I am no longer losing, Please help !!

n0bail02

The first time I used MFP, I had a lot of success (lost 45 lbs). Then, I stopped using it for a while and gained 10lbs back. About 2 months ago, I got back to MFP and I have been eating clean since. But I haven't lost for a few weeks. I'm not sure why since I am exercising regularly and eating much healthier. I'm drinking 10+ glasses of water daily. I haven't gained any weight I'm just at a stand still. Can you please check my diary and give me ideas?

n0bail02

Any thoughts please !!

c1better

Hi there,

What types of exercises are you doing? Any strength-training?

ZyheeMoongazer

Looking at the last couple of days you had lots of calories left over at the end of the day. I know it sounds weird, but sometimes eating more helps you lose more.

n0bail02

I am doing the Jillian Michaels Body revolution (6 days a week). 4 days are strength/interval training with light weight ( I am using 5lbs) high rep and 2 days cardio. I am also doing C25K (week 7) 3 days a week.

Dragonflybjm63

Take a look at your settings, check what weight you are now and is that entered in, this can change your calories. Are you doing more strength training muscle apparently weighs more than body fat. sometimes the scales dont budge sometimes it can be 4 weeks. If you were a larger person or maybe eating fatttier foods the body think there is a famin and hold on to its stores ( i read this in some research once).

n0bail02

I am eating my BMR calories (1500) and I am not eating back my exercise calories. Is that Ok?

n0bail02

I am 5'7" and 164lbs.

ZyheeMoongazer

I am eating my BMR calories (1500) and I am not eating back my exercise calories. Is that Ok?

That is a huge debate around here. In my opinion, you should eat them back to maintain a healthy deficit. Unless you have already accounted for that activity in your TDEE calculations.

n0bail02

I set my MFP to maintenance, so I am not taking into account my activity when computing my calorie allowance.

TArnold2012

I am eating my BMR calories (1500) and I am not eating back my exercise calories. Is that Ok?

You will find that is a very debatable question and answer here.

I noticed one day you went over sodium (I only looked at the last few days) You aren't tracking potassium so I couldn't tell what you are taking in there. I will say that if you eat 1 mg of sodium you need to be eating 2-3 mg of potassium for each. This will help with bloating. If you do go over sodium often this could be the trouble.

I myself track both, yesterday I went over on sodium without enough potassium and this morning it was reflected when I got on the scale b/c my fingers seemed swelled and I wanted to check the numbers. My hunch was correct and I had picked up 2 lbs overnight. Needless to say I have been watching both today.

Hope this helps and stay strong !!! Be sure and measure as that reflects a better picture. I lost 2 inches in my hips !!! Another support that my gain is short term and water retention.

n0bail02

I am trying to stay under 1500mg of sodium a day, but when I eat out it's hard to respect. I will track the potassium too. Thanks

ghjklo9

Reset everything. Pretend you're a different person. Start brand new, don't continue as if your body knows your history. If you do a lot of cardio, do less and lift more weights.

SomeoneSomeplace

I eat way too much sodium every take. I'm talking like 1000 over most days. It's horrible. On a good day I'm like 400 over heh its awful. I've noticed that I retain SO MUCH WATER that one days I am actually under/not over on sodium I weight less, so that could be the issue as someone mentioned.

Also maybe you could vary up your calories a bit? Eat 1500+ on the days when you work out, eat 1350 other days, 1200 on a day where you aren't doing much if you can manage to go that low. Sometimes varying your work out/calories can "trick" your body into losing weight. I've done this in the past and had it work rather well. In fact I'm doing that now after being stuck at the same weight for 2 months eating only 1200 calories a day. I switched up my workouts (I never do the same work out on any day of the week) and I don't normally eat the same amount of calories every day. It's worked so far even tho I go over my daily allowance of 1350 some days.

Also drinking LOTS and LOTS of water helps with bloating/the sodium intake

vjrose

Ok, going to venture out on a limb here, I suspect if you are eating at you BMR you are eating just enough to keep your system running but not much leftover for workouts and burning fat. I tried that whole BMR thing for awhile, stalled out at 40 pounds and increased my calories halfway between BMR and TDEE and it broke the plateau. Don't know but it might an idea, it takes a few days to see a reaction as your body has to realize it has a few more calories to play with.

Feisty_Red

I am in the same boat as you..however I have been stuck for 3 MONTHS! I have tried higher calorie intake...I have tried taking a cut down in exercise for a week....I have tried everything! Tried carb cycling...Lost 60..and can not seem to lose the last 20. On days you get frustrated...please try to look at what you have done..and maintaining is better than a gain! I am now debating lowering cardio( I was hr a day-7 days a week) and cutting it to 3 days a week..and doing more weight training..I was doing the cardio and weight training on most days..there is some talk around that too much cardio actually will hault weight loss.. ugg...everywhere you look its a different answer!

Hang in there..

I was also curious...if we are set at 1800(burn on exercise is normally 600 a day for me with HRM)...should we never NET below 1200? or should it be higher? Sometimes it gets really confusing on what the right numbers are?

Heather_Rider

I am eating my BMR calories (1500) and I am not eating back my exercise calories. Is that Ok?

That is a huge debate around here. In my opinion, you should eat them back to maintain a healthy deficit. Unless you have already accounted for that activity in your TDEE calculations.

i have to agree. while it IS a huge debate, its finding what works for you. i for one believe in it... while its working for me. You may try eating them back for say 2 weeks.. see if that helps. Maybe even up your calories, you are doing alot of exercise!

if that doesnt work, try taking additional fiber or having a protein shake before bed to repair and help build your muscles.

its all about finding what works for you!

(also debatable.. but i have found that having a cheat day really mixes things up, so when you go back the next day to eating better, MY body goes into overdrive!)

Ayla70

I noticed one day you went over sodium (I only looked at the last few days) You aren't tracking potassium so I couldn't tell what you are taking in there. I will say that if you eat 1 mg of sodium you need to be eating 2-3 mg of potassium for each. This will help with bloating. If you do go over sodium often this could be the trouble.

I myself track both, yesterday I went over on sodium without enough potassium and this morning it was reflected when I got on the scale b/c my fingers seemed swelled and I wanted to check the numbers. My hunch was correct and I had picked up 2 lbs overnight. Needless to say I have been watching both today.

Hope this helps and stay strong !!! Be sure and measure as that reflects a better picture. I lost 2 inches in my hips !!! Another support that my gain is short term and water retention.
[/quote]

That is very interesting information. I'm going to try this. Have just changed my settings to include sodium and potassium to keep an eye on it. Thank you :flowerforyou:

cressievargo

You are doing an awful lot of cardio - try dropping some of it and adding strength training.

JosieRawr

It looks like you may be in starvation mode which will totally kill your metabolism(your body will hang onto everything it can and slow less necessary functions to conserve energy and eventually everything will slow), I try to get within 200 the daily goal MFP calculates for me. Depending on your weigh loss goals MFP has already calculated the deficient for us so I try to stay close to what it says. (i'm on this site because when i started working out I was under eating my bodies new needs, so I'm here to make sure I eat enough)

Helloitsdan

This is typical when you work out every day.
Cut down to a 3 day cycle and youll lose the weight.
Give the body its rest and it will reward you.

BTW you have a great diary so keep it up!

Preacher224

Cardio will burn more cals while exercising and for about 24hr after. Adding more muscle will burn more cals while doing nothing. I looked at your diary for the past week. No real problem. You shouldn't go into starvation mode if you stay above 1200 cals intake on most of your days. I takes days at less than 1200 to enter starvation mode. How often are you eating. If a person waits too long to eat, 4 or more hours between meals then the body begins to release cortisol which robs muscle cells for food and stores calories as fat. Try to eat or snack at least every three to three and a half hours. Adjust your cals for this. I didn't notice you carb/protein/fat ratio. Too many carbs, especially bad carbs will cause insulin spikes which also results in weight gain in the long run. I have been studying health and fitness for 20+yrs and have been certified as a fitness trainer with ISSA. I specialize in nutrition and supplementation as well as weight loss and bodybuilding/strength training(in which I pack on the pounds of muscle in my clients). If you are noticing a change in the composition of your body at all. Less fat/firmer muscles that is okay as you are doing something many fitness "experts" say can't really be done. You are losing fat and building muscle. While maintaining the same weight. I have seen this happen in many people over the years and it makes perfectly good sense and science that it is possible, but as with other things the so called experts are wrong due to faulty, outdated studies. I hope this helps. I am going to send a friend request. Add me if you like. I no longer do training as a career although I still make a little money at it now and then. I just want to help people reach their health and fitness goals so they can live the best and healthiest life possible. I hope to see you on my friends list soon.

n0bail02

Cardio will burn more cals while exercising and for about 24hr after. Adding more muscle will burn more cals while doing nothing. I looked at your diary for the past week. No real problem. You shouldn't go into starvation mode if you stay above 1200 cals intake on most of your days. I takes days at less than 1200 to enter starvation mode. How often are you eating. If a person waits too long to eat, 4 or more hours between meals then the body begins to release cortisol which robs muscle cells for food and stores calories as fat. Try to eat or snack at least every three to three and a half hours. Adjust your cals for this. I didn't notice you carb/protein/fat ratio. Too many carbs, especially bad carbs will cause insulin spikes which also results in weight gain in the long run. I have been studying health and fitness for 20+yrs and have been certified as a fitness trainer with ISSA. I specialize in nutrition and supplementation as well as weight loss and bodybuilding/strength training(in which I pack on the pounds of muscle in my clients). If you are noticing a change in the composition of your body at all. Less fat/firmer muscles that is okay as you are doing something many fitness "experts" say can't really be done. You are losing fat and building muscle. While maintaining the same weight. I have seen this happen in many people over the years and it makes perfectly good sense and science that it is possible, but as with other things the so called experts are wrong due to faulty, outdated studies. I hope this helps. I am going to send a friend request. Add me if you like. I no longer do training as a career although I still make a little money at it now and then. I just want to help people reach their health and fitness goals so they can live the best and healthiest life possible. I hope to see you on my friends list soon.

Yes I noticed that I am more toned, have firmer muscles and less cellulite !!