Weight loss stagnation (M/21yo/173cm) Help needed, please ! :)

Cyclone1406

Hello guys, so here's the deal :

I started my weight loss journey on 27/08/2019, and since then I went from 93 Kg/ 205 lbs to 84,9 Kg/ 187,2 lbs. But here's the problem, for the past 3 weeks i've stagnated at this exact same weight and I sincerely I can't come up with any viable explanation.

When it comes to nutrition, my food consumption is as follows :

- Current macros ratio : Carbs : 45% (203g)/ Proteins : 25 % (135g)/ Fat : 25 % (50g).

- 1 cheat day allowed per week : maximum calories consumed during that day : 2400 calories.

- Before, and 1 week after weight stagnation : average of daily intake - around 1600 calories.

- After 1 week of stagnation : average of daily intake - around 1800 calories.

(And yes, i meticulously weight every gram of food i eat using a scale, and also yes i drink plenty of water, and yes my daily sodium consumption is at less 1500mg/day XD ).

Exercise :

- Before, and 1 week after weight stagnation : 40min of cardio (cycling at 27Km/h, with high resistance / 6 days a week) + weightlifting / about 5 days a week.

- After 1 week of stagnation : 20 to 25 min of cardio (cycling at 33Km/h, with high resistance / 6days a week) + weightlifting (new variation of exercises and using heavier weights) / about 5 days a week.

PS : I've taken a couple of refeed days, still the weight marked on the scale wouldn't bulge by a gram.

apullum

How tall are you? My guess is that for a male, 187.2 lb. is 25 lb. or less from your optimal BMI range unless you're on the shorter side. If that is the case, then you're getting to a point where your fat loss is going to slow down and your body cannot safely sustain as large a deficit as it once could. If you're pretty close to an optimal BMI range, that slow weight loss can be masked on the scale by normal water/waste fluctuations. It's common to see no downward change for 4-6 weeks.

While you might be able to target 1 lb/week safely, if you're within the last 15-20 pounds or so, I'd recommend switching to 0.5 lb/week. I would also recommend paying close attention to your weekly calorie goals. If your "cheat day" takes you out of a deficit for the week or significantly reduces the size of your deficit, that's likely the problem.

Also, if your weight is *exactly* 187.2 lb. for every single day over the past three weeks, change your scale batteries

Cyclone1406

Well, I am 173cm/ 5'8 tall and still have at least 15Kg/33 lbs to loose, so I really doubt the weight loss slow down. As for the scale, i just checked it today, by weighing a dumbbell and the weight was accurate, but i when i say stagnate i mean that the weekly average of daily weight measurements stagnated at around 84,9Kg. Also, i tried weighing myself every morning post cardio and before eating anythong and the value stayed exactly at 84,9Kg.

apullum

You're 23 pounds from the top of your optimal BMI range, even though you may want to lose more weight once you get into that range. My sense is that you're likely losing slowly, but you sound like you may be cutting into your deficit on some days/weeks. That depends on whether your "cheat days" or "refeeds" put you over your weekly calorie goal. Ultimately, fat loss is 100% about being in a calorie deficit.

However, the fact that your scale shows *exactly* the same weight every morning still suggests to me that something might be up with the scale itself. Weight fluctuations are normal and expected. It would be very, very unusual for anyone to weigh exactly the same amount every single day. If you're seeing exactly the same number day after day, then your scale may have a memory function or other issue. I'd still try resetting it since that's weird.

sijomial

Making your diary public might help - there's loads of seriously bad database entries plus there's common logging mistakes both in food and exercise logging.
(An example would be using outdoor cycling speed ranges for indoor cycling when you really aren't travelling at the speed the indoor bike tells you.)

If your calories really are averaging so little then yes you should be losing weight successfully.

From a similar weight I consistently lost 1lb/week eating at a similar weekly net intake (but a much larger actual intake).

There isn't a need to aim for 0.5lb/week at your size.