Trying to break a maintainance plateau

DonnasJourney100

I have lost 90 pounds still have 15 to go.. cannot seem to get the scale moving no matter how I switch it up.. been counting carbs...still not moving .. so trying to stay within healthy ranges ... calorie counting

AnnPT77

Many people find those last few pounds very slow. Logging accuracy becomes more important (if desiring still to use calorie counting as your key tool), because the tolerances are so much slower toward the end.

How long since you've seen any loss? And when you say you "can't get the scale moving", does that mean no loss at all, or just that it's slower than you'd like? How fast are you trying to lose, at this point?

Have you adjusted your calorie goal to your current lighter weight? Are you weighing as many of your foods as possible? (Weighing food is optional . . . but when "not sure why not losing" comes into the picture, a food scale can really be helpful in figuring out what the problem may be, or at least ruling out some potential causes.) Are you eating back exercise calories? If so, how do you estimate them?

The most common reasons for true plateaus (same up/down weight range for a month or more) are inaccurate food tracking, unlogged big cheat meals/days, overestimated calories from activity. Saying that is not a criticism of you: For all of the things listed, there's a lot of poor/inaccurate information on blogs, IG, etc., and some of them are skills that involved learning/experience, which can happen at any time along the road.

In the early stages, when we have a lot to lose, it's possible for some estimates to be cumulatively a couple hundred calories or so off, but we still lose weight. When we get near goal, that no longer works.

For sure, with the discipline you've shown in reaching this point, you can lose those last 15. It may not be as fast as you'd ideally prefer, but it can happen.

Best wishes!

DonnasJourney100

I’ve been counting strict carbs and calories.. I eat really disciplined and healthy. But I think I’ve just cut out so many complex carbs my body is holding. Also I may not be getting enough calories.. some days under 1200 .. Got to switch it up I believe and focus more on calories not carbs

AnnPT77

msdonnacox7315 wrote: »

I’ve been counting strict carbs and calories.. I eat really disciplined and healthy. But I think I’ve just cut out so many complex carbs my body is holding. Also I may not be getting enough calories.. some days under 1200 .. Got to switch it up I believe and focus more on calories not carbs

If bodies held onto complex carbs, I'd be in big trouble. I eat like 200g+ carbs every day (in maintenance, intentionally losing a few more pounds slowly, at 128-point-something pounds this morning - hypothyroid, menopausal, and pretty old (64) besides).

What we eat, especially in the short run, is not nearly as important as how much (i.e., counted in calories). Study after study has shown this. Eating "healthy" is good for, well, health. But there are people who lose weight on almost entirely junk food (not that I'd recommend that! ).

Getting too few calories can lead to fatigue, and fatigue to reduced activity and reduced exercise calories, and slow weight loss in that indirect way. In that sense, one can get too few calories for best results, but most women (unless very petite, inactive, possibly older) would lose weight on 1200 calories.

I see that you just joined MFP recently. How long have you been tracking meticulously?

And what about the other questions in my PP: How long since you've seen any loss? And when you say you "can't get the scale moving", does that mean no loss at all, or just that it's slower than you'd like? How fast are you trying to lose, at this point? Are you weighing as many of your foods as possible?

New question: Have you taken, or considered taking, a break at estimated maintenance calories? This is a good thread about how that might help:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

I never did that, while losing (obese to current weight), but many people find it quite beneficial.

If you just wanted to vent, with your post, that's totally fine. I was thinking you were looking for suggestions/advice, but if that wasn't true, I'll back off and just sympathize!

harper16

No advice, but congrats on losing 90 lbs.