I thought it would be IT but...

CnocNaCu

The last couple of weeks I didn't lose any weight and tried to find out why. I read and searched and researched and.... couldn't find out why.
I eat healthy food, count my cals, log even the teeny weeny bit of garlic in my lunch, changed the ratio to 40,30,30, drink a lot of water, keep sodium below 1000, have no cheat days and exercise daily.
I've already mixed up the exercise routine so that I have days with cardio only, days with strength, sometimes both.
Well, now I thought I've found Columbus' egg :-) ... and changed my goals to this new method.
My BMR is 1320, maintenance 1670 and I know my exercise cals.
Great is that now I have 120 cals more to eat; not a lot but something.
BUT: when checking back the days of the last weeks (after changing goals to Olivia's method) I didn't want to trust my eyes:
All the time I had a cal deficit of 578 to 1005 calories and lost 0.8 pound in 4 weeks.
How can that be? So I didn't undereat, didn't overeat, was not starving.
The only difference: I ate around 1200 a day. Can it be that eating 120 calories below my BMR caused this plateau?
I would be very grateful if any of you had an idea.
I like the method though: I find it perfect for tracking the caloric deficit.
Should I aim for a smaller deficit, like 500-6-- cals per day????????

Lolamako

You're so close to your goal weight that things will start to slow down. I am around 10lbs from my goal and am not really weighing myself very often, maybe once every three weeks? I am however taking my measurements regularly. Maybe your weight isn't changing much but your body is getting smaller? Muscle takes up less volume per pound than fat.... So you could weigh the same, but be losing inches. Usually, a 250 deficit is a good aim when you're so close. Consider zig zagging your calories, or possibly incorporating a spike day.

CnocNaCu

Thank you:-)
I am honest and say: I was too quick judging. I've lost a pound yesterday and 0.3 this morning.
it must have been that I didn't eat enough and sometimes below my BMR.
With this method I DO eat my BMR and watch the deficit (not more than 1000) and I can eat more and exercise more without feeling guilty. And bangggggggggggg, the scale is budging :-)
:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
So yes, aiming for less is better. And: I took measurements and you are right, I really lost 1.5 inches.

shydaisi

Thank you:-)
I am honest and say: I was too quick judging. I've lost a pound yesterday and 0.3 this morning.
it must have been that I didn't eat enough and sometimes below my BMR.
With this method I DO eat my BMR and watch the deficit (not more than 1000) and I can eat more and exercise more without feeling guilty. And bangggggggggggg, the scale is budging :-)
:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
So yes, aiming for less is better. And: I took measurements and you are right, I really lost 1.5 inches.

That is great news!!!

Being so close to your goal, the scale may move more slowly, although it is moving now, so that is great!

I just FEEL better eating my BMR... I don't feel like I am starving myself, and it encourages me to exercise more.

Also, you may want to be sure you take a rest day from exercise. Your muscles need time to recover from pushing them during exercise. It doesn't have to be a sedentary day, but just a light walk or something like that.

CnocNaCu

Rest day, this is something I have to get used to. I NEVER had one because I thought I have to keep moving to get the scale budging and to have more cals to eat. But I will have a rest day now every Sunday. I want to start enjoying the journey from now on.

Lolamako

Glad you're feeling better, and things are starting to fall into place!

On the rest day front:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/behar2.htm


I noticed that my weight loss slowed down when I was running 6 to 7 days a week. Even 5 days of running, 4-8 miles a day, was too much. Before I really got into running, I was doing HIIT and having to take 2 or and sometimes 3 rest days a week, I was too sore or fatigued to not take them.

It's so hard to get over the "more exercise+less calories= faster weight loss" idea....I still struggle with that.

CnocNaCu

Have lost another pound... I could get used to this :bigsmile:
What I think did the trick:
NOT doing the same exercise every day
Eating more protein
Upping cals to a bit above BMR (100cals above BMR)
This method of logging

BackwoodsMom

Not going below your BMR is very important. You will find that you will still lose. 1200 cal is pretty low and your body will protect itself. I try to eat no more than 100 cal above my BMR unless my deficit is more than 1000. This method has worked quite well for me for the last 4 months or so.

CnocNaCu

well, it took me quite a while and a lot blood sweat and even tears to realise that doing the "extremes" was not a good idea and not helpful at all. But now I know and am very happy about it.
I also have decided to not only run regularly but to train properly so that I can run 10 miles one day.