Stagnating Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Need Advice All Welcome
Replies
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Have you tried a "refeeding" period for a few weeks? I plateaued for 5 weeks on a 1400 calorie diet and really did not want to decrease my calories to 1200, since I'm now lifting regularly and wanted to take in more calories as I get closer to maintenance. I got extremely frustrated as, like you, I weigh all food on a scale. I wear a HRM during my cardio, and eat back maybe 70-80% of what it tells me I burned. I don't eat back exercise calories on weight days because I feel the burn is negligible.
I increased my calories to on average 100 below maintenance, and took a "diet break" so I could stop feeling obsessive about why the numbers weren't adding up for me.
2 weeks of this, and I finally dropped .4 lbs (my MFP is set to lose half a pound a week). No, I don't know how to explain it, but I was in the same deficit for close to 6 months and changing my diet temporarily is what did it for me.
FYI, I'm 28, 5'3, female, 136 lbs.
Yes. I have considered adding one additional meal of 300 calories starting next week. And cycling it every other day. But I get so pissed and frustrated when I see my weight bump up by a pound or 2 in a day from eating 100 calories of spaghetti squash. So I back off. This is why I am taking this calorie adding advice with a grain of salt. I busted my hump to get to 220 and dont want to balloon up. So I am very cautious about this advice. Its easy to say eat more when you dont step on my scale and see what happens when you eat nothing and it goes right to the scale. And when you do 3 or more sessions of cardio and your weight is actually higher afterwards. Yep, that has actually happened. And I can not figure that one out either. So I am beginning to think that something is wrong to be working out this much and eating this little for 3 months and I have only dropped 49 lbs. BS. This last 20-30 pounds is hanging on like a groupie at a Led Zeppelin concert...............Gonna cool off and hit the inaccurate treadmill.
Darn, here I thought you were actually learning something. You're not listening at all. What you are doing isn't working, so why not be willing to try something else.
This will be my last post. If you are truly only eating about 1300 calories, you are not eating enough. And since you've been restricting for awhile, and also limiting carbs, you should expect some weight gain. But this will stabilize, and you should start to lose again. You will have to be patient, but it will be healthier. What do you have to lose.
You can up your calories a little at a time, but there may still be a small weight increase because you have been restricting quite a bit. If this is going to bother you, stay off the scale every day. Weight will fluctuate.
Set MFP to lightly active and to lose 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. Eat back a portion of your exercise calories. Just try it. Or continue beating your head against the wall.
I lost 53 pounds doing this. It works.0 -
You seem really irritable (probably because you're not eating enough) and tbh I'm surprised people are still bothering to help you.
Weight loss is really quite straightforward, your net calorie intake needs to be low enough for you to lose weight. Personally I think you should do several things:
1: Up your calories to at least 1500 (I eat 1450 to lose and I'm 5ft).
2: Change what you eat - you shouldn't be eating the same thing everyday you need to have a varied diet.
3: Switch up your exercises and challenge yourself when it starts to get easier I ALWAYS up my resistance on the elliptical
4: Up your calories - yes I did say it twice. You will feel so much better and be able to carry out your exercises more efficiently which means a greater burn overall.
5: Finally stop whining! Stress makes your cortisol levels rise so you hold on to fat.0 -
Now, lastly I want to say that if you are weight lifting, you are likely building muscle mass. If that is true, you probably are still losing you are just gaining the lbs in muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. So, if I were you I would take it easy on the weight lifting if you want to notice a change on the scale.
This is false. You cannot build muscle while eating at a deficit. It's impossible. Weight lifting is a good thing because it helps preserve lean body mass and helps burn fat while eating at a deficit.0 -
You seem really irritable (probably because you're not eating enough) and tbh I'm surprised people are still bothering to help you.
Yes. Hangry to be sure. And apparently didn't really want any help. :sick:0 -
Scott I can truly feel your frustration. You are not alone. We all know the science behind weight loss but there is much more to it than eat less and exercise more as most doctors tell us. Our bodies are too smart for that and will adjust our metabolism to the level of caloric intake we give it. That is why this is a never ending battle for some of us. You have to trick your body into upping the metabolism and then cut back on intake. When it adjusts to that lower number then you have to eat more to up the metabolism again. It sounds like you have been doing a great job with the exercise and diet but you need to change it up now and then so your body doesn't get stuck at the lower metabolism. The theory of carb cycling works great for some of us who have been at this dieting for a long time. Basically 2 or 3 days low carb and than a day of high carb. It might be worth a try. I've lost 185 lbs. but I am struggling for each pound at this point. Good luck.0
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Hi, I have the following tips and comments:
1) up your calories. to about 20% down from your TDEE. You can have your BMR measured at the doctor's and calculate your TDEE from there, 120% of BMR for sedentary lifestyle, you can goodle how much for lightly active
2) vary your diet. Not only you are eating too little, but I feel with your diet you can't get all the nutrients in. There is more to healthy diet than macronutirents, there are micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Serious lack of one or the other could harm you in the long run and stall you
3) Your body is fighting you, and is trying to become as efficient as possible on the little food that you provide it, if in fact the calories in are accurate. If you have been at this for a long time, then this could be a process that takes months and years to reverse. Not saying your BMR will drop to 800 or something, but it is possible that it decreases as your body attempts to perform bodily functions with less calories. Undereating also leads to muscle atrophy (no your body will not only burn fat before it burns muscle. In fact it burns both at any given time, only the ratio changes). Your heart for example is a muscle. The ore muscle you lose, the lower your BMR. Sorry I don't recall if you do any strength training, but if not I would suggest that you start, as this will help prevent further muscle loss.
4) Be realistic. Don't expect to drop dozens of pounds in a couple months. When you up your calories which I hope you will (see point 1), you WILL gain "weight". This will not be fat, but water. Following the low carb diet and doing cardio, you are holding your body in glycogen depleted state. When you replenish glycogen stores, they will hold water, and this is a healthy state to be in. I would not recommend altering it by eating carbs on one day and not the other, as you are quite attached to what the scale says and this would only contribute to larger scale fluctuations. Eat a sensible amount of carbs (safe to take 50 down from protein and add to carbs. you don't need 190g protein) on daily basis and after the first increase, this will stabilize.
Please follow my advice or almost any of the advice posted here. You are doing your body a disservice by eating too little, not providing it with nutrients and stressing yourself about your weight. I am sure you can succeed at this, just open your heart and mind to everyone that has given their time to try to help you.
P.S. on the issue of accuracy of treadmill numbers. All machines are terribly inaccurate. They are not made to help you, they are made to make money. If they tell you you burn so much more, you will eat that much more, and stay fat, thus being in consistent need to use that treadmill. If the manufacturer inserts accurate data (almost impossible as everyone burns different), you will lose weight and eventually not need their product anymore. They are smarter than that
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Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an example. I was at 218 lbs on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222 lbs, I have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!'
A 1.4 lb weight gain in 1 friggin day after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several online calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water. This has been going on for 3.4 weeks and I just can see a reason based on the numbers. Even if every nutruitional label was bogus- lettuce, dressing, grated cheese and chicken 2- 3 times a day could not possibly add this kind of weight. Are there viruses that cause people to gain weight! Because I have to have it.
Here is the Lifefitness treadmill readings for the doubters. A person in a coma loses more weight than me. And I am eating a lot less too
incline 0
speed 3.3 (typo in 1st post)
time 60 minutes.
watts 94
calories 3600 -
Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an examplr. i was at 218 on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222, have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!' A 1.4 lb weight gain after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water.
You do realize that the body has natural fluctuations throughout the day? This is why you should only weigh yourself once a day. I think you're being overly fanatical about this. Even 500 calories and 16 oz of water have weight. You have bodily functions that keep your weight in constant flux.
Keep it simple. Start by increasing your calories 100-200 a week until you reach the number you should be eating.
Stay off the scale for a while. Stop freaking out.
ETA: I understand you burned calories, but that won't show up instantaneously. It takes the body time to adjust.0 -
Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an example. I was at 218 lbs on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222 lbs, I have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!'
A 1.4 lb weight gain in 1 friggin day after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several online calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water. This has been going on for 3.4 weeks and I just can see a reason based on the numbers. Even if every nutruitional label was bogus- lettuce, dressing, grated cheese and chicken 2- 3 times a day could not possibly add this kind of weight. Are there viruses that cause people to gain weight! Because I have to have it.
Here is the Lifefitness treadmill readings for the doubters. A person in a coma loses more weight than me.
incline 0
speed 3.3 (typo in 1st post)
time 60 minutes.
watts 94
calories 360
You did not gain 1.4 pounds. You put food and water into your body. Food and water have weights. It is common to weigh more at night than in the morning; which is why many weigh themselves in the morning. You are becoming obsessed with the scale. Your weight is going to fluctuate. If you are eating under 1300 calories, trust me, you did not gain fat.0 -
Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an examplr. i was at 218 on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222, have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!' A 1.4 lb weight gain after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water.
You do realize that the body has natural fluctuations throughout the day? This is why you should only weigh yourself once a day. I think you're being overly fanatical about this. Even 500 calories and 16 oz of water have weight. You have bodily functions that keep your weight in constant flux.
Keep it simple. Start by increasing your calories 100-200 a week until you reach the number you should be eating.
Stay off the scale for a while. Stop freaking out.
ETA: I understand you burned calories, but that won't show up instantaneously. It takes the body time to adjust.
Its the 5 pound gain in 3 days, with the exercise and diet that I have outlined. And that was morning weigh ins. This is what has me confused. Daily fluctuations okay. But 5 pounds in 3 days??? I could not lose 5 pounds in 3 days, but how do I gain that much that quick with my current regimen.
Someone laying in bed all day, should be losing weight on 1297 calories. Yet, I am busting my *kitten* and that friggin scale is moving up on me. This is what I dont get, and why I am suspect about upping my calories all of a sudden. I have just put on 5 pounds in 3 days on 1297 calories. How much do you think I will put on with 2700 calories???0 -
First of all, 16 ounces = 1 lb.
Also, please stop weighing yourself so often. It's going to zig zag over time, and it's DEFINITELY going to zig zag within a day as you intake and process food/water over the course of a day. What matters is the long term trend.
Like another poster said, you can add your calories back in slowly until you get up to a safe deficit. You can just make the portions bigger or add in other items.0 -
Maybe you are holding water in your muscles from the exercise. Maybe you didn't digest everything yet. Maybe one of your foods made you bloat. Maybe maybe maybe.Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an examplr. i was at 218 on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222, have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!' A 1.4 lb weight gain after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water.
You do realize that the body has natural fluctuations throughout the day? This is why you should only weigh yourself once a day. I think you're being overly fanatical about this. Even 500 calories and 16 oz of water have weight. You have bodily functions that keep your weight in constant flux.
Keep it simple. Start by increasing your calories 100-200 a week until you reach the number you should be eating.
Stay off the scale for a while. Stop freaking out.
ETA: I understand you burned calories, but that won't show up instantaneously. It takes the body time to adjust.
Its the 5 pound gain in 3 days, with the exercise and diet that I have outlined. And that was morning weigh ins. This is what has me confused. Daily fluctuations okay. But 5 pounds in 3 days??? I could not lose 5 pounds in 3 days, but how do I gain that much that quick with my current regimen.
Long. Term. Trends.
Long. Term. Trends.0 -
Maybe you are holding water in your muscles from the exercise. Maybe you didn't digest everything yet. Maybe one of your foods made you bloat. Maybe maybe maybe.
Long. Term. Trends.
Long. Term. Trends.
Agreed. The gain could be any number of things. Stop worrying so much about the scale.0 -
Maybe you are holding water in your muscles from the exercise. Maybe you didn't digest everything yet. Maybe one of your foods made you bloat. Maybe maybe maybe.Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an examplr. i was at 218 on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222, have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!' A 1.4 lb weight gain after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water.
You do realize that the body has natural fluctuations throughout the day? This is why you should only weigh yourself once a day. I think you're being overly fanatical about this. Even 500 calories and 16 oz of water have weight. You have bodily functions that keep your weight in constant flux.
Keep it simple. Start by increasing your calories 100-200 a week until you reach the number you should be eating.
Stay off the scale for a while. Stop freaking out.
ETA: I understand you burned calories, but that won't show up instantaneously. It takes the body time to adjust.
Its the 5 pound gain in 3 days, with the exercise and diet that I have outlined. And that was morning weigh ins. This is what has me confused. Daily fluctuations okay. But 5 pounds in 3 days??? I could not lose 5 pounds in 3 days, but how do I gain that much that quick with my current regimen.
Long. Term. Trends.
Long. Term. Trends.
I am looking at 3 weeks of no weight loss and now things are changing to a weight gain on a 1297 calorie diet. That is the trend. I get the day thing. I am talking about a 5 lb gain in 3 days and no weight loss (now a weight gain) over the last 3 weeks. That is a long term trend. But strangely, I do not feel or look fatter. And i did fit into a pair of 38" dress pants a few minutes ago. Not possible last month.0 -
I am looking at 3 weeks of no weight loss and now things are changing to a weight gains on a 1297 calorie diet. That is the trend. I get the day thing. I am talking about a 5 lb gain in 3 days and no weight loss (now a weight gain) over the last 3 weeks. That is a long term trend.
3 weeks is NOT long term. It's a short term stall. Your body is likely trying to figure out what's going on with the low carbs, low calories, the added exercise.
Weight loss is not linear. There's weeks there's great losses, some there's only a little, some no loss at all and some there's a "gain".0 -
Yes. I have considered adding one additional meal of 300 calories starting next week. And cycling it every other day. But I get so pissed and frustrated when I see my weight bump up by a pound or 2 in a day from eating 100 calories of spaghetti squash. So I back off. This is why I am taking this calorie adding advice with a grain of salt. I busted my hump to get to 220 and dont want to balloon up. So I am very cautious about this advice. Its easy to say eat more when you dont step on my scale and see what happens when you eat nothing and it goes right to the scale. And when you do 3 or more sessions of cardio and your weight is actually higher afterwards. Yep, that has actually happened. And I can not figure that one out either. So I am beginning to think that something is wrong to be working out this much and eating this little for 3 months and I have only dropped 49 lbs. BS. This last 20-30 pounds is hanging on like a groupie at a Led Zeppelin concert...............Gonna cool off and hit the inaccurate treadmill.
OP, the 100 calories of spaghetti squash didn't cause your weight gain. Nor do you gain weight from cardio sessions. You are confusing correlation with causation. Your body weight will fluctuate hourly and daily. Trends are what's important. With great respect, for someone who seems particularly fastidious with numbers, you are missing some very basic pieces here. And a whole slew of MFPers have stepped up to try and help you get back on track. You have gotten some excellent advice. I hope you take it.
I sincerely wish you well.0 -
Just keep going, fluctuations will happen, but eating more isn't going to miraculously make you lose weight, that's not how it works. Generally it's the math..............you have to be honest with yourself...........studies on consumption have been done and even when people we're told they needed to accurately record their food for short periods of time were still out almost 400 calories a day. Plus labeling can legally be out 20%..............take a break and get back to it unrelenting and see how it goes.0
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I'm no scientist or weight loss specialist, but I can tell you that there are a lot of cellular adjustments going on when you change your diet and exercise habits.
It seems that the key to not doing damage to your metabolism is to start conservatively and eat the maximum number of calories that you can have while still losing weight. Then when you hit a long plateau, you can adjust your calories downward. People who start with too few calories and too much exercise really can't do anything to break the plateau. You have to wait it out.0 -
Thank for the posts, especially marilyn and ell. I get it, i have to increase the calories. But, I am beginning to think that I totally screwed up my metabolism. My original plan was to up the calories and carbs when I hit the 200 lb mark goal weight. But this stagnation has messed that plan up. I know I have to increase them, but to double the calories immediately is just dumb. I think that i have to do it more gradually. And I really think marilyn hit it on carb cycling. that seems to be the leangains/hardsall/berkhan approach. I'm going to read more and consider all of the posts before deciding what to do. But just to show you how messed up my situation is here is an example. I was at 218 lbs on wednesday. Today I wake up at 222 lbs, I have a protein shake, eat one chicken ceasar salad meal at noon, and i just finished my second 1 hour cardio session. Wanna guess my weight????
223.6!!!!'
A 1.4 lb weight gain in 1 friggin day after consuming about 500 calories and 16 ounces of water. In spite of burning 720 calories which I did verify with several online calorie calculators. And a 5 pound gain in 3 days!!!
Maybe you'll get why i am freaking out now, because I can NOT understand how that is biologically possible. Oh and I drank 16 oz of water. This has been going on for 3.4 weeks and I just can see a reason based on the numbers. Even if every nutruitional label was bogus- lettuce, dressing, grated cheese and chicken 2- 3 times a day could not possibly add this kind of weight. Are there viruses that cause people to gain weight! Because I have to have it.
Here is the Lifefitness treadmill readings for the doubters. A person in a coma loses more weight than me. And I am eating a lot less too
incline 0
speed 3.3 (typo in 1st post)
time 60 minutes.
watts 94
calories 360
Seriously, how many times a day are you weighing? Don't be crazy. All your stress from your fanatical weighing and anxiety are probably making you hold onto weight. Relax. Enjoy life. Eat more than salads. You will be happier, and guess what you might lose more if you relax and don't think about food and scales 24/7. You can't weigh yourself after eating and expect a loss.0 -
Plus eating all that lettuce is probably all just building up in your system. Yuck. Cut back on the salad. Have some carbs or bread or anything different0
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I won't tell you how much or how little to eat...that is your choice.
I will say however...
I once stayed the same weight for 3 weeks...I had a deficit...I worked out...weight would not budge. I finally made some minor adjustments and then all of a sudden...the weight fell off...7 pounds in one week.
After that...I stalled again...after two weeks I increased my exercise just slightly...5lbs fell off in a week.
What I learned from that was...if I just kept with it...maybe changed a few minor details...the weight would start dropping again.
Most important thing I learned...patience...staying positive...just keep on tract.
I have hit another stall...it is frustrating...and can be discouraging...I know though that one day I will weigh and the weight will have dropped.
I wish you luck in finding what will start your weight loss again.
Oh...and I seem to have better luck when I am not stressing out as much.0 -
Listen to all the people who gave great advice,
Patience, and yes normal body fluctuations can be as high as 10lbs.
Weigh yourself weekly and watch for trends over months, not weeks,
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1088600-dear-mean-people-of-mfp0 -
How much fiber do you get? You can hold up to 13lbs of poop in you colon if you're not going regularly and on a diet of salads and a protein shake I wonder.
Also, if you are not weighing your lettuce and cheese you can be way off in calories, just saying this from experience where I was actually overestimating calories using measuring cups.
To get an accurate (or more accurate) calorie burn doing cardio you need a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I may sound like a broken record but I've never seen a machine that didn't overestimate calorie burn.
As far as water, if your pee isn't clear you need to drink more. I drink over a gallon a day.
When I started I was in an extreme calorie deficit for my activity and I quit losing too. I learned about TDEE, BMR, read the guide to sexy pants and the links that went with it, figured out what I should be eating, increased my intake by 100 calories a week to avoid completely shocking my body, and am still losing. I had one plateau in October in relation to a migraine headache where I was laid up for 3 weeks. I am still losing steadily on 2017 calories a day. I'm 40, 5'4", female. Don't be so obsessed with the scale and eat more than salads, your body will thank you. Listen to the advice you've gotten, I did.0 -
1200 calories?! You're not eating anywhere near enough for a grown man (or woman, for that matter). That kind of intake will wreak havoc on your metabolism.
MFP's calculations for telling people how much to eat need to be lit on fire and eaten.0 -
Thanks for taking my comments and advice seriously.
I know it is scary to up your calories, I've been there. I've done 1200 for a while and then stalled. For days I was trying to convince myself to up it, and then when I did jump to 1500, I gained a tiny bit and then started losing again. Sometimes the body can't function properly if you don't give it what it needs.
I suspect you could be severly malnutritioned when it comes to micronutrients, since you do not eat a variety of food. Do you believe this will not have effect on how your body works? I think varied diet would be much better. If you want to control your diet as vigorously as you did until now, just plan the meals dofferent for each day of the week, to include all the vitamins, calcium, iron, pottasium etc at the end of the week. How does that sound?
As for upping your calories at once or slowly... I am a believer in a jump. If you do it steadily, you will see a weight gain each time you up a bit (as your glycogen stores replenish with water), and seeing how you are with the scale this will be a very painful and discouraging process for you. If you bite the bullet and jump to TDEE-20%, you will gain, maybe 5-10 pounds, but all at once and in a week or so you will start to lose again. Sounds better to me.
As for the gains recently: have you started using a new dressing or cheese? It could be that the varying amounts of sodium on the dressings and cheeses would cause you to retain different amounts of water.
And again, would you consider changing one hour of the cardio per day to strength training? Exercise is meant for health, not to help create a deficit and you should not see your treadmill sessions as slimming down, rather as helping your cardiovascular health. But strength training will help you retain muscle which is key to your metabolism. And remember the protein intake, you should have at least 0.8g/lb of bodyweight, and chicken breast (in it's raw form) has only 21g in 100 grams. So please consider that too, cause if you burn through your muscle not only will you still look flabby even at 140lbs, your metabolism will be low and you will never be able to eat normal amounts of food without regaining some weight.
Good luck!0 -
One more thing, if I read correctly you lost 50 lb in less than 3 months? No wonder your body has stalled that seems really fast.0
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Thanks for taking my comments and advice seriously.
NO PROBLEM. I WILL RESPOND IN CAPS TO SEPARATE MY RESPONSES, SO I AM NOT YELLING.
I know it is scary to up your calories, I've been there. I've done 1200 for a while and then stalled. For days I was trying to convince myself to up it, and then when I did jump to 1500, I gained a tiny bit and then started losing again. Sometimes the body can't function properly if you don't give it what it needs.
MY PROBLEM IS THAT I AM STARTING FROM A POINT OF CALORIE RESTRICTION AND HIGH EXERCISE ALREADY. IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I WOULD NEVER HAVE STARTED THAT MASSIVE CALORIE REDUCTION IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO I AM IN A DIFFERENT SPOT THAN MOST PEOPLE WHO OVEREAT AND DO NOT EXCERCISE. THAT IS AN EASIER FIX THAN MY SPOT.
I suspect you could be severly malnutritioned when it comes to micronutrients, since you do not eat a variety of food. Do you believe this will not have effect on how your body works? I think varied diet would be much better. If you want to control your diet as vigorously as you did until now, just plan the meals dofferent for each day of the week, to include all the vitamins, calcium, iron, pottasium etc at the end of the week. How does that sound?
I STUCK WITH THE SAME MENU DUE TO THE SIMPLICITY AND TO ACCURATELY TRACK MY MACROS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE STILL SOME DOPES WHO WANT TO QUESTION IF MY NUMBERS ACCURATE. FOR THEIR BENEFIT, I WEIGH MEASURE, AND ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING WATER. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULD BE A MOOT ISSUE. TO YOUR SUGGESTION, I WILL SWITCH IT UP ON MONDAY AND MY NUMBERS ON MACROS WILL BE SPOT ON.
As for upping your calories at once or slowly... I am a believer in a jump. If you do it steadily, you will see a weight gain each time you up a bit (as your glycogen stores replenish with water), and seeing how you are with the scale this will be a very painful and discouraging process for you. If you bite the bullet and jump to TDEE-20%, you will gain, maybe 5-10 pounds, but all at once and in a week or so you will start to lose again. Sounds better to me.
THIS IS THE TOUGH ONE AS I AM GETTING CONFLICTING ADVICE ON THIS POINT. SO I'LL HAVE TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH. SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN A GRADUAL APPROACH WITH CARB AND CALORIE CYCLING HAVE SOME GOOD POINTS AS WELL. I HAVE TO REPAIR AND CONFUSE MY METABOLISM TO GET IT BACK ON TRACK.
As for the gains recently: have you started using a new dressing or cheese? It could be that the varying amounts of sodium on the dressings and cheeses would cause you to retain different amounts of water.
NO. THEY ARE CONSTANT BETWEEN 2 BRANDS WITH ONLY SLIGHT (VERY VERY VERY) DIFFERENCES IN FAT AND CALORIES. RECOMMENDED SODIUM INTAKE HERE AND MOST DIETARY GUIDELINE IS 2300. I AM AT ABOUT 1800.
And again, would you consider changing one hour of the cardio per day to strength training? Exercise is meant for health, not to help create a deficit and you should not see your treadmill sessions as slimming down, rather as helping your cardiovascular health. But strength training will help you retain muscle which is key to your metabolism.
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED MY REGIMEN, BUT I DO VERY HIT STRENGTH TRAINING 3 TIMES A WEEK AND HIT ALL BODY PARTS (2 PER SESSION) TO FAILURE. GOOGLE DORIAN YATES (6 TIME MR OLYMPIA). AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT HIT IS ALL ABOUT. THIS AINT P90X OR THAT OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT BS. THIS IS HARDCORE TRAINING WITH HEAVY WEIGHTS WORKING EACH MUSCLE GROUP TO COMPLETE FAILURE. THERE IS NO NEED FOR A 4TH DAY OF THIS. IT TAKES A WEEK FOR EACH BODY PART TO RECOVER. THE CARDIO IS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE HIT WEIGHT TRAINING AND DOES NOT REPLACE IT.
And remember the protein intake, you should have at least 0.8g/lb of bodyweight, and chicken breast (in it's raw form) has only 21g in 100 grams. So please consider that too, cause if you burn through your muscle not only will you still look flabby even at 140lbs, your metabolism will be low and you will never be able to eat normal amounts of food without regaining some weight.
I TAKE IN ABOUT 185G OF PROTEIN PER DAY WHICH IS ABOVE THE 80% LEVEL. MY GOAL IS A 1:1 RATIO OF BW TO PROTEIN.
Good luck!
THANKS0 -
Yes. I have considered adding one additional meal of 300 calories starting next week. And cycling it every other day. But I get so pissed and frustrated when I see my weight bump up by a pound or 2 in a day from eating 100 calories of spaghetti squash. So I back off. This is why I am taking this calorie adding advice with a grain of salt. I busted my hump to get to 220 and dont want to balloon up. So I am very cautious about this advice. Its easy to say eat more when you dont step on my scale and see what happens when you eat nothing and it goes right to the scale. And when you do 3 or more sessions of cardio and your weight is actually higher afterwards. Yep, that has actually happened. And I can not figure that one out either. So I am beginning to think that something is wrong to be working out this much and eating this little for 3 months and I have only dropped 49 lbs. BS. This last 20-30 pounds is hanging on like a groupie at a Led Zeppelin concert...............Gonna cool off and hit the inaccurate treadmill.
OP, the 100 calories of spaghetti squash didn't cause your weight gain. Nor do you gain weight from cardio sessions. You are confusing correlation with causation. Your body weight will fluctuate hourly and daily. Trends are what's important. With great respect, for someone who seems particularly fastidious with numbers, you are missing some very basic pieces here. And a whole slew of MFPers have stepped up to try and help you get back on track. You have gotten some excellent advice. I hope you take it.
I sincerely wish you well.
YES. I AM EVALUATING THE ADVICE NOW. SOME HAVE CONFLICTING OPINIONS WHICH IS WHAT I AM SORTING THRU
THKS. SORRY LEFT CAPS ON.0 -
I'm no scientist or weight loss specialist, but I can tell you that there are a lot of cellular adjustments going on when you change your diet and exercise habits.
It seems that the key to not doing damage to your metabolism is to start conservatively and eat the maximum number of calories that you can have while still losing weight. Then when you hit a long plateau, you can adjust your calories downward. People who start with too few calories and too much exercise really can't do anything to break the plateau. You have to wait it out.
You have hit the nail on the head! This is the approach I am leaning to and not a massive caloric increase.0 -
Just keep going, fluctuations will happen, but eating more isn't going to miraculously make you lose weight, that's not how it works. Generally it's the math..............you have to be honest with yourself...........studies on consumption have been done and even when people we're told they needed to accurately record their food for short periods of time were still out almost 400 calories a day. Plus labeling can legally be out 20%..............take a break and get back to it unrelenting and see how it goes.
Please feel free to re read my list of macros. I weigh, measure, and accurately count every one of them. Feel free to tell me where exactly any one of my numbers is off. I've also left the manufacturers and brands so you can contact them directly if you want to dispute their numbers. Or you can cross reference them to MFP or fatsecret. Until then, we need to move on from this issue.0
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