Need plateau support ... going crazy

adiostrasero

I am SO annoyed. I have been stuck at the same weight for about the last 6 weeks. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong, if anything, but here's what I'm doing:

- Eating roughly 1300 calories a day (I lowered it by about 100 calories based on my new weight)
- Exercising 3-5 times per week (HIT, running, etc. Usually at least 30 min. per day)
- Measuring my food with measuring cups and a digital scale
- Taking my measurements (no discernible change)
- Seeing how my clothes fit (no discernible change)

I *feel* like I should be losing weight - I feel healthy, feel stronger, etc. and I know that's what I'm supposed to focus on. But I also that I'm about 50 pounds overweight and don't understand why it should be this hard when I'm doing everything right.

I've been told that when you start a new exercise program, as I did about a month ago, it's common to gain weight or hit a plateau ... but shouldn't I be past that stage now that I've been doing this for awhile?

Could I be missing something? Is this going to go away?

Seriously ... I'm just going to start banging my head against a wall over here.

madtownjeremy

Have you done any measurements?

Remember that in the grand scheme of things, fat is pretty light while muscle is heavy...and if you're doing a lot of real HIIT (like 'go til you feel like puking' HIIT) then you'll be building some muscle mass you may not have expected, which will cancel out the fat loss on the scale but not when you do measurements.

xAndreaWx

I'm there at the moment, been the same weight for about 4/5 weeks. Found this calculator online which gives you your daily calorie intake for maintenance, fat loss and extreme fat loss. Underneath that there's a '7 day calorie cycle (zig zag)'. website - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm. This might be worth trying? I'm going to give it a go. Some other suggestions from the site are: (below taken from http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm)

Over time our bodies adapt to the lowered calorie level. Our body becomes more efficient at using energy (lowered metabolism), and therefore burns less fat.
This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau. At this point, the only option is to boost metabolism:

increased cardio,
weight training,
'cheat' meals (i.e. occasional high-calorie meals),
cycling (or zig-zagging) calories,

Good luck and keep going!!! :happy: :flowerforyou:

diannethegeek

Are you logging your exercise and eating the extra calories earned? I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but a lot of us have found that our bodies stop losing when we drop our calories too low.

Docmahi

I hit big plateaus at 220 and 200 so far and a bit of one now though I dont want to call it a legit pleateau

first off my plateaus were for about 3-4 months each so I'm not really of the opinion that 6 weeks is a plateau but to each their own. Things I did are carb cycle for a few weeks - add more cardio (I do predominantly strength training - so If you aren't strength training then add that in instead. You can also consider changing your cardio source - I think the elliptical is a waste of time personally it was effective when I was larger but it seems like I have to do crazy intervals on it now for it to be effective. If you are eating back exercise calories then make sure your burns are accurate I tend to think 90% of my friends list overestimates their calorie burns.

the weight will come off - just stay consistent, a few weeks at the same weight is understandable

madtownjeremy

If you are eating back exercise calories then make sure your burns are accurate I tend to think 90% of my friends list overestimates their calorie burns.

OMG THIS.

adiostrasero

I'm there at the moment, been the same weight for about 4/5 weeks. Found this calculator online which gives you your daily calorie intake for maintenance, fat loss and extreme fat loss. Underneath that there's a '7 day calorie cycle (zig zag)'. website - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm. This might be worth trying? I'm going to give it a go. Some other suggestions from the site are: (below taken from http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm)

Over time our bodies adapt to the lowered calorie level. Our body becomes more efficient at using energy (lowered metabolism), and therefore burns less fat.
This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau. At this point, the only option is to boost metabolism:

increased cardio,
weight training,
'cheat' meals (i.e. occasional high-calorie meals),
cycling (or zig-zagging) calories,

Good luck and keep going!!! :happy: :flowerforyou:

Whaaaaa...? Cheat meals? Now THIS I can handle!

adiostrasero

I hit big plateaus at 220 and 200 so far and a bit of one now though I dont want to call it a legit pleateau

first off my plateaus were for about 3-4 months each so I'm not really of the opinion that 6 weeks is a plateau but to each their own. Things I did are carb cycle for a few weeks - add more cardio (I do predominantly strength training - so If you aren't strength training then add that in instead. You can also consider changing your cardio source - I think the elliptical is a waste of time personally it was effective when I was larger but it seems like I have to do crazy intervals on it now for it to be effective. If you are eating back exercise calories then make sure your burns are accurate I tend to think 90% of my friends list overestimates their calorie burns.

the weight will come off - just stay consistent, a few weeks at the same weight is understandable

Wow, kudos to you for keeping at it after several months of no weight loss. I'm so impatient after this relatively small amount of time!

I typically don't eat back my calories ... but that's a good point about overestimating.

snookumss

How much do you weigh? I weigh 168lbs and I'm 5'6. I need to eat about 1900 calories daily, no gym or separate special workouts. I've eaten about 1800-2000 calories a day for the last 28 days and lost five pounds, if I do workout, I have to eat more. 1300 may not be enough.

If you have the money, buy a bodymedia fit Armband. I lost 50lbs over about a year or so a while back, all the while under eating. I discovered this time around I needed about 500-700 more calories a day and I'm losing the weight consistently, feel better and dieting is WAY easier. Its changed my life!

Back then, I was eating about 1500 calories a day to lose the weight. Hit FRUSTRATING plateaus and felt like if I hit the gym, my weight loss would actually SLOW down or stop!

snookumss

Seriously, another factor. Back then, if I had an accidental cheat day (trip to the movies) that spike in calories would actually Often trigger a sudden dramatic unexpected loss over night. NOT KIDDING. more calories are better!

jojo86xdd

I'm there at the moment, been the same weight for about 4/5 weeks. Found this calculator online which gives you your daily calorie intake for maintenance, fat loss and extreme fat loss. Underneath that there's a '7 day calorie cycle (zig zag)'. website - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm. This might be worth trying? I'm going to give it a go. Some other suggestions from the site are: (below taken from http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm)

Over time our bodies adapt to the lowered calorie level. Our body becomes more efficient at using energy (lowered metabolism), and therefore burns less fat.
This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau. At this point, the only option is to boost metabolism:

increased cardio,
weight training,
'cheat' meals (i.e. occasional high-calorie meals),
cycling (or zig-zagging) calories,

Good luck and keep going!!! :happy: :flowerforyou:

Whaaaaa...? Cheat meals? Now THIS I can handle!

^this...although i don't call them cheat meals, i basically just don't deny myself anything. i fit what i want into my calories for the day and move on.. but yea, my entire weight loss has been pretty consistent, the high calorie foods might have something to do with it. Also, when I notice my weight and measurements haven't changed in 2 weeks, i stop working out for a week, eat my net calories and just rest. The two times this has happened to me i dropped about 5 lbs. Sometimes your body just needs a break. I also do light weight training 4 days a week and cardio every day. This is what has worked for me, maybe it might work for you as well

adiostrasero

Yes, I have heard of this "zig zagging" your calories (eating higher calories one day and lower the next) or eating high calories on workout days. I'm kind of afraid to try it but it sounds really appealing...

I think I'll give it another week with what I'm doing and then maybe try zig zagging.

Francl27

You might not be eating enough. How old are you and what's your activity like? I'm not super active, I walk an hour a day (I burn maybe 300-350 calories) and do bodypump 2-3 times a week, sit on my butt the rest of the time, and I've been losing at 1700 a day (I just decreased to 1650 though because I 'only' lost 3 lbs last month). I'm 160 lbs and 35.

adiostrasero

You might not be eating enough. How old are you and what's your activity like? I'm not super active, I walk an hour a day (I burn maybe 300-350 calories) and do bodypump 2-3 times a week, sit on my butt the rest of the time, and I've been losing at 1700 a day (I just decreased to 1650 though because I 'only' lost 3 lbs last month). I'm 160 lbs and 35.

I'm 30 and I'm pretty active at my job, as far as office jobs go (up and down a lot; spend a few days a week where I'm on my feet and moving for a good part of the day). I work out 3-5 times per week. I based the calories on what MFP told me but maybe I should change my activity level from sedentary to moderate?