Beyond Frustrated

Chobita

Hello all. My name is Ellie and I have been doing MFP for over 4 months now. first some info about me: I am 5'7 and weight 170lbs. When I started MFP I weighed 180lbs. My goal weight is 155lbs. I have lost 10 lbs so far. But it has completely stopped. I have been at 170lbs for over a month and a half now. I started my calories at 1480. As soon as I felt ready, which was when I hit the 170 lb mark, I dropped my calories down to 1200. I exercise 3-4 times per week doing cardio and weight training. I eat right. I make sure I never go hungry. I eat small healthy snacks to prevent starvation mode. I am not loosing anymore weight. Clearly I am doing something wrong here. Can anyone help me???

lizard053

You need to eat more! You've reshaped your body, congrats to you, but that new body needs proper fuel to continue to lose weight.
Another thing that might help is more water. Perhaps change up your exercise routine. Change things up a bit, it usually helps!

Womengineer

When I read your post, I felt like I was reading my own story. I have had almost the same exact thing happen to me. I am 5'8" I started at 177lb and I am now 169 and I have not seen any progress in a while. I personally am going to try this water thing out. I have a really hard time drinking more water so I think that I am going to schedule times of the day to drink water and see how that goes. I have also mixed up my workouts a lot more, so now I just have to wait and see. I hope you can pull out of this. I guess the only thing we can do is keep trying to switch things up...no magic potions here.

leaso75581

I'm the poster child of this story....i'm always told, to do something differest this week, than what you've done in previous weeks, see how it works.

marekdds

I was stuck at 185 for months. I understand frustration. I cut back on breads, pasta and sugar. Mostly only water to drink. Added fruits & veggies, lean meats and actually ate more calories, but better quality. Started losing steadily, am now 145. Just what worked for me. Don't give up and best of luck.

Chobita

What water thing? I would like to try it too!! Are you just drinking it more??

Jo2926

Hey, sorry you weight loss has stalled - but well done on sticking with it.

You said you dropped your calories, but what amount does MFP suggest? And are you eating your exercise calories back?

You might be surprised at how much you can eat and still lose weight, but trust in MFP and the weight loss will hopefully come back. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it helps.

yoovie

why is the amount of gravitational pull more important than what you are shaped like?

UsedToBeHusky

Without being able to see your diary, it is hard to pinpoint the problem.

This could be a cortisol-induced plateau. Cortisol is a hormone triggered by stress that is designed to help your body cope during stressful conditions. Calorie deficits means a lack of readily available energy and is considered by the body to be a stressful condition. One way to combat cortisol is to ensure that your diet has a fair amount of unsaturated fats. Foods that contain the types of fats you need to stave off cortisol include, olive oil, peanut butter, fish (there are others but these are the ones that I most rely on).

This plateau could also be caused by an imbalance in your electrolytes. A lack of fresh fruits and vegetables will cause an increase in sodium and deficiency in potassium. This will cause your body's water balance to go completely out of whack and you will hold on to more water.

Sometimes, a plateau can be related to other health conditions so if it persists, you may want to consult a doctor. I hope you find this information helpful to you, and you are able to pinpoint a reason for your plateau.

tigersword

You lost 10 pounds, drastically dropped your calories after that, and immediately stopped losing. It seems painfully obvious to me...