The plateau weight that threatens to derail people

auticus

Hey all

I've basically lived at my plateau weight since my mid 20s. It is the weight that my body WANTS to be at, no matter how hard I try, but is still about 30 lbs overweight and it all hangs off of my gut so physically everytime I look in a mirror I see it there taunting me.

The calorie-in calorie-out mantra is only true to an extent. I logged 22 miles running last week, 12 miles so far this week, been doing the hunger pangs at 1600 calories a day, hard logged and enforced, and i gained two pounds since last week. I'm back to 233 lbs, which puts me back on the borderline of obesity (at 6'2 233 lbs is the beginning of a BMI of 30). My body wants to be about 235 which is where I've been for almost a decade through about a dozen diet/workout attempts.

This is the part that causes people to quit. The starving. The working out until you can't walk anymore. Sweating buckets of sweat. And to gain a pound. Even though you are doing what the numbers tell you that you should be doing.

Are my numbers better? Probably. Yay I'm healthier. I don't want this cancerous tumour hanging off my waist anymore!!!! It's like a bowling ball that hangs there, making it hard to run, making it hard to play sports (if you are a thin runner, try strapping a 30 lb belt to your waist and go off and run with that on and you'll know what I'm talking about) and making it hard to be seen as anything but some fat guy.

Venting frustration here.

My workouts consist of a hard 3-5 mile run daily 6x a week (I run until my legs tell me I have to stop. I can usually make 4 miles and not be out of breath but have to stop because my legs feel like jello from carrying the extra weight) and I lift weights 3x a week (double workouts). I have a day of rest in between those. I've been on a 1600 calorie a day diet. I don't drink alcohol. I don't smoke.

My blood sugar is down to 130 which makes me happy but I'd like to saw this flesh extension from my waist and set it on fire permanently.

chattychick

I think you mght want to try to up your calories. I eat 1600 a day on days I do not exercise. On days I exercise its more like 2000. Try it, at least.

But yes, I am sorry that you are in that frustrating spot! It really does suck!

fitniknik

I wonder if you arent eating quite enough? I was at 1300 calories (female, 5'7", 160lbs) exercising 4-5x's a week- I was sooo damn hungry, and stuck for 3 months. I upped my calories to 1600 and I feel soooo much better and Im down to 157. My suggestion would be try to eat more.

FabulousFifty

For your weight and height, I don't think you are eating enough. Try switching up what you eat and up the cals. Also, try a different kind of exercise. Hit the gym and let a trainor change things up for you. You are working so hard and deserve to see some results! I bet your numbers are excellent! Good luck!:flowerforyou:

lkm111

I totally understand what you are going through, although I don't do nearly as much activity as you do.

I have lost 55 lbs. over the last two years - which is great - but I have been stuck at this weight for the past three months and it is the weight I ALWAYS get stuck at every time I try to lose. However, I've still got about 70 more to lose. I've been on this roller coaster for about 20 years.

I know that this time is different because I have made the decision that no matter what happens, I am simply not going to give up. If I have a setback, I will take it in stride and then move on and keep working at it. For me this is a major mind shift.

I wish you all the best on this journey, because that is what it is. It sounds like you are already working hard, keep it up!

melsinct

I wonder if you arent eating quite enough? I was at 1300 calories (female, 5'7", 160lbs) exercising 4-5x's a week- I was sooo damn hungry, and stuck for 3 months. I upped my calories to 1600 and I feel soooo much better and Im down to 157. My suggestion would be try to eat more.

Ditto. I am also 5'7" and plateaued at 160. I was eating 1400 calories, upped it to 1700, and started losing again. It sounds counter-intuitive but you need to eat more to lose.

auticus

It does seem like broken-logic, which again enforces the calorie-in/calorie-out mantra as being a little bit bogus, but I am hearing a lot about plateau weight and overcoming it by upping calories so I will give it a try.

I'm starting up soccer conditioning next week for an indoor league in sept and by damn if I'm going to be trying to run around with a 30lb bowling ball hanging off me.

27strange

it may be that since you are working out so much and exercising so regularly that you actually need to be eating more. Especially possible given the fact that your body is hungry at 1,600 calories per day. Maybe try upping your calories to 2,000 per day and see if the hunger pains fade away and if the scale begins to change again. Try a couple additional healthy snacks during the day between regular meals.

fresprit57

Sounds like your body thinks it is in starvation mode since you exercise too much & have so little caloric intake.
Our body chemistry will hoard fuel if it thinks it will be starving.
Probably the reason you are not showing any difference on the scale.
I agree with the others...add some more healthy calories to your daily intake.
It's worth a try.
Good luck with the soccer training!

Amysgetnfit

I agree you probably need a few more calories.but really examine what your eating a lot of.are you eating a lot of carbs or fat or sugars in there somewhere? (Not saying you are doing this but if you consume 1600 calories but it was all from potato chips your not going to trim the bulge). Mix up your exersizes/& intensity. Don't always have to go further, sometimes going faster in shorter sprints does wonders.our bodies get used to doing exercise the same way &then you no longer progress.need to switch things up.lots of us hit plagues.myself included &the when I'm honest with myself its because im not being strict enough.best of luck to you.

I_give_it_2_u_str8

you keep saying 'bogus calorie in/calorie out' mantra... i think you're missing part of that equation.

its actually, what goes in = what goes out PLUS the balance is stored.

this goes into a pretty complicated equation fast, so i wont get into the details (thermo wasnt my strong subject)...

unless you're suggesting the calories are dissapating into the n'th dimension!

auticus

I'm saying that by the numbers my deficit should be enough to take 2 lbs off of me per week, not gain 2 lbs in a week.

morganadk2_deleted

I think you mght want to try to up your calories. I eat 1600 a day on days I do not exercise. On days I exercise its more like 2000. Try it, at least.

But yes, I am sorry that you are in that frustrating spot! It really does suck!

I agree i'm only 5' 4 and 50 years old and i'm loosing weight eat just over 1600 a day and more when I exercise !


know it sounds daft , but you may not be eating enough

Are you eating to enough?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



Good luck on your journey