I have hit a plateau please help!

mdpoynton

Dear friends,
I have plateaued in my weight loss and I'm unsure about what to do next.
Am I eating too much food?

This is what I usually eat:

1) Between 8 and 9 am - 1 zone bar.
2) Between 12-2pm - 1 cup organic fat free plain greek yogurt with a about 15-20 blueberries. 1 organic banana
3) Between 4:30 and 7pm - 1 avocado. 1 roma tomato (or an apple). 1 cup panera squash soup.
4) At 9 or 10pm. - 1 half bag 94 percent fat free popcorn. 1/2 cup grapes. (Sometimes carrots and hummus instead of the grapes.)

I go to bed at 1 or 2 am.

I tried to cut out diary entirely but it was just too hard.
I dont really eat meat except for tuna somtimes.
The popcorn, I feel, is my only treat.
I am starting to lose hope.

I am 5'4, 130. I was 180 before I started losing. I would like to be 120.

-Bella

cofty

Hi Bella,

How many calories does that typically add up to?

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diannethegeek

Would you be comfortable opening your diary for us to have a look?

At a glance, it looks like you're not getting much protein? Or many calories? Taking a look at the numbers would help.

How long has it been since you last saw a drop on the scale?

You're already within a healthy weight range, so the loss is going to be slow now. You're looking for 1/2 to 1 pound per week maximum.

megxmas95

That really doesn't look like a lot of food, and this is coming from somewhere with serious food issues! I think you're going to get lots of responses saying 'eat more', and 'why are you eating so little' (which I wholly agree with. Up the cals and the weight will come off)

rachelg145

Eat one more small meal and work exercise that makes you sweat for 45 minutes into your routine. Personally I would be ravenous and not lose any weight if I ate the small amount you eat but I probably have a bigger frame than you so I'm not going to comment other than to say adding one more meal would probably keep your body from clinging on to all the calories because it thinks there aren't enough. Remember you need to maintain this weight loss, too, and you don't want to jack up all of your hormones, etc., because you've gotten your body used to too few calories.

Good luck! I think you can get there with a solid workout plan and the additional food to fuel it.

mdpoynton

I would say I usually eat about 1100.
Some days I try to do 1000 but its very uncomfortable.

I haven't lost any weight since like January. So a while.

I have tried to eat more. Whenever I do, I immediately gain 2-3 lbs. Within like 2 days.

diannethegeek

I would say I usually eat about 1100.
Some days I try to do 1000 but its very uncomfortable.

I haven't lost any weight since like January. So a while.

I have tried to eat more. Whenever I do, I immediately gain 2-3 lbs. Within like 2 days.

Are you logging your food or guessing at how much you're eating?

When you increase your calories are you letting the water weight taper off to see what's actually going on before dropping them again? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

Are you currently doing any exercise?

cholepapi

OMG I got so hungry from reading how little you eat......since your not eating healthy your body is going to keep what ever it takes in.....that's how gain weight....It's very unbalanced....

cofty

I think the clue is here...

"I have tried to eat more. Whenever I do, I immediately gain 2-3 lbs. Within like 2 days."

It is impossible to gain 2-3lbs of fat in 2 days, you would have to consume a calorie surplus of 7000 - 10 000 Cals

It sounds as if you are running permanently dehydrated and with low glycogen reserves. I suggest a change in diet to a sustainable way of eating that contains enough carbs to fuel your daily activity. You may take a temporary weight gain but start to build up a sensible cardio exercise regime and in time you should be able to settle on a 500Cals per day deficit that will give you a 1lb per week loss.

2fabulous2Bunfit

I agree, doesn't look like you are eating enough. With that said- congrats on your huge weightl oss and I think you look fabulous!

mdpoynton

Cofty,
I am very interested in what you have said.

I dont know what you mean by sustainable, as I feel pretty fine right now and dont feel that I eat too little. All of the food I eat is healthy so I dont really know what the problem is. And I do eat a lot of carbs. I eat a lot of fruit and sometimes popcorn or trail mix and a protein bar in the morning.

Are you suggesting I simply drink more water and increase my calories maybe 200 a day?

Thank you so much for your feedback.

-Bella

He1loKitty

Bella, maybe you need to cut down on your popcorn intake. That is a lot of carbs late at night. Maybe you can switch to something like celery and peanut butter as a snack with your grapes. Maybe switch up your diet a little if it's not working for you and you're not losing any weight. You acknowledge that you eat a lot of carbs, so maybe cut back on them and see what happens. Add a few slices of turkey or some string cheese to your diet a few days a week. It can't hurt to try something different, right?

smn76237

Do you eat like that every single solitary day? Including weekends? Evenings out with friends? Because if you did and were averaging 1100 calories every week since January, you'd definitely lose weight.

sweetsorrow18

everyone has their own way of diet and weightloss so this is just my opinion but although your diet is "healthy" it seems pretty high in carb/sugar...all the fruits/berries have sugar (grapes & bananas have some of the highest sugar content), most protein bars are high in carbs/sugar and you're not supplementing your diet with any solid protein (not even any beans, lean meats, eggs or cheese) - is there a reason? Up the protein for a couple weeks and drop your carbs a little....if you track everything, you should know your daily carb to protein ratio and see how much in excess you're consuming, it might help break your plateau...i would aim to make my diet more well rounded with equal amounts of carbs/fats/proteins

mdpoynton

Thanks guys, I will try to switch it up. Eat more protein and perhaps some beans instead of popcorn and berries.

smn76237 - I find your tone rather offensive. I do take Sundays off, but I dont go nuts. Mostly, I stick to the same thing, because its familiar, and allow myself to have something like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or some ice cream.

I generally dont go out with friends (my life is just too busy), and if I do have lunch with a friend, I always have a salad. You are implying that I am lying, and I assure you I am not.

I suppose what I need to do is change it up-- add more protein, and get on the treadmill!

-Bella