5lb Weight Loss Plateau

notup2it1
notup2it1 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
In May I began my weight loss journey and I have managed to lose 5lbs but my body seems to have adjusted to my 3x a week workouts and healthier eating lifestyle that I haven't been able to lose anymore weight. Due to my long work hours I can only work our Fr - Sun and manage to do 40 minutes of advanced cardio with a little bit of weight training.

Based on my height and current weight I was advised to eat 1800 calories a day which I've managed to stay roughly around with a couple times a week being under/over by 200 calories.

Has anyone else hit a weight loss plateau and how did you break through to lose more weight?

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    In May I began my weight loss journey and I have managed to lose 5lbs but my body seems to have adjusted to my 3x a week workouts and healthier eating lifestyle that I haven't been able to lose anymore weight. Due to my long work hours I can only work our Fr - Sun and manage to do 40 minutes of advanced cardio with a little bit of weight training.

    Based on my height and current weight I was advised to eat 1800 calories a day which I've managed to stay roughly around with a couple times a week being under/over by 200 calories.

    Has anyone else hit a weight loss plateau and how did you break through to lose more weight?

    Good advice above about logging.

    Beyond that, by whom or what were you advised to eat 1800 calories, for what current body size, age, activity level, targeting/expected weight loss rate?

    The bolded is not really a thing that happens. If we lose weight, a lighter body inherently burns fewer calories, because it's less work to move the lighter body through the world all day, every day . . . but 5 pounds isn't enough to cause a notable difference in that way. It's also possible to undereat so severely that fatigue slows activity (perhaps in almost-unnoticed ways) so that calorie burn drops, but that's not super likely at 1800 calories (but depends on current size/activity).

    The difference in calories from a workout (at constant body size) isn't significant on account of "getting used to it", though it may feel easier as fitness increases, and a heart rate monitor may even estimate fewer calories for the same workout (falsely). That's mainly a myth spread by outfits like Beachbody ("body confusion") in order to sell more workout programs, supplements, equipment, etc.

    What is the "advanced cardio", specifically, by the way?

    It's probable that the explanation lies elsewhere than "adaptation", and we'd like to help you figure things out, but that may take more information.

    Wishing you a happier path soon, no matter what!
  • notup2it1
    notup2it1 Posts: 4 Member
    I keep bouncing between 172-176lbs for the past 2 months. In May, I was 180lbs. I'm only 5'5". Mid thirties, sedentary active. Targeted weight 140lbs.
    I met with a personal trainer earlier this month for an inbody assessment and rmr analysis which is where I was told to eat 1800 calories and to focus on getting more protein as the percentage of fat in my stomach was very concerning.

    The cardio machines at my gym have built in programs to follow beginner - elite which changes the intensity and incline depending on the level you chose.

    I will try to get better at logging especially breakfast and dinners which I bring to work but lunch is always catered.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,379 Member
    Are you eating exercise calories? If so, are you relying on the calories awarded by the gym’s equipment?

    Many people notice that gym equipment records significantly higher calorie burns than is probably happening.

    I can record 6-700 during a 30 minute spin class on the bike’s monitor, while my Apple Watch calculates about 200. Ditto for treadmills and other equipment.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,379 Member
    edited August 2022
    Also, catered food tends not to be the lowest cal. Heavy in sauces and creams in particular, maybe not the most calorie conscious cuts of meat, either.

    And we won’t even talk about sodium content.

    My husband goes to a catered luncheon every Thursday and has gotten in the habit of onky eating baked chicken and salad, and he takes his own zero cal salad dressings.
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    In May I began my weight loss journey and I have managed to lose 5lbs
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    Based on my height and current weight I was advised to eat 1800 calories a day which I've managed to stay roughly around with a couple times a week being under/over by 200 calories.
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    I will try to get better at logging especially breakfast and dinners which I bring to work but lunch is always catered.

    So, I think you’ve answered your own questions. 5 lbs in 16 weeks means you’ve been eating at about a 150 calorie/day deficit. You say “roughly” which means your logging probably isn’t super accurate, and at such a small deficit any inconsistencies will ruin what you are trying to accomplish.

    Try to cut out the catered lunch. I know it’s hard but I had to do this, too. My office used to get lunches (pizza, pastas, Mexican food, sandwiches, you name it) but NONE of that would help me meet my goals so I brought lunch every day. Foods I made, I measured, and I knew what was in them and the calories I was taking in. I even brought snacks. A break room fridge or cold pack in a lunch box is your best friend. And if anyone asked why I wasn’t eating the group food, I just told them I'm trying to watch what I eat and ate at my desk.

    If it’s important you figure out how to do it. Because you’re floating just under maintenance right now.

    I’d forget what calorie goal your trainer gave you, too. Use the app here. Put in your stats and your goals and let the app give you a target. If you exercise that day then log it (most people don’t eat back all the calories “burned”, those burns are wildly overstated). Don’t worry about not exercising all the time, either. Your calories in will determine your weight loss, you exercise for your health.

    It’s a lot of work up front but once you get a system down it gets much easier. I’m back doing this again and I’m down almost 20 lbs in like 75 days. It just takes honesty, consistency, and you have to want it bad enough.

    You got this! Good luck!
  • notup2it1
    notup2it1 Posts: 4 Member
    No I don't add extra calories for working out cause I noticed with my gyms equipment I'm lucky if I burn 200 calories in a 40 min workout.

    When possible for lunch I always try to order a salad with protein and a vinaigrette dressing.

    I'm not sure how I can get a higher calorie deficient when working out provides few calories burned and I don't want to eat less than 1500 calories (unless I'm not hungry) as I don't want to fall back into my unhealthy habit of starving myself then emotional eating which I've been working on since July and have gotten considerably better.


  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    No I don't add extra calories for working out cause I noticed with my gyms equipment I'm lucky if I burn 200 calories in a 40 min workout.

    When possible for lunch I always try to order a salad with protein and a vinaigrette dressing.

    I'm not sure how I can get a higher calorie deficient when working out provides few calories burned and I don't want to eat less than 1500 calories (unless I'm not hungry) as I don't want to fall back into my unhealthy habit of starving myself then emotional eating which I've been working on since July and have gotten considerably better.

    Hmm. If you're actually consistently eating 1500-ish net, I'd expect you to be losing weight, though not necessarily very fast. I see that your diary is open (which is helpful), and it seems like there's a certain amount of approximation in there (vs. everything weighed out), but maybe that's about the catering situation. I only went back a few days, but I also see that in that time there have been a couple of days recently where you were materially over the 1500/1800. Maybe that's super unusual for you, I don't know.

    According to a TDEE calculator**, we'd expect the calorie needs of a 5'5", 176 pound, 35 y/o sedentary woman to be 1800 calories and change, maybe. If that were true, your TDEE even with the 3 days of exercise isn't giving you a very big deficit at 1800, and if the over-goal days are semi-common . . . well, you could potentially be at maintenance on average, or very close to it, especially if you happen to have calorie needs a bit below average for your demographics.

    ** This one: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

    If you can tighten up your logging at all, that may help: Weigh food when you can (it's quicker, anyway, than cups/spoons), including packaged foods until you figure out whether the package weights are accurate for a given food. Don't use anyone else's recipe or whole-dish entries (lasagna, ham sandwich, whatever) unless you have to for estimating the catered stuff, and if you're estimating the catered stuff, don't pick the lowest candidate entries in the database (I'm not saying you are - this is generic advice) - pick mid to high ones.

    You might also consider whether it's possible to add non-exercise movement to your day. Some of us, as we've gained weight, have reduced the incidental movement in our lives, and it's a thing we can work at increasing. I don't know whether that's true for you. People share their ideas in this thread:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    I'm your size (5'5"), started losing at about the weight you did (I was 183), but at almost twice your age (I was 59-60 while losing). I lost most of 50 pounds at 1400-1600 plus all exercise calories (so maybe 1800 or so net), but I know I have higher than average calorie needs.

    Just looking at the calculator I mentioned, I have reservations about that personal trainer's recommendation of 1800 to lose weight. Getting more protein is generically a good thing, and some of your recent days look better than others on that score, so keep up that goodness. (FWIW, while losing, I was going for 75-100g daily.)

    I wish I had some dramatically helpful suggestion to offer, but I don't. It makes sense to keep trying to work at it - don't give up!
  • lee_tlmn
    lee_tlmn Posts: 5 Member
    1800 sounds like a lot. I'm 6'1", 247lbs, and do cardio 45-60min 4x per week and I averaged 1645 calories last month to lose weight. When my wife (5'5", 140lbs, 4x/week runner) needed to lose some extra weight she was eating 1250-1300 calories a day to lose 1-1.5lb/week.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,594 Member
    lee_tlmn wrote: »
    1800 sounds like a lot. I'm 6'1", 247lbs, and do cardio 45-60min 4x per week and I averaged 1645 calories last month to lose weight. When my wife (5'5", 140lbs, 4x/week runner) needed to lose some extra weight she was eating 1250-1300 calories a day to lose 1-1.5lb/week.

    Not for everyone - we are all different. I’m 5’3, 120 pounds and I maintain on 2100-2300, if I go below 2000 I lose weight. I would lose at an incredibly unhealthy rate on 1200 a day.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    notup2it1 wrote: »
    A little update:

    A week after posting I reduced my calories to 1600 as I found eating between 14-1600 calories was a good fit for me. If I eat less that 1400 I usually feel nauseous and terrible stomach pains.

    After a month I managed to lose another 5lbs and have been able to maintain the 10lbs I've lost so far off. If I happen to go way over my goal or have a high sodium day, at most I only gain 1-2lbs which usually comes off within 2-3 days.

    Congratulations: You're getting the hang of this. Betting on you to succeed, if you simply stick with it.

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