Plateau
debraah66
Posts: 62 Member
According to the CAlorie Calculator site, I should be losing but I havent for over a month now. Any advice? Also I could use some more friends support.
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Replies
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I had the same over the whole of August, I think they call it a fat-eau! Fairly normal, just keep the faith, if you're being healthy thats all that matters really. In september I then had a loss-spurt and I'm back on track 1lb per week. Thats the key for me, actually feeling hungry before eating, and then going to sleep hungry (i.e. not full). Are you eating smaller portions?2
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Are you accurately logging your food intake? weighing it? choosing the correct entries in database?
You should have seen some sort of loss after a month.
Have you much weight to lose?
Have you put in your stats to this app and set your loss rate per week?7 -
Tom_LifeHackDiet wrote: »I had the same over the whole of August, I think they call it a fat-eau! Fairly normal, just keep the faith, if you're being healthy thats all that matters really. In september I then had a loss-spurt and I'm back on track 1lb per week. Thats the key for me, actually feeling hungry before eating, and then going to sleep hungry (i.e. not full). Are you eating smaller portions?
Sometimes I do. If I don't I add it in.0 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Are you accurately logging your food intake? weighing it? choosing the correct entries in database?
You should have seen some sort of loss after a month.
Have you much weight to lose?
Have you put in your stats to this app and set your loss rate per week?
Yes to all except I havent weighed my food. I don't have a scale. I judge use my best judgement. I've lost like almost 70 pounds doing it this way but all of the sudden it just dead stopped.1 -
You need a food scale. Eyeballing is very inaccurate. I guarantee you’re eating more than you believe you are. As you lose more weight, the extra calories make a much bigger difference to your progress. Food scales are cheap and easy to use.6
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Sounds to me like for the last 70lbs guessing has been good enough but, now good enough isn't good enough anymore. Since you don't actually know how much you're eating you can't know if you're eating in a calorie deficit.. Your guesses aren't accurate enough anymore to ensure you're in a calorie deficit or perhaps the guessed portions have been slowly creeping up and getting larger. Who knows?
A kitchen scale will set you back about $106 -
I just pushed through the plateau. It took me over a month also.
Don't give a hope! I believe everyone goes through it.3 -
weight3049 wrote: »I just pushed through the plateau. It took me over a month also.
Don't give a hope! I believe everyone goes through it.
All the pushing through and having hope isn't going to do a thing if you're not eating in a calorie deficit and unless you're weighing and logging accurately you can't be sure that's happening.
While a plateau isn't a reason to panic it's definitely a reason to take stock and see if something needs adjusting particularly if it's been more than a month as is the case here and even more so when there's a pretty obvious reason that it might be happening.5 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Are you accurately logging your food intake? weighing it? choosing the correct entries in database?
You should have seen some sort of loss after a month.
Have you much weight to lose?
Have you put in your stats to this app and set your loss rate per week?
Yes to all except I havent weighed my food. I don't have a scale. I judge use my best judgement. I've lost like almost 70 pounds doing it this way but all of the sudden it just dead stopped.
That means your old way of doing things is no longer accurate enough to ensure a consistent calorie deficit. When you weighed more, you had a larger deficit and a few logging errors weren't a big deal. Now you have a smaller deficit and errors can cut into it or even wipe it out completely. Get a food scale and use it to weigh ALL your food.5 -
You might want to consider a diet break if you have been on this for long enough to lose 70 pounds.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p17 -
cheryldumais wrote: »You might want to consider a diet break if you have been on this for long enough to lose 70 pounds.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
OP, my advice would be to check out this post, take a regimented specific diet break as described there, and meanwhile order a food scale for $10-$15 off Amazon or Walmart. Once you get closer to goal, your margins of error become smaller. Some people estimate well enough that they can get away without it, even at the end, others of us... not so much
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LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Are you accurately logging your food intake? weighing it? choosing the correct entries in database?
You should have seen some sort of loss after a month.
Have you much weight to lose?
Have you put in your stats to this app and set your loss rate per week?
Yes to all except I havent weighed my food. I don't have a scale. I judge use my best judgement. I've lost like almost 70 pounds doing it this way but all of the sudden it just dead stopped.
Without weighing your food, you have no idea how much you're actually eating.3 -
First, congrats on your 70lb loss. That's an amazing accomplishment.
It sounds like you've hit the dreaded time where you need to be more precise with your calorie counting to get the weight to start in a downward projection again.
Back in 2011 I decided I was going to lose weight. I was in the overweight category and not getting any younger. Starting I just cut back on food. Moved a little more. Weight came off. Then one day when I hit about the 30lb lost mark I noticed it was just staying in one place. I was no longer in a calorie deficient.
In comes the food scale, who now, is my best friend (when I use it..lol). Estimating intake just won't work now. I got my food scale at Aldi, but Amazon and Walmart have tons of them from $10-$15 (best money I ever spent, I've had mine for 8+ years).
Put a plate/bowl on it. Tare it to 0, set it to grams, fill with food (I usually start a the recommended serving size, then increase depending on how many calories I have). Log per grams. Eat food. I weigh everything I eat at home or work except for: Spices, Hot Sauce, Pickles, things in single serving containers (aka yogurt, little bags of chips etc).
It seems ridiculous when you start, but then it becomes a habit and you feel lost with out the scale...LOL
Good luck in the next part of your journey!2 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Are you accurately logging your food intake? weighing it? choosing the correct entries in database?
You should have seen some sort of loss after a month.
Have you much weight to lose?
Have you put in your stats to this app and set your loss rate per week?
Yes to all except I havent weighed my food. I don't have a scale. I judge use my best judgement. I've lost like almost 70 pounds doing it this way but all of the sudden it just dead stopped.
What did you lose last month compared to the 2 months before? If you see that your weight loss has been slowing it is definitely time to rethink your approach. If your weight loss has been consistent and it stopped there may be different issue here.2 -
The first few months of my wlj I was dropping lbs like no tomorrow. for the 1st month and a half I was guesstimating, then I bought a food scale and couldn't believe how far I was off. The only thing that saved me without the scale was still being obese and not counting exercise calories. I'm down 75 lbs with 25 to goal and every lb is getting a little tougher at this point. Without a food scale, there is no way I could keep losing consistently!4
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Honestly, Amazon has kitchen scales for under $10!! With 5 star ratings! Get a scale, mate. You'll thank us later.3
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cheryldumais wrote: »You might want to consider a diet break if you have been on this for long enough to lose 70 pounds.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
I can't. I need a couple of surgerys that I'm trying to lose enough to get.0 -
I had meant to get one but I never got around to it. Most things I measure like with a cup or something like that. The calories are by the serving on the box or label. You don't need to weigh that. Meats and cheeses are probably the biggest problem. Can you find one at the dollar store?0
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I've been using like the palm of your hand or a deck of cards way of checking. Those kind of measurements they talk about in the exchange program I do believe. Thats what they told me to use at Tops.
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I had meant to get one but I never got around to it. Most things I measure like with a cup or something like that. The calories are by the serving on the box or label. You don't need to weigh that. Meats and cheeses are probably the biggest problem. Can you find one at the dollar store?
You do need to weigh that. Single serving products may weigh more than stated on the box.
Your hand size is an estimate. It is not a measurement.
Cups are not very accurate for any solid food. Think about a cup of rice. Now add a pinch more rice on top. Then add a bit more. And a bit more. You can probably put quite a bit of rice on top without it spilling over the side. You can probably tap the cup a bit to get it to settle and add even more.
Obviously your cup now has more rice in it, and more calories, and yet it is still a "cup" of rice. At what point is it no longer a cup?
If you weigh your food, then there is no doubt about how much rice you have.
Weigh all your food. Forget you own any measuring cups or spoons.8 -
I've been using like the palm of your hand or a deck of cards way of checking. Those kind of measurements they talk about in the exchange program I do believe. Thats what they told me to use at Tops.
This kind of “measuring” is not measuring. It’s guessing. This is the reason you’ve stalled. I don’t know if you can get a food scale at the dollar store. Thess scales are ridiculously cheap regardless. Do yourself a favour and invest the $8.6 -
cheryldumais wrote: »You might want to consider a diet break if you have been on this for long enough to lose 70 pounds.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
I can't. I need a couple of surgerys that I'm trying to lose enough to get.
This is entirely up to you but I was stuck for 3 months and a week of diet break got me losing again. In my opinion it was worth it to take a break. The result was I think I gained about 2 pounds which came right back off and then I was losing. Had I not done that I believe I would have been stuck for another month or two. You can stay where you are or you can try to fix it. It's a gamble but what have you got to lose?
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I had meant to get one but I never got around to it. Most things I measure like with a cup or something like that. The calories are by the serving on the box or label. You don't need to weigh that. Meats and cheeses are probably the biggest problem. Can you find one at the dollar store?
You really do need to weigh packaged items rather than use a cup or eyeball it. You will be amazed at how different two different people can pack a measuring cup. And the nutrition info on the label is correct for the weighed serving in grams, then they estimate the closest volume measurement like a cup.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p11 -
So here's the thing.
It's easy to lose weight when you have a lot of weight to lose.
Eyeballing works! Measuring cups work. Until they don't.
Also, eating the way I used to worked for a long time. You know, lots of snacky foods, sugary stuff. Not paying attention to getting Enough Protein. Eating a lot of bread and very few vegetables.
I lost 50 pounds before I bought a food scale. I had stalled for quite some time.
Spend the $10. Best investment ever.
https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk 9 -
...also just to add...I've seen them at the Goodwill and Value Village for just a couple bucks. I haven't seen them at the Dollar Store, but you could ask.2
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What are your stats? Height, weight, gender, age, activity level?0
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Agree with all here- a food scale is a must. In fact, you will find where the nitrition labels will give you measurements like 1/2 cup, just how inaccurate even that can be. Like everyone says, the closer you get to goal the less margin for error there truly is. It is not difficult to use a food scale whatsoever. Its the best $20 you will spend.2
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The problem with the deck of cards method is you mentally keep adding and adding til your deck is the size of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. The scale keeps you honest.
Sometimes what you think is a plateau really isn’t. Do you have photos from a month or two ago? Are your clothes fitting looser? Are you seeing new muscles or feeling new bones?
What I thought was a plateau was actually my body redecorating and moving all the furniture, I had almost no weight loss for two months, but kept at it. I finally realized my butt got smaller, my wrists thinner, my arms and legs seemed to get longer and tighter, and ever daggone spare ounce of fat shifted to my gut, where it still lives today, and (I believe) shelters a fine six pack dying to get out,8 -
Also, sometimes the bodily change comes in a form other than weight loss. That's why it is important to track measurements other than just your weight and calories. I measure my waist, hips, belly, thigh, and neck every two weeks. Even if I don't see the weight drop, I see the measurements drop, and I can see that I am making progress.
Oh, and get a scale! 1
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