Plateau question - adding exercise - do I eat those calories?

Jennifer10723

Hello,

So I have hit a plateau and I am going to start adding in exercise I think, do I change my settings in the app itself or just add exercise manually .. does it make sense to eat those if I have hit a plateau? I feel like at 277 pounds 1580 calories is already a bit low? Maybe I'm wrong? ugh.

Lietchi

How long have you not been losing weight?
I lost consistently at 1700 calories plus every single calorie from my exercise/calorie adjustment at 200lbs, so 1580 should definitely be low enough for you to lose weight.
But unless you've been stuck at least 6 weeks, it's not really a plateau, it might just be a stall (weight loss is not linear). Or perhaps your logging isn't accurate enough and you might be consuming more than you think.

spiriteagle99

Eat back some of your exercise calories. Don't overdo the exercise as that can backfire if you get injured or if your body ends up retaining water to heal muscle.

Are you weighing everything you eat? Are you having 'cheat days'? Odds are you aren't including everything you eat. If you open up your diary, people may be able to see if there are problems with your logging that you aren't seeing. You are right, 1580 calories should bring about weight loss.

Jennifer10723

I have been up and down the same pound or two since the last week in May. What is a stall? I opened up diary, I log everything I eat from hot sauce to pats of butter. I weigh and measure everything I put in my mouth. I try and vary my calories every day so my body doesn't "get used to it" .. I try and get at least 4,000 steps a day, some days I get more, some less. I just feel like it should be moving some.

Lietchi

A stall is just a period where your fat loss is masked on the scale by for example water weight fluctations. This can be from hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycle for example), a new exercise routine, travel, warm weather, salty food or just because your body mysteriously feels like it Two or three weeks is still within normal for a stall. Heck, I've even had periods where I seemed to be gaining weight before, eventually, getting a whoosh to a new low weight.

PS: no need to vary your calories from day to day to 'confuse' your body, that's just a myth.

cmriverside

I took a look at your food...

In fact you aren't weighing everything. Lots of "1" or "half package" are entered - but I don't think that's your biggest problem.


I looked back six days and ...if I were eating like you eat I'd be miserable and my body would be majorly stressed and lacking nutrition.


For a week, make it your goal to hit those minimum Protein goals. Try to stay within your salt limit.


Have four to six servings of whole fruit and/or vegetables daily.

cmriverside

..oh, and I ate every delicious calorie earned by exercise when I was losing weight. If you're using this site to give you a calorie goal, that's the way it is designed to be used.


So, yes on the exercise calories (within reason. Like, 200-400, not 1000 for an hour of moderate exercise.)

Jennifer10723

I guess its all relative .. compared to the way I used to eat four months ago .. this is good. I guess if the package says 1 package is this many calories, I put in 1 package .. isn't that how you are supposed to do it? If a full bag of lettuce is 100 calories and I eat half I put half of a bag .. ?? I mean I know I'm not a clean vegan go getter .. but I am doing 10 times better than I was. Thanks for the input.

janejellyroll

Jennifer10723 wrote: »

I guess its all relative .. compared to the way I used to eat four months ago .. this is good. I guess if the package says 1 package is this many calories, I put in 1 package .. isn't that how you are supposed to do it? If a full bag of lettuce is 100 calories and I eat half I put half of a bag .. ?? I mean I know I'm not a clean vegan go getter .. but I am doing 10 times better than I was. Thanks for the input.

You can eat better than you were and still not be in a calorie deficit. Some people are able to go through their whole weight loss while doing rougher estimates of portions, while others find that they need to introduce more accurate measurement at some point (I was in this camp). Weight is going to be the most accurate way to measure your intake with most food items. This is because food manufacturers are allowed to have some measure of variance from what is listed on the package. At the end of the day, of course, it's going to be up to you . . . it's just that many people find their weight loss is more consistent when they're logging more accurately.

Lietchi

Jennifer10723 wrote: »

I guess its all relative .. compared to the way I used to eat four months ago .. this is good. I guess if the package says 1 package is this many calories, I put in 1 package .. isn't that how you are supposed to do it? If a full bag of lettuce is 100 calories and I eat half I put half of a bag .. ?? I mean I know I'm not a clean vegan go getter .. but I am doing 10 times better than I was. Thanks for the input.

Well, the thing is that the package can contain more (or less) than the label says, I think it can be up to 10% off. Portion sizes aren't always accurate either (for example the weight of a slide of bread). For salad it's not a big deal, but for higher calorie items it can add up. That's why people often insist on weighing food.

cmriverside

I don't feel like her logging is her main issue.

It feels like poor nutrition/body stressed out/low calories to me.

AnnPT77

I think there could be something in that nutrition/stress/satiation/low calories hypothesis, too, especially when OP is female - maybe/probably pre-menopausal? - so water weight fluctuations can be more extreme.

OP, if you're 4 months in to this round of dieting, eating only 1580, sedentary, feeling like you're challenged or struggling a bit, it could be a good time to think about eating at/near estimated maintenance calories for up to a couple of weeks, as a physical/psychological stress breaker. I didn't see where you said your age/height, but your TDEE could be 2000+, depending on those details. How fast had you been losing, when you were seeing loss?

There's a thread about the science behind breaks, here:

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

Whether you decide to do something like that, or not, exercise is good for a body. I'd encourage you to phase something in gradually, not go pedal to the metal all at once with something high-intensity/frequent/lengthy, and to eat back a reasonable estimate of the exercise calories. Increasing your physical stress with unfueled exercise is probably not a great idea, IMO.

Rimtimtim

Jennifer10723 wrote: »

I have been up and down the same pound or two since the last week in May. What is a stall? I opened up diary, I log everything I eat from hot sauce to pats of butter. I weigh and measure everything I put in my mouth. I try and vary my calories every day so my body doesn't "get used to it" .. I try and get at least 4,000 steps a day, some days I get more, some less. I just feel like it should be moving some.

For me I go up and down the same pound for most of the month, and then the week after shark week I suddenly drop 4-5 lbs.

I deal by going by inches instead, and the fit of a pair of pants. Because while the scale isn't moving, there are changes for the better with my bodyshape.