10 weeks in and plateauing

alexbair

Ok, I have lost 25 pounds in the 10 weeks but only 1 lb the last 3 weeks.

I am still at or under my daily calorie intake of 1900. I don't do much exercise other than mowing, golfing and chasing after 2 kids under 5.

Any suggestions? I usually barely eat anything for breakfast (oatmeal 160 calories) then have about 600 for lunch and 700 or so for dinner. The rest is filled with snacks of carrots and almonds.

not sure what i am doing wrong the last 3 weeks but i dont want to give up as I am so happy with the 25 pound loss so far

alexbair

no suggestions? Can't understand why it came off so fast the first 6 weeks and the last 4 have only been 1 lb. my calorie intake has been the same the whole time??

seekingstrengthX2

2 things: First, I would switch your intake around a bit... larger breakfast, mid sized lunch and dinner. Second, I would add exercise. The bulk of weight usually sort of "falls off" in the beginning, it gets harder as you go.

LinAnders

Sounds like you may have reset your metabolism to the lower caloric intake. This too has happened to me and I do exercise 3x/week. It can be real discouraging but dont give up. You probably need to add more exercise and you will start seeing it come off. It may be slower but at least it will still drop. Here is an article I found when I was trying to figure out what was going on when I seemed to stop loosing after 6weeks of restricting my calories... http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/r/calories/burning_calories/starvation.htm
hope it helps - Linda

alexbair

Thanks! yeah I usually just seem to eat all my calories in lunch and dinner so maybe doing a larger breakfast will help and starting in some exercise

Nicolao2762

Have you adjusted your calorie goals on MFP to take into account your new weight? You said you've been eating the same number of calories the whole time...MFP recommends adjusting the goals every 10 lbs.

Sorry-just realised you have been losing a lb a week for 3 weeks not 1 lb in 3 weeks. I agree with what the others have said that's good steady progress. Good luck!

BerryH

First up, you're not plateauing, you're losing 1lb a week which what is recommended for healthy, sustained weight loss without deprivation or missing nutrients, well done! You can't expect to keep the initial big losses up week after week. It's not even a sniff of a plateau until nothing's shifted for a month.

Where did you get your 1900 from? If not from MFP, change your settings to lose 1lb a week now. Even if you have been using MFP's numbers, sometimes it needs nudging to recalculate your goals when you've lost weight (it normally does this automtatically).

I'd definitely recommend adding in some exercise. It need only be a 30-minute power walk at lunchtime, fast enough to get out of breath, and some body-weight resistance exercises, say push-ups, crunches and squats.

Good luck!

cmeade20

I agree with eating a bigger breakfast and smaller lunch/dinner and adding exercise. Another thing to look at is the kinds of foods you are eating. I've found when I eat less processed foods I tend to lose the fat more steadily.

super_monty

Don't worry about it, your body will readjust. Just keep doing what you are doing and excercise a bit.

Cocochickdeleted

One thing I learned in my journey to lose 30 pounds is that weight loss is not linear. Losing a lot of weight in the first few weeks can usually be summed up to water weight loss. 25 pounds in ten weeks is a little more than 2 pounds a week, which is awesome, but usually unsustainable. A lighter body needs less calories to function, and it takes a bit of time for the body to readjust and get back on track. In the meantime, make sure you are honest when logging your food (I just read an article that said dieters can sometimes underestimate their caloric intake by as much as 50%). Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. And, many people will disagree, but I personally believe that eating a clean(er) diet will help. Processed foods are laden with sodium, which encourages water retention and bloating.

As far as exercise goes, while it is helpful in so many ways, it is not going to be the biggest determinant in the weight loss game. It is supplementary to diet and, for me, helps to keep me focused on my healthy living goals.

Finally, don't be discouraged by small losses. It took me six months to lose 30 pounds, but my body composition is a lot different than the last time I lost weight. I retained more of my muscle this time around. Time will get behind you, and you will have that slimmer body if you are patient and persevere. Good luck!

theukphotographer

No carbohydrates are working for me. Eat lots of protein and salad, low sugar fruit and very little potatoes, rice and bread.