Net Calories/Weight Loss Stall

lexusjade

I have lost 58 lbs since September 2018. However, I feel like for the last 4 months, my progress has been stalling. I was eating around 1450 (not eating back exercise calories) and started feeling completely lethargic all the time, I pulled my net calorie report and saw I was in negative calories most days with my activity level which you can see prior to mid-March (I would say I am generally sedentary because of my desk job but I do workout moderately/intensely 4-6 Xs a week, sometimes for over an hour). Anyway, I started eating back my exercise calories, and still seem to stall. So now I've calculated my TDEE and I'm eating 1,624 and not eating back exercise calories. But I feel stuck. In the last 90 days I've only lost 10 lbs. I have a good 60 more to lose, and I feel like I should be able to hit 8-10 consistently a month. Not sure what to do since eating more/eating less/working out more, none of these combinations is increasing my rate of loss. Do I need to drop down to go back in a negative net calorie deficit to lose? I do have Hashimotos also, so it is harder to lose weight but still!

seska422

My suggestion is that you let go of worrying about rate of loss.

You've lost 10 pounds in 3 months. Congrats!

You've got a system that is working. Be patient.

Panini911

lexusjade wrote: »

I have lost 58 lbs since September 2018. However, I feel like for the last 4 months, my progress has been stalling. I was eating around 1450 (not eating back exercise calories) and started feeling completely lethargic all the time, I pulled my net calorie report and saw I was in negative calories most days with my activity level which you can see prior to mid-March (I would say I am generally sedentary because of my desk job but I do workout moderately/intensely 4-6 Xs a week, sometimes for over an hour). Anyway, I started eating back my exercise calories, and still seem to stall. So now I've calculated my TDEE and I'm eating 1,624 and not eating back exercise calories. But I feel stuck. In the last 90 days I've only lost 10 lbs. I have a good 60 more to lose, and I feel like I should be able to hit 8-10 consistently a month. Not sure what to do since eating more/eating less/working out more, none of these combinations is increasing my rate of loss. Do I need to drop down to go back in a negative net calorie deficit to lose? I do have Hashimotos also, so it is harder to lose weight but still!

10lbs in 90 days is nearly a pound a week. Which is actually a solid rate of loss.

as you get closer to goal your rate of loss will slow. 8-10lbs/months consistently at this point would be too high a rate of loss. with 60lbs to go pretty sure 1.5lb/week would be the max recommended.

but beyond that, I would double check how you are measuring calories in. are you using a food scale? for all foods? as you move forward accurate logging becomes more and more important. And how carefully are you selecting entires in MFP? there are many errors in the database.

try2again

Let's clarify... 10 lb in 3 months is not a stall! Congratulations on that extra 10 lbs gone!

But if your expected rate of loss isn't matching your results, it's likely a logging accuracy issue. Do you use a food scale and weigh your food?

try2again

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1

Agree with @Panini911 ... with 60 lbs to go, you really shouldn't be aiming for more than 1.5 lb/week and possibly just 1.

OooohToast

Hi OP - I appreciate you are frustrated by the current rate of weight loss but I just wanted to say well done on the awesome progress to date, especially with the Hashimotos ! I have recently added in an extra 20 min low level cardio (a brisk evening walk after dinner) and am surprised at what I think is a disproportionate positive impact. Am wondering if combined with rest of cardio regime, its keeping things ticking over for longer.... dont really care about the science tbh ! Back to you - I think if the worst thing that happens is that you keep with your current approach, then you are still winning

AquaMeow

Patience is key and breaking weight loss plateaus are tough but it can be done, goodluck!!

IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt

Congratulations on your losses! Off topic, but I had to mention I used to own the shoes in your profile picture (I wore them out). They were so cute, I still miss them!

erickirb

Do you weigh all solid food you eat and measure all liquids (other than water)?
Do you double check the database entry to make sure it is correct? many can have errors as they are user entered

apullum

Agreed that you’re losing at a perfectly reasonable rate for your stats. With 60 pounds to lose, you really shouldn’t be aiming for more than about 1 pound per week.

To help avoid stalls in the future, make sure you use a food scale to weigh all solid food.

leggup

You're at the point in losing that you likely want to drop to 1.5 lbs/week. You could get maybe 2 lbs per week but with much more work. Also- you said you have 60 more lbs to go--- what's your goal weight and height? Is it on the low end of the BMI scale? Dropping under 22 BMI can be slow going for a lot of people.

Are you weighing your food on a food scale? I find that I am only accurate when I do that. I have 20 lbs to go and I'm set to 1 lb/week. If I lose .5 lbs/week it's still improvement.

As for feeling lethargic, I do not know if Hashimoto's could be to blame. Working out leaves me way more exhausted when I'm in a calorie deficit and I have a longer recovery.

lexusjade

IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt wrote: »

Congratulations on your losses! Off topic, but I had to mention I used to own the shoes in your profile picture (I wore them out). They were so cute, I still miss them!

Too funny! I owned them years ago, moved on to Brooks now but I still love the quirky design!

lexusjade

Thank you every one for your comments. I'm really needing to hit another a 30 lbs to be within range for IVF, which may be something we have to pursue. Because of my age, I really can't wait 30 more weeks of 1lb a week loss! I honestly don't have a goal weight in mind, but I'm probably looking to land around 190, which in the past put in size 8 tops/10 bottoms, which is ideal for my body type.

I do measure/weigh everything. I eat pretty much the same breakfast (2 hardboiled eggs, 0% greek yogurt with a tablespoon of honey) and measure all my lunch ingredients (I prep for 5 days in advance the same thing). Likely a few happy hours are catching up with me as it is hard to measure drinks. Sounds like I just need to keep pushing and hoping for a few more whooshes in my future. I am feeling pretty good and crushing my workouts, so I don't want to go back in the lethargic phase where I could barely wake up in the mornings and never felt rested. Thanks again!

sweetirish

lexusjade wrote: »

Thank you every one for your comments. I'm really needing to hit another a 30 lbs to be within range for IVF, which may be something we have to pursue. Because of my age, I really can't wait 30 more weeks of 1lb a week loss! I honestly don't have a goal weight in mind, but I'm probably looking to land around 190, which in the past put in size 8 tops/10 bottoms, which is ideal for my body type.

I do measure/weigh everything. I eat pretty much the same breakfast (2 hardboiled eggs, 0% greek yogurt with a tablespoon of honey) and measure all my lunch ingredients (I prep for 5 days in advance the same thing). Likely a few happy hours are catching up with me as it is hard to measure drinks. Sounds like I just need to keep pushing and hoping for a few more whooshes in my future. I am feeling pretty good and crushing my workouts, so I don't want to go back in the lethargic phase where I could barely wake up in the mornings and never felt rested. Thanks again!

How goes the struggle now? I'm in a holding pattern for IVF myself and need to drop another 10 pounds before it's a go and spent the past 3 months fighting the same 2 pounds. I added weights to my cardio and am doing carb cycling (nutritionist recommended under 50 carbs/day for 3 days and then 1 day of 90-100 carbs) and intermittent fasting (I typically don't eat before 9am and after 7pm) that seems to be helping. Finally busted those 2 pounds! Feel free to friend me if you want someone going through the same journey.
~Karen

lexusjade

Sweetirish, I'm still fighting the battle! My clothes are getting looser but the scale isn't showing progress. Very frustrating that the concept of weight loss SHOULD be so easy but it feels like a constant uphill battle! It's even more depressing that I realized I posted this 4 weeks ago, and 4 weeks later I'm in the same place!

sweetirish

lexusjade wrote: »

Sweetirish, I'm still fighting the battle! My clothes are getting looser but the scale isn't showing progress. Very frustrating that the concept of weight loss SHOULD be so easy but it feels like a constant uphill battle! It's even more depressing that I realized I posted this 4 weeks ago, and 4 weeks later I'm in the same place!

Jade - Girl I feel your comment in my SOUL. I've lost 5 inches over my body in the past few weeks alone (I should have measured before I started) and that meant nothing to those 2 pounds. Have you reached out to a nutritionist? It could be that for the amount you're exercising (dude, I looked at your profile after the friend request - you exercise A LOT) you're not eating enough. There's no shame in having a nutritionist look at your logs. I went through a bariatric surgical program 2 years ago and still meet with nutritionists. I plateaued myself at a year out from surgery to start trying for a baby and I wish I'd waited another 20 pounds to plateau.
Sorry, side-tracked there. I think perhaps you should cut some cardio and add weights. Simple 2 to 5 pounds to start. I have the workout that the surgical program gave me and I can email it to you (I took pictures of the sheets) and adding that helped. Sure, you've been toning with your current cardio workouts, but that shift to adding muscle could be the trigger that helps. Adding weights (started with 2 lb, moved to 5 and then 10 lbs) helped me break my stall and I dropped 4 pounds. DOOOO EEEETTT.

lexusjade

sweetirish wrote: »

lexusjade wrote: »

Sweetirish, I'm still fighting the battle! My clothes are getting looser but the scale isn't showing progress. Very frustrating that the concept of weight loss SHOULD be so easy but it feels like a constant uphill battle! It's even more depressing that I realized I posted this 4 weeks ago, and 4 weeks later I'm in the same place!

Jade - Girl I feel your comment in my SOUL. I've lost 5 inches over my body in the past few weeks alone (I should have measured before I started) and that meant nothing to those 2 pounds. Have you reached out to a nutritionist? It could be that for the amount you're exercising (dude, I looked at your profile after the friend request - you exercise A LOT) you're not eating enough. There's no shame in having a nutritionist look at your logs. I went through a bariatric surgical program 2 years ago and still meet with nutritionists. I plateaued myself at a year out from surgery to start trying for a baby and I wish I'd waited another 20 pounds to plateau.
Sorry, side-tracked there. I think perhaps you should cut some cardio and add weights. Simple 2 to 5 pounds to start. I have the workout that the surgical program gave me and I can email it to you (I took pictures of the sheets) and adding that helped. Sure, you've been toning with your current cardio workouts, but that shift to adding muscle could be the trigger that helps. Adding weights (started with 2 lb, moved to 5 and then 10 lbs) helped me break my stall and I dropped 4 pounds. DOOOO EEEETTT.

I have definitely been adding more weights and bootcamp (split of cardio and strength training) workouts. I do workout a lot lol but I really enjoy it and the health benefits has been amazing! I actually researched two nutritionists and I am going to go and see one. I did some research and it looks like my health insurance covers 4 visits a year or more if with doctor's orders. Going to see my doc for a thyroid check in a couple of weeks to make sure everything looks good there also.

Completely random, I busted my plateau two weeks ago when I came down with the stomach virus. Dropped 11 lbs in 2.5 days. One week later, I gained 10 back LOL I know it was all water weight but seeing that lower number on the scale (even in my haze of dehydration and stomach cramps) was amazing LOL