I've tried everything and I'm STUCK! Help!

heatherisdope
heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on a weight loss plateau for over a month now. I have read tons of articles about how to get off a plateau and have tried it all. Examples zig zag calories, add calories, add intensity to workouts, drink more water, take a break, add a cheat day, mix up workouts, the list goes on and nothing has made the scale budge! I thought maybe I was just adding muscle, but my measurements have not changed either. I can't cut my calories any more, they're at 1200, so I have added more high intensity workouts for longer periods. I honestly feel that all I do is workout! I workout 6 days a week doing HasFit Warrior Program as well as running (I switch this up between outdoor running, treadmill, and elliptical) I'm 26, 5'5 and 159. I've lost 44 pounds so far, but I need to lose between 16-26 more pounds by august, for my vacation to Paris and London. Please help, I'm getting highly discouraged! :frown:
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Replies

  • Reeceybaby1988
    Reeceybaby1988 Posts: 91
    eat more...
  • pearlmorning
    pearlmorning Posts: 86 Member
    I wouldn't worry, you aren't over eating. I'd stick to the routine laid out by mfp; follow your goal calories, goal exercises and 8 glasses of water and not mix up your routine as that confuses your metabolism. You're doing Great.
  • heatherisdope
    heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...
  • Reeceybaby1988
    Reeceybaby1988 Posts: 91
    I wouldn't worry, you aren't over eating. I'd stick to the routine laid out by mfp; follow your goal calories, goal exercises and 8 glasses of water and not mix up your routine as that confuses your metabolism. You're doing Great.

    im sorry but half the stuff you said is wrong, water consumption, fine, but did you actually read how much excercise OP is doing compared to how much shes eating?

    1200 calories is not enough for the amount of excercise OP is doing.

    this is a classic example of too low calories vs over excercise, either dial down excercise, or increase calories to 1300 for a week, then 1400 the next, and finally 1500 the next, keep it at 1500 for a couple of weeks and see if there is any change.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    Have you figured your BMR and made sure you're eating above it? Are you eating back your exercise calories at 1200? I'd suggest figuring your bmr, tdee, and tdee-%
  • Kmsnomaha
    Kmsnomaha Posts: 167 Member
    I agree that you are not eating enough... Figure out your TDEE and then -20%. Eat this everyday. You will not have to figure in exercise calories as they will already be figured in for you.

    If you are not currently weight training you might want to try adding that to your routine.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I started eating according to the info in this topic over a year ago: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Haven't had a single plateau or stall in fat loss since then. Find your BMR and your TDEE, eat in between those numbers. Take a 15-20% cut from your TDEE, depending on how much you have to lose. Be patient, take photos and measurements. Seriously the best move I've made was switching to that method.

    Upping your exercising while slashing your calories isn't doing you any favors - eat too little, especially while going gonzo on the workouts and you're giving your body a reason to store fat rather than burn it. Eat well, fuel your body properly, exercise, preferably some strength or resistance training of some sort, and get good rest.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough, try it for longer
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough, try it for longer
    Agreed - a week isn't long enough to know if something is working or not. You need to stick with it for at least 4-6 weeks.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    I agree that you are not eating enough... Figure out your TDEE and then -20%. Eat this everyday. You will not have to figure in exercise calories as they will already be figured in for you.

    If you are not currently weight training you might want to try adding that to your routine.

    ^^^ I agree with this.
  • gr8xpectationz
    gr8xpectationz Posts: 161 Member
    Think differently about weight loss plateaus. When you get to a plateau, think of it as the landing on a stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of “rehearsal” for maintenance isn’t the worst thing in the world.

    Seriously though, whether you lose 2 pounds before your trip or 30 pounds before your trip, you're SURE to have a fabulous trip. So just be patient. Keep eating well and exercising, and you're body will decide when it wants to lose a few more pounds.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough. It takes about a week for your body to adjust to a new plan, and as soon as it starts too, you stop again. Try for atleast 2 or 3 weeks.
  • heatherisdope
    heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
    I calculated my TDEE and included my workout, -20% and it's 1,884 my bmr is 1525. So I should be eating between these numbers then? It seems like a lot of calories to add. Also, to answer the other questions, I do weight training around 3-4 days a week and I do not eat back my calories that I have worked off.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I would try cutting to 1100. You're probably eating more than you think, so whatever you are consuming it will be 100 calories less.
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    when you say zig zag calories do you mean alternate day fasting by chance? That helped me get out of a plateau.
  • heatherisdope
    heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
    when you say zig zag calories do you mean alternate day fasting by chance? That helped me get out of a plateau.
    When I zig zag calories, I mean eating 1400 one day and 1000 another, so it all evens out to 1200, but confuses my metabolism.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    Increasing your calories for 1 week does nothing - and chances you are you won't see a result that quickly.
    Eat between your BMR and your TDEE for at least one month - possibly longer. Then come back here and ask again if that isn't working.
  • FitPhysique
    FitPhysique Posts: 284 Member
    It takes about 4-6 weeks to determine if an exercise/eating regiment is truly working. I would suggest that you eat between BMR and TDEE for that period by adding in the calories in wekly increments.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,265 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough, try it for longer

    ^^^^This. Try it for a month, at least.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    It takes about 4-6 weeks to determine if an exercise/eating regiment is truly working. I would suggest that you eat between BMR and TDEE for that period by adding in the calories in wekly increments.
    Not only that, but it sounds like you tried a billion different methods of breaking the plateau within a 1 month time frame. None of them are going to work that quickly, especially when changing things every week.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Sounds like me. I was working out like a crazy person for months. No weight loss. None. Trying this eating more thing, might take awhile to work, but lord knows eating less didn't help me at all.
  • mrsmarit
    mrsmarit Posts: 229 Member
    I would try cutting to 1100. You're probably eating more than you think, so whatever you are consuming it will be 100 calories less.

    No... not even... OP please do not listen to this.
  • heatherisdope
    heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all, I am going to try this eating more thing gradually adding 100 calories each week. Would it be okay if my extra calories were from wine? I'm guessing no, but I really miss my wine at night! :smile:
  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough, try it for longer
    Agreed - a week isn't long enough to know if something is working or not. You need to stick with it for at least 4-6 weeks.

    So true!!! I only have ten pounds left that I'd like to see gone. I was doing all the same stuff the OP was, but I didn't start losing again until I upped my calories to 1600 AND eat back half of my work out calories. Now I'm losing fat again YAY for more food! (Its scary at first because you feel so full after years of eating to few calories, you think for sure you are going to pack on pounds...but you don't!)
  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    Thank you all, I am going to try this eating more thing gradually adding 100 calories each week. Would it be okay if my extra calories were from wine? I'm guessing no, but I really miss my wine at night! :smile:

    YAY WINE!!!! (I drink a glass almost every night... 6 OZ Blackstone Merlot = 140 cal " YUM and totally worth it!
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
    Thank you all, I am going to try this eating more thing gradually adding 100 calories each week. Would it be okay if my extra calories were from wine? I'm guessing no, but I really miss my wine at night! :smile:

    Add whatever you want if it gets you to your calorie goal!
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    It takes longer than a week for calorie increases to affect your metabolism. Your body does not respond quickly to calorie fluctuations for a reason.

    Don't feel frustrated at a 1 month plateau. I've been sitting at one for 6 months. It's frustrating but you have to be patient and push through it.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I calculated my TDEE and included my workout, -20% and it's 1,884 my bmr is 1525. So I should be eating between these numbers then? It seems like a lot of calories to add. Also, to answer the other questions, I do weight training around 3-4 days a week and I do not eat back my calories that I have worked off.

    Correct. You will need to stick with it for 4-6 weeks. 1 week is not long enough for your body to adapt to a new calorie intake and as such you won't see the results you're looking for in that time.
    Thank you all, I am going to try this eating more thing gradually adding 100 calories each week. Would it be okay if my extra calories were from wine? I'm guessing no, but I really miss my wine at night!

    I don't see any problems with it. :drinker:
  • heatherisdope
    heatherisdope Posts: 8 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...

    A week isn't long enough, try it for longer
    Agreed - a week isn't long enough to know if something is working or not. You need to stick with it for at least 4-6 weeks.

    So true!!! I only have ten pounds left that I'd like to see gone. I was doing all the same stuff the OP was, but I didn't start losing again until I upped my calories to 1600 AND eat back half of my work out calories. Now I'm losing fat again YAY for more food! (Its scary at first because you feel so full after years of eating to few calories, you think for sure you are going to pack on pounds...but you don't!)
    That's what I'm afraid of, that I'm going to gain! But I guess I just need to brave it!
  • terri_journey
    terri_journey Posts: 287 Member
    I tried adding more calories for about a week or so and it didn't help...
    Honey, at your height, weight and workout intensity, you Have to Eat more, Not just for one week but longer. Your body is probably in starvation mode and holding onto everything you put into it. Either slow down on your exercises or start eating more, i promise you the scales will start moving. if you need a friend, add me. :happy:

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