Am I helping my plateau?

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  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    If you're trying to eat low carb but get your calories in, try: eggs, nuts, peanut butter, cheese.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
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    Eat more.

    :)


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
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    Hey guys! I recently read somewhere on here that when you hit a plateau, an attempt to fake out your metabolism is to just have one day where you eat anything you want and then after that you eat healthy/clean for a week or 2. Well, coming from a girl who is set at 1200 but rarely eats all 1200 (nor does she eat the 300-500 calories she burns per day), I decided to eat almost 1500 calories today which is about 37 over my goal for the day (including both regular calories and exercise calories). So, my question is, with my specifics as far as my usual calorie intake, am I eating enough to help this plateau thing bc I find myself eating anything and everything in sight because I know I need to get more calories in. Speaking of, I just polished off my box of chocolate cheerios (yummmmm).

    WIth my mindless eating aside, do I need to eat more or am I okay because it is 7:00 PST and I am going to work in about 15 minutes and if there is one part of my diet that I follow on a regular basis is that I DO NOT eat after 9pm.


    Thank you!
    Worked for me (completely by accident) a couple weeks ago - was on a plateau since about November & then went a bit crazy while out of town with friends & saw my first real loss in months the week we came home. GL!
  • katbass
    katbass Posts: 351 Member
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    O.O you're consuming 1500 a day (and thats up from normal) and you're exercising 1100 off? Girl your body is holding on to whatever food you're giving it for dear LIFE! Its like omg omg I can't even function on what she's giving me so I had better store whatever I can, when I can get it.

    You need to eat a MINIMUM of 1200 calories a day if you were NOT exercising so 1200 base to start, and then at LEAST half your exercise calories if not more! I would take 4-5 days and eat 1500+half exercise. Im not kidding. I got over a 3 week plateau by increasing my intake from 1500/day to 2000/day for about 5 days. I increased my water during that time as well...

    bottom line is that when you're starving your body, it can't do what it needs to do and it holds on to every tiny bit it can to power you. Eat more = lose more in your case!

    Good luck!

    I agree with all of this :) I tried eating 1200 cals a day and it wasnt enough. I was losing, but VERRRY closely. I upped my intake to my BMR (1450 cals), and instantly saw weight loss, more energy, and no more feeling sof deprivation. If your body is used to 800 cals, and then you increased to 1200 and saw results, then there is evidence that you werent giving your body enough fuel. Your body.etabolism was hanging onto every ounce/pound/morsel just to keep you moving/functioning/breathing.
    I wont link you to all the posts that discuss this exact topic, since you already searched and didnt find what you wanted....but the info is out there. In my unprofessional, been-there-done-that opinion, you just arent eating enough.

    If you want something carb-y, but filling, try rice cakes with peanut butter. Or how about edamame (frozen sectiomn at walmart...less than $2...amazing). Or make a thick smoothy with banana and frozen fruits?
    Good Luck!
  • taylorfriedchicken
    taylorfriedchicken Posts: 47 Member
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    Ok, so if I up my calories to my BMR, what does my exercise schedule look like? FYI, I rarely burn 1100 calories a day from exercise (I just so happened to consume a whole lot of chocolate cheerios and felt bad about myself and just wanted to stay in the gym). In the beginning of my diet, I did about 20 min cardio per day but that was with a 800 calorie diet. Now I do about 60-70 min. Is that enough or should I do more?

    Also, do other MFP's suggest I eat my calories via BMR?
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    I just broke a plateau 3 weeks ago. I was very obese so I was able to get away with eating only 1200 calories a day (and no exercise calories) for a while. (the first 53 pounds to be exact). Well I stalled out with no loss for 3 weeks (actually, I kept losing and regaining the same couple of pounds) and I knew then I had to start eating more. I increased my calorie intake slowly from 1200 to eating about 50% of my exercise calories. This leaves me eating 1375-1450 calories most days. On top of that I "shocked" my metabolism. But you're not going to do that by eating a couple hundred calories more than usual. You need to eat BIG. At least eat your maintenance calories that day. I do it by having a big meal of something I've been craving -- mexican food, chinese food, etc. Then the next day I'm back to my routine. I've seen a loss within a week of shocking my metabolism EVERY single time I've done it (4 or 5 over the last 6 months). I shocked my metabolism REALLY well last weekend :laugh: with mexican food Friday night and Chinese food Sunday afternoon. Guess what -- I've still lost 2 pounds this week.

    Bottom line -- you're starving yourself. Seriously. That's why you've plateaued and until you wrap your head around the fact that you have to EAT to lose weight (especially to be healthy while losing weight), I'm betting it's not going to happen for you.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Also, do other MFP's suggest I eat my calories via BMR?

    I would agree with it.
    I would also agree with eating some of your exercise calories in addition to eating your base BMR calories. If you're pretty close to your goal (and looks like you are), your body is going to fight you the rest of the way (in the form of not wanting to lose any more weight). Most people can't handle large calorie deficits so close to their goal, so you want to keep it pretty small. No more than a 500 calorie deficit each day, I'd think. I mean, that's going to vary from person to person, but it's where I'd start.

    Also, please be aware that when you start eating more it's very possible you're going to gain a pound or 2 at first. DON'T FREAK OUT. Give it at LEAST a month before you expect any weight loss. Okay? :flowerforyou: if you see a loss before then, great. But if not, don't stress over it.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    Here's my experience...as I got closer to goal, I had to increase my calories. 1200 was just not enough. And it helped me to lose weight. At first I was on 1200 and was losing 2 lbs. a week consistently. Then I hit a point (10-15 til goal I think) and I found myself hungrier all the time and not losing. After asking some ppl on here, I decided to increase my cals, and I am still losing. Granted, I only lose about 0.5 pounds per week, but that is just fine with me!

    Exactly what Courtney says, you need to eat more.
    You said that you were not eating 1200 calories and not eating your exercise calories. That can cause a plateau.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    I second this.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    Here's my experience...as I got closer to goal, I had to increase my calories. 1200 was just not enough. And it helped me to lose weight. At first I was on 1200 and was losing 2 lbs. a week consistently. Then I hit a point (10-15 til goal I think) and I found myself hungrier all the time and not losing. After asking some ppl on here, I decided to increase my cals, and I am still losing. Granted, I only lose about 0.5 pounds per week, but that is just fine with me!

    Exactly what Courtney says, you need to eat more.
    You said that you were not eating 1200 calories and not eating your exercise calories. That can cause a plateau.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    I second this. Or fifth it...
  • katbass
    katbass Posts: 351 Member
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    I also forgot to mention that you should eat at LEAST 50% of your exercise calories. I find it really hard to do, but defintiely notice bigger weight loss when i eat GOOD calories to consume my exercise cals.
    I dont mean this the way it is going to sound, so please dont take offense. But 20 minutes of cardio should be your warm-up if you want to lose weight. In my experience, the more physically fit I become, the harder it is for me to get my heart rate up into the target "fat burning" range. Now that I have been consistantly working out at LEAST 5 days a week, it takes me quite of bit of effort to get into my target range. It isnt necessarily the number of minutes you exercise, but the intensity of the workout. I could spend an hour doing a high intensity cardio DVD and burn 600+ calories...or I could do a strength-training DVD for 60 minutes and "only" burn 300 cals.The second DVD builds muscle, which will help me burn fat faster in the future, but the actual 60 minutes spent lifting those weights doesnt burn the same number of calories for my 60 minute cardio DVD.
    So its not the number of minutes...its the intensity. Get your heart rate up and keep it up as long as your comfortable.
    In my opinion, this close to your goal, you are going to need ot make some changes before youll see changes on the scale.
  • taylorfriedchicken
    taylorfriedchicken Posts: 47 Member
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    So today I feel like crap. I did pretty well except I ate some chocolate (and it was a lot for someone who wasn't really eating any before). Also, I have no exercised yet but I always log in what I will do for the day so I knew how many exercise calories I would have. Feeling like crap and taking your advice I actually went over not just my regular calories but my exercise calories as well. Approx. 200 calories over.

    I hope this is okay and doesn't completely screw my whole plan up!
  • taylorfriedchicken
    taylorfriedchicken Posts: 47 Member
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    I also forgot to mention that you should eat at LEAST 50% of your exercise calories. I find it really hard to do, but defintiely notice bigger weight loss when i eat GOOD calories to consume my exercise cals.
    I dont mean this the way it is going to sound, so please dont take offense. But 20 minutes of cardio should be your warm-up if you want to lose weight. In my experience, the more physically fit I become, the harder it is for me to get my heart rate up into the target "fat burning" range. Now that I have been consistantly working out at LEAST 5 days a week, it takes me quite of bit of effort to get into my target range. It isnt necessarily the number of minutes you exercise, but the intensity of the workout. I could spend an hour doing a high intensity cardio DVD and burn 600+ calories...or I could do a strength-training DVD for 60 minutes and "only" burn 300 cals.The second DVD builds muscle, which will help me burn fat faster in the future, but the actual 60 minutes spent lifting those weights doesnt burn the same number of calories for my 60 minute cardio DVD.
    So its not the number of minutes...its the intensity. Get your heart rate up and keep it up as long as your comfortable.
    In my opinion, this close to your goal, you are going to need ot make some changes before youll see changes on the scale.

    Thank you for this advice, I have thought about it before. And to be completely honest, my heart rate is always in the fat burning zone if not an even higher zone by my 2nd minute into cardio. I do about level 8 on elliptical (but go back and forth between 6-10) and for bicycling I tend to stay on 6 for the most part but pump it up to 10 during different songs and stuff. I know I am working intensely (people stare at me at my machine hahaha) because sometimes I tend to go back and forth with intensities during choruses of songs or even between different songs.

    So, getting back to my 20 min cardio a day thing that me make it more clear by giving you guys an example of my schedule (in the past month and a half because it has sort of changed now)

    Mondays: gym by 7:00am (20-30 min cardio & 15 min ab work)
    Tuesdays: I had an improv class that was an aerobic workout so I counted that as about 400 calories burned for 90 min
    Wednesdays: (same as mondays)
    Thursdays: swimming (about 25 min moderate) and sometimes 30 min cardio in gym
    Fridays: hip hop dance class for about 180 minutes which burns about 500 calories for me if not more.
    Saturdays: break
    Sundays: break


    Sometimes this workout schedule would change depending on my mood including sundays and saturdays when I felt extra lazy and needed to get my butt to the gym.

    Again, with this schedule I ate about 800 calories and lost 20 lbs in a month.

    Now that I am/was consuming 1200 I have been doing about 40-60 min cardio at the gym per day and go 6 to 7 days a week.

    I honestly don't know where I stand and I feel like I just need a new plan of a workout schedule and dietary schedule.

    If anyone has any great advice that would be greatly appreciated since I usually am okay with scheduling but my latest plateau has me confused.
  • taylorfriedchicken
    taylorfriedchicken Posts: 47 Member
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    UPDATE:

    So, since this past saturday, I have been home and while it has been hard to exercise everyday, eating has not been terrible. I stayed with my diet (and ate all my calories and then some) but the scale is telling me other wise: it is slowly going up. I've been weighing myself everyday just to see how each day affects me from food to activity and I just keep gaining about .4 pounds a day.


    While this originally got me down, I finally went shopping for a new pair of jeans (well, an in between for now since all my jeans are too big on me) and.... I am a size 8!!! This is coming from a girl who before starting MFP was a size 13/14 and sometimes 11/12. So, I guess it's true when people say the scale doesn't matter when you notice the inches and I would have to agree.


    HOWEVER, it would be nice to see the scale move down and actually see numerical progress! hmmmm.

    While I am extremely happy with my success, I still am having issues with my program.

    Thanks everyone for the support!
  • lisawest
    lisawest Posts: 798 Member
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    While this originally got me down, I finally went shopping for a new pair of jeans (well, an in between for now since all my jeans are too big on me) and.... I am a size 8!!! This is coming from a girl who before starting MFP was a size 13/14 and sometimes 11/12. So, I guess it's true when people say the scale doesn't matter when you notice the inches and I would have to agree.

    Great job!!! I know the numbers aren't showing it yet, but size 8!!!!:noway: :smokin: Great job!

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