plateauing? That is one tough cookie. I'm exercising 4-5 days a week for 30 mins a day. I'm cutting way down on sweets and breads and other heavy forms of carbs. I don't know what else to do. Only thing that is going for me is I'm losing inches. I can't see it but my husband can and co workers can. Only thing I know to do is strap down on more low carb foods and really watch portion. Sigh. What other ideas does everyone have?
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Are you weighing and logging your foods and staying below your calorie allotment? Nothing else matters. Your body will lose weight just as quickly if you eat nothing but twinkies, if you eat below your calorie needs and stay in a caloric deficit. If you eat the finest clean no carb foods in the world and work out until you can't stand up, you will not lose weight if you eat too many calories.5
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I was just getting ready to post to my thread how frustrating the scale can be. I took some measurements and there is some improvement there so I am telling myself to be happy with that (It hasn't kicked in yet). But we have to take a moment to realize there can be so many things going on with our bodies that just don't reflect on the scale. Better bone health, the strengthening of vital muscles, so many things that are improving our health that we should be not just happy about but proud of. I say this because this my morning I killed my workout (at least in my mind) so I know I am getting stronger. Just hang in there, I don't believe in low-carb but won't say others can't work with it. Be reasonable and it will happen.5
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When I stop losing I start logging more accurately again and the problem resolves.9
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rheddmobile wrote: »Are you weighing and logging your foods and staying below your calorie allotment? Nothing else matters. Your body will lose weight just as quickly if you eat nothing but twinkies, if you eat below your calorie needs and stay in a caloric deficit. If you eat the finest clean no carb foods in the world and work out until you can't stand up, you will not lose weight if you eat too many calories.
I don't weigh my good as I have no method to. I measure with cups or spoons depending on the serving size. For example on the bag of SunChips it will say 15 chips is one serving. I will count out 15 whole chips. It may seem like a stupid idea to you but it works for me. I don't log anymore and just try and guess. Other posters have said the same thing. Logging helps. Thank you for responding. I'll start fresh on logging.4 -
sandeegriffin wrote: »Only thing I know to do is strap down on more low carb foods and really watch portion. Sigh. What other ideas does everyone have?
It's good to remember that we lose by calories, not the type of food. I eat loads of carbs (mostly in the form of vegetables, fruit, oatmeal, and legumes) and have had no problem losing weight.
I stalled last year and tried intermittent fasting for a couple of weeks. I ate during an 8 hour window. It was rough the first few days but then I got used to it. I believe the benefit was it reduced my appetite so I ate less. I'm about to try it again.
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Weighing food works best for me over measuring. I've cut out the high carb foods pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, beer2
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sandeegriffin wrote: »
i. I will count out 15 whole chips. It may seem like a stupid idea to you but it works for me. .
But does it really work for you? Let's be honest - this is a post about how you're having trouble losing weight. You're not losing weight because you eat too many calories. You eat too many calories because you refuse to spend $15 on a food scale and use it to accurately log your food.
I totally get it. Logging food isn't always the most fun thing. But if you want to lose the one thing you need to do is eat at a deficit. To know you're eating at a deficit you can wing it as you are now and if you're losing then yay - you're eating at the deficit you think you are. But if you're not losing you need to make some changes - like logging and accuracy will really help.16 -
sandeegriffin wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »Are you weighing and logging your foods and staying below your calorie allotment? Nothing else matters. Your body will lose weight just as quickly if you eat nothing but twinkies, if you eat below your calorie needs and stay in a caloric deficit. If you eat the finest clean no carb foods in the world and work out until you can't stand up, you will not lose weight if you eat too many calories.
I don't weigh my good as I have no method to. I measure with cups or spoons depending on the serving size. For example on the bag of SunChips it will say 15 chips is one serving. I will count out 15 whole chips. It may seem like a stupid idea to you but it works for me. I don't log anymore and just try and guess. Other posters have said the same thing. Logging helps. Thank you for responding. I'll start fresh on logging.
It clearly doesn't work for you though, or you'd be losing.
Buy a scale, log properly and accurately. The weight will come off.9 -
Weighing is not necessary, but eating at a deficit is, and weighing is one of the easiest ways to know if you're at a deficit. If you don't want to weigh, then you need to figure out another way to consistently lower your calories consumed.7
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Ready2Rock206 wrote: »sandeegriffin wrote: »
i. I will count out 15 whole chips. It may seem like a stupid idea to you but it works for me. .
But does it really work for you? Let's be honest - this is a post about how you're having trouble losing weight. You're not losing weight because you eat too many calories. You eat too many calories because you refuse to spend $15 on a food scale and use it to accurately log your food.
I totally get it. Logging food isn't always the most fun thing. But if you want to lose the one thing you need to do is eat at a deficit. To know you're eating at a deficit you can wing it as you are now and if you're losing then yay - you're eating at the deficit you think you are. But if you're not losing you need to make some changes - like logging and accuracy will really help.
Yes that does help that I measure my food differently. I've done it in the past and it helped tremendously. I just fell off the bandwagon and need to get back on. As far as refusing to buy a scale....I'm not refusing to buy a scale....I've been discussing this with my husband and we agreed to keep it simple and not get into weighing food...Yes I agree that weighing food is a lot more accurate but why weigh food when what I've done before works?? And for your information I'm just asking for a little kind help and wish to not be assumed I did something or said something when I didn't... I appreciate you replying but I don't appreciate you making an assumption about me when you don't know me. I post on this forum to get kind advice and help and NOT to have people assume something about me which is INCORRECT.
Thank you.3 -
Well, you are getting help but choosing not to listen to it. You are not logging so you don't really know what your calorie intake is and your thinking about cutting carbs and sweets. You adamantly refuse to get a $10 food scale (on Amazon) to tighten the food measuring down. If you don't get control of the energy in/ energy out you will stay up against that wall. People have given you excellent suggestions. If your not going to use them, I wonder why you posted to begin with?7
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Oh and another thing everyone please take note...when I have logged in the past based on measuring my food by other means instead of weighing IT WORKED...my husband saw a difference and so did I...ONLY thing is I've stopped logging and just have been eyeballing everything which is what hasn't worked....so....I'm gonna start fresh Sunday because it's the beginning of the week and log my meals... if anyone has a problem with this please private message me here....I post in MFP and have gotten some wonderful help and advice from kind people thank you... This is the first time I've ever been bashed on here and whether or not I should weigh my food....I do appreciate all responses but I do not appreciate being bashed people.....I post on MFP because I lack the knowledge....This is supposed to be a community and not a bash party....End rant3
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Not one person bashed you. And why wait until Sunday? There is simply no good reason to.
Regardless, if you're still not seeing results with doing things your way, will you at least consider getting a scale? Accuracy becomes increasingly important the less weight you have to lose.7 -
Wow ... not one thing here is a bash. I hope someone comes along and posts the video of "eyeballing" vs weighing food. People generally are bad at estimating and that's not a bash on you. The food scale is just a tool to accomplish your goal. You wouldn't refuse to use a hammer because it is "too extreme", because you think you could pound a nail in with your hand eventually, would you?
Down 113 lbs ... 20 to go ... so I know from what I speak. Weigh. Log. Succeed.10 -
My only advice is to keep doing what you're doing and continue to spin your wheels, or take note of the excellent advice you've received here and try following it.4
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I saw that video on eyeballing versus weighing. It was very enlightening and I went out and got a food scale. Now I use grams as well. I do it quickly as I don't have lots of time to weigh food.1
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fiddletime wrote: »I saw that video on eyeballing versus weighing. It was very enlightening and I went out and got a food scale. Now I use grams as well. I do it quickly as I don't have lots of time to weigh food.
Same here. A scale is so much quicker than counting out chips, wondering if I really have a 1/2 cup of fruit/veg. Now I just put my bowl/plate on the scale, fill it up and know how much I am eating. Even on days I choose not to log, I still weigh out my portion to know how much I am eating.0 -
Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.9 -
For me i adjusted my BMR based on my all day Hearth rate monitor and i realised that when i started on my resting day i was burning 2400 cal a day but since i lost 20kg now i am burning only 1950, so i had to change my calories intake and on the day i train i eat back 80% of my active calories.2
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ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.6 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit? Also, I disagree that going from 325 to 298 in five weeks is too fast. From 175 to 148 sure, but at plus three bills, it's as easy as, "I'll just have water please".
Honest question, thanks for the time.1 -
ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit?
Honest question, thanks for the time.
To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn - calories in vs calories out. That fewer calories is the deficit. IE, I have a sedentary TDEE of ~1650, I would have to do a massive amount of exercise to burn an additional 2000 cals (which I often do, and more, on day hikes). Because I'm a smart cookie, and don't want to jeopardise my lean body mass, I have a 500 calorie deficit in order to lose 1 lb per week. If I sit on my butt all day, I get to eat 1150 cals (actually, 1200, because I'm a good girl and follow MFP's minimum), if I've climbed mountains, I get to eat 3150 cals. My deficit is 500 either way. If I'm maintaining my weight, I eat the lot.2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit?
Honest question, thanks for the time.
To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn - calories in vs calories out. That fewer calories is the deficit. IE, I have a sedentary TDEE of ~1650, I would have to do a massive amount of exercise to burn an additional 2000 cals (which I often do, and more, on day hikes). Because I'm a smart cookie, and don't want to jeopardise my lean body mass, I have a 500 calorie deficit in order to lose 1 lb per week. If I sit on my butt all day, I get to eat 1150 cals (actually, 1200, because I'm a good girl and follow MFP's minimum), if I've climbed mountains, I get to eat 3150 cals. My deficit is 500 either way. If I'm maintaining my weight, I eat the lot.
I get it. What I think got lost in translation somewhere is that I started eating what a normal person should for my height & target weight on August 1st, while adding 18k steps and 100 sit ups each day to my routine. ...and Voila!!0 -
ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit? Also, I disagree that going from 325 to 298 in five weeks is too fast. From 175 to 148 sure, but at plus three bills, it's as easy as, "I'll just have water please".
Honest question, thanks for the time.
If my math is right, that's more than five pounds a week. A safe rate of loss is generally considered to be no more than 1% of your body weight per week unless you're under a doctor's supervision, so for that to be appropriate you should weigh more than 500 lbs.2 -
ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit?
Honest question, thanks for the time.
To lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn - calories in vs calories out. That fewer calories is the deficit. IE, I have a sedentary TDEE of ~1650, I would have to do a massive amount of exercise to burn an additional 2000 cals (which I often do, and more, on day hikes). Because I'm a smart cookie, and don't want to jeopardise my lean body mass, I have a 500 calorie deficit in order to lose 1 lb per week. If I sit on my butt all day, I get to eat 1150 cals (actually, 1200, because I'm a good girl and follow MFP's minimum), if I've climbed mountains, I get to eat 3150 cals. My deficit is 500 either way. If I'm maintaining my weight, I eat the lot.
I get it. What I think got lost in translation somewhere is that I started eating what a normal person should for my height & target weight on August 1st, while adding 18k steps and 100 sit ups each day to my routine. ...and Voila!!
You're creating a deficit via exercise. Still won't build muscle.
I missed your edit re rate of loss. I'd still say it's too fast, though you likely lost a large amount of water weight. If your losses haven't slowed to 2lb per week, you need to eat more.
And maybe do some other bodyweight exercises rather than just sit ups
. If you lose eating at a reasonable deficit (and a 2lb loss per week for you at this stage is fine, but eventually that will need to drop 1lb per week) and do some resistance training (bodyweight is fine) as you go, you will look a lot better for it at the end of the process 
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rheddmobile wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Surprised no one has mentioned it yet. Exercise.
One of the great things about exercise is the realization that even when you plateau on the scale, it's likely the result of replacing fat with muscle.
Amplifying your activity level will put you in charge of your scale rather than the other way around.
I've dropped 27 lbs in 40 days without weighing a thing. The bar code reader on MFP mobile is a god send.
No. You cannot gain muscle while eating at a deficit, other than under a few very specific circumstances, and even then that growth period doesn't last very long. You will get stronger, but you're not making massive (or likely any, actually) gains in terms of growth, and especially not if you're female. Building muscle just isn't that easy. 'Oh you must have built muscle' is one of the worst cop out excuses there is to why the scale isn't budging, and may well prevent the person from looking for the actual reason.
Exercise is great, but you still have to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight.
And BTW, 27lb in 40 days is far too fast. You'll be losing muscle at that rate.
Not sure I understand "eating at a deficit" in this context. If I go from burning 1000/cals a day to 3000 while eating more & better food, where's the deficit? Also, I disagree that going from 325 to 298 in five weeks is too fast. From 175 to 148 sure, but at plus three bills, it's as easy as, "I'll just have water please".
Honest question, thanks for the time.
If my math is right, that's more than five pounds a week. A safe rate of loss is generally considered to be no more than 1% of your body weight per week unless you're under a doctor's supervision, so for that to be appropriate you should weigh more than 500 lbs.
4.5 lbs/wk vs 3.25 lbs/wk (1%). My dad is an 82 year old retired surgeon who would say this is all mumbo jumbo. He's been eating chili out of the can and smoking a pack of cigarettes every week since like 1961. I'll take my chances.5 -
Oh, also, you are in one of those specific circumstances where you can probably make some muscle gains (both new to resistance training and obese). Take advantage of it. You need to train progressively though, don't just do the same thing day in and day out. As soon as something becomes easy (and if you can do 100 sit ups, you're there already on those), you need to add more resistance.1
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Oh, also, you are in one of those specific circumstances where you can probably make some muscle gains (both new to resistance training and obese). Take advantage of it. You need to train progressively though, don't just do the same thing day in and day out. As soon as something becomes easy (and if you can do 100 sit ups, you're there already on those), you need to add more resistance.
Thank you, Nony Mouse. I appreciate the advice. I played sports at both the varsity and collegiate level. (tennis & rowing crew). I spent a 1000 hours on an erg machine sophomore year. I'm just listening to my body again.0 -
ProdigiousDigit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Oh, also, you are in one of those specific circumstances where you can probably make some muscle gains (both new to resistance training and obese). Take advantage of it. You need to train progressively though, don't just do the same thing day in and day out. As soon as something becomes easy (and if you can do 100 sit ups, you're there already on those), you need to add more resistance.
Thank you, Nony Mouse. I appreciate the advice. I played sports at both the varsity and collegiate level. (tennis & rowing crew). I spent a 1000 hours on an erg machine sophomore year. I'm just listening to my body again.
Well, please feed it properly too. And do slow the weight loss to 2lb per week. You honestly will lose way too much lean body mass otherwise. You want to look good, right? Also, much easier to preserve the muscle you have as much as possible then build on it, than have to rebuild from a lower level. 3
https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk?t=3
https://youtu.be/bnnpUYmr0OM?t=29
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