Plateau? Help!

LTKeegan

So I'm not sure what's going on and I need help. I've been stuck at 137 for about 4 weeks (I bounce around 137-138 each day, never more than 139 never less than 137, mostly 137 though).

I weigh everything.
I log honestly.
I'm not new to exercise (I've been HIGHLY active my entire life)
I measure myself, in the past 2 weeks, no change in measurements.


My BMR is 1362. I eat TDEE (sedentary)-20% which is 1391 + 50% exercise calories.

I've gone over +100 twice and I went way over +1200 after 8 hours of exercise and my previous day was NET 200 (another day of 8 hours of ice climbing and I was SO tired I couldn't eat, I passed out without dinner-- we had an epic day where we were on top of a mountain and a snow storm rolled in and the sun set.) so those two days averaged I was still net under my calories.

Otherwise I'm in the green.


Am I at a plateau? Do I need to just be patient?

For exercise, I rock climb, ice climb, CrossFit, and do HIIT work on my bicycle trainer.

Edit: my legs look better (no more cellulite) and feel more firm. So changes are happening, but is this muscle building?!

deksgrl

Initial impression is, you may be close enough to goal weight where 20% deficit is too aggressive. Also, how much protein are you getting? You probably are not building muscle on a calorie deficit.

LTKeegan

I'm aiming for 104g of protein and getting close most days. (I'm pescatarian, so I'm having a hard time getting over 100g-- I'm pescatarian due to allergies, so not helpful to suggest eating meat)

My goal weight is 125.

I'm eating (on normal fitness days) 1390-1650 cal

LTKeegan

You probably are not building muscle on a calorie deficit.

That's what I thought. I'm just wondering what this is. If I were a women's magazine, I would call it "toning". However, I know that's a BS term

deksgrl

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

_HeartsOnFire_

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

QFT

craigheon

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

Agreed! More weight training too if you can. This will help blast you past this plateau.

rach503

Bumping to follow along...

I'm struggling with the same thing. I just told myself I'm going to not weigh myself for 3 weeks & see where I am "on the other side". I'm noticing that I'm more toned, but that dang weight number won't budge. Trying to get less fixated on it. Also, I've been HUNGRY lately, so I tried reducing my goal from -2lbs/wk to -1.5lbs/wk. Not sure what will be my outcome, but trying not to stress about it. Let me know if you find something that works for you!

emilykw31

Ever consider that maybe your body fat % has gone down? Just got my body fat # checked out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised! I just know I get crazy frustrated with the scale because my weight is not like my friends'... and I have to remind myself that I have a lot more muscle and also am taller than the average girl.

http://www.bodyfattest.com/

LTKeegan

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

Agreed! More weight training too if you can. This will help blast you past this plateau.

I lift a lot and it hasn't been helping. Well, I guess it hasn't been hurting, but it isn't pushing me over the plateau.

LTKeegan

Ever consider that maybe your body fat % has gone down? Just got my body fat # checked out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised! I just know I get crazy frustrated with the scale because my weight is not like my friends'... and I have to remind myself that I have a lot more muscle and also am taller than the average girl.

http://www.bodyfattest.com/

If I'm eating at a deficit and therefore not able to build muscle, I'm not sure how my % body fat can go down without losing weight. Also, my measurements haven't changed in the last two weeks.



This is my biggest confusion. Because I would think that yes, my %body fat is changing, because I'm noticing a physical difference in my legs, but no numbers are changing (weight, measuremtns) so I'm not sure how this can be happening.



HOW AM I "TONING" WHEN TONING ISN'T A REAL THING!?! I'M SO CONFUSED AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY RIGHT NOW!

LTKeegan

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

QFT

What does QFT mean?

diannethegeek

Since you are only about 12 pounds from goal, I would do TDEE - 10% instead of 20%. Keep working on trying to keep the protein up.

QFT

What does QFT mean?

quoted for truth.

deksgrl

Ever consider that maybe your body fat % has gone down? Just got my body fat # checked out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised! I just know I get crazy frustrated with the scale because my weight is not like my friends'... and I have to remind myself that I have a lot more muscle and also am taller than the average girl.

http://www.bodyfattest.com/

If I'm eating at a deficit and therefore not able to build muscle, I'm not sure how my % body fat can go down without losing weight. Also, my measurements haven't changed in the last two weeks.



This is my biggest confusion. Because I would think that yes, my %body fat is changing, because I'm noticing a physical difference in my legs, but no numbers are changing (weight, measuremtns) so I'm not sure how this can be happening.



HOW AM I "TONING" WHEN TONING ISN'T A REAL THING!?! I'M SO CONFUSED AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY RIGHT NOW!

You can reduce body fat without your weight going down.

DedicatedRepublic

What are your current goals? From your post I can only assume it is weight loss? But how much? How tall are you?

Capt_Apollo

So I'm not sure what's going on and I need help. I've been stuck at 137 for about 4 weeks (I bounce around 137-138 each day, never more than 139 never less than 137, mostly 137 though).

so you're not really stuck then, are you?

LTKeegan

Ever consider that maybe your body fat % has gone down? Just got my body fat # checked out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised! I just know I get crazy frustrated with the scale because my weight is not like my friends'... and I have to remind myself that I have a lot more muscle and also am taller than the average girl.

http://www.bodyfattest.com/

If I'm eating at a deficit and therefore not able to build muscle, I'm not sure how my % body fat can go down without losing weight. Also, my measurements haven't changed in the last two weeks.



This is my biggest confusion. Because I would think that yes, my %body fat is changing, because I'm noticing a physical difference in my legs, but no numbers are changing (weight, measuremtns) so I'm not sure how this can be happening.



HOW AM I "TONING" WHEN TONING ISN'T A REAL THING!?! I'M SO CONFUSED AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY RIGHT NOW!

You can reduce body fat without your weight going down.

But I have to replace it with muscle to get my weight to not go down and I thought you can't build muscle on a deficit. This is my confusion.

njitaliana

Why are you set for sedentary if you are highly active and exercise regularly?

LTKeegan

What are your current goals? From your post I can only assume it is weight loss? But how much? How tall are you?

I'm 5'6" my goal is to be a better climber and part of that goal is to increase my power to weight ratio. I would like to drop weight (and keep the same, or increase power a little-- I've got a coach helping me with this part) but I've put on some weight in grad school, so I'd like to lose that and get back to about 125-130lbs.

janesmith1

I am nowhere near you are, but I just came off of plateauing for 2+ weeks. Here's my own solution:

1. Make sure you are going #2, and I mean big ones, not just small rocks. Getting stuff out is important. I eat air popped popcorn as a snack & put brewer's yeast on it and lecithin (as well as Kernal Seasonings & I spray it with vinegar, but that's me & how I like it). Popcorn is super fibrous and is now considered a superfood.

2. Affirmations before you go to bed, like "my body is losing weight, I feel great, my body is releasing the weight", works too.

GL!!

PS, your body in the photo looks amazing, so great job so far!

becs3578

I am having the same problem. About 10-9 lbs to goal.... and be fluxuating the same lbs for weeks pretty much. Been told my net calories might be the issue with all the working out. I am sending my diary for a 7 day span to a dietitian in my Crossfit class and hoping to get some help.

I know how frustrating it is.. but you are doing great!

LTKeegan

So I'm not sure what's going on and I need help. I've been stuck at 137 for about 4 weeks (I bounce around 137-138 each day, never more than 139 never less than 137, mostly 137 though).

so you're not really stuck then, are you?

Um, I am.


I weigh myself every day because I like data. So 5 out of 7 days, I weigh 137.x lbs and 2 out of 7 days I weigh either 138.x or 139.x, usually those days are after a big work out where I can feel that my muscles are sore and repairing themselves, so I don't worry. But over the course of 4 weeks, the scale has been reading almost the same number every morning when I wake up.

LTKeegan

Why are you set for sedentary if you are highly active and exercise regularly?

I'm really inconsistently active. Some days I work out 6-8 hours (climbing/hiking trips-- usually weekends) and some days I work out 3 hours, and then I have rest days.


So maybe I'm doing this wrong, and I'm open to suggestions, but it seemed to me on the days that I'm doing a climbing trip, where I'm burning 1200-1400 calories, I should eat a LOT more than the rest days. And I'm a grad student so not like a waitress or construction worker or whatever so I didn't want to over eat on those days.

deksgrl

Ever consider that maybe your body fat % has gone down? Just got my body fat # checked out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised! I just know I get crazy frustrated with the scale because my weight is not like my friends'... and I have to remind myself that I have a lot more muscle and also am taller than the average girl.

http://www.bodyfattest.com/

If I'm eating at a deficit and therefore not able to build muscle, I'm not sure how my % body fat can go down without losing weight. Also, my measurements haven't changed in the last two weeks.



This is my biggest confusion. Because I would think that yes, my %body fat is changing, because I'm noticing a physical difference in my legs, but no numbers are changing (weight, measuremtns) so I'm not sure how this can be happening.



HOW AM I "TONING" WHEN TONING ISN'T A REAL THING!?! I'M SO CONFUSED AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY BODY RIGHT NOW!

You can reduce body fat without your weight going down.

But I have to replace it with muscle to get my weight to not go down and I thought you can't build muscle on a deficit. This is my confusion.

Here is one example of someone who reduced body fat but ended up nearly the same weight:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/709987-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics

There are a lot of other women here who have as well, this is the only one that I could think of her name to search for the story though.

LTKeegan

Edit.



Ok. so I've been doing some non MFP research and I think that I might actually be building muscle/losing fat at the same rate. And I'm okay with this.

LTKeegan

Evidently posting was the key ;-) I'm down a pound from yesterday morning.

becs3578

Way to go!!!!!