HELP! I'm stuck :(

DelmiManzanares

I'm right there with you. I have been at this same weight for 4 weeks now. I'm following a 1200 calorie diet and working out more than I was a month ago. I'm also drinking a lot more water. It is frustrating to see the scale stuck at the same number.

try2again

anniecate747 wrote: »

Thanks Philly and need2move... I just need some encouragement... I don't want to starve myself. I feel like I am already eating the right amount, and don't always even reach the 1300 calorie mark, especially since the elliptical adds at least 400 calories for 40 minutes, sometimes a bit more depending on how hard I go. Shulerjs, maybe you are right about my body getting used to the "new" me... I have just started doing more exercise. Is it possible that I am just gaining muscle mass??? So frustrated...

Burn estimates from exercise equipment are notoriously inflated. You should probably only eat back about half of that.

kimny72

Would you be willing to open your food log? Sometimes fresh eyes can see common logging errors. Logging that's close but not perfect can work when you have more to lose, but as you get closer to goal, you have less wiggle room and margin for error.

Without seeing your log, my suggestions would be:

1. If you haven't been, start using a food scale for all solids, even if it seems unnecessary.
2. Portion creep is a thing, and it happens to many of us. It looks like the same size portion I always have, but it's really getting subtly a little bigger. The food scale fixes that.
3. Double check that the entries you are using in the database are correct, many are user entered and wrong.
4. With 11 lbs to go, you should be expecting to lose @ 0.5lbs per week. It is very easy for such a small amount to hide behind water weight fluctuations, so it is quite possible you lost 1 or 2 lbs over this month but it isn't showing up on the scale due to water weight.

When you are trying to get just a little leaner, it's all about patience and precision :drinker:

anniecate747

Yes zyxst, I have been hydrating a LOT... I am a massage therapist, so I am ALWAYS drinking water I weighed myself this morning and my days off are Wed and Thurs, so I don't think it is water retention right now... but there could DEFINITELY be something to this retention of water for muscle repair... Do you think I should switch to exercise every other day? I guess I just got so determined to reach my goal, I thought exercise every day was going to be helpful. Or should I do every day and just do 30 minutes instead of 40? I a just at a loss... I will start doing the measurements though! I feel like I am losing everywhere but my stomach area is being very stubborn... I have been doing crunches using an ab-roller, and leg lifts...

andreaen

This is actually very common when dieting, and is likely to be a result of your metabolism adapting to the calories and exercise. Our bodies are smart things, and when energy is scarce they will start utilizing the calories more efficiently, leading to you keeping your weight at a lower number of calories. Bummer for those trying to lose weight, but a good thing if you were a cavewoman.

When my clients reach a plateau like this at such low calories my first advise is always to up the calories for 1 to 2 weeks and reduce cardio. This will help to re-balance your hormones and can make you lose weight again when you go back to your diet. It sounds a bit counter intuitive, but it actually has a lot of research to back it up.

ToastLemur

Are you drinking any sugar free drinks? apparently those can cause weight gain.

DomesticKat

Are you using a food scale? I may have missed it, but I didn't see you confirm that yet.

solieco1

I would take 10 days at maintenance calories and exercising every other day. You have been stressing your body since December. A maintenance break will likely help your mood, sleep, stress and metabolism. This is not a free-for-all but a planned break. Then come back to it after 10 days and I bet you start seeing success again.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170918222235.htm

shulerjs

anniecate747 wrote: »

Thanks Philly and need2move... I just need some encouragement... I don't want to starve myself. I feel like I am already eating the right amount, and don't always even reach the 1300 calorie mark, especially since the elliptical adds at least 400 calories for 40 minutes, sometimes a bit more depending on how hard I go. Shulerjs, maybe you are right about my body getting used to the "new" me... I have just started doing more exercise. Is it possible that I am just gaining muscle mass??? So frustrated...

Remember, working large muscle groups (legs, back, core) with weights has your muscles burning calories even after your workout is done; also boosts metabolism! Our bodies are designed to be as efficient as possible, so if we do the same exercise every day, our bodies will find a way to do it for the least calorie burn possible. Mix it up for muscle confusion to force your body to burn more calories. Your first day doing an exorcise burns the most calories, every day after that will be less.

RadishEater

I would be wary about using the elliptical calorie estimates, most magazines that talk about gym machines overestimating calorie burn and put the elliptical as being the worst overestimator. Combine the overestimate with a low amount of calories you start at you might have not much wiggle room between being in a deficit and being close to maintenance.

I usually leave a 100 calorie buffer for the elliptical i.e if the machine says I burn 400 I enter 300. However this is probably person dependent and has been working for me when I was losing weight and now in maintenance.

kimny72

ToastLemur wrote: »

Are you drinking any sugar free drinks? apparently those can cause weight gain.

This is not true. For some people they can cause hunger, but weight loss comes down to calories.

erickirb

anniecate747 wrote: »

Thanks Philly and need2move... I just need some encouragement... I don't want to starve myself. I feel like I am already eating the right amount, and don't always even reach the 1300 calorie mark, especially since the elliptical adds at least 400 calories for 40 minutes, sometimes a bit more depending on how hard I go. Shulerjs, maybe you are right about my body getting used to the "new" me... I have just started doing more exercise. Is it possible that I am just gaining muscle mass??? So frustrated...

Do you eat those calories back? Also keep in mind that the cals on the output and in MFP are on the high side, in that 40 mins, if the machine says you burned 400, it may be more like 250-300

jangel66

annie do not cut your calories any more. if you put your body into starvation mode it will just lower your metabolism and you will get into a vicious cycle. since i did not see any weights in your workout i am going to suggest you add weights to your workout. increased muscle mass will raise your metabolism and make you look more toned and feel better at what ever weight you settle into.
so add weights for 20-30 minutes and cut cardio back to 20 -30 minutes
and lastly Stay off the Scale

weekly weigh-in at the most

at the start of weight lose the scale is your friend and gives positive reinforcement.
at the end it will just drive you crazy. step away from the scale.

good luck and you have done a great job already give yourself some credit and feel good about where you are.

erickirb

jangel66 wrote: »

annie do not cut your calories any more. if you put your body into starvation mode it will just lower your metabolism and you will get into a vicious cycle. since i did not see any weights in your workout i am going to suggest you add weights to your workout. increased muscle mass will raise your metabolism and make you look more toned and feel better at what ever weight you settle into.
so add weights for 20-30 minutes and cut cardio back to 20 -30 minutes
and lastly Stay off the Scale

weekly weigh-in at the most

at the start of weight lose the scale is your friend and gives positive reinforcement.
at the end it will just drive you crazy. step away from the scale.

good luck and you have done a great job already give yourself some credit and feel good about where you are.

Starvation mode doesn't work like that. If all her numbers inputs and outputs are correct, and she isn't losing weight, then her maintenance is 1300 calories, so the only way to lose is to eat less. OP I second cutting your cals by 100, give that 3-4 weeks and see if you lose again.

steveko89

Put your stats into TDEECalculator.net at both your starting and current weight (guessed random age of 28 for a comparison) and dropping 26lbs results in a TDEE of ~200 fewer calories since there's just less of you to maintain now.

RE: exercise calorie burn, 400 for the elliptical seems high. I've tried numerous heart rate monitors in the past and they've always overestimated calories for me. Try eating only half of your exercise calories and see where that get's you.

kimny72

jangel66 wrote: »

annie do not cut your calories any more. if you put your body into starvation mode it will just lower your metabolism and you will get into a vicious cycle. since i did not see any weights in your workout i am going to suggest you add weights to your workout. increased muscle mass will raise your metabolism and make you look more toned and feel better at what ever weight you settle into.
so add weights for 20-30 minutes and cut cardio back to 20 -30 minutes
and lastly Stay off the Scale

weekly weigh-in at the most

at the start of weight lose the scale is your friend and gives positive reinforcement.
at the end it will just drive you crazy. step away from the scale.

good luck and you have done a great job already give yourself some credit and feel good about where you are.

Starvation mode is not a real thing. Adaptive thermogenesis can be an issue, but not for someone whose been losing at a moderate pace for just 3 months.

Thisisntryan02021990

Gaining muscle mass is definitely a possibility. Have you switched up your workout routine since you started your weight loss journey? Your body may be plateauing because it is used to your current workout. Try switching up your exercises and your cardio and see if that helps.

taco_inspector

Just an odd question @anniecate747 , Have you tried to let MFP re-calculate your caloric needs based on your current weight? -- Given that you began at 187lbs and are now at 161lbs, there should be about 100-cals/day difference in your BMR...

Seeing that:

anniecate747 wrote: »

... I have kept my diet the EXACT same since I started all of this in December. ...

, there would be a tiny bit in the BMR change.

Looking strictly from the outside, your recently increased exercise frequency coupled with a likely over-estimation of the caloric burn in that exercise (10-cals/minute for a 161-lb female?) is probably all that you're really experiencing here -- Some of the suggestions to eat-back fewer of your exercise calories may be all you need to see a little more movement on your scale...

... and truly, if the 400-calorie burn for your exercise is too liberal AND you're eating-back 100% of your exercise calories, then reducing your exercise, will also reduce some of your caloric surplus.

If i'm reading all this correctly you've dropped a MASSIVE 26-pounds in just a few weeks at a rate of loss in the 2-lbs/week range), which is totally amazingly awesome... Way to get after all of that and congratulations! -- Now you've come to a halt while maintaining your 1300 cal intake and eating back all of your exercise calories... If all of your math is solid, and you're essentially maintaining weight at this level of intake and exercise, dropping 100 cals of intake for your BMR change, AND eating back about 75% of your exercise calories (another 100-cals/day) could help you regain some of your lost momentum regardless of what else may be going on...


There will be more factors in all of this, since moving from a 2-lb/week loss to 0-lb/week loss is a change of nearly 1000-calories per day, IF this is all body mass and not simply fluid retention. Why not do that tiny 200-cal change and see where you go from here?

kimny72

Thisisntryan02021990 wrote: »

Gaining muscle mass is definitely a possibility. Have you switched up your workout routine since you started your weight loss journey? Your body may be plateauing because it is used to your current workout. Try switching up your exercises and your cardio and see if that helps.

A woman who has been eating 1300ish cals and working out on the elliptical for 4 months has not put on enough muscle mass to throw off her scale weight.

kommodevaran

You haven't said a definite yes or no to "are you using a food scale", your diary is closed, but you're eager to share what foods you eat, you don't always "reach" 1300 calories, you don't want to starve yourself, you "feel" you're eating the right amount, you've recently added more exercise, that could make you retain water, you're eating back exercise calories, which might even be inflated...

No, you're not gaining a lot of muscle; your body is not holding onto fat because it's getting used to the exercise you do; 1300 calories is very little food; if you aren't losing weight, you're not starving yourself.

You are eating more than you think.

Relax, stop the focus on details, buy and use a food scale, log everything, correctly, don't eat back more than 50% of those exercise calories, and you will lose weight.