Plateaued :(

aimeebear1511

I started to diet back in August, it wasn't particularly healthy and was probably more starvation than anything, started at 84kgs and am now 75kgs... Lifestyle has completely changed since, as has my mindset. I'm now a regular in the gym 6 days a week, eat a good balanced diet of about 1200 per day. Since mid January I'm stuck at 75kgs... And have a further 10kgs to lose. Can anyone help me to come through this plateau?
I know the usual advice : shake up diet and exercise routine, increase metabolism etc, but what actually works?

spickard34

I was in the same boat as you. I learned that I had to eat back half my workout cals for my body not to be in starvation mode. So you have to Net 1200 if you eat 1200 burn 400 in the gym you have to replace that 400 I know it shoulds silly but I was stuck for a month and after two weeks of this I dropped 2.5 lbs.

fit4life1985

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

Jess11Gold

OMGosh, I am in the SAME boat! I am eating 1200 calories or less. I eat clean with a few occasional slip ups.I have been doing this for a whole month. I am the same weight now as I was 3 weeks ago. I faithfully put in 4 miles 3 times a week AND do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred EVERYDAY. According to what I am doing I should be loosing at least 2 lbs a week! HELP! Can I add you girls? I am very interested to see how other people pull through this!

ninerbuff

Stall, not a plateau since it's been less than 6 weeks. Reassess: have you been 100%? If not, small changes affect it. Persevere and it will continue to come off.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

skydiveD30571

Eating too little stalls weight loss. Netting 1200 calories a day may not be enough, and eating only 1200 AND exercising means you are definitely not eating enough. Start by eating back your exercise calories. You'll be more satisfied, perform better during exercises, and most likely trump this plateau. Good luck!

Jess11Gold

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

CJ_Holmes

Are you eating back your exercise calories? If not, you are definitely eating too little.

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

calisunrise

i used to eat 1100-1200 while doing insanity then some calisthenics afterwards and i don't recommend that to anyone. if you decide to go on 1200, ALWAYS eat your exercise calories back. it will give you a steady weight loss without plateaus. trust me, i've been trough this. i started eating my exercise calories back and i've never plateaued since then

mandypizzle

I'm struggling right now too. Try eating more calories. You probably aren't getting enough if you are working out a lot. You can also try zig zagging your calories. Works for some.

beautifulbeast11

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

After about a week of upping my calories I gained a few pounds BUT the following week of doing the same routine, I lost it plus some. Sometimes the body just has to adjust. It works differently for everyone, but just know that it may take some time!

spickard34

Seriously as werid as it sounds uping the cals has helped me I just added you and my Diary is open take a look at it Cheers

chooriyah

Aie, I'm in the same boat, except it's been four months. No advice, just offering empathy - it sucks!

MellyGibson

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

It seems that I keep running into this same situation with everyone I talk to (I'm a fitness instructor and Certified Personal Trainer). It almost always is someone who's calories are 1200 or less (net). I always advise them to up their caloric intake, cut out processed foods and drink more water - and they always start losing again.

Also - I had been eating at 1200 calories and dropped 17 pounds in 2 months. Then I stopped losing. Then I started gaining. So, I started adding resistance training and upped my calories to between 1500 and 1700 per day - with one cheat day per week (by cheating I mean not paying attention to my macros, which are 40% Carb, 40% Protein, 20% Fat). I reached my goal weight about a month ago and have now set a new goal.

So your answer is yes, it has worked for me. I know 3 other people that this is currently working for. Best of luck to you!

Melo1966

Been there done that and yes 1,200 usually does stall weightloss for almost all. I stalled at a net of 1,000.
To get my metabolism working again I had to eat about 2,000 for a week or two.
I am now at 1,500 and losing again. And I have the energy to workout more so then I eat more.
Good luck and friend me if you want encouragement to eat more.
You did not get fat on 1,500 so it can not hurt to try.

calisunrise

it you gain anything while upping your calories, it would be probably water weight

elisa123gal

you've been here long enough to know the answer you'll get to your question. "you are not eating enough.":flowerforyou:

lgoewey36

I had the same problem because this thing kept yelling at my for not eating enough calories. Before I worked out all I did was eat.. now I can not seem to eat enough. I am starting to get the hang of the balancing act. I add in more calories at breakfast and dinner. That seems to be helping. Although, I look up what I eat so I know what I need to make sure I do not go over as well. It is that crazy balance between too little or too much good luck.

wahmx3

Are you eating back your exercise calories? How much water do you drink? Do you track your sodium? Without being able to see your diary, it is sometimes harder to offer specific suggestions. I don't think you are eating enough, 1200 is likely below your BMR, which is not good. At 1200 calories it is very difficult to get all your nutrition needed.

Monica_has_a_goal

Hey everyone.. i'm in that same situation.. if anyone wants to look at my diary i'm open to suggestions

Thanking you in advance! :happy:

junkie_99

Vary your workout...don't know if you're doing this already. don't let your body "get used" to what you're doing. I don't know what kind of workout you're doing...but, don't get on the tread mill every day.

angie13xx

I started to realize all this "starvation mode" its a myth- personally!
For example, think of people that had weight lose surgery and they eat very little amounts of food( cpl of table spoon of food per day) and they lose weight - if we dont lose weight its probably bcos we eat too much.

I have been on 1200 calories( sometimes i eat less sometimes more) for the past 5 weeks and the only times i was able to see a minus on the scales was when i was eating under 800 calories.When i eat 1200 the scales wont move at all. I dont go to gym but i usually burn calories by walking and day to day house chores.

Also the skinnier you get, less calories your body needs

alpine1994

I had to eat more to get out of mine. I raised my calories to about 1500 during the week and about 1700 on the weekends. I exercise 5-6 days a week too. Weight started dropping off again.

daj150

I started to diet back in August, it wasn't particularly healthy and was probably more starvation than anything, started at 84kgs and am now 75kgs... Lifestyle has completely changed since, as has my mindset. I'm now a regular in the gym 6 days a week, eat a good balanced diet of about 1200 per day. Since mid January I'm stuck at 75kgs... And have a further 10kgs to lose. Can anyone help me to come through this plateau?
I know the usual advice : shake up diet and exercise routine, increase metabolism etc, but what actually works?

Well, you kind of answered you question...it all works. Also, make sure you are eating back your exercise calories. Or, if you don't record exercise calories...change you activity level from sedentary if your day-to-day is a desk job, and move it up 2 levels to account for the 6 times a week for the gym. This will mean that with exercise, you should eat that much. Although, I would check out BMR and RMR calculators for more accurate calories.

cebreisch

My plateau started in November, and I think I just busted past it last week.

Just stick with it. And yes, mix it up with the exercise routine, but also mix it up with the nutrition too. Just as your body gets used to the exercise you're doing, it also gets used to what you're feeding it.

I'd also get an activity monitor that syncs with MFP. That way you should be able to get a chart that shows "calories in vs. calories out". It'll hopefully help give you enough data to keep you going. I have a Fitbit One, and I love it.

The plateau for me lasted about 3 months, and thankfully I pushed through it. Looking forward to next week's weigh-in now!

donna_glasgow

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

I have recently upped my cals... and I now net on average about 1400 .... I started this on 21st Jan, in my first 2 weeks I went up 2.6lbs .... then last weigh in (sat) I had lost 1lb, so Im still up by 1.6lbs ... but the scale has started moving in the right direction

I was originally on the 1200 cals and lost quite allot of weight, the reason I am eating more now is because my lifestyle has changed, I am much more active (due to refurbing my house) so I need the extra fuel

T1mH

I started to realize all this "starvation mode" its a myth- personally!
For example, think of people that had weight lose surgery and they eat very little amounts of food( cpl of table spoon of food per day) and they lose weight - if we dont lose weight its probably bcos we eat too much.

I have been on 1200 calories( sometimes i eat less sometimes more) for the past 5 weeks and the only times i was able to see a minus on the scales was when i was eating under 800 calories.When i eat 1200 the scales wont move at all. I dont go to gym but i usually burn calories by walking and day to day house chores.

Also the skinnier you get, less calories your body needs

So you've been doing this for 5 weeks and you don't exercise? It's not working for you and your planning to go lower? You should enlist some professional help because I don't think your on a healthy path.

The eat more to weigh less is specifically aimed at people that are exercising, especially intense exercise because those workouts need to be fueled. To much exercise with to few calories often leads to a stall that can be broken with more calories.

No matter how skinny you get your body isn't going to need less than 1000 calories a day. People on super low cal diets after surgery are being supervised by a physician and they don't do those ultra restrictive diets for extended periods of time.

PikaKnight

Maybe recalculate your MFP #s? Choose a 0.5 or 1lb loss instead of 2lbs a week and pick the correct activity level. Don't pick sedentary because you think you'll lose faster. And realize also, that MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories back.

Or, If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/844040-raspberry-ketones-for-the-rest-of-us


Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance


For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group: (Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/865230-resources-and-references

For those eating below their BMR (which I think 1200 is below your BMR to be honest), not going to preach at you, but here's something you might want to look at:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/859495-if-only-i-had-known?page=1#posts-12919931


Yes, this is can all be overwhelming and complicated , but you are more than welcome to ask questions on the post.
One of the things that I have found that has been one of the best methods for me to get fit is to understand fitness. To understand where all these figures, etc come from.

The good thing is once you get the hang of it - it is something you'll be aware of constantly and you'll get a better understanding about your eating habits.

So I HIGHLY suggest making the effort to take every chance to educate yourself. Even if you don't end up going with any of these methods, calculations, etc - at least you understand what they are, where others are coming from, and maybe they will still be able to help you figure out what is best for you.

skydiveD30571

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

Why do you doubt "starvation mode"? At the end of the day you are netting (calories eaten - burned from exercise) way below 1200 calories...the only people who are put on that type of diet are under very strict physician care and it is for a very short period of time. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of pages here of people testifying to success by increasing their calorie intake when they were originally eating too little. Just do a search for the roadmap and you'll see what I mean.

It is common to see a slight bump in weight at first, but it is directly related to water and glycogen stores, not fat, and it will disappear as soon as it came.

Jess11Gold

Having a higher calorie meal (cheat meal/day) once a week will keep metabolism high when you are eating such low calories during the week.

This isn't working for me... I also hear to increase my overall calorie intake that my body could be in "starvation mode" (doubt that). Does anyone know someone personally that has has success from raising their calorie intake? I'm too scared to risk a weight gain...

Why do you doubt "starvation mode"? At the end of the day you are netting (calories eaten - burned from exercise) way below 1200 calories...the only people who are put on that type of diet are under very strict physician care and it is for a very short period of time. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of pages here of people testifying to success by increasing their calorie intake when they were originally eating too little. Just do a search for the roadmap and you'll see what I mean.

It is common to see a slight bump in weight at first, but it is directly related to water and glycogen stores, not fat, and it will disappear as soon as it came.

Just thought that I would let y'all know that I took the advice, I started eating back about 50-75% of the calories burned... and guess what?! I lost 4 lbs in 5 days! I also increased cardio by about 30 min. I am officially in "one-derland" and have renewed motivation!