Hit a plateau. Please look at my diary?
marinebiologist_girl
Posts: 300
I think I finally have to admit that I've hit a plateau. I'm exercising no less, perhaps even a little more, than I did this time last month. I'm even doing strength training at the gym, now. I'm snacking, but rarely on something other than fruit/yoghurt (sometimes small portions of biscuits). I've had a few more coffees than usual but that's always been my dieting vice... bit put out this morning.... think the cold is making me miserable.
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Replies
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You're not eating enough. Try upping your calories. Anything less than 1200 calories will send you into starvation mode & your body starts holding on to everything you eat. Why are you only eating 1000 calories a day?0
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Mostly on the grounds that it's worked since June? I've told friends to eat more in the past, but for some reason this amount seemed to be ok for me...?You're not eating enough. Try upping your calories. Anything less than 1200 calories will send you into starvation mode & your body starts holding on to everything you eat. Why are you only eating 1000 calories a day?0 -
To my understanding 1200 calories is the minimum a woman should eat per day.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/415893-eating-1-200-calories-per-day-exercising-and-not-losing-weight/0 -
seriously... move your apple to morning snack, move lunch to dinner and add a cup of soup and/or salad for lunch0
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If you're looking at yesterday I just split my diary into those slots today, whoops. Yesterday's AM snack was lunch, lunch was dinner, PM snacks was just snacks in general.seriously... move your apple to morning snack, move lunch to dinner and add a cup of soup and/or salad for lunch0 -
Starving your body and your brain, please eat more overall calories so that you net at least your BMR, up your protein and healthy fat intake because you are not hitting the minimums. Look at your servings of different food groups, you are not meeting the minimums/ maximums and look to be woefully low on a raft of nutrients - three servings of reduced fat dairy a day, seven to nine of fruit and veg in the full rainbow of colours, oily fish regularly, mineral/ fibre rich foods (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds) regularly through the day, healthy fat and proteins at each meal and snack, junky processed crap no more than 10% of daily calories.
Not sure why you think you are snacking on fresh fruit: I see cookies, frozen yoghurt, chocolate mousse, macaroon, banana chips (deep fried, not healthy), lattes/ mocha, butterscotch, sugary tea, strawberry whirl, and chocolate cake over just a few days. It would be worth running through your own diary with fresh eyes. IMO your vice is sugar - the caffeine links in with that by triggering adrenaline and glycogen release - probably because you are simply not eating enough to stabilise your blood sugar and fuel your day. Even most of your carbs are white and fast digesting so will turn to blood sugar very quickly.0 -
Definitely not eating enough - yes, it worked for awhile, but eventually the weight loss stops because as others said, the body is trying to hold onto everything rather than shedding fat, due to lack of fuel. I went back through your diary a few days, and with what you eat and your exercise calories burned, some days you are netting around 500 calories - that's not much for your body to run on!
You should be netting AT LEAST your BMR, which is also likely higher than 1200 a day. I was set at the level for awhile when I first joined MFP. It wasn't enough, and thankfully I found this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
Great information there, and links to tools where you can enter your info and figure your calorie goals and how much you should be eating in order to lose fat. I've been following it for the better part of a year, and I'm losing fat and inches, and am shopping for new jeans yet again because I need a smaller size.
Food is fuel - you can't eat too little for too long or you are just giving your body a reason to store fat rather than burn it. Not to mention super low calories over a long period of time can really screw up your metabolism. Check out that thread - fabulous info there.0 -
Mostly on the grounds that it's worked since June? I've told friends to eat more in the past, but for some reason this amount seemed to be ok for me...?You're not eating enough. Try upping your calories. Anything less than 1200 calories will send you into starvation mode & your body starts holding on to everything you eat. Why are you only eating 1000 calories a day?
Provided your ticker is not just a "stage" ticker (a.k.a, you're not at your ultimate goal), you might be plateauing because... you don't have much to lose? What are your stats? If it "worked since June," it's very possible you lost muscle mass at such a high deficit, hence why you're on here, with a surpassed ticker, saying, "I'm plateauing!" You may need to focus on body recomposition (a.k.a, lowering body fat while retaining/building muscle) if you are at a healthy weight but are still unhappy with your body.
But then, this is just an educated guess from the info that's been presented.
You won't go into starvation mode "anytime you go below 1200 calories." That's not how that works. However, if you've been eating at a pretty high deficit for over six months, that is when people can start going, "Um, I think you might be messing with your metabolism." You need to eat at LEAST your BMR to sustain health body function, and for a 21 year old, regardless of stats, that's going to be over 1200 calories, let alone the 1000 you seem to be floating around.0 -
Starving your body and your brain, please eat more overall calories so that you net at least your BMR, up your protein and healthy fat intake because you are not hitting the minimums. Look at your servings of different food groups, you are not meeting the minimums/ maximums and look to be woefully low on a raft of nutrients - three servings of reduced fat dairy a day, seven to nine of fruit and veg in the full rainbow of colours, oily fish regularly, mineral/ fibre rich foods (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds) regularly through the day, healthy fat and proteins at each meal and snack, junky processed crap no more than 10% of daily calories.
Not sure why you think you are snacking on fresh fruit: I see cookies, frozen yoghurt, chocolate mousse, macaroon, banana chips (deep fried, not healthy), lattes/ mocha, butterscotch, sugary tea, strawberry whirl, and chocolate cake over just a few days. It would be worth running through your own diary with fresh eyes. IMO your vice is sugar - the caffeine links in with that by triggering adrenaline and glycogen release - probably because you are simply not eating enough to stabilise your blood sugar and fuel your day. Even most of your carbs are white and fast digesting so will turn to blood sugar very quickly.
Thank you for the advice. I do admit to the latte/mocha, I did before. The tea isn't actually all that sugary at all, and the strawberry whirl was fruit (with, yes, sugar). The cake/mousse I just had 1 or 2 bites of my brother's to try, the chips are dried bananas, not banana chips, the macaroon is actually a graze box (graze.com) containing dried banana, dried coconut and almond slices. The frozen yoghurt is 98% fat-free, and the cookies yes, they were bad, they came with my coffee in a cafe.0 -
Thank you, I will look at this when I get home. (:Definitely not eating enough - yes, it worked for awhile, but eventually the weight loss stops because as others said, the body is trying to hold onto everything rather than shedding fat, due to lack of fuel. I went back through your diary a few days, and with what you eat and your exercise calories burned, some days you are netting around 500 calories - that's not much for your body to run on!
You should be netting AT LEAST your BMR, which is also likely higher than 1200 a day. I was set at the level for awhile when I first joined MFP. It wasn't enough, and thankfully I found this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
Great information there, and links to tools where you can enter your info and figure your calorie goals and how much you should be eating in order to lose fat. I've been following it for the better part of a year, and I'm losing fat and inches, and am shopping for new jeans yet again because I need a smaller size.
Food is fuel - you can't eat too little for too long or you are just giving your body a reason to store fat rather than burn it. Not to mention super low calories over a long period of time can really screw up your metabolism. Check out that thread - fabulous info there.0 -
June, I started at 93kg, I am now floating around 63kg (which is actually the goal weight I wanted to be, well, 65kg). I thought I might try and lose those final 3kg, then go into maintainence, but as you can see, they're being stubborn and I seem to have already got there (lost nothing since the new year started, bar maybe 0.1kg). I did start weight training this week and have been eating a little more as it makes me very hungry. Could that contribute? I was trying to eat more over the season, and went from eating 1,000 or so a day instead of 7,00 or so a day, did continue to lost at first but... should I continue easing up, then?
Mostly on the grounds that it's worked since June? I've told friends to eat more in the past, but for some reason this amount seemed to be ok for me...?You're not eating enough. Try upping your calories. Anything less than 1200 calories will send you into starvation mode & your body starts holding on to everything you eat. Why are you only eating 1000 calories a day?
Provided your ticker is not just a "stage" ticker (a.k.a, you're not at your ultimate goal), you might be plateauing because... you don't have much to lose? What are your stats? If it "worked since June," it's very possible you lost muscle mass at such a high deficit, hence why you're on here, with a surpassed ticker, saying, "I'm plateauing!" You may need to focus on body recomposition (a.k.a, lowering body fat while retaining/building muscle) if you are at a healthy weight but are still unhappy with your body.
But then, this is just an educated guess from the info that's been presented.
You won't go into starvation mode "anytime you go below 1200 calories." That's not how that works. However, if you've been eating at a pretty high deficit for over six months, that is when people can start going, "Um, I think you might be messing with your metabolism." You need to eat at LEAST your BMR to sustain health body function, and for a 21 year old, regardless of stats, that's going to be over 1200 calories, let alone the 1000 you seem to be floating around.0 -
I'm in the "eat moar food" camp
Being 21 is amazing because we can eat and still lose weight.0 -
June, I started at 93kg, I am now floating around 63kg (which is actually the goal weight I wanted to be, well, 65kg). I thought I might try and lose those final 3kg, then go into maintainence, but as you can see, they're being stubborn and I seem to have already got there (lost nothing since the new year started, bar maybe 0.1kg). I did start weight training this week and have been eating a little more as it makes me very hungry. Could that contribute? I was trying to eat more over the season, and went from eating 1,000 or so a day instead of 7,00 or so a day, did continue to lost at first but... should I continue easing up, then?
Mostly on the grounds that it's worked since June? I've told friends to eat more in the past, but for some reason this amount seemed to be ok for me...?You're not eating enough. Try upping your calories. Anything less than 1200 calories will send you into starvation mode & your body starts holding on to everything you eat. Why are you only eating 1000 calories a day?
Provided your ticker is not just a "stage" ticker (a.k.a, you're not at your ultimate goal), you might be plateauing because... you don't have much to lose? What are your stats? If it "worked since June," it's very possible you lost muscle mass at such a high deficit, hence why you're on here, with a surpassed ticker, saying, "I'm plateauing!" You may need to focus on body recomposition (a.k.a, lowering body fat while retaining/building muscle) if you are at a healthy weight but are still unhappy with your body.
But then, this is just an educated guess from the info that's been presented.
You won't go into starvation mode "anytime you go below 1200 calories." That's not how that works. However, if you've been eating at a pretty high deficit for over six months, that is when people can start going, "Um, I think you might be messing with your metabolism." You need to eat at LEAST your BMR to sustain health body function, and for a 21 year old, regardless of stats, that's going to be over 1200 calories, let alone the 1000 you seem to be floating around.
Easing up? You should be EATING, period! Get to 1200 MINIMUM. Really, I'd say look up your BMR and start there, and then try gradually upping them to your TDEE -20%, or even just your TDEE (since you're so close to your goal weight).
Weight training is awesome! You'll probably figure out that, regardless of weight, you're happy with your body once you tone muscle (a.k.a, show muscle by reducing body fat %, which happens best through weight training)... however, strengthening and repairing muscles can only come with calories. The fact that you're hungry is your body saying, "Please feed me! I can't do this all on my own!"
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Thank you for the advice. I do admit to the latte/mocha, I did before. The tea isn't actually all that sugary at all, and the strawberry whirl was fruit (with, yes, sugar). The cake/mousse I just had 1 or 2 bites of my brother's to try, the chips are dried bananas, not banana chips, the macaroon is actually a graze box (graze.com) containing dried banana, dried coconut and almond slices. The frozen yoghurt is 98% fat-free, and the cookies yes, they were bad, they came with my coffee in a cafe.
Fat free is not sugar free, in fact fat free is the last thing you need you are not eating enough fat to support your menstrual cycle and fertility. All those are processed junk (except perhaps the banana chips) however you dress them up and should be 10% of daily calories. A dessert/ snack containing sugary coconut alongside sugary white chocolate chips and sugary amaretti classes as junk (Graze). You have no need to make excuses to me I say what I see, you are only cheating yourself with the justifications.0 -
i went back three days in your diet and couldn't take it any more. Maybe you should eat. Like... real food. Try having dinner? Eat some fruit and vegetables, more than one serving a day? I don't even know where to start.0
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So I agree with a lot of what people are saying - eat more. BUT what i've noticed as well is you don't really have much protein, I don't know if i saw many days over 50g, and some days as low as 20g. I eat 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass, well actually a little bit more even. I'm not saying go crazy with them, or start eating steak, etc (I'm a vegetarian btw, and do not eat eggs, fish etc for protein ) but your body does need this to repair and grow (I'm talking everything in your body, not just muscles).
In addition, you need healthy fats IMO, at least 35g a day. Low fat, low protein, high sugar/carb will only get you so far. A little more healthy fat and protein will keep you feeling more satiated, and a little less carb will go a long way (i try to keep my carbs as close to 100g as possible, though if i do a heavy workout, i will eat a bit more to refuel). Try supplementing with an omega 3-6-9, or CLA, or something like that perhaps.
Please feel free to message me if you have further questions or if i'm not making sense, if you'd like as well
As well, congrats on your progress so far! That is absolutely amazing how far you have already come!
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i went back three days in your diet and couldn't take it any more. Maybe you should eat. Like... real food. Try having dinner? Eat some fruit and vegetables, more than one serving a day? I don't even know where to start.
THIS ^^
Fresh fruit veg and more protein...def more protein, Im only eating 1000 cals a day also (im really short and this works for me) but im always over in protein and fiber. I always eat back my Cals if iv done exercise.
I snack on boiled egg whites and cucumber, Try that and fresh banana not banana chips0 -
Over five days, you netted between 400 to 710 calories. MFP recommends you net at least 1200. Considering that net does not take into account how many calories below your TDEE, I can say with almost certainty you are missing your period with this low energy availability.0
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I do have more than one serving of fruit and veg, usually 3 or 4, and I eat dinner. Part of the issue is I changed how my diary is laid out this morning... see a few posts up.i went back three days in your diet and couldn't take it any more. Maybe you should eat. Like... real food. Try having dinner? Eat some fruit and vegetables, more than one serving a day? I don't even know where to start.0 -
For the last 14 months I have had an implant in for personal reasons, so... I don't have a period, anyway. (:Over five days, you netted between 400 to 710 calories. MFP recommends you net at least 1200. Considering that net does not take into account how many calories below your TDEE, I can say with almost certainty you are missing your period with this low energy availability.0 -
eat more! give it a couple weeks. you might initially gain a little because your body will try to hold on to the food since it has been straving. a couple weeks it will realize that it is gonna be fed and it will use those extra calories to burn more fat! Hang in there!0
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I don't know how to look at your food intake, so I won't comment on it, but I do know that when I hit a plateau, I started tracking water intake as well as sodium. It's interesting to see the relationship between them.
I started increasing water and three days later, the plateau broke. Now my goal is my body weight (in pounds) divided by 2 times .75 = ounces of water daily. It was very hard to reach that goal at first. Harder than my first day of dieting. But now, it's natural and I feel the difference.
I also started tracking measurements. That's even more fun that tracking weight. But I am no where's near my goal weight and according to your tracker, you are there or almost there - so you shouldn't expect the same loss rate as you had before you started.0 -
I think I'm not drinking enough water, so I shall do my best to do that, thank you!I don't know how to look at your food intake, so I won't comment on it, but I do know that when I hit a plateau, I started tracking water intake as well as sodium. It's interesting to see the relationship between them.
I started increasing water and three days later, the plateau broke. Now my goal is my body weight (in pounds) divided by 2 times .75 = ounces of water daily. It was very hard to reach that goal at first. Harder than my first day of dieting. But now, it's natural and I feel the difference.
I also started tracking measurements. That's even more fun that tracking weight. But I am no where's near my goal weight and according to your tracker, you are there or almost there - so you shouldn't expect the same loss rate as you had before you started.
I've told myself I have to do that as of today based on this post, and my younger brother - who I swear is what holds this house together - has said he'll tell me if he thinks I'm undereating too (:eat more! give it a couple weeks. you might initially gain a little because your body will try to hold on to the food since it has been straving. a couple weeks it will realize that it is gonna be fed and it will use those extra calories to burn more fat! Hang in there!0 -
You are only 3kg away from your new goal weight and you have hit a plateau.
Now is the time to start upping your calories and adding back in full fat products and more protein, fruit and veges. 30kg is an awesome weight loss - fantastic job there - but as you are eating in a very low calorie way you do need to start upping the calories to break your plateau.
You will find it hard to eat at maintenance level if you don't start to at least all your calories now.0 -
agreed, you need more protein.
As for plateau, it sometimes helps to go WAY over your calorie allotment for 2-3 days, up to a week in a row and then go back to normal. Of course your weight will shoot up at first (because, hello, you just ate a huge volume of food, it'll take time to go through the digestive tract) but afterwards the weight will come off and will keep coming off.
Also, are you sure your excercise calories are accurate? Some of the auto-fill options here vastly overestimate the excercise calories, ans so if you estimate 700 while you actually burnt 250.... well, there might be an issue there.0
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