Need feedback --- at a plateau

lacismomma
lacismomma Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys! I'm not getting discouraged by any means, as I know that just over 8 lbs lost in my first few weeks is really good (a good part of that being water, I know). However, I've been exercising more, and eating most all of my exercise calories back, and eating really well---yet this week I didn't have a loss to report. I didn't gain, but I didn't lose. I hear it said all the time, that a plateau sometimes is the body adjusting to your new activity, and building muscle, and that soon I'll begin seeing results again. While that may be true, I wonder if I need to adjust my daily calories allowance upward by a couple hundred, since I'm exercising more regularly. I worry that the calories burned calculations are throwing my weight loss off, as many of them in the database are based on a different weight than mine, and our calories burned depend on several factors, including our weight. I'm seriously considering the purchase of a HRM to get a more accurate reading. Any thoughts here gang?

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    1. One week isn't a plateau.
    2. You're often over on sodium, which can cause your body to hang on to water, and make it hard to show a loss of weight.
    3. How did you burn over 3000 exercise calories in one day?
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Good for you! You know not to get discouraged.

    First don't forget weight loss isn't always even it often happens in what Ic all chucks. I'll sit at the same weight for a couple weeks and the Woosh! off comes a pound so you have to keep at it. Also do you take measurements b/c for me sometimes when I feel stuck my measurements are going down and I know the scale will follow soon.

    A few questions what's your goal weight and current weight? How much you have to lose make s abig difference in how fast it goes. Also what weight loss did you choose 1 pound a week, two? That make s a difference. Did you just go with what MFP suggested? Sometimes that doesn't work for everyone and you may need to tweak things a little (I did).

    Good job on the weight you've already lost!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    1 week is not a plateau.
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    The 3,000 calories burned was 8- 1hour games of softball in a day for a tournament. Of course, I couldn't possibly eat that much back, nor did I figure that was entirely accurate.
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    "1 week is not a plateau."


    Yes, I realize that it isn't a "true" plateau. Please don't judge---if you're just replying to be snide, please don't. I am used to consistently losing SOMETHING each week, and this week was diff. Just really wanted someone to look at my diary and say, "aha---this looks like it could be an issue for you", or what you could have said was, "don't think that just because you didn't lose this week, you won't." Yet, I have told myself that. It's not that I think I'm not going to lose more, I just wanted more experienced folks to look at what I'm doing and see if they see some pattern that I need to break---something that would give me multiple weeks of no weight loss, or if they feel like from their own experiences, this could be just temporary.
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    Good for you! You know not to get discouraged.

    First don't forget weight loss isn't always even it often happens in what Ic all chucks. I'll sit at the same weight for a couple weeks and the Woosh! off comes a pound so you have to keep at it. Also do you take measurements b/c for me sometimes when I feel stuck my measurements are going down and I know the scale will follow soon.

    A few questions what's your goal weight and current weight? How much you have to lose make s abig difference in how fast it goes. Also what weight loss did you choose 1 pound a week, two? That make s a difference. Did you just go with what MFP suggested? Sometimes that doesn't work for everyone and you may need to tweak things a little (I did).

    Good job on the weight you've already lost!

    Thank you! This is exactly the helpful feedback I was looking for!

    Current weight, 180 lbs. Goal, 145. I chose 2 lbs per week---realistically and by calculations, about 1.5 lbs per week. That puts me at 1200 calories allowance per day. I stay within that, and TRY to stay within the other allowances for fat, protein, etc. but I don't know if those are right for me or not. I am not consistent with water intake, and know I need to step that up. I do love salt, so I'm sure I take in waaay too much, which is why I just today added sodium to my tracker. I really should start doing weekly measurements too---what a big boost it would be to see my measurements going down!
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    1. One week isn't a plateau.
    2. You're often over on sodium, which can cause your body to hang on to water, and make it hard to show a loss of weight.
    3. How did you burn over 3000 exercise calories in one day?

    Thank you for this---I know it isn't really a plateau, just want to avoid several weeks without weight loss. I am going to work hard to reduce my sodium, and have added that to my tracker. Thanks for the input!
  • Gennacy
    Gennacy Posts: 27 Member
    Time of the Month can affect some females weight loss, I don't know if this is the case for you, but kept it in mind :)
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Good for you! You know not to get discouraged.

    First don't forget weight loss isn't always even it often happens in what Ic all chucks. I'll sit at the same weight for a couple weeks and the Woosh! off comes a pound so you have to keep at it. Also do you take measurements b/c for me sometimes when I feel stuck my measurements are going down and I know the scale will follow soon.

    A few questions what's your goal weight and current weight? How much you have to lose make s abig difference in how fast it goes. Also what weight loss did you choose 1 pound a week, two? That make s a difference. Did you just go with what MFP suggested? Sometimes that doesn't work for everyone and you may need to tweak things a little (I did).

    Good job on the weight you've already lost!

    Thank you! This is exactly the helpful feedback I was looking for!

    Current weight, 180 lbs. Goal, 145. I chose 2 lbs per week---realistically and by calculations, about 1.5 lbs per week. That puts me at 1200 calories allowance per day. I stay within that, and TRY to stay within the other allowances for fat, protein, etc. but I don't know if those are right for me or not. I am not consistent with water intake, and know I need to step that up. I do love salt, so I'm sure I take in waaay too much, which is why I just today added sodium to my tracker. I really should start doing weekly measurements too---what a big boost it would be to see my measurements going down!

    So let's see...first of all hello and go KU =) I'm in KC myself so you're just down the road! Okay so not knowing your height if you are between 5'3" and 5'10" your BMR is between 1480 and 1590. so 1200 is going to be too low. It will work at first to jump start your weight loss and then your body will jsut decide it's not enough and you'll stop losing. Now you may not really be at that point just yet, but know that it's coming. You can wait for it if you want but tby then your meatbolism might be a little out of whack. I suggest you start eating a few more calories now. MFP started me on 1200 and my BMR is just over 1300 (so I wasn't way under but I'm fun sized i.e. short) and I feel so much better more energy ets eating at least my BMR every day. You may not lose quite as fast but slow and steady wins this race!
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    [/quote]

    So let's see...first of all hello and go KU =) I'm in KC myself so you're just down the road! Okay so not knowing your height if you are between 5'3" and 5'10" your BMR is between 1480 and 1590. so 1200 is going to be too low. It will work at first to jump start your weight loss and then your body will jsut decide it's not enough and you'll stop losing. Now you may not really be at that point just yet, but know that it's coming. You can wait for it if you want but tby then your meatbolism might be a little out of whack. I suggest you start eating a few more calories now. MFP started me on 1200 and my BMR is just over 1300 (so I wasn't way under but I'm fun sized i.e. short) and I feel so much better more energy ets eating at least my BMR every day. You may not lose quite as fast but slow and steady wins this race!
    [/quote]

    I am 5'5"----what do you suggest given all the other info, and my height?
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    At 5'5 your BMR is 1512....it's an estimate anyway so let's just round that to 1500. If you're lightly active which it sounds like you are if you play ina softball leage and such your TDEE is going to be arouns 2000 a day so you could eat 1500 a daya nd still have a 500 calorie defict. That would be a pound a week. SoI would say set you goal to around 1450 (I always leave some room for understimating calories eaten) and only eat back half of your extra calories earned. extra are only above and beyond what you normally do.(for me it'a all extra b/c I was totally lazy before I decided to get healthy and lose a few pounds).

    You might want to raise it 100 for a couple weeks then 150 rather than all at once.... but really 250 isn't that much overall so whatever makes you feel best.

    eta: Oh it looks like you rasied it already. Did you or were you already at 1400?
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    At 5'5 your BMR is 1512....it's an estimate anyway so let's just round that to 1500. If you're lightly active which it sounds like you are if you play ina softball leage and such your TDEE is going to be arouns 2000 a day so you could eat 1500 a daya nd still have a 500 calorie defict. That would be a pound a week. SoI would say set you goal to around 1450 (I always leave some room for understimating calories eaten) and only eat back half of your extra calories earned. extra are only above and beyond what you normally do.(for me it'a all extra b/c I was totally lazy before I decided to get healthy and lose a few pounds).

    You might want to raise it 100 for a couple weeks then 150 rather than all at once.... but really 250 isn't that much overall so whatever makes you feel best.

    eta: Oh it looks like you rasied it already. Did you or were you already at 1400?

    I did just decide to raise it to 1400---gonna try that for a couple days. Then, I figure that gives me the room when I need it, and I can still under-eat by a few if I'm not that active. Thought I'd try it out for a bit and see where it takes me.
  • cmccorma
    cmccorma Posts: 203 Member
    weight loss is not linear. i lose a couple one week, none the next etc. my weight loss progress looks like stairs. down a few, then straight for a few weeks, then down a few. it has been this way since i started. if your calories are working for you, keep it up.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Hey guys! I'm not getting discouraged by any means, as I know that just over 8 lbs lost in my first few weeks is really good (a good part of that being water, I know). However, I've been exercising more, and eating most all of my exercise calories back, and eating really well---yet this week I didn't have a loss to report. I didn't gain, but I didn't lose. I hear it said all the time, that a plateau sometimes is the body adjusting to your new activity, and building muscle, and that soon I'll begin seeing results again. While that may be true, I wonder if I need to adjust my daily calories allowance upward by a couple hundred, since I'm exercising more regularly. I worry that the calories burned calculations are throwing my weight loss off, as many of them in the database are based on a different weight than mine, and our calories burned depend on several factors, including our weight. I'm seriously considering the purchase of a HRM to get a more accurate reading. Any thoughts here gang?
    Two different things are most likely causing the slowing or reverse of weight loss...
    1. Over estimation of calories burned... I'm over 300 pounds and have done 3 hour workouts and haven't burned over 1500 calories in a day... If you are eating back exercise calories then you are consuming calories at a rate that is higher than you are probably burning them.
    2. The comment about sodium was very true... water is retained when you consume excess amounts of sodium... Use nature's diuretic, drink more water, and get the sodium intake down and your water retention will diminish.
    Without seeing specifics these are the two most likely suspects on slowed weight loss. The third most likely culprit is consuming new foods and not accurately taking account of serving sizes...
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    The 3,000 calories burned was 8- 1hour games of softball in a day for a tournament. Of course, I couldn't possibly eat that much back, nor did I figure that was entirely accurate.
    Depending upon your weight, the position you play and how accustomed to softball you are I would suggest 1600 to 2400 calories as a maximum burned... I also do not believe in eating back all of your exercise calories... Eat some back if you are hungry, but not all of them...
  • lacismomma
    lacismomma Posts: 17
    The 3,000 calories burned was 8- 1hour games of softball in a day for a tournament. Of course, I couldn't possibly eat that much back, nor did I figure that was entirely accurate.
    Depending upon your weight, the position you play and how accustomed to softball you are I would suggest 1600 to 2400 calories as a maximum burned... I also do not believe in eating back all of your exercise calories... Eat some back if you are hungry, but not all of them...

    Thanks for the feedback. On the days where I played many games of softball, I tracked them, but didn't really believe the calories MFP said I burned. Even on days of high activity like that, I will do (and have done) just as you said---eat some back if I'm hungry. No matter what, on those days I still made sure to stay under 2,000 calories, that way at the very least, I would maintain for that day. The last thing I want to do is gain! :)

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