plateaud...

I think. I am not sure. All I know is I stopped loosing, and its driving me nuts! I need advice! Because I have lots more fat to loose. Feel free to look at my diary, because I need help =)

Replies

  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Your Dairy is private. What's your BMR/TDEE/calorie intake/weight? Why do you think you've pleateued? Have you been at the same weight for a month or more?

    Suggestion: Eat at TDEE for at least a few weeks and then do a cut 10-20% cut
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    I don't think your diary is open

    How long has it been since you lost anything? What about exercise?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    How long is this "plateau"?


    Go here to open your Food Diary : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • Heyyleigh
    Heyyleigh Posts: 268 Member
    It happens to all of us, believe me. I hear all the time, "it doesnt matter what the scale says how do your clothes fit, its muscle,its water weight.....blah, blah ,blah! I WANT TO SEE THE SCALE GO DOWN! I will never understand how I can do cardio 3-4 times a week and walk 60 miles a week ( with a bit of running ) still trying to learn to breathe doing this...haha .... and the scale is the same if not a few pounds more. It truly drives me nuts! BUT.............I just keep going. :))) I have weighed the same for 3 weeks. Actually gained a few. It's ok - b/c I will beat this.
  • zaxmom09
    zaxmom09 Posts: 18 Member
    :sad: I feel your pain!
  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
    The only thing I could suggest is to cut out the Chinese buffet and the processed foods like McDonalds and hot dogs. Try to eat a little cleaner. Add more vegetables and fruits. That might break your plateau.
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    Can I ask what you did to earn 3012 extra calories from exercise the other day? Because if that is for real you are under fueling! Maybe it was really 301 cal?
  • bodiva88
    bodiva88 Posts: 308 Member
    You've lost 13 pounds since June. How is that a plateau?
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    It should be open now =) I have weight the same for about a month. I workout A LOT, burn between 500 and 2000 calories a day eating I try to be healthy, hasnt been, my excuse is that I've been working every day. I need more info about diet and that. I can count calories with the best of them, but what to eat and where my calories come from is somewhat of an issue for me.
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    Can I ask what you did to earn 3012 extra calories from exercise the other day? Because if that is for real you are under fueling! Maybe it was really 301 cal?

    I am a swim teacher and often go to the gym too. I swim for five hours. burns so many calories!
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    You are swimming constantly for five hours? Or you are just in the pool instructing? I'm sure you burn lots of cals, but the ones you are logging seem impossible.

    Also, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the 2500 kcal dinner the other night was too much!

    Honestly, my best guess is that you are eating too much and overestimating exercise calories.

    Here's my suggestion: get a waterproof heart rate monitor which will tell you exactly what you are burning in the pool
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    How are you estimating your calorie burns?

    What's your TDEE (sedentary and active)?
    What's your BMR?
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    Calories burned are being estimated through mfp, except for the machines, I record what the machines say at the gym. And I swim, tread water, keep children afloat for about five hours, not to mention the running around in the shallow end. Plus I don't float as well as I did so now I have to work harder to keep my head about water. Mfp overestimates, but I know I defiantly burn a lot of calories in the pool. And I would love to be able to afford a waterproof heart monitor. Know where I can find an affordable one? =)

    I have been eating badly. Probably should have fixed that before complaining on here. My apologies =)
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    How are you estimating your calorie burns?

    What's your TDEE (sedentary and active)?
    What's your BMR?

    what is TDEE?
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
    Google tdee calculator scooby

    Fill it out, using "strenuous exercise". Eat the number they give you for "tdee - 20%". Eat that amount every day and see what happens. If you are starving, slowly increase cals until you aren't.
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    Google tdee calculator scooby

    Fill it out, using "strenuous exercise". Eat the number they give you for "tdee - 20%". Eat that amount every day and see what happens. If you are starving, slowly increase cals until you aren't.

    thankyou =) omg best thing ever!!!!
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    You've lost 13 pounds since June. How is that a plateau?

    ive gone a month were i have flutuated between 212 and 210. i only record once a week. i weigh myself every day though. pretty sure its just my eating =/
  • kmb2522
    kmb2522 Posts: 48
    I teach swim lessons to I never record that in my exercise because I feel like its just like standing on your feet everyday. Try only loggin your actual exercises not teaching
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    I teach swim lessons to I never record that in my exercise because I feel like its just like standing on your feet everyday. Try only loggin your actual exercises not teaching

    i dont know where you taught, but all i know is i am never still, constantly swimming, walking, demonstrating, treading water, supporting kids in the deep end, and am usually exhausted after a days work. and until now i've been losing 2-3 pounds a week working there.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'd suspect you're overestimating the calorie burn as well. Something like a Polar FT4 is waterproof, as long as you follow the directions, and costs less than $70, IIRC.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Yes, TDEE calculations are indeed the best thing ever. Everyone should know how weight loss works, it helps allot!

    Those with HRMs (which only accurately measure cardio burns) measure inaccuracies about half of what MFP calculations. Definitely don't count 5 hours of swimming as nothing like the other person suggests, you are definitely burning calories, but probably not as many as you think. Record the equivalent of hard core full out swimming you do. Treading water doesn't take much...probably as much as walking slowly, perhaps log that (2.5mph)? Remember, it's over estimated by allot. Or perhaps if you're working out 5 days a week use the appropriate TDEE comparison...

    2-3 pounds a week is a concerning amount of weight to keep up. You've probably gotten rid of a lot of access fluids (this often happens at the beginning of weight loss). Also, that fluid is usually in the form of glycogen (energy). It's something you don't want to deplete all together, and 1700 is about what I'm NETTING (all 120 poonds of me with less exercise). You can definitely lose on a much smaller deficit then that. If you find yourself hungry or weak you may want to up temporarily. You're probably burning close if not over 3000 calories a day...so you're cutting by a fair bit. I always try to eat over my BMR and below my TDEE. The FDA and Health Canada recommends about 2000 calories/day for a women.

    In the event that you ever do stall for about a month, (you have a bit to lose, so it's likely to happen), eat your TDEE at least several weeks. You'll gain weight in this period (glycogen...you're energy stores well come back. It'll disappear with then some weight when you cut...give it a week or so). Then cut your calories back about 10-20%. Repeat if the problem occurs for more then a month. :)

    Since you're exercising constantly it's also recommended that you eat up to 1.8g of protein per kg of your body weight for strength. The lowest amount to avoid protein deficiency is about 46g or .8g your body weight in kg (whichever's highest). See wikipedia nutrient references for details...they also did a little write up about it.

    Goodluck!
  • Merrychrissmith
    Merrychrissmith Posts: 231 Member
    I plateau and then drop, plateau and drop. I weigh every morning but if same weight, I am energized to blast through it. If gain I am compelled to log and exercise no matter what, When it drops, I am rewarded and think how good the next drop will feel. It is a series of mini goals....Stay with it and it will break!!!!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I plateau and then drop, plateau and drop. I weigh every morning but if same weight, I am energized to blast through it. If gain I am compelled to log and exercise no matter what, When it drops, I am rewarded and think how good the next drop will feel. It is a series of mini goals....Stay with it and it will break!!!!
    ^if you plateau for a week it's likely you'll drop more then usual the next week. Especially if you're female, it's not necessarily fat you're holding onto, we hold on to all kinds of weird stuff, especially certain times of the month :P

    That being said the lighter you get the harder it is to lose weight. Typically, your average person goes on a 500 calorie deficit for healthy weight loss and continues to drop their goal (keeping the deficit) as their weight goes down. Except me since I was 30 lbs off my goal...500 is a big cut in that case. The closer you get to goal you should still be getting a decent amount of calories to get all of your nutrients (somewhere around 2000 calories for a women give or take...especially if they're exercising). Don't turn into one of those people who net 12 calories a day :P
  • Change up your exercise routine, on the biggest loser one of the trainers tips is to change your direction, if you go forward then go backwarks, if you usually kick forward then do lunges, they said that it keeps your body "entertained" or something like that, I don't know if its true but it sounds logical to me.
  • dnish53
    dnish53 Posts: 162 Member
    You might try cutting your sodium intake down to about 1,000 total a day. Because of the foods you are eating you are digesting a lot of sodium, which even with all of the water you drink can certainly hinder your weight loss.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Change up your exercise routine, on the biggest loser one of the trainers tips is to change your direction, if you go forward then go backwarks, if you usually kick forward then do lunges, they said that it keeps your body "entertained" or something like that, I don't know if its true but it sounds logical to me.
    ^Whatever you do don't try to become the biggest loser, they do some pretty unhealthy weight loss methods and are closely supervised by professionals...Once again allot of the inital weight they lose is due to glycogen depletion, not fat.

    But yes, changing up routine will train your muscles better (not sure if that affects weight loss though).
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    I won't say your not burning calories while working but you need to remember that many of mfp exercises are overestimated. If it says you burn 3000 if I was you I would reduce that number by a third to 2000.