Stuck on a plateau...help?

effrontery

Hey all, hope this is OK to post here. I started my program last February, and have been really happy about my results. I've gotten so much stronger and active (have run 2 5ks so far, doing a 3rd tomorrow), feel great, and lost 40 pounds.

That said, I feel like I have been stuck for the past two months. It's not about numbers for me, but I admit that I'm discouraged a bit that I don't feel like I'm lifting heavier weights or running faster. I do weigh myself (though I really try not to get hung up on that), and no movement there, either. I feel like with the food I'm eating, I should still be seeing progress, if slow progress (and that's how I want it to be.)

Some additional stats, I'm in the gym 3-4 days a week, usually for an hour or more, and doing weights (mostly machines), running and walking on the treadmill, and the elliptical. I've tried mixing it up by varying my speed or playing racquetball or running outdoors. Food-wise, I'm mostly vegetarian, but I eat some fish, and my goal is 1570 calories each day, though I do eat some of them back sometimes, especially when I lift.

I think my diary is public, so please feel free to take a look at what I eat and my workouts and check me if I'm missing something. I know my diet is fairly high in fat, could that be it? I also try and eat pretty clean, so mostly no processed foods and I've given up sugar about 95%.

Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks for the help and support. I couldn't have gotten this far without MFP and the people here!

Phoenix_Warrior

Just looking a week back in your diary, your logging seems spotty. When you get closer to your goal weight, consistency becomes more prominent. Whether or not you eat clean is irrelevant to weight loss. It is all up to calorie intake. If you're not creating a deficit, you can't lose weight. I highly suggest weighing your foods on a digital scale and liquids in measuring cups. It was eye opening to me to see how some foods really add up if not measured.

SLLRunner

Congrats on 40 pounds lost!

I just looked at your diary.

Either you have been skipping meals or you have not bee logging everything. You have to get that under control. If you've skipped meals, you need to stop so you come closer to your calorie goals. If you are not logging everything, you need to do that. It's the only way to keep track of food in.

As for food out, you are way overestimating your calorie burns on the machines. There is no way you burned 246 calories on the stair stepper machine in 20 minutes. Beware of the exercise estimates from MFP and the machines.

It's all about calories in and calories out.

SLLRunner

Just looking a week back in your diary, your logging seems spotty. When you get closer to your goal weight, consistency becomes more prominent. Whether or not you eat clean is irrelevant to weight loss. It is all up to calorie intake. If you're not creating a deficit, you can't lose weight. I highly suggest weighing your foods on a digital scale and liquids in measuring cups. It was eye opening to me to see how some foods really add up if not measured.

Oh yes, and this! 1/4 of a cup of something is often less than 1/4 of a cup in grams.

Greenrun99

Food Scale or eyeballing/measuring cups? If you don't have a digital food scale, get one.

Eat 1600 calories, stop eating exercise calories
Try to increase your protein at the expense of your carbs
Log on the weekends if you eat out or have a cheat meal as that can reduce your deficit.

TinaBean007

Food Scale or eyeballing/measuring cups? If you don't have a digital food scale, get one.

Eat 1600 calories, stop eating exercise calories
Try to increase your protein at the expense of your carbs
Log on the weekends if you eat out or have a cheat meal as that can reduce your deficit.

My suggestion too. Have you re-evaluated your nutritional needs since your weight loss? (Congrats by the way!!) Do some research on your macros. Changing them up might help you. (Protein is the first thing that comes to mind.)

effrontery

Thanks, all, these are really great, helpful suggestions. I had wondered whether MFP was giving me too many calories for working out, so I'll definitely be mindful of that. And I have to say, I used to record things immaculately and I've gotten a little more loose lately. I'm going to go back to weighing and measuring for a couple weeks, just to make sure I'm able to eyeball portions correctly in the future, and we'll see how I do. Will work on the other ideas also. I really appreciate the thoughts and support!

effrontery

Sorry, one last thought. If there are any lifters in the group...are the calories I'm eating sufficient if I'm lifting 2-3 times a week? I try and eat some protein right after I lift, but I also know that sometimes I'm ravenous, and I was afraid that I might not be eating enough and so that's why my body was holding on, and I wasn't gaining muscle or losing on the scale. Forgive me if that's ridiculous, but I just want to make sure!

angledge

I think MFP's estimates of calories burned by exercise are 10-15% high. That's comparing them to what the cardio machines themselves will tell you after a workout.

QuietBloom

I think MFP's estimates of calories burned by exercise are 10-15% high. That's comparing them to what the cardio machines themselves will tell you after a workout.

The cardio machines over estimate too. For cardio, I use a heart rate monitor and an online calculator, because my heart rate monitor over estimates too.

suziepoo1984

Food Scale or eyeballing/measuring cups? If you don't have a digital food scale, get one.

Eat 1600 calories, stop eating exercise calories
Try to increase your protein at the expense of your carbs
Log on the weekends if you eat out or have a cheat meal as that can reduce your deficit.

^^I am doing this

togmo

I personally never worried about eating back my exercise calories. At the moment I am eating at maintenance and trying to build muscle but when I was cutting I figured out roughly what my TDEE is based on my general exercise routine and then I set myself a goal to lose a certain amount of weight. My daily calorie allowance was based on this final number and didn't fluctuate. It is much easier and healthier I think to try and eat a certain amount of food on any given day than to try and starve yourself on your recovery days, when you need it most, and then over-eat when you are working out, and often don't feel like eating too much.

Another thing I haven't seen mentioned here is if you have started lifting heavier you will inevitably put on muscle and being denser than fat should mean you put on weight also. My weight hasn't moved in months but I have put on 3cm (over an inch) around my shoulders, lost nearly 2cm (close to an inch) from my waist and my wife reckons I am looking much leaner and have much better muscle tone. I am much happier with those changes than I am with any change on the scale. Have you been keeping track of your measurements, waist, shoulders, leg etc. These may be changing at the expense of the scale changing, you may be looking much better without actually losing weight.

I think once you get to a reasonably healthy weight or you reduce the amount of caloric restriction while you start increasing your muscle you will 'plateau' although I hate that word. Another thing to take into account of course is when was the last time you determined your TDEE. The bigger you are the more food you need to maintain that weight, if you have lost 20lb or something and are still eating the same amount of calories that you ate when you started then you may now be moving closer to maintenance and will no longer be losing weight.

Anyway, there are lots of things to consider. I had better get back to work I guess, even if it is Christmas Eve...