Am I doing something wrong with weight loss?

AnthonyNichols3097

Hello. New person here. Just started my journey for about a month now. I started at 255lbs. I am now down to 240lbs. I am 5'10". My calorie intake is 2290 a day, but I usually take in about 1600 calories. I always come right below or hit my macros on the head. I do intermittent fasting, 16:8 every day. The last two weeks I've been stuck at 240.

I go to the gym every day. I burn 200 calories on the treadmill daily plus I am a postal carrier so my job 6 days a week has me active. I am also lifting weights, alternating between upper body, core, lower body on a rotation. I usually do around 85 lbs in a rep of 10, set of 3 or 4. I target different muscles with a variety of different exercises.

Am I doing something wrong or is this normal? Should I look at my diet? Should I stop working out and focus on slimming down first? I'm starting to get discouraged and really just need some guidance or motivation I guess. Thank you for anyone who answers.

AnnPT77

Let me get this straight: You dropped from 255 to 240 in two weeks, then the scale stalled for two weeks? You have a calorie goal of 2290 but eat more like 1600. You have a very active job 6 days a week, plus you're in the gym every day, walking on the treadmill.

Would I be correct in guessing that you asked for a weight loss rate of 2 pounds a week to get the 2290 goal? Are you eating back your exercise calories on top of your base calories, i.e., is it 1600ish plus exercise you're eating, or just straight 1600-ish? (If you made me guess, I'd guess you're not eating the exercise calories, given the overall pattern.)

You're completely normal. You made a dramatic change in your habits, lost a massive 7.5 pounds per week on average for two weeks. Some of that weight was fat, some was water, probably some was lean mass but we'll hope not much. It's normal for a bigger chunk of the scale weight at the start to be water weight.

When that happens, it's normal for the body to rebalance its water retention at some point. When it happens, that increase in retained water will mask fat loss progress for a while.

On top of that, you're very likely over-stressing your body, which may add even more water weight. As a mail carrier who spends time treadmilling (for 200 calories) every day and lifting (it's not clear whether that's every day or not, but if I had to guess, I'm thinking it's probably every day.

If the lifting and treadmill were new when you started trying to lose weight, realize that new exercise will add water weight for muscle repair.

As far as overstressing: Given your job and exercise schedule (very active!), it's likely that your calorie needs to maintain your current weight (240) could be 3500+ daily. Whatever you put in your MFP profile, if you told it you want to lose 2 pounds a week and got 2290 as a goal - MFP thinks it would take 3290 calories for you to maintain your 255 pound weight.

Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) - the amount you'd burn in a coma, flat on your back in bed - is likely around 2100-2200. You're eating around 1600, way less than your MFP goal, way way less than your probable daily calorie needs, and even way less than your BMR.

That's stress, and it's not good for you in a variety of ways. More relevant here, stress increases cortisol, and cortisol can increase water retention, adding to the scale confusion.

You may be hitting your macro percents, but if you eat too few calories, you may still not be getting adequate nutrition. There's no way to get adequate nutrition on too few calories: We need certain gram amounts of the macro nutrients, not just X, Y, and Z percents of some tiny number of calories. Low-balling that nutrition will increase the stress on your body.

What are you doing wrong? In my opinion, two things, only one of which you asked about.

The one you asked about: Your scale stall is about some kind of water weight weirdness. Patience is required. Water retention doesn't keep increasing and increasing. Eventually fat loss will outpace it, and the scale will drop again.

The one you didn't ask about: IMO, you're riding for a fall. You're under-eating dramatically, IMO. I under-ate accidentally at first when I joined MFP (because I'm an odd duck, and MFP underestimates my calorie needs). I felt great, motivated, not hungry . . . until I hit a wall. I got weak and fatigued. I corrected quickly, but it took weeks to regain normal strength and energy. No one needs that, especially not someone with a physically demanding job. I'm sure you're younger than I am, but I think this striving for ultra-fast loss will eventually catch up with you.

I was lucky. I maybe had only a little hair thinning (several weeks after the too-low calories, because that's usually a delayed effect). There can be immune system compromise, gallbladder problems, and more/worse. (Keep in mind that your heart is a muscle, and muscle loss is a risk in a very large deficit.)

Very fast weight loss can be a trap. It can be counter-productive. The health risks are one obvious thing. On top of that, fast loss often backfires at some point: Deprivation triggered overeating, breaks in the action, maybe giving up altogether.

IMO, you're in a high risk position. I'd suggest giving it a rethink. If your calorie goal is 2290, eat at least that. Assuming you followed MFP's instructions, if you set your activity level based on pre-exercise activity (job, home chores, etc.), you should also eat back a fair fraction of your exercise calories on top of that 2290.

Many of us here suggest losing no more than 0.5-1% of current body weight per week, unless severely obese and under close medical supervision for deficiencies or complications. You seem to be shooting for 3+ pounds a week, 1.25%+ of your current weight weekly. Another common rule of thumb is to cut no more than 20-25% of current TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, the total maintenance calories including exercise). Using the most conservative estimate, you're probably at roughly 1600 of 3290, a 53% deficit.

I'd suggest slowing down the bus, frankly. Most of the "pedal to the metal", lose-fast folks we see here don't stay here for long. Sincerely, it would be nice if that's because they succeed quickly, and bail because we're mean here about fast loss, like I'm being now. Unfortunately, I think it's more likely that they become part of the statistics saying that most diet attempts fail.

Please give it a rethink. I may be a stranger, but I want you to succeed. Losing from obese to a healthy weight (and staying there for nearly 8 years since, after 30 previous years of overweight/obesity) has been a huge quality of life improvement for me. I want everyone to have that improvement, and that includes you. No matter how you take this advice (or don't), that's absolutely where I'm coming from: Wanting you to succeed long term.

Best wishes!

ninoratsoc

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. It is normal to plateau every so often, have patience and you will start losing again. I am learning to lift weights and I am regularly increasing my weights, but my trainer has me going down to lighter weights for a week or so before building up again as he says otherwise I will plateau. Sometimes with your diet it is a good idea to lighten up a little before going back strict again. These things help to lift you out of a plateau. Just my opinion.

spiriteagle99

You lost 10 lbs. in a month. That's not failure. Weight loss is not linear. Sometimes you'll go up, sometimes down, sometimes stay the same. The body holds on to water and waste in ways that aren't always obvious. Working out especially can cause water retention as the body needs it to rebuild muscles.

Undereating is not a good idea, nor is exercising hard every day. Your body needs calories to fuel your activity. If you don't get enough, it will start burning muscle to get the energy. Your body also needs rest in order for your muscles to heal between workouts. What you are doing is likely to tear them down without rebuilding them. Not a good idea.

Retroguy2000

You're doing everything almost perfectly.

1600 is a bit aggressive for a guy, but if you're managing with it, that's OK. The larger the deficit, the more of your weight loss will be muscle mass, but frequent lifting and high protein will help mitigate that.

Sets of 10 make perfect sense if you can only do 11 or 12 reps. If you can do 15-20 reps but stop at 10, then either do more reps or increase the weight. Also progressive overload is key.

Look into a program like this:
https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/workout-program/

You should absolutely keep lifting. Aside from all the regular benefits, you'll learn a solid foundation while preserving the muscle you have and maybe even building some while losing weight. Without the lifting, you risk end up looking skinny fat which isn't a good look imo.

As for the initial weight loss, so much of that is related to water fluctuations. Ignore week one due to that, and track your subsequent weight loss after that for at least a month to get a better idea of your progress. You're definitely on the right path though.

PAV8888

You lost 15lbs in a month and you're under-eating both by target and by eating less than your target. Which is great for FAST results. Not necessarily great for permanent results.

Definition of letter carrier (or anyone who walks purposefully in the 3 hour range a day) is above very active on MFP settings (activity factor of 1.8, 180 minutes = about 18000 steps. very active mfp AF of 1.8 usually maxes at about 16000.... accurate enough logging, person operating within range of population means assumed... if you're an outlier it won't apply, but by definition most people are not outliers...)

You are exercising on top.

Here is a data point for you. I am variously measured using medical setup at between 172.25 and 171.5 even though in my youth I used to think I was 175cm. I started on MFP at about your weight a bit below actually though I had already been losing from before. Lost 72.5lbs during my first year on MFP eating on average 2560 Cal a day while my device average steps were 17,970 during the same time frame. I did very little beyond purposeful walking, maybe a few push ups or grocery bag "carries" <-- not mentioning this as a good thing. Just stating what took place.

Eat your calories. And lose at no more than 1% of your body weight a week, and reduce that down to as little as 0.5% as your target when things get slower a few months down the road.

Journeys and explorations don't happen in one day. Having energy and extra energy because of your weight loss is good. No need to tank it.

And use a weight trend app.

Any weight loss that happens predictably, like clock-work, and can be seen by the "naked eye".... is FAST... because basically it is faster than normal water weight fluctuations that are... NORMAL and hide your general weight level change.

Great start, actually! Awesome start... But as soon as you "get discouraged" and "need motivation" your first thought should be: WHAT AM I DOING THAT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE?

If this is my new forever... it has to be sustainable.

Long term compliance, sustainability, continuity of effort are all beautiful words.

You should NOT need "motivation". You should be setting up pre-conditions and maneuvering things so that your normal "natural stuff" leads you to the weight level you want to achieve...

I mirror Ann in sending best wishes your way. I haven't read her post above but I am sure it was full of relevant advice!

lynn_glenmont

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

You lost 10 lbs. in a month. That's not failure. Weight loss is not linear. Sometimes you'll go up, sometimes down, sometimes stay the same. The body holds on to water and waste in ways that aren't always obvious. Working out especially can cause water retention as the body needs it to rebuild muscles.

Undereating is not a good idea, nor is exercising hard every day. Your body needs calories to fuel your activity. If you don't get enough, it will start burning muscle to get the energy. Your body also needs rest in order for your muscles to heal between workouts. What you are doing is likely to tear them down without rebuilding them. Not a good idea.

Actually, OP lost 15 pounds (from 255 to 240) in two weeks (been doing this for a month and been stalled at 240 for two weeks), but that just makes the case for the advice for the advice in your second paragraph even stronger. It's quite possible stress hormones kicked in after two weeks at what might be 2500-calorie or more daily deficit, and that can cause water retention.

AnthonyNichols3097

To everyone who responses, thank you. Each and every one. I don't know how to reply to each of you, so I'll do it here. Thank you for the concerns and well wishes. Your words were insightful and inspiring. I will do as you guys have said and start eating my calories. Listening to your advice and the potential setbacks and dangers, I will eat closer if not on my goal. Again, thank each and every one of you. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

SallyBowden

You're doing great, my advice is to stop the weightlifting until you have lost the weight you want to lose - walking does wonders for the mind and the body,

PAV8888

Guy is a postal carrier.... fairly sure he gets to walk, so he is not short of cardio

If not short of cardio and no health issues, what would be the benefit for him to not engage in strength training?

MargaretYakoda

AnthonyNichols3097 wrote: »

To everyone who responses, thank you. Each and every one. I don't know how to reply to each of you, so I'll do it here. Thank you for the concerns and well wishes. Your words were insightful and inspiring. I will do as you guys have said and start eating my calories. Listening to your advice and the potential setbacks and dangers, I will eat closer if not on my goal. Again, thank each and every one of you. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

You got lots of great advice.
You can do this. But if you burn out it’s gonna be a problem.
It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.

If you don’t build in enjoyable things like foods you enjoy, or activities that are for pleasure and not just burning calories and building muscle, you’re not going to have any fun.

Don’t short yourself too much on calories.
Build in treats.
It’s a marathon. Pace yourself.

tomcustombuilder

The short answer is it more than likely your homeostatic system is balancing out the fatloss with water retention. When loss stops suddenly it’s almost always just water.

You’re probably going to experience a “whoosh” where you drop several pounds in water within a few days. Keep an even course and have patience.

tomcustombuilder

SallyBowden wrote: »

You're doing great, my advice is to stop the weightlifting until you have lost the weight you want to lose - walking does wonders for the mind and the body,

Weight training helps to keep muscle on when in a calorie deficit so you don’t want to stop.