Anyone having this issue?
elishazf
Posts: 332 Member
Okay so I've 5 11 and have gone from 197 to 158 and I weigh myself every sunday. The problem is I've stayed 158 for several weeks and can't seem to go lower. I'm under my calorie goal and everything but I don't seem to be losing. Any tips or suggestions?
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Replies
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Open your diary?0
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ah sorry I thought it was opened. Should be open now0
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I found the closer I got to my goal the MORE I had to eat to lose.
Sounds counter intuitive, but it worked for me.
Edited to add:
You aren't eating enough. Period.
Plus you are seriously lacking in the protein dept.
Cut out the crap and processed foods.
Krispy creams aren't doing you any favors.
Plus, it's really hard to know where your food issues lie if you don't actually log food. Is there a reason you quick add everything?0 -
I found the closer I got to my goal the MORE I had to eat to lose.
Sounds counter intuitive, but it worked for me.
How exactly does this work?0 -
I would just do it if I was out. I realised this was going to become a problem so I've stopped recently0
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My stats are pretty similar to yours so I thought I'd comment. I'm 5'11" started at 198 and am currently 169. I've noticed a few times that I'll get in a rut like that (when I lost the first 20lbs pretty fast I got stuck at 178 for a while). Personally what works best for me is to shake up my metabolism. I'll go a few days eating on the higher end, pretty close to my TDEE and then drop back down and it restarts my weight loss. I know a lot of people that zigzag their daily calories and have good results. Have you been consistently eating the same amount for a while? Also, it's always harder in that last 10 lbs or so for me because I'm getting so close to where my body naturally wants to be. But that might not be your problem if your GW is 140.0
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I'm not really sure how it works to tell you the truth, I just know for me it did.
I was eating 1200 net, plateaued for about 8 weeks, upped my calories, and the weight started coming off again.
Now I net anywhere from 1600-2200 a day, and I am still losing.0 -
I'm not really sure how it works to tell you the truth, I just know for me it did.
I was eating 1200 net, plateaued for about 8 weeks, upped my calories, and the weight started coming off again.
Now I net anywhere from 1600-2200 a day, and I am still losing.
Bizarre. Any specific changes in foods? Any differences in your macro ratio? Anything specific that you started eating that you weren't previously, or that you replaced with [more of] other things?0 -
I found the closer I got to my goal the MORE I had to eat to lose.
Sounds counter intuitive, but it worked for me.
How exactly does this work?
From my understanding, when you're overweight, your body can burn off your excess fat for energy, so you don't need to eat as much to keep your body going. As you lose weight, your body has less fat to eat off of and therefore you need to eat more calories to fuel it properly. When your body is properly fueled, you'll lose weight more easily because everything will be in proper order. That's a basic overview anyway.0 -
Eating more definitely works. Basically you're telling your body that you are going to feed it enough to function and it responds by letting go of fat. I use the scooby workshop calculator to get my TDEE - 15% and that's what I eat on my "high" days. It's still a deficit but not to the point of hurting your body or losing muscle.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
You need to eat more and spread it out. You should be eating something every 2-3 hours to keep your motabalism up. Get lots of protein and try to cut out all the processed foods. Cook from raw foods. If you dont have time then make up your weeks worth of food on one day and have it ready so all you have to do is heat it.0
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I found the closer I got to my goal the MORE I had to eat to lose.
Sounds counter intuitive, but it worked for me.
How exactly does this work?
dieting for an extended period of time slows metabolism there is no way to get around that. you will slow ur metabolism even quicker if the caloric defecit is too great (ex. aneorexia, 500-1k caloric defecit, copious amounts of cardio without enough nutrition)
so if you are at a standstill with weight and you have been dieting enough to lose 40lbs its time to start adding food into your diet along with resistance training to build lean muscle tissue... lean muscle tissue along with doing anerobic activity will heighten your metabolism along with eating more food and if you slowly "heal" your metabolism and workout effectively you will be able to eat more food and stay the same weight... just increase like 100cals a day for the first few weeks and see how weight changes and then keep adding small incriments until you can eat more food and stay the same (possibly small weight gain)
then once the metabolism is healed again create another caloric defecit and you should be able to get leaner than before. this is where cutting and bulking comes into play because dieting for an extended period of time is harmfull to the metabolism... u just have to cut and bulk responsibly with small additions or subtractions of caloric intake.
also to add your macros are f-cked up man you should try something like 40/40/20 or 40/35/25 CPF0 -
youve hot a plateau... you can try increasing your calories by 200 i find i did that and im moving a kilo to kilo and half a week easily also try changing your exercise routine around your body has proberly adapted to this0
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How much more are you looking to lose - at 5'11" and 158lbs you would be at a pretty healthy weight now I would think.0
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Thanks for all the help guys. I work a closing shift at work so I don't get a break other than a quick 10 minute one since my shifts are 5-6 hours long. I'll just start bringing some sort of snack to work and hide it from my department managers0
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Almost everyone hits a plateau or two (or three) along the way. Personally, from the first of April to the end of May -- almost 2 months -- I lost only one pound.
I didn't change anything. Finally, I started losing again.
Jumping your calorie intake might work -- it's worked for some folks.
I just stayed the course, and the problem went away.
Yes, it's discouraging, but don't surrender.
Keep going.
You'll get there.0 -
I'm not really sure how it works to tell you the truth, I just know for me it did.
I was eating 1200 net, plateaued for about 8 weeks, upped my calories, and the weight started coming off again.
Now I net anywhere from 1600-2200 a day, and I am still losing.
Bizarre. Any specific changes in foods? Any differences in your macro ratio? Anything specific that you started eating that you weren't previously, or that you replaced with [more of] other things?
Not really, I just started eating more of the things I was already eating.
I do try to hit at least 100g of protein a day.
I also try to get at least 30g of fiber per day.
I lift twice a week, and am currently training for a half marathon.
I eat back my cardio calories.
I'm pretty sure my diary is open, if you want to peek at it feel free.0 -
Okay so I've 5 11 and have gone from 197 to 158 and I weigh myself every sunday. The problem is I've stayed 158 for several weeks and can't seem to go lower. I'm under my calorie goal and everything but I don't seem to be losing. Any tips or suggestions?
The only thing that makes you lose weight is a calorie deficit. Macros don't matter. Clean food does not matter. Of course you want enough protein and healthy food, but the fat cells do not care about that.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.What is the exact number of calories for you?
We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.
In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.
This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.
-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)0 -
If you're consistent with your calories and your macros are dialed in correctly and you're not losing weight... the only way to increase your deficit is to consume less calories or expend more calories through exercise.
There are lots of reasons why people who eat more lose more weight too. Maybe they find with more calories available they are more consistent and accurate on MFP. Maybe by consuming more food, they have more energy and end up expending more calories through exercise and active lifestyle.
The point is, eat more, or eat less. Whatever you do, be consistent, track your progress, and make changes accordingly.0 -
Okay so I've 5 11 and have gone from 197 to 158 and I weigh myself every sunday. The problem is I've stayed 158 for several weeks and can't seem to go lower. I'm under my calorie goal and everything but I don't seem to be losing. Any tips or suggestions?
The only thing that makes you lose weight is a calorie deficit. Macros don't matter. Clean food does not matter. Of course you want enough protein and healthy food, but the fat cells do not care about that.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
Macros dont matter??? youre crazy yo it matters a lot for body composition.
fat loss isnt linear??? yea it can be if you are consistant and track cardio and use MFP... and weigh urself at the same time of day -.-0 -
If you're consistent with your calories and your macros are dialed in correctly and you're not losing weight... the only way to increase your deficit is to consume less calories or expend more calories through exercise.
Completely disagree. Your body is constantly adapting over time, trying to lose body mass as slowly as possible to give the best chance of survival in case of a prolonged famine (think human history and evolution). You have to find an optimal calorie deficit that provides enough food for your body to be relaxed, but that will allow you to lose weight. Trying to force the weight off by continually eating less and less is a great way to produce stress on the body.The point is, eat more, or eat less. Whatever you do, be consistent, track your progress, and make changes accordingly.
Absolutely.
Personally I hit a plateau in June after about 5 months and 40 lbs lost on MFP. I was consistent and accurate in what I was logging and maintaining my net calorie goal. Stopped losing weight for a few weeks, got tired more easily during my workouts and took a lot longer to recover my energy. I thought about it and decided having maintained a 2 lb per week loss goal (~1000 Calories a day deficit) was becoming too hard to maintain and be healthy. I dropped to a 1 lb per week loss goal, adding 400-500 Calories per day to my diet. After about a week my energy was back, workout intensity came back up, and the weight started dropping off again rather quickly. More recently I found some success by cycling a few weeks at near a weight maintenance and back to a 1 lb per week loss goal to get the last couple pounds off to hit my goal weight.
When you have been on a calorie deficit for a prolonged period of time, you will have lost weight but also have slowed your metabolism. Eating a couple hundred calories per day can jump start things, but the longer you have had your metabolism stalled the longer it can take to get going again. Whatever you decide to do, make the change and give it 3-4 weeks for your body to react.0 -
If you're consistent with your calories and your macros are dialed in correctly and you're not losing weight... the only way to increase your deficit is to consume less calories or expend more calories through exercise.
Completely disagree. Your body is constantly adapting over time, trying to lose body mass as slowly as possible to give the best chance of survival in case of a prolonged famine (think human history and evolution). You have to find an optimal calorie deficit that provides enough food for your body to be relaxed, but that will allow you to lose weight. Trying to force the weight off by continually eating less and less is a great way to produce stress on the body.The point is, eat more, or eat less. Whatever you do, be consistent, track your progress, and make changes accordingly.
Absolutely.
Personally I hit a plateau in June after about 5 months and 40 lbs lost on MFP. I was consistent and accurate in what I was logging and maintaining my net calorie goal. Stopped losing weight for a few weeks, got tired more easily during my workouts and took a lot longer to recover my energy. I thought about it and decided having maintained a 2 lb per week loss goal (~1000 Calories a day deficit) was becoming too hard to maintain and be healthy. I dropped to a 1 lb per week loss goal, adding 400-500 Calories per day to my diet. After about a week my energy was back, workout intensity came back up, and the weight started dropping off again rather quickly. More recently I found some success by cycling a few weeks at near a weight maintenance and back to a 1 lb per week loss goal to get the last couple pounds off to hit my goal weight.
When you have been on a calorie deficit for a prolonged period of time, you will have lost weight but also have slowed your metabolism. Eating a couple hundred calories per day can jump start things, but the longer you have had your metabolism stalled the longer it can take to get going again. Whatever you decide to do, make the change and give it 3-4 weeks for your body to react.
Yeah I've started trying to make it so that everyday I have the same or as close to the same amount of calories left over. That way my calorie intake isn't all over the place. Hopefully that'll help0
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