Hit a plateu, calorie intake is already low enough..help?

melissavaughan5
melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, I've lost 30 lbs in about 4 and a half months,but i seem to be stuck on 150-149 lbs. Its so annoying cause i feel like i'm getting closer to my ultimate goal weight of 120 lbs but the scale has other ideas! Ive heard a lot of about plateaus and how you should reduce your calorie intake further but ive been eating 1300-1400 calories for a long while now. I recently cut down to 1200 yet theres no change, plus im feeling hungry all the time. I've also upped my exercise minutes and have incorporated strenght training into my regime but theres still no progress. What should I do?
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Replies

  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Can you give us a little more info. Height,, age...BMR and TDEE if you know them. How much exercise, what kind and do you eat back exercise calories?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You are going to have to eat more. Typically 15-20% less than your TDEE. Then when you get closer to your goal, recalculate and eat 10% less than your TDEE.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    Can you give us a little more info. Height,, age...BMR and TDEE if you know them. How much exercise, what kind and do you eat back exercise calories?
    In addition, how long has it been since no weight change? A true plateu is 3-4 weeks with no change. Tell us your MFP settings: weight loss goal per week, MFP's suggested calories, lifestyle/activity setting (sedentary, light active, etc.); this setting should NOT include your dedicated workouts, those should be logged using the Exercise tab.
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    149 lbs, 5"2. 21 years old, BMR is 1512.3 and my TDEE is 2331. I exercise about 5-6 days a week. 30-45 minutes if im doing high intesity exercises such as running and 90 minutes if im swimming. And no i do not eat back my calorie exercises.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    You are eating less than your BMR. Do this for long enough and you stop losing weight for a while especially working out like you are. You need to eat MORE not less.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    149 lbs, 5"2. 21 years old, BMR is 1512.3 and my TDEE is 2331. I exercise about 5-6 days a week. 30-45 minutes if im doing high intesity exercises such as running and 90 minutes if im swimming. And no i do not eat back my calorie exercises.

    Well, there is your problem. Eat 1800-1900 and do not eat back your exercise calories. Or, eat 1500-1600 plus exercise calories.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Okay that helps a lot. So 1300 isn't terribly low but you need to eat back your exercise calories. a deficit is already built in to the MFP system so by not eating those back you're really only getting a baseline of 700-1000 a day and you body craves 1500. So fo a while it worked and your body was happily using it's stored fuel and now you're getting closer to your goals and it's saying "Hold on I'm going to run out of fuel I need more....CONSERVE!" You need to eat more to even things out.

    It sounds backwards but it's okay I promise. I'm older than you so my metabolism isn't as good anymore (ah to be 21 again!) but I started here at 138 at 5'1" it's been about 2 months and I've lost 6 pounds. I set my goal just barely under my BMR and eat back most if not all my exercise calories. I also chose a slightly higher protein macro profile b/c I have a thing with carbs...I love them! a little too much. I fI were you I'd set my calorie goal at 1500 and eat most of my exercise calories back. It may be slow to work but it will work!
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    Ah i see....but the thing is, MFP says i should net 1200 calories a day, so if i start eating 1500 calories a day, and burn 300 through excercise, am i not meeting my net calories goal set by MFP? Therefore would i still need to eat back my excercise calories?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    No, you would eat 1500 + 300 in exercise calories so you would be netting 1500. You have to go in to your goals and manually change it to your new calorie goal.
  • Erykah3584
    Erykah3584 Posts: 324 Member
    Raise your calories. :)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    Good info here.
  • JAllen32
    JAllen32 Posts: 991 Member
    Yup, time to eat more. :-)
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    so on the days I'm excercising, i should really be eating 1800 calories? :noway: ha, i havent eaten that much in forever, not even on my so called 'cheat days'! So I'm guessing i should prepare for the scale to go up at first?
  • Erykah3584
    Erykah3584 Posts: 324 Member
    You might see a slight gain but just make sure you are eating healthy foods and watch your sodium intake. Dont make it 1800 calories of processed and fast food. :)
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    so on the days I'm excercising, i should really be eating 1800 calories? :noway: ha, i havent eaten that much in forever, not even on my so called 'cheat days'! So I'm guessing i should prepare for the scale to go up at first?

    Not necessarily. Don't jump it all at once. Add a little bit every week until you are there. It will take longer but you won't gain. If you go all at once you may gain but you will also start losing again faster (I think). To get to 1800, ditch 'low fat' junk, eat real food. Have meat, pasta, cream sauces and oils. Look at my diary if you want ideas - I'm still trying to get the macros under control but the calories are there. I just went up to 1800 my self.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Look for some calorie dense foods so that you aren't adding a lot of volume but you are adding cals. 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter is 188 calories. Cook with olive oil, or add some to your salads. 14 almonds is 100 calories. Half a medium avocado is about 125 calories.
  • evereadysmile
    evereadysmile Posts: 137
    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    Good info here.

    Hey this was REALLY helpful to me today! Thanks!!
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    I know it depends on the person, but if i start upping my calorie intake, (about 100-200 each week till i'm there), when should I start losing weight normally (about 2lbs p/w) again?
  • claudiacarmel
    claudiacarmel Posts: 39 Member
    I do that too sometimes, I just wait it out! It can be 2-3 weeks. Sometimes if I go off my eating regime, it will kick me back into gear of losing weight again, sounds weird but it actually works. Good luck to you.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
    eat more! up your calories by a couple hundred. I was stuck at 163 and did this and got to 158 in less than 2 weeks! Give it a try!
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    I do that too sometimes, I just wait it out! It can be 2-3 weeks. Sometimes if I go off my eating regime, it will kick me back into gear of losing weight again, sounds weird but it actually works. Good luck to you.

    I do the same thing. I keep exercising, but don't track anything I eat for a week or two (and don't weigh if I can resist) and when I start reducing my calories again the weight just starts falling off from where I was stuck. I never gain when I take a week or two off, it just jumps my weightloss into overdrive.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I know it depends on the person, but if i start upping my calorie intake, (about 100-200 each week till i'm there), when should I start losing weight normally (about 2lbs p/w) again?

    I didn't actually stop losing the first time because I caught it fast enough (from 1200 to 1600) But this time (from 1600 - 1800) I waited too long. I am hoping that I start again this week but it's anyone's guess. The longer you have been under eating the longer it will take to get you back to normal :(
  • canelly
    canelly Posts: 731 Member
    Raise your calories. :)
    Yup
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    It's not scientific by any means, but in the past when I was doing a diet and hit a plateau, I'd think about digging a hole. The dirt always comes out of the top easier than it does at the bottom. Keep doing the right thing; your body has to dig deeper now.

    Also think about archery. The arrow has to be pulled back before it can fly forward.
  • Erykah3584
    Erykah3584 Posts: 324 Member
    I know it depends on the person, but if i start upping my calorie intake, (about 100-200 each week till i'm there), when should I start losing weight normally (about 2lbs p/w) again?
    You cant expect to lose 2 pounds per week all the time. Just be patient. :smile: Well for me, the closer I get to my goal, the slower my weight comes off. Everybody is different though.
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    Yeah i suppose, i'd just hoped to be down to my ultimate goal weight (120lbs) by the new year and with 30 lbs to go, I don't think that's gonna happen. Ah well, if i'm at least 10lbs away from my goal weight by the new year, i'll consider that an achievement :)
  • Sweetsugar0424
    Sweetsugar0424 Posts: 451 Member
    I would say being down 30 lbs in 4 1/2 months is already a huge accomplishment so be happy with that and if you don't lose another 20 lbs in 2 months, that's ok. I've lost 34 lbs in 9 1/2 months and for me, that's perfectly ok. This is a life long journey, not something to be accomplished quickly and then you end up gaining it all back.

    I agree with every single post that says to up your calorie intake. I am not your size by any means (much taller), but I eat close to 1900 calories every day and don't worry about having to eat back what I exercise.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You have to change your amount of expected weight loss per week the closer you get to your goal. When you are down to your last 10-20 pounds, half a pound a week is a more reasonable goal.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    This, plain and simple, if you don't eat more, you won't lose any more weight. Your body is hanging onto every calorie it can.
    149 lbs, 5"2. 21 years old, BMR is 1512.3 and my TDEE is 2331. I exercise about 5-6 days a week. 30-45 minutes if im doing high intesity exercises such as running and 90 minutes if im swimming. And no i do not eat back my calorie exercises.

    Well, there is your problem. Eat 1800-1900 and do not eat back your exercise calories. Or, eat 1500-1600 plus exercise calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    so on the days I'm excercising, i should really be eating 1800 calories? :noway: ha, i havent eaten that much in forever, not even on my so called 'cheat days'! So I'm guessing i should prepare for the scale to go up at first?

    If your TDEE includes exercise and its 2200, then you would eat 1800 calories every day. It's just as important to feed your body on workout days as it is on rest days. This way your body can fully recover.

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