I'm suck in a plateau.. HELP!
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wow....thanks...I'm one of those who are pouting because I've lost 44 lbs and the last 10 just seem to be going soooooooooo slow! Plateau...a 1/2 pound.....plateau...another 1/2 pound......I've recently added lifting and now I fear I'll gain....Lord why am I so bound to that friggin scale to gage my success? I'm 54 years young, wearing a size jeans I've never been in and yet not happy because I haven't reached my next scale victory of being under 150. I know part of it is the damage I've already done to my body and it will never recover, I have crape paper inner thighs, a sagging belly and eewwwhhh triceps. But thats what I focus on...NOT that I ran 4 miles for the first time in my life and can kick butt in ZUMBA....Oh well.....I still see the FAT girl in the mirror. I guess it's time for some positive thoughts. Maybe post some daily confirmation to my desk and fridge.
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Way low in the calories and protein!!!
1200 min net that is after exercise!!!
The only time you should be under is if you are under Dr.s orders.
You may have lost weight before but it would have been muscle not fat burned.
When you don't give you body enought fuel it burns muscle and holds onto the fat!!!
Lots more protein, water and fiber should be added as well!!!
Best of luck!!0 -
I've been doing my research. There a place here called "eat more, lose more". I am skeptical of what they say, but they describe the exact situation everyone is talking about. I have been plateaued for 6 months. They discuss this, and why it happens. And, how to reverse it and get on a better path to weight loss, and it is really about eating more. Now, I do not have evidence that it works, as I just started. I'm just saying that if anyone wants to try something different, head over there.0
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I've been doing my research. There a place here called "eat more, lose more". I am skeptical of what they say, but they describe the exact situation everyone is talking about. I have been plateaued for 6 months. They discuss this, and why it happens. And, how to reverse it and get on a better path to weight loss, and it is really about eating more. Now, I do not have evidence that it works, as I just started. I'm just saying that if anyone wants to try something different, head over there.
Been there. I've upped my net calories to 1750 to see if that works. Its been about 2 wks since I've done that so we'll see how the scale looks later this week. I really hope it works.0 -
muscle weighs heavier than fat
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I've been doing my research. There a place here called "eat more, lose more". I am skeptical of what they say, but they describe the exact situation everyone is talking about. I have been plateaued for 6 months. They discuss this, and why it happens. And, how to reverse it and get on a better path to weight loss, and it is really about eating more. Now, I do not have evidence that it works, as I just started. I'm just saying that if anyone wants to try something different, head over there.
Been there. I've upped my net calories to 1750 to see if that works. Its been about 2 wks since I've done that so we'll see how the scale looks later this week. I really hope it works.
That still sounds low. Did you use the fat2fitradio method? That's what I'm doing. It increased my cals by 1000, which makes sense to me. I plan to gain weight for the first 4 to 6 weeks, and then start shedding after that. They describe this and why it happens.0 -
Great posts from everyone! Looks like they have it all covered so I'm just gonna say... Good job sticking with it and asking for help! You will break through the plateau, just keep up your good efforts. 0
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you arent eating enough so your body will not release fat.
you are netting as low as 300 cals some days, mostly from processed foods.
The goal MFP sets you is NET (total calories consuemd - exercise calories burned) so for example yesterday you should have eaten 1330 PLUS your 646 exercise cals.
Try eating to your goal correctly, and replace the processed stuff with lean meat, at least 5 a day fruit & veg, dairy, whole grain carbs etc. To increase cals without eating much more add nuts, avocado, olive oil, nut butter, full fat dairy. Low fat is generally high in sugar, low sugar is full of chemical sugar substitutes.
Drink plenty of water, and increase your protein to at least 25%.
My diary is open if you need any meal ideas :-)
For comparison, I weigh 201, started @ 244 and lose 1.5 EVERY week eating 2000 total / 1550 net. which is pretty much bang on MFP's allowance for me to lose 1.5. I have a high day on a saturday, but I plan for this by setting my cals 100 lower than they should be, so I can have an extra 700 on the weekend without actually going over my allowance.
I havent had a plateau in 7 months, and Ive only ever had 0.8 gain which was due to an injury and being unable to exercise. If you fuel your body correctly, it will do what you ask it to :-)0 -
You've lost a huge amount. Why not try a couple of weeks at maintenance and then restart to give your body a bit of a surprise? Worked for my sister. She had 2 weeks off and then lost 6lb in one week when she restarted.0
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You need to change up your routine... you can probably even drop your work outs down to every other day.... your body is use to what you are doing. I was stuck for about a month, then changed my routine..... I'm currently working on toning and not so much looking at the scale.... working out more is probably putting muscle on you and you know the deal with muscle it weighs more. up your cardio work outs, stay away from a lot of strength training.... for now... hope some of that helps:flowerforyou:
I wouldn't advise to drop the strength training. Muscle burns fat. It might make you hate the scale, but you will be smaller because a lb of muscle is smaller in size than a lb of fat. (i.e. 1 lb of muscle is more dense and takes up less space in your body than 1 lb of fat).
I do however agree that changing a routine is good, but don't change things too often. Stick with a program/schedule/guide and remember this is a lifestyle change not a quick fix.
totally agree.
cardio will burn calories initially, but some of the loss will be from muscle and the less muscle you have, the less cals you burn. You might end up thin but without the muscle you will be 'skinnyfat'
Weight training has lower initial burn, but preserves / increases your lean mass so you burn more cals 24/7, and you will lose more inches.
If you drop anything, it shoud be some of the cardio, keep the weights :-)0 -
I've been doing my research. There a place here called "eat more, lose more". I am skeptical of what they say, but they describe the exact situation everyone is talking about. I have been plateaued for 6 months. They discuss this, and why it happens. And, how to reverse it and get on a better path to weight loss, and it is really about eating more. Now, I do not have evidence that it works, as I just started. I'm just saying that if anyone wants to try something different, head over there.
Been there. I've upped my net calories to 1750 to see if that works. Its been about 2 wks since I've done that so we'll see how the scale looks later this week. I really hope it works.
That still sounds low. Did you use the fat2fitradio method? That's what I'm doing. It increased my cals by 1000, which makes sense to me. I plan to gain weight for the first 4 to 6 weeks, and then start shedding after that. They describe this and why it happens.
I just did the F2F BMR to show how many calories I should eat and it said Sedentary - 1744, and Lightly Active -1998, Moderately Active - 2252.
Fitness Frog has my BMR at 1526 and my TDEE at 2365 for (moderate) or 2098 for (light).
A while back I ate high like around 2100 on average and kept gaining. Then I went drastic and lowered my calories and was only netting around 1200. And now I'm back to averaging after workouts 1624. If I'm hungry I usually eat more but for the most part I'm satisfied.
I was at 162 at the begining of the year and now I'm 168 lbs. I started lifting 3-4 days a week in Feb - heavy and lowered my cardio to 3-4 days a week but only for 30-40 min. Before I was doing at least 60 min of cardio probably 5x a week. So seeing the scale go up and not really seeing a loss in inches I'm starting to panic.0 -
Bump for later!~
& I am right there with you. In April I only lost 1 lb overall!! I'm hoping May will be better!!
I do agree with the taking measurements post. I wrap a ribbon around my waist and label it with the date and my weight ... I've only lost 3 lbs since I last measured but I have lost 3.5 inches so my working out is paying off!!!
I really like this idea! I get measured at my doc once a month, but sometimes it's good to SEE it.0 -
These are great tips, tricks, and advice from everybody! I really appreciate it! I'm going to bump up my calories and see how that works, I dont feel comfortable eating back the calories I lose with exercise however, if after a week or so with a raise in calorie intake and I still am in a platueau, I definitely will try it! I feel awesome right now just because I tried on 2 pairs of pants from HS and they FIT! So despite the scale plateau, I am still losing inches wahoo!! Anymore tips or advice, please keep them coming! If anyone wants to friend request me, please feel free!!! 0
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I just did the F2F BMR to show how many calories I should eat and it said Sedentary - 1744, and Lightly Active -1998, Moderately Active - 2252.
Fitness Frog has my BMR at 1526 and my TDEE at 2365 for (moderate) or 2098 for (light).
A while back I ate high like around 2100 on average and kept gaining. Then I went drastic and lowered my calories and was only netting around 1200. And now I'm back to averaging after workouts 1624. If I'm hungry I usually eat more but for the most part I'm satisfied.
I was at 162 at the begining of the year and now I'm 168 lbs. I started lifting 3-4 days a week in Feb - heavy and lowered my cardio to 3-4 days a week but only for 30-40 min. Before I was doing at least 60 min of cardio probably 5x a week. So seeing the scale go up and not really seeing a loss in inches I'm starting to panic.
if you are netting 1624 after workouts, how much are you eating overall?
Is the scale still going up now, or only while you were on 2100?
The numbers in the chart on fat2fit are tdee for your goal weight and only include a very small deficit - based on the figures above, if TDEE is 2365 and fat2fit recommends 2252, thats only 100 cal deficit so 0.2lb /week. It says somewhere on there if you are nearer to goal weight you may need to reduce by another 2-300, just make sure your net doesnt fall below BMR.
Also have you had your body fat % checked? You could have been losing fat / building muscle which may not show on the scale, and the bf % will affect your BMR too, as it takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat.0 -
I just did the F2F BMR to show how many calories I should eat and it said Sedentary - 1744, and Lightly Active -1998, Moderately Active - 2252.
Fitness Frog has my BMR at 1526 and my TDEE at 2365 for (moderate) or 2098 for (light).
A while back I ate high like around 2100 on average and kept gaining. Then I went drastic and lowered my calories and was only netting around 1200. And now I'm back to averaging after workouts 1624. If I'm hungry I usually eat more but for the most part I'm satisfied.
I was at 162 at the begining of the year and now I'm 168 lbs. I started lifting 3-4 days a week in Feb - heavy and lowered my cardio to 3-4 days a week but only for 30-40 min. Before I was doing at least 60 min of cardio probably 5x a week. So seeing the scale go up and not really seeing a loss in inches I'm starting to panic.
if you are netting 1624 after workouts, how much are you eating overall?
Is the scale still going up now, or only while you were on 2100?
The numbers in the chart on fat2fit are tdee for your goal weight and only include a very small deficit - based on the figures above, if TDEE is 2365 and fat2fit recommends 2252, thats only 100 cal deficit so 0.2lb /week. It says somewhere on there if you are nearer to goal weight you may need to reduce by another 2-300, just make sure your net doesnt fall below BMR.
Also have you had your body fat % checked? You could have been losing fat / building muscle which may not show on the scale, and the bf % will affect your BMR too, as it takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat.
On average I usually burn anywhere from 300-600 calories a day. I think in the 10 days that I've upped my calories my highest calorie day was around 2300. So then add in my exercise and that bringsme back down. Right? Or no?
Most weeks I have 1-2 rest days so then I try and stay at my 1750 net cals at the most but sometimes lower than that. Today when I got on the scale I was 168.6 which is where I was on Saturday. I'm thinking if I weigh in this weekend I might be able to see a loss. I don't know though. I am going to weigh myself Friday AM because I'm leaving on a 6AM flight for a week and will be at an all-inclusive. That being said last time I went away in Oct to an all-inclusive I walked to so much I didn't gain a pound while being away. I wish my vacation wasn't right in the middle of this trail period so I could have a better idea if this calorie range is really working or not. I was stuck at 169/170 forever so maybe it is working - just slowly.
I have not had my BF measured. I used a friends calibers but I don't know if I did it right. It said I had 28% BF. I have no idea what I was at before I started lifting.0 -
So lets add some perspective. So based on your weight and age, as well as a rough estimate on height (I chose 5'5" as it's the average) your estimated metabolic rate is 1850 calories. This is the amount of calories you burn if you slept for 24 hours. So lets assume during your workout, that you burn 500 calories and otherwise you are sedentary. Below is your TDEE (total amount of calories you burn throughout the day including lifestyle and exercise).
TDEE = 1850 *1.2 + 500 = 2750 <--- the amount of calories you burn on average
Now we have to form a deficit using the below guidelines.
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.
So lets say you have want to lose 2 lbs. That means
Caloric Need (CN) = 2750-1000 = 1750
This means, you should be aiming for 1750 calories a day. Now this is for a sedentary person. I don't think you are sedentary based on what you said but rather lighly active, so you need to add another 200-300 calories.
Also keep in mind, eating less does NOT mean losing more, especially the closer you get to your goal. Keep in mind a calorie deficit is stress on your body. Stress releases cortisol as a defense mechanism. So when you consistently under eat, your body fights harder to maintain it's body fat.
Next, high calories does NOT mean unhealthy nor is it anything to be scared of. I eat 3000 calories a day to lose weight (as a 5'11", 29 yr old guy @ 200 lbs) but i have helped well over 200+ people from this board set up meal plans and 99% of them are eating 1800+ calories. Many of the women (less than 150 lbs) are eating 2000+ calories.
So what does this mean. It's a long winded way of saying you need to eat more. Probably 1800 calories at least. And you do this by eating higher calorie foods. Spoonfuls of peanut butter, nuts, avocado or cooking in olive oil or even protein shakes and protein bars. And once you do this, you will see the weight loss.
Now for exercise. If you want a smaller waistline and lose the fat, then resistanace/strength training will provide better results. Short term, you may lose a little more weight with more cardio, but not long term. ST prevents muscle loss which means your metabolism will be maintained and you will continue to burn more calories than if you concentrated on cardio. And losing weight doesn't mean losing fat. And since a pound of muscle is a lot smaller than a pound of fat, which one do you prefer. Keep in mind, NO ONE but you knows your weight but they can tell when you keep needing new clothes.
http://www.metaboliceffect.com/topic/38-nutrition-lifestyle.aspx0 -
So lets add some perspective. So based on your weight and age, as well as a rough estimate on height (I chose 5'5" as it's the average) your estimated metabolic rate is 1850 calories. This is the amount of calories you burn if you slept for 24 hours. So lets assume during your workout, that you burn 500 calories and otherwise you are sedentary. Below is your TDEE (total amount of calories you burn throughout the day including lifestyle and exercise).
TDEE = 1850 *1.2 + 500 = 2750 <--- the amount of calories you burn on average
Now we have to form a deficit using the below guidelines.
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.
So lets say you have want to lose 2 lbs. That means
Caloric Need (CN) = 2750-1000 = 1750
This means, you should be aiming for 1750 calories a day. Now this is for a sedentary person. I don't think you are sedentary based on what you said but rather lighly active, so you need to add another 200-300 calories.
Also keep in mind, eating less does NOT mean losing more, especially the closer you get to your goal. Keep in mind a calorie deficit is stress on your body. Stress releases cortisol as a defense mechanism. So when you consistently under eat, your body fights harder to maintain it's body fat.
Next, high calories does NOT mean unhealthy nor is it anything to be scared of. I eat 3000 calories a day to lose weight (as a 5'11", 29 yr old guy @ 200 lbs) but i have helped well over 200+ people from this board set up meal plans and 99% of them are eating 1800+ calories. Many of the women (less than 150 lbs) are eating 2000+ calories.
So what does this mean. It's a long winded way of saying you need to eat more. Probably 1800 calories at least. And you do this by eating higher calorie foods. Spoonfuls of peanut butter, nuts, avocado or cooking in olive oil or even protein shakes and protein bars. And once you do this, you will see the weight loss.
Now for exercise. If you want a smaller waistline and lose the fat, then resistanace/strength training will provide better results. Short term, you may lose a little more weight with more cardio, but not long term. ST prevents muscle loss which means your metabolism will be maintained and you will continue to burn more calories than if you concentrated on cardio. And losing weight doesn't mean losing fat. And since a pound of muscle is a lot smaller than a pound of fat, which one do you prefer. Keep in mind, NO ONE but you knows your weight but they can tell when you keep needing new clothes.
http://www.metaboliceffect.com/topic/38-nutrition-lifestyle.aspx
This is good info.0 -
bump0
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Here is some AMAZING info on plateaus and why they happen/need to happen!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/501511-great-read-on-plateau-ing0 -
Hi,
I am there with you as well. Remember your mindset has alot to do with what you do in your life. Measure yourself, think about how your clothes fit differently. I am the same way. Do you have before and during pics of yourself. Do it , it helps keep your mind in check by seeing yourself.
I just started the shakeology myself. I is supposed to be very good for you as well as give you a re-jumpstart in your program. It is yummy too (i do the chocolate). let me know if you want more info on it.
No matter what, keep at it and good luck0 -
With a quick look at your diary, i can tell you.....
You are not on a plateau. You are not eating enough.
Eat all of your calories for at least 2 weeks and unless you have a medical condition, I assure you that you will start losing again.
I've been there. Once I started eating back my calories, the pounds started coming off again.
Good luck!
Debbie0 -
yeah thinks that say light or low calorie, are usually processed. Its best to eat clean :] heres a great website with clean foods: http://livelifeactive.com/2012/02/29/eating-clean-approved-foods-list/0
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BUMP0
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Crap... I just ate a can of progresso light... I think my problem is definitely what I'm putting into my body. I am clueless when it comes to what I should and shouldn't be eating. Its hard for me to understand I guess... something that says "light" or has low calories I just automatically assume is good for me to eat...
I agree with eating some additional calories - especially if you aren't hungry with 1200 calories. I recently upped my calories by a couple hundred and started losing again. What you eat is really important - at least for me. I once made a "healthy" vegetable/beef soup and gained 1.5 pounds due to the sodium. I also tend to gain more with carbs.0 -
wow....thanks...I'm one of those who are pouting because I've lost 44 lbs and the last 10 just seem to be going soooooooooo slow! Plateau...a 1/2 pound.....plateau...another 1/2 pound......I've recently added lifting and now I fear I'll gain....Lord why am I so bound to that friggin scale to gage my success? I'm 54 years young, wearing a size jeans I've never been in and yet not happy because I haven't reached my next scale victory of being under 150. I know part of it is the damage I've already done to my body and it will never recover, I have crape paper inner thighs, a sagging belly and eewwwhhh triceps. But thats what I focus on...NOT that I ran 4 miles for the first time in my life and can kick butt in ZUMBA....Oh well.....I still see the FAT girl in the mirror. I guess it's time for some positive thoughts. Maybe post some daily confirmation to my desk and fridge.
bump
I can so relate, I have lost 101 lbs and went to buy myself some bras at victoria secrets as a reward. But while trying on the bras i kept focusing on all the sagging skin.....GRRrrrrr I need to focus on all the positives of losing this weight. Like being able to walk, bike ride do things with my kids I havent done in 10 yrs0
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