Plateaus Help please,

ktliu
ktliu Posts: 334 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last month I fought a 3 week plateau, and finally 7 lbs came off in a week, and I'm stuck again. look like another plateau is hitting. I'd like to know , in your own journeys, how many plateaus have y'all encounter.

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    We need a lot more information. But for about a 180lb man, you are definitely not eating enough calories, especially considering you workout a lot. How tall are you and what is your exercise routine?

    As a reference point, I am 5'11, 30 yr old, 190 lbs, and workout 1 hr a day for 6 days, and I eat 2500 calories to lose.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    Are you measure your body fat and using a measuring tape? I hate the scale, dont let it rule your world. I once lost 2.5 lbs in a month but lost the most inches and had the best results with what i was doing. the scale however ruined my victory for me but i was gaining muscle at the same time so it appeared i lost 15 to 20lbs
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    Great job on the exercizing, but your overall calorie intake is extremely low! How did you end up with a 1200 calorie goal?
  • ktliu
    ktliu Posts: 334 Member
    Trying to answer all questions
    I'm 5'9 and I know my goals are aggressive, but the thing is, I still eat the same portion of food I usually eats, I just switch it to mostly plant based diet, When I do eat meat, I eat it sparingly. I do pig out every now and then.
    As far as measurement, I lost 7 inch alone in the waist.

    The thing is I'm on phentermine, and I'm not sure I will have a long term supply. Since docs don't always write this stuff to be as a maintenance medication, So I figured while I'm on this, I'll make the most of it. Now I'm just addicted...to exercise.
    So far,The doc is extremely happy with my progress. And they've reduced all my BP, Cholesterol, Diabetes med beyond half. and I am on track to eliminate all of them.

    And my exercise routine 6-7 days a week, 1.25 hour minimal to 1.75 hour consist of 3 classes of Zumba, with weight training thrown in after class, and 3 days of 1-2 miles on the treadmill at 4.5 mph to warm up and Weight training after that, On my off day, I wash cars, and do wood working projects, and all kinds of handy man type work around the house.

    The question is still in your journeys, How many plateaus do you all experience. My weight loss seem to come in spurts.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I would suggest you are probably under eating. With someone your size and with as little weight as you have to lose, you can not be aggressive. That is the first issue you have and the reason you keep on plateauing. Based on your stats, I would suggest you probably need to eat more around 2100-2400 calories a day. I would also suggest only working out 6 days a week as your body needs to rest. I know when I started, I was at 1800 calories and i struggled to lose. I am now at 2500 calories and have yet to plateau since and it's been about 2 years... that is with 1 bulk phase and two or three weeks eating at maintenance.


    With that said, that's fine you limit meat but you need to ensure you get enough protein. For someone your size, you should probably get around 140-160g a day. Ideally, you want to get 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. If you do decide to bring meat back into the equation, you can be just as healthy as a plant based diet, just aim to eat lean meats such as chicken, turkey, bison, lean cuts of steak like sirloin or fillet, duck and eat plenty of fish. With this said, I would look to get around 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats. This will help you hit better macro's.

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