Frustrating Week

dickster1961
dickster1961 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This has been a very frustrating week for me. I know I shouldn't but I do weigh everyday. The occasional fluctuations do not bother me. I have been steadily losing about 2-3 pounds each week. I can always count on being down those 2-3 pounds from Saturday to Saturday.

This week, I was beneath my calorie goals each day. I have adjusted my daily calories as my weight has gone down each week. Unfortunately, I only lost a half pound this week and fear I may have reached a plateau. Any advice on getting through a plateau and get back on track?

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    The research I've read say that plateaus are almost entirely due to going back to old habits. Only you know if you've done that . . .

    Things that affect weight in any given week . . .

    You're going to slow down your loss as you get closer to the end.

    You may hold water when it's hot - and certainly when you eat too much salt or your potassium is off.

    What I've been reading in Good Calories/Bad Calories and also in Why We Get Fat is that fat deposition (burning v. depositing) depends on insulin levels and daily changes in insulin levels depend on carbs because it regulates blood sugar. So if you are eating too many carbs you will be both hungrier and also deposit relatively more of calories as fat. The worst are liquid carbs (e.g. soda and beer).

    They recommend a sustainable carb level of 40%. Personally, I find even that tough, but I'm shooting for it. The carbs you do eat should be slow to process ones like brown rice/flour, beans, etc.

    Anyway, too high carbs will slow weight loss and also interact with water weight gain.

    Good luck. It's just one week.
  • dickster1961
    dickster1961 Posts: 29 Member
    definitely have not reverted to the bad habits. Same diet as the last 10 weeks. Well under calorie goal
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    the body does take breaks from weightloss, so I wouldn't sweat it. you just have to wait it out..or shake up what you're doing by flexing your calories. If you haven't exercised..maybe start. those kind of things.
  • Ginerrva
    Ginerrva Posts: 226
    What's your calorie goal and how far under it are you?

    The body's starvation mode can really be a jerk sometimes...
  • dickster1961
    dickster1961 Posts: 29 Member
    I set my goal to lose 1lb per week and have a daily calorie goal of 1750. Most days, I end up between 1300-1500 calories.
  • girlonabikedc
    girlonabikedc Posts: 111 Member
    it's not a plateau until you've stopped losing weight/inches for more than a few weeks at a time. So, relax. You are still losing, so its not a plateau. Your rate of weightless may have slowed (although I think you need more than one week to determine that), but that's perfectly normal and okay. I go through periods where I lose a good amount one week, nothing the next, a good amount the following & gain the next. Your body doesn't work on a week-long schedule. It will lose weight when its ready.

    Keep doing what you have been, because its still working.

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