Year long Plateau?

Options
believeandtry
believeandtry Posts: 64 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone! As I was checking my weight, I realized that I have been at this weight since last June. I lost my first 10lbs or so very rapidly, but have been stuck at 145 lbs since then. I am so thankful to have maintained and not gained during the year, but also wondering what is wrong! I eat about 1500-1600 calories a day and exercise 3-5 times a week (crossfit which is heavy weights and cardio). I read a lot about MFP members eating more and losing weight. Just two days ago, I am trying to eat back more exercise calories (through HRM), and hence increased my calorie intake to 1700-1800 for the past 2 days. Has anyone ever experience this? How did you finally break it?

Replies

  • dynamicwon
    dynamicwon Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    I just broke a plateau. I had to experiment with how many calories over works for my body. When I started MFP I thought it was crazy to eat exercise calories and being stubborn kept me gaining and losing the same 5 pounds for a year! Check your diet also I was falling back into my old ways. Tracking her everyday helps also. If you don't have an HRM get one so that you have an accurate count of what you burn. You can do it!
  • Maggie821
    Maggie821 Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    Same issues here.....just went into Fat2Fit - used their calculators as recommended by another on MFP, and updated my calories to 1700 (from the MFP of 1230). Going to give it a try and see if it breaks the plateau, but I am also going to refine my food choices and try to add more vegetarian type meals, less cheese, little or no alcohol and see if it makes a difference.

    Good luck - don't give up! I think we have to continually adapt as our bodies and habits change!
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    Options
    I recently (well, start of this year) broke an eight-month plateau. Unfortunately, mine did include a gain. I eventually broke it by changing my exercise - not how many calories I burned, how much effort I put in or how many calories I ate, just the type of exercise I was doing. Worth looking into something else and seeing if it helps.
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    Bump.
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
    Options
    You might not be eating enough or possibly too much. Go here find your BF% http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ Then go here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and find out how many calories your BMR is and then look at the chart and see how many calories you should be eating for your activity level. you do not have to worry about exercise calories using this method. If you have been eating less than this up your calorie intake. If you are eating more lower it. Try this for 6 weeks then reevaluate run your numbers again if you lost weight. If you did not lose subtract 150 calories from the number and give it 6 more weeks. You might have to play around with the numbers a bit until you find how many you need to eat to lose. You have been at a plateau for a year so you might have to take some time to figure it all out. If you have been eating too few calories for that long you might ave damaged your metabolism a bit and it might take a while to go speed back up. You might see a gain the first few weeks at the high calorie count but usually your metabolism catches up and you start to lose. If after 6 weeks you still have not lose drop by only 150 and give it 6 more weeks. Good luck.
  • believeandtry
    believeandtry Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    thanks for everyone's support and replies! I will definitely try to be more patient and change one thing at a time and see how it goes :D I <3 MFP community!
  • aussie_nic_getting_fit
    aussie_nic_getting_fit Posts: 134 Member
    Options
    this sounds sooo familiar.. I am only 2kg down from the weight i was this time last year..

    i have toned up a bit and dropped centrmetres, when i look at photographs and compare.. there is a dramatic difference, which is great, but i still have a LOT of body fat to lose...

    i was eating between 1200-1300 & not eating back exersise cals.... (i know i know... save the lectures.... i get it)

    i exersise ALOT... gym for about 1.5hours 5 days per week, some days i train twice a day , cardio & heavy lifting...
    Personal training sessions 2x per week (lifting only) & i usually go for a walk on the weekends or pop in jillian michaels 30day shred dvd & do level 2 &3 back to back....

    but everytime i tried to increase calories over 4-6 weeks periods , id gain. and freak out.. then drop back...

    i realise now, even know i increased my calories, i still hadnt increased them enough.... to accomodate my workouts...

    i am now increasing slowly & do not "goal" under my BMR (1550)... over the next few weeks i will aim to NET my BMR & then start eating my exersise caloires... I feel THIS TIME.. im mentally prepared for the gain to follow.. i am now acknoleging ...I may not have felt starving, but my BODY did... hence holding onto every calorie i gave it..........

    It is possible in your situation you are not eating enough, it fights logic(MINE anyway), but with all the internet research i have done on the matter, it seems to be what is best for our bodys....................... good luck................. (apologies for poor spelling... i am crappy typer)
  • og8403
    og8403 Posts: 48 Member
    Options
    I'm on the same track this whole year. I've been trying to lose the last 30 lbs, and I just cant seem to shake it off. I'm starting to let it get to me. i'll change my calorie intake, i went from 2500 to 2000 gained weight so jacked it back to 2500. Now i'm doing cardio 2x's a day. I'll jog or cycle in the am and in the afternoon i'll do insanity. Still haven't had any change! it's really starting to piss me off!! I don't know what else I can do.

    add me if anyone feels like it
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Options
    You might not be eating enough or possibly too much. Go here find your BF% http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ Then go here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and find out how many calories your BMR is and then look at the chart and see how many calories you should be eating for your activity level. you do not have to worry about exercise calories using this method. If you have been eating less than this up your calorie intake. If you are eating more lower it. Try this for 6 weeks then reevaluate run your numbers again if you lost weight. If you did not lose subtract 150 calories from the number and give it 6 more weeks. You might have to play around with the numbers a bit until you find how many you need to eat to lose. You have been at a plateau for a year so you might have to take some time to figure it all out. If you have been eating too few calories for that long you might ave damaged your metabolism a bit and it might take a while to go speed back up. You might see a gain the first few weeks at the high calorie count but usually your metabolism catches up and you start to lose. If after 6 weeks you still have not lose drop by only 150 and give it 6 more weeks. Good luck.
    thanks~
  • tcpowell25
    tcpowell25 Posts: 292
    Options
    I'm gonna bump this to read later. I have to admit I've never heard of a year long plateau. I'm curious to hear the solution.
  • taylor0204
    taylor0204 Posts: 357 Member
    Options
    OMG, and I thought I was the only one :smile:

    I successfully lost 10 lbs in 6 months and then hit a plateau in June. I then decided to increase my calories from 1300 to 1500 and I have regained 4 lbs. I want to continue with the eat more to weigh less but I am so afraid in a few months I will be back where I started. I run 7-15 miles a week and eat at least half of my exercise calories .

    I, too am lost.
  • lc52820
    lc52820 Posts: 76 Member
    Options
    I'm trying to break out of my plateau right now as well. I had been consistently losing but since mid-August I haven't made any progress. If anything I've gained 2 lb which is frustrating since I was so close to hitting the 20 lb mark!

    A friend suggested changing things up if I've been keeping the same routine. I'm trying to focus on eating well & not snacking in the evening. I've been mostly taking daily walks and then running once or twice a week, so now I'm adding some strength training to the mix. I like strength training but it seems like it always makes me so much hungrier than when I'm just doing cardio!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Options
    . I have to admit I've never heard of a year long plateau.

    it probably isn't a true plateau. Either errors in calories needed or mistakes on inputting correct calories or a medical condition or a combination of any or all of them
  • tcpowell25
    tcpowell25 Posts: 292
    Options
    . I have to admit I've never heard of a year long plateau.

    it probably isn't a true plateau. Either errors in calories needed or mistakes on inputting correct calories or a medical condition or a combination of any or all of them

    I was thinking the same thing. Not to be rude, but if it's taking that long to lose and you're weight is steady you're maintaining. There has to be an overestimation of calories burned during workouts or an underestimation of calories consumed. I would recommend getting a HRM and perhaps weigh your food.

Categories