Plan to break my plateau - is this accurate??

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  • lknorthstar
    lknorthstar Posts: 132 Member
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    I am on the same boat, and just take it that my body is happy at 165! Best of luck to you! :glasses:

    Oh mine two! I am stuck at 165 and it is driving my crazy! My body may be happy there but I sure am not! There is still plenty of fat to get rid of!
  • GB333
    GB333 Posts: 261 Member
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    I've been doing Atkins for a month trying to break the plateau, hence the sour cream. ;) I've not been logging it all lately because I have become so good at staying under my carb goal that I don't really need to log everything. Plus I've been cooking a lot more at home and that is much more difficult to log than scanning a bar code like I used to do. (Last night's dinner would take me an hour to log all of the ingredients!)

    I've NOT been counting calories, yet I've consistently been right around 1200 while doing low carb. All of this protein and I'm just not hungry. It's going to be difficult to eat MORE calories per day.

    But I'm going to start upping my carbs while staying away from refined crap carbs and allowing myself a better variety. I won't be true "atkins" anymore, but it hasn't been working so I'm going back to what did - low cal, low fat, tried and true. ;)

    Thanks everyone for the input, advice, and links. I'm going to go read some of this now.
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
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    Do what MFP is telling you to do... give a couple of weeks and then adjust as you see necessary...
  • GB333
    GB333 Posts: 261 Member
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    Do what MFP is telling you to do... give a couple of weeks and then adjust as you see necessary...

    MFP is telling me to eat 1200 calories a day, which isn't working anymore. :ohwell:
  • josephine_x
    josephine_x Posts: 90 Member
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    Just so you knoe if you've been low carbing you'll likely gain up to 7 lbs as your body clings on to water again. Again, it won't last long. And I certainly wouldn't do low fat, your body really needs good fats :happy:
  • basherbullz
    basherbullz Posts: 2
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    I would suggest to do the following:
    Bump your calories to 2000 ( 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat) for two days.
    Follow this by a zig-zag diet of 1400 calories a day (same p/c/f ration) for 3 days followed by 2000 calories a day for 2 days.

    Let me know how this goes after one full cycle. If you like the results you can then up your calories to around 1500 per day or continue the zig-zag for a while longer.

    Longer term you can do a 2000 calorie diet on the weekends.
  • NicoletheFaye
    NicoletheFaye Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm in the same boat -- well a bit....it's been a month for me after 6 months on 1500 calories. I had been losing about 3 pounds a month on average until then. I've been eating more calories for the last couple of weeks but no effect so far. Looking at another TDEE calculator (http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced) I'm thinking I may have still been underestimating my TDEE and need yet more calories. I've just bumped my daily calorie goals up to 1900 to see if that will make a difference. Am also going to start alternating 30DS with a couple of days of cardio rather than doing 30DS everyday. Maybe that will help.

    May the odds be ever in our favor!

    WHOA. That link is AWESOME! According to this, MFP would be nearly 1,000 calories off from what they think I burn {which makes a lot more sense to me. I may have a desk job, but when I'm not at work, I'm on the go an don't stop until I go to bed}.

    Thank you for sharing!
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
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    Definitely up your calories and then plan on not weighing yourself for at least two weeks afterwards (it'll drive you crazy to see even the smallest fluctuations).

    I was in the same boat, stuck at 145 lbs and 5'9. I was netting around 1350 calories and my weight loss had stalled. I looked back at my diary to see what I was doing right when I was losing and noticed that I was netting around 1600 calories. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I upped my calories to 1550 and I've already lost 3 pounds!!!
  • basherbullz
    basherbullz Posts: 2
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    Just as a disclaimer: I am no nutritional expert or a guru on this subject. Just offering friendly advice based on my own personal experiences. Please consult your doctor before attempting any changes to your diet and/or nutrition.

    P.S. Ensure you take a good multivitamin and fish oil everyday.
  • lyndaribardo
    lyndaribardo Posts: 5 Member
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    What diet are you on? Have you tried the low carb variety? I lost 45 lbs in 5 weeks and from a size 22 to a size 14! Its Carbs that keep you fat and you gotta avoid them. This next 35 lbs I am enjoying my 2 daughters doing the diet with me. My first daughter has been on the diet 16 days and has lost 13 lbs already. Off to getting into my skinny jeans.
  • Nicola1944
    Nicola1944 Posts: 348 Member
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    Hello, your definatley on the right track!!!

    You could also try zig-zagging your calories to break the plateau.

    This sites quite good, it tells you what cals you should be eating per day and then also offers a zigzagging plan -

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    (this will give you the same amount of calories per week, but varies them per day!)

    Hope this helps!

    x
  • GB333
    GB333 Posts: 261 Member
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    I would suggest to do the following:
    Bump your calories to 2000 ( 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat) for two days.
    Follow this by a zig-zag diet of 1400 calories a day (same p/c/f ration) for 3 days followed by 2000 calories a day for 2 days.

    Let me know how this goes after one full cycle. If you like the results you can then up your calories to around 1500 per day or continue the zig-zag for a while longer.

    Longer term you can do a 2000 calorie diet on the weekends.

    I don't even know how I would eat 2000 calories a day! Can you recommend some healthy foods to increase the calories? I love veggies but most are really low in calories, lol! I don't eat much fruit bc of the carbs.... I can and will increase my fruit intake but I need to do it slowly bc I've been low carbing for about a month now and I don't want to shock my system with a ton of carbs and send everything all out of whack!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,104 Member
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    Don't complicate it. Use the tools as given here. In a month, reevaluate.

    Read this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506979-correct-calorie-deficit

    Activity Multiplier
    Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
    Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
    Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
    Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
    Extr. Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

    If you want to lose 0.5 pounds a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (1750) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for calories for the day

    If you want to lose 1.0 pound a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (3500) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for daily cals

    For every half pound more per week, add 1750 to the second set of brackets

    ____________________________________________________________________________
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    Do what MFP is telling you to do... give a couple of weeks and then adjust as you see necessary...

    MFP is telling me to eat 1200 calories a day, which isn't working anymore. :ohwell:

    MFP tells you 1200 based on your goal? At your weight, you should be aiming for 1/2 lb per week and aiming to eat 50-75% of your exercise calories. My question is, where did your get yoru BMR number? I think you are mixing the calories to live with TDEE. BMR is the calories you need to live and at 145 lbs, 32 years old and a guesstimate of 5'5" your BMR is ~1350. BMR is the amount of calories you need to live.

    How much do you work out and what type of exercise do you do?
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
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    I would suggest to do the following:
    Bump your calories to 2000 ( 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat) for two days.
    Follow this by a zig-zag diet of 1400 calories a day (same p/c/f ration) for 3 days followed by 2000 calories a day for 2 days.

    Let me know how this goes after one full cycle. If you like the results you can then up your calories to around 1500 per day or continue the zig-zag for a while longer.

    Longer term you can do a 2000 calorie diet on the weekends.

    I don't even know how I would eat 2000 calories a day! Can you recommend some healthy foods to increase the calories? I love veggies but most are really low in calories, lol! I don't eat much fruit bc of the carbs.... I can and will increase my fruit intake but I need to do it slowly bc I've been low carbing for about a month now and I don't want to shock my system with a ton of carbs and send everything all out of whack!

    The 50/30/20 split of ratios is the typical American diet standard. I would suggest more like 30/35/35 (c/p/f) which is probably more in keeping with what you're doing already. Try to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. If you're like me my body fat is around 23% so I have approx. 112 lbs of LBM. I usually have around 130 grams of protein per day. With weight loss you're losing fat and muscle. Consuming adequate levels of protein helps stave off muscle loss.

    Also, do you currently lift weights? You should consider it. It'll help make sure you not only look thin but good nak*d too...lol.
  • GB333
    GB333 Posts: 261 Member
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    Don't complicate it. Use the tools as given here. In a month, reevaluate.

    Read this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506979-correct-calorie-deficit

    Activity Multiplier
    Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
    Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
    Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
    Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
    Extr. Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

    If you want to lose 0.5 pounds a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (1750) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for calories for the day

    If you want to lose 1.0 pound a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (3500) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for daily cals

    For every half pound more per week, add 1750 to the second set of brackets

    ____________________________________________________________________________
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    The funny thing is that I just did that and it comes out to almost exactly 1200 calories a day! LOL!
  • Audddua
    Audddua Posts: 176 Member
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    I'm starting the "eat more to weigh less" theory because that makes a lot of sense to me for me at the point I'm at with my weight loss journey (CLEAR DISCLAIMER so please don't hate on me). It seems to me like you're in a similar boat, and maybe you'd find it helpful too.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    Check out the calculators and take some time to figure out your stats. I realized I was barely netting my BMR. I'm not quite a full week in so no updates yet (plus last weekend was a total bust :embarassed:)
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Do what MFP is telling you to do... give a couple of weeks and then adjust as you see necessary...


    MFP is a great tool but NOT correct in how it adjusts calories or anything for that matter. MFP told me to eat 1200 per day, it was not until I upped my calories that I started losing weight. It also says my bmr is 1449, it is closer to 1700.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Don't complicate it. Use the tools as given here. In a month, reevaluate.

    Read this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506979-correct-calorie-deficit

    Activity Multiplier
    Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
    Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
    Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
    Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
    Extr. Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

    If you want to lose 0.5 pounds a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (1750) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for calories for the day

    If you want to lose 1.0 pound a week: (BMR*activity level*7) - (3500) = calories for the week, then divide this by 7 for daily cals

    For every half pound more per week, add 1750 to the second set of brackets

    ____________________________________________________________________________
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    The funny thing is that I just did that and it comes out to almost exactly 1200 calories a day! LOL!

    Did you include exercise in there? And what do you do for exercise?
  • Mechel79
    Mechel79 Posts: 99 Member
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    To the OP for me I don't think there is something that will work for everyone across the board, the hard part is finding what works for you. I lost 70 lbs doing low calorie about 1250-1400 and then hit a plateau for months and months. I changed things up to many times to count and I am currently using the TDEE method and upped my calories to 1880. I have my carbs set at 40% and my protein and fat at 30%. Within about two week’s I dropped 4 lbs and I am still losing. My entire point is you have to find what works for you. Don’t be afraid to change things up! Good Luck to you and feel free to add me

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