Weight loss stalled...need help

tizztam

Hello,

For the last two weeks my weight loss has stalled and I have actually gained a little. I was 237.5 a couple weeks ago and now I am 239 as of this morning! I am frustrated as I don't know what's going on?

I have my fitness level as sedentary as I have a desk job. However according to my HRM I burn 300 to 700 calories in my workouts am I just not eating enough?

I also came off the pill a few weeks ago... Not sure if that us playing a role.

Any tips you have would be great...

WBB55

Tell me about the days you only log 400-1000 calories. Did you just stop logging on those days? Or did you really only eat 1000 calories. Not bashing you, I just want to get a sense of the accuracy of your food log.

sfbaumgarten

It appears that you are not weighing your food. You may be eating more than you think.

ETA: Also found either incomplete or just really low calorie days. Not sure what's going on there, but you should strive to log accurately and definitely eat more than 500-1000 calories a day.

Sim123one

Try cutting back on your carbohydrate.

I reduced my carbohydrate intake from 150g a day to any where between 50-60g a day and the weight is dropping off me.

tizztam

The low days of 400 or 500 are not a complete log. If you see three meals it's a complete log.

SingRunTing

You're not stalled because you're eating too little. That doesn't happen. If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit.

Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=step+by+step+guide

SingRunTing

The low days of 400 or 500 are not a complete log. If you see three meals it's a complete log.

This would be your answer. If you're not logging consistently, you don't know how much you're eating.

WBB55

So you should start logging consistently and accurately, and maybe only "eat back" about 75% of your exercise calories. Then come back in 6 weeks and tell us how you did.

tizztam

Actually most of those 1000 calorie days are because I have burned 300-500 calories in a workout.

nxd10

Two weeks isn't that long - you're within measurement error on a scale and daily weight fluctuations.

First, redouble your efforts at basics: weight, measure, log every little stupid thing that goes in your mouth.

Second, if you've lost weight, re-enter your weight and recalculate your calories. When you lose weight you need to lower your calories. Whenever I stalled it was because I hadn't re-entered my new, lower weight.

Third, I can't lose weight if more than half my calories come from carbs. Under 40% is even better. That's NOT a low carb diet, it just means you're getting more of your calories from protein and fat.

Good luck and be patient.

DellaWiedel

I'm going to have to agree with the others stating that you need to complete you diary accurately each day. If you're not logging everything, how do you know that you're not going over your calories for the day? I know it's a hassle sometimes, you can try pre-logging in the morning or the night before. That's normally what I do, so that way I can be sure.

StaciMarie1974

A 2 week time period is not a stall. Sometimes you gain water weight (which is temporary) and that could be due to your time of the month, hormones of changing birth control, sodium, stress, change in sleep schedule, new workout schedule, etc.

If you consistently weigh, measure, log your food: making sure to eat at a deficit but get proper nutrition then you will lose weight. Working out is good to build a fit body, and gives you more calories but it doesn't directly lead to weight loss. Its about how much you eat. And we're talking over the long run. You won't lose weight on the scale each and every week. Just not possible when so many other factors (see above) can affect your body's total weight.

WBB55

Actually most of those 1000 calorie days are because I have burned 300-500 calories in a workout.

July 21 - 1059 total calories logged
July 18 - 1080 total calories
June 27 - 1059 total calories

These are the days I'm talking about, all in the last month. I don't mean it as a criticism, we're all human (goodness knows I'm not a perfect logger). Just it looks TO ME like you're not logging accurately. If loss has stalled, the first thing to do is start logging accurately, in my opinion.

tizztam

This is something I have been wondering about....i think I will give it a try.

tizztam

A 2 week time period is not a stall. Sometimes you gain water weight (which is temporary) and that could be due to your time of the month, hormones of changing birth control, sodium, stress, change in sleep schedule, new workout schedule, etc.

If you consistently weigh, measure, log your food: making sure to eat at a deficit but get proper nutrition then you will lose weight. Working out is good to build a fit body, and gives you more calories but it doesn't directly lead to weight loss. Its about how much you eat. And we're talking over the long run. You won't lose weight on the scale each and every week. Just not possible when so many other factors (see above) can affect your body's total weight.

You could be right, Aunt dot is due to land any day, and I did not sleep very well last week.

tizztam

It appears that you are not weighing your food. You may be eating more than you think.

ETA: Also found either incomplete or just really low calorie days. Not sure what's going on there, but you should strive to log accurately and definitely eat more than 500-1000 calories a day.

What kind of scale do you use? Digital?

MKEgal

redouble your efforts at basics: weigh, measure, log every little stupid thing that goes in your mouth.

Agree here.
Also try adding little bits of exercise - take the stairs one flight, park at the far edge of the lot at work or the store.
And eat at least 1200 total calories per day. (Ignore net.) If you're hungry, eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of what you worked off, but don't make a habit of it.

if you've lost weight, re-enter your weight and recalculate your calories.
When you lose weight you need to lower your calories.

If you start at 250 lb, you need 2500 cal to support that.
At 240 lb, you need 2400 cal to support that.
And so on.
To lose 2 lb per week (starting off very overweight) cut 1000 cal.

Or you can eat to support your goal weight, if it's not more than 1000 cal below where you started.
Since January I've had my goal set at 1700, since I started out weighing 275 (2750), so I was 1000 below.
Just this week I decided to tweak that to 1650, because I've lost 40 lb [YAY, ME!!!] and my goal weight is 165, & I'd been stalled right around 240 for close to 2 weeks.
My current weight is 235 (2350), so I could eat as low as 1350 and be OK, but 1650 seems to be working, as I've gotten off that plateau & started losing again.

MKEgal

Oh, and something that sounds a little strange: eat a big breakfast and a small dinner.

This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
"The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
Full text:
http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf

"subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf

"data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437

missdibs1

Try cutting back on your carbohydrate.

I reduced my carbohydrate intake from 150g a day to any where between 50-60g a day and the weight is dropping off me.

and di you lower calories or up fats?

tizztam

You're not stalled because you're eating too little. That doesn't happen. If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit.

Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=step+by+step+guide

I don't agree with you, there are other factors that impact weight on the scale, water weight, water intake, hormones, salt. I could still be in a deficit and have other factors at play.

marissagainer

I am also having this issue. I had lost a total of 35 lbs, and then these last two weeks, when I started eating back about 50% of my calories from workout, and still burning the same amount in the gym (average of 500 calories/day), I gained 3 lbs back, and it's not budging. I eat good, healthy food, mix up my workouts, etc. I also have a desk job. I typically eat 1400 calories a day. Any suggestions?

tizztam

I am also having this issue. I had lost a total of 35 lbs, and then these last two weeks, when I started eating back about 50% of my calories from workout, and still burning the same amount in the gym (average of 500 calories/day), I gained 3 lbs back, and it's not budging. I eat good, healthy food, mix up my workouts, etc. I also have a desk job. I typically eat 1400 calories a day. Any suggestions?

What do you use to calculate your workout calories? Sometimes MFP gives way too many calories when i compare it to what my heart rate monitor says.

If you just started eating some of them back and gained, that may be your issue.

marissagainer

I use a heart rate monitor as well. So if I don't eat my calories back, I'm netting 700 calories. That can't be good, is it?

tizztam

I use a heart rate monitor as well. So if I don't eat my calories back, I'm netting 700 calories. That can't be good, is it?

I actually can really relate to you, some days i only net 1000 calories because of my work outs. in fact i have a day where i burned 1000 calories and only had 700 calories net intake.

Do you weigh your food like these people suggested, or have you increased your calories from carbs?

Sim123one

Try cutting back on your carbohydrate.

I reduced my carbohydrate intake from 150g a day to any where between 50-60g a day and the weight is dropping off me.

and di you lower calories or up fats?

Introduced more fat and protein into my diet - I don't count calories!

SingRunTing

You're not stalled because you're eating too little. That doesn't happen. If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit.

Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=step+by+step+guide

I don't agree with you, there are other factors that impact weight on the scale, water weight, water intake, hormones, salt. I could still be in a deficit and have other factors at play.

Those things will impact it short term. Weight loss is a long term commitment, so I take the long view. In the long term, a deficit will cause weight loss regardless of other conditions. Even people with medical conditions will lose in a deficit, they just might have a different TDEE than a "normal" person for their metrics and activity level.