TDEE - 20% and the dreaded plateau!

Mischievous_Rascal

You're doing TDEE method AND eating back exercise cals? If you've figured your activity level correctly and included it in your TDEE numbers, then you do not eat back those burned cals.

Other possible issues - have you rerun your numbers recently? Taken measurements? Are clothes fitting any looser? I had my scale stand still for 6 months, but lost inches and dropped a full size during that time. And if you have been eating pretty much the same goal the whole time, it might be time to recheck the numbers as things have changed.

As far as the eating higher or lower with no results, how long did you stick with the new intake each time? Because it can take a good 4-6 weeks for the results to show up on the scale.

All of this. You really should be rerunning your numbers every 5-10 pounds. And the closer you are to your goal weight, the smaller your deficit should be. 20% may be too aggressive. What calculator do you use? I've found Scooby's one to be the most accurate for me.

AlwaysInMotion

Some thoughts.

- Don't forget that your TDEE numbers need to be recalculated as your weight drops.

- And not to sound like a broken record, but yeah... you shouldn't really be eating back exercise calories on TDEE because they were already factored into your TDEE intake limit. I only eat back a small portion of exercise cals on beyond normal workout days (ex: go on 60+mi bike ride)

If you are eating at the TDEE level set for your higher weight, you are likely overconsuming. If you add "eat back" calories on top of that, you may have inadvertently already started eating at your "maintenance" level.

Speaking of breaking plateaus...

Things that have helped me break through plateaus:
1) Going off diet for 5-10 days and then resuming. (I have no physiological explanation why that works, but I often have a ridiculously huge drop afterwards.)
2) Seriously mixing up my workout routine - like completely altering my cardio workout, my duration and frequency, and then completely revisiting my strength routines. I've noticed that if I've fallen into too much steady state cardio, switching to HIIT or tabata type activities really shakes things loose. I'm convinced that the body becomes conditioned to regular activities. You almost need to shock the system. Give that a try.

cricket_77

because if she truely was eating that big of a deficet she would be losing weigh regardless at least 2lbs a week...and I often find people aren't honest with themselves let alone strangers on the internet. Never mind Online calculators are estimates...

As well in her profile she states she has gained muscle which is not possible eating at a deficet, along with a few other things in her profile that just don't ring valid to me...ie 22% BF lost...okay.

weight loss is calories in being less than calories out...period and if you aren't losing weight it is as simple as not being in a deficet and adding more food to that is counter intuitive.

I totally agree. Someone who is wanting help, but refusing to open their dairy...kinda makes me go hmmm.

tariksehovic

If you feel like you are hitting a plateau or stick point , try adding more cardio or HIIT sessions during your week

if you are still sticking move some of your carbs to PWO ( post workout)

bumblbee007

Hi, I went thru the same thing, so what I did was, decided bugger this, and i pig'd out, gained a pound or two, and then decided its time to go back, I am back on under 50gram of carbs with one day at 70 grams, calories 1350 - 1500, i have changed my gym routine, and now walk 2 hours around the rugby field ( when my husband, son and daughter goes to play club rugby) tuesday thursday and friday, i also gym monday tuesday, thursday and friday. I have lost the weight Ive gained from my time off and a extra 4. maybe you just need to have some fun, and eat so that your body doesn't get use to the same thing.. well that's my opinion in any case.

Mr_Knight

It would be helpful if you opened your diary.

The most likely explanation is that you have been under-estimating your intake and/or over-estimating your exercise burn all along, and your body composition has finally changed enough so that what used to be a deficit even with the errors is no longer a deficit. IE, your TDEE has dropped enough to wipe out the margin of error.

The appropriate step here is to open up your food and exercise diary so "many" eyes can quickly go over it in excruciating detail.

"Eating more" is almost certainly not the right answer, and will most likely lead to an undesired outcome.

dixiewhiskey

Sorry to say something you don't want to hear but the only time I ever experienced a plateau for two months straight was because I had to UP MY CALS!

dixiewhiskey

because if she truely was eating that big of a deficet she would be losing weigh regardless at least 2lbs a week...and I often find people aren't honest with themselves let alone strangers on the internet. Never mind Online calculators are estimates...

As well in her profile she states she has gained muscle which is not possible eating at a deficet, along with a few other things in her profile that just don't ring valid to me...ie 22% BF lost...okay.

weight loss is calories in being less than calories out...period and if you aren't losing weight it is as simple as not being in a deficet and adding more food to that is counter intuitive.

I totally agree. Someone who is wanting help, but refusing to open their dairy...kinda makes me go hmmm.

I don't really blame her for not wanting to open her diary.... I think she should provide information from her diary (stats like cals in, sodium, protein, carbs, fats, sugar, etc) but I totally respect her right to "privacy". How about ask her for that stuff instead if you really want to provide input? OP? Stats from the diary please

dixiewhiskey

How is your thyroid? Do you have hormonal issues? Diabetes? Sodium? Have you had your period in the last two months? I know it's a lot to ask but I have to ask.

I have PMDD and while only being in my mid 20's, I'm pretty close to being perimenopausal. Point in sharing that is that my hormones are all over the place and I never know when I'm going to have TOM. I tend to experience stalls in my inch and fat weight loss for absolutely no reason and the bloat from the onset of menstruation lasts for three weeks!

I do everything right like you claim to so maybe you have an underlying illness you don't know about. I hope you will share some of your Diary stats so we can help

albayin

You're doing TDEE method AND eating back exercise cals? If you've figured your activity level correctly and included it in your TDEE numbers, then you do not eat back those burned cals.

Other possible issues - have you rerun your numbers recently? Taken measurements? Are clothes fitting any looser? I had my scale stand still for 6 months, but lost inches and dropped a full size during that time. And if you have been eating pretty much the same goal the whole time, it might be time to recheck the numbers as things have changed.

As far as the eating higher or lower with no results, how long did you stick with the new intake each time? Because it can take a good 4-6 weeks for the results to show up on the scale.

This is the only post so far that delivers the right message and totally makes sense to me.

aplhabetacheesecake

TDEE and me DO NOT GET ALONG! lol I stalled for a good year due to not knowing my total daily energy expenditure. MY life is crazy, and I too am crazy! mom of 2, work full time as a nurse, a looooove to run and be fit but I am also a part time graduate student and when papers are due I have complete sedentary days.
When the paper is done I RUN hardcore!!
WHen the weather is nice, I walk on my lunches-but not in the rain.....

I got a fitbit, and low and behold no wonder eating at what scooby or any other TDEE calculator said was my TDEE was no where near.
On a good work day I burn 2700 easily
on a work and run day 3200 easily
on a sendarty work on my paper all damn day kindsa day, im lucky if i hit 1900.

so you can see how varied that is, so was my eating and trying x amount of calories for 2 weeks and it never ever worked.

Now fitbit + MFP I have progress!!

ChrysalisCove

Have you picked a realistic target weight or are you trying to become TOO thin?

Yes, my target weight is directly in the middle of my healthy weight range. I'm not trying to get to the low end or anything! Very realistic goals!

Have you entered your measurements into a body fat percentage calculator recently? Just because a weight is in the healthy range for your height does not necessarily mean it is going to provide your body / frame with an adequate amount of body fat. For example, I am 5'3" with a lean body mass of 107lbs. 107lbs is in the normal weight range for someone my height, but obviously having 0% body fat isn't good, lol! Turns out my body really isn't built to go below about 130lbs.

cricket_77

because if she truely was eating that big of a deficet she would be losing weigh regardless at least 2lbs a week...and I often find people aren't honest with themselves let alone strangers on the internet. Never mind Online calculators are estimates...

As well in her profile she states she has gained muscle which is not possible eating at a deficet, along with a few other things in her profile that just don't ring valid to me...ie 22% BF lost...okay.

weight loss is calories in being less than calories out...period and if you aren't losing weight it is as simple as not being in a deficet and adding more food to that is counter intuitive.

I totally agree. Someone who is wanting help, but refusing to open their dairy...kinda makes me go hmmm.

I don't really blame her for not wanting to open her diary.... I think she should provide information from her diary (stats like cals in, sodium, protein, carbs, fats, sugar, etc) but I totally respect her right to "privacy". How about ask her for that stuff instead if you really want to provide input? OP? Stats from the diary please

Because a good part of the time when someone opens their diary you can see that they do not log every day. They often SAY that they are logging every day, but when you look at their diary, there are days missied, quick calories, added, etc. Also, you can sometimes get a good idea if they are weighing/measuring accurately by looking at their diary. You can see if they are or are not getting enough protein. It provides a much better picture rather than the OP saying...I log everything, I eat "X" number of calories and I'm not losing. What should I do different. I think it's necessary in order to fully assess what's going on in the OP's situation.

SezxyStef

because if she truely was eating that big of a deficet she would be losing weigh regardless at least 2lbs a week...and I often find people aren't honest with themselves let alone strangers on the internet. Never mind Online calculators are estimates...

As well in her profile she states she has gained muscle which is not possible eating at a deficet, along with a few other things in her profile that just don't ring valid to me...ie 22% BF lost...okay.

weight loss is calories in being less than calories out...period and if you aren't losing weight it is as simple as not being in a deficet and adding more food to that is counter intuitive.

I totally agree. Someone who is wanting help, but refusing to open their dairy...kinda makes me go hmmm.

I don't really blame her for not wanting to open her diary.... I think she should provide information from her diary (stats like cals in, sodium, protein, carbs, fats, sugar, etc) but I totally respect her right to "privacy". How about ask her for that stuff instead if you really want to provide input? OP? Stats from the diary please

Because a good part of the time when someone opens their diary you can see that they do not log every day. They often SAY that they are logging every day, but when you look at their diary, there are days missied, quick calories, added, etc. Also, you can sometimes get a good idea if they are weighing/measuring accurately by looking at their diary. You can see if they are or are not getting enough protein. It provides a much better picture rather than the OP saying...I log everything, I eat "X" number of calories and I'm not losing. What should I do different. I think it's necessary in order to fully assess what's going on in the OP's situation.

exactly this...and to add sometimes the entries used are just wrong...ie 4oz of chicken with 120 calories...Yah no.

There are many factors that go into logging accurately...and without seeing the logging no one can really help we are all just shooting in the dark...

My feelings are if someone really wants help or has nothing to hide they don't hide their diary...but that's just me being blunt too.