Plateau? Need Help!

emilynicole02
emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Alright, I think I might have hit a plateau but I am not quite sure... here's a short summary of my story and where I am with my weight loss and then I would like some advice as to what I should change, add, get rid of, tips, tricks, anything!

Started MFP about a year ago, took a couple months to get in regular routine of working out and eating healthy... when I started a routine pattern I immediately lost 12 lbs. I then hit my first plateau... I wasn't working out harder than the first couple months so slowly the pounds came back on... currently I am 3 lbs lower than what my original weight was when I started MFP.

For awhile, a couple months back I have been fluctuating between 2 lbs up then down, up then down... and now I have been sitting at this "up" of the 2lbs...

My workout regime is Jillian MIchaels DVD, I have been trying to push play at least 3x a week if not 5 days. I have done a few 5k's, and go for walks.

As far as my eating habits, I usually have eggs with toast for breakfast, a healthy lunch of either a sandwhich thins w/ ham, laughing cow wedge, & lettuce or a smart ones dinner etc, and supper try to make it as healthy as possible considering I am feeding my boyfriend as well.... I try to find something off of skinnytaste.com or some type of chicken meal with veggies...

Not sure if anybody has any further questions before they are able to answer mine, but feel free to ask!

Is there anything I should be watching I eat more/less of? ex: carbs, protein,fiber, etc... that could be jamming up my weight loss?

What I was thinking was that maybe I need to up my calories for a week or two, then lower them back down to what they are at now?

My diary is open!

Any advice is welcome, please be nice :)

Replies

  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    diary isn't open.
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    should be now! sorry!
  • FiveElevenClimb
    FiveElevenClimb Posts: 89
    How much weight are you trying to lose? reason for asking is the closer to your goal, the harder it becomes..
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    should be now! sorry!

    Looking back over a few days, I don't see a lot of fresh veggies/fruits. The fact that there's even a category that basically is for stuff you know you shouldn't have is a little concerning. Sodium/Sugar/Fats seems to go overboard some days... then there are some days where it looks like you were eating one meal a day? 9am-12pm?

    Skinny taste is fantastic and I've used a ton of their recipes, so no stress there.

    You're drinking plenty of water, I would just consider getting something fresh in the diet at first glance.

    Maybe switch up some training? lifting or more intense runs?
  • bullfr0g
    bullfr0g Posts: 5 Member
    Sugar, Sugar, Sugar.

    Also, you want to have more calories earlier in the day, like breakfast and lunch, than at dinner. Dinner should be your lightest meal. Also your little indulgences should not happen in the evening but earlier in the day.

    In addition how you are sleeping, how much, quality of, makes a huge impact.
  • FiveElevenClimb
    FiveElevenClimb Posts: 89
    I agree with trog though. Lifting does amazing things. In my experiences weight lifting breaks plateaus very effectively if it is done right. Lift "heavy" and your body is forced to change..
  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
    I'm no expert, and just started this myself, but I'd try changing out the frozen dinners and processed snacks for something home-cooked. I'm also not seeing very many fruits and vegetables. Do you use a scale to weigh out portions? I've found that helps me a lot as I was underestimating what I was actually eating.
  • FiveElevenClimb
    FiveElevenClimb Posts: 89
    Sugar, Sugar, Sugar.

    Also, you want to have more calories earlier in the day, like breakfast and lunch, than at dinner. Dinner should be your lightest meal. Also your little indulgences should not happen in the evening but earlier in the day.

    In addition how you are sleeping, how much, quality of, makes a huge impact.

    Doesn't matter when you eat as long as you are under your calories for the day. you can eat all your calories in one sitting if you choose to. as long as your are at your calorie goal.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,166 Member
    Are you trying to change your shape or are you just trying to make your scale number go down?

    How tall are you? How much do you want to weigh? Do you care if you are "skinny fat"?
  • juliaamilee
    juliaamilee Posts: 262 Member
    Plateau for a year and half now... My suggestions that obviously have not worked as I try to figure it out is to.. Change it up, Eats lots of fruits and vegetables, and watch that sodium I only looked back at a few days but there lots of sodium there
  • Sheilagh85
    Sheilagh85 Posts: 33 Member
    I would definitely try more whole foods. Not so much processed stuff. If it comes in a box or pre-packaged its usually not great for you. I broke a plateau a couple months ago by eating clean and haven't looked back since, you will get used to it quickly and start to crave fruits and veggies and not even want the sugary/carby stuff.
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    I am trying to lose roughly 40 lbs.
    I am 5'1" and 23 years old.

    I do weigh my food with a scale.

    I want to lose weight and reshape my body. I want to get back to what I was at in high school. This was the best shape of my life!
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    What does "eating clean" all entail...sorry for the stupid question but I feel like this is why I am "stuck" bc I don't know HOW to eat clean...
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
    Plateau for a year and half now... My suggestions that obviously have not worked as I try to figure it out is to.. Change it up, Eats lots of fruits and vegetables, and watch that sodium I only looked back at a few days but there lots of sodium there

    Essentially, with weight loss, there are so many different ways that can work for different people that it can be a bit confusing. Which way is best for you?.

    Weight loss is all about eating less than your body needs, because for a time you have eaten more than your body needs. Your body will take stored fatty acids and lipids and burn them as fuel when you don't eat enough - but there's a catch, your body can't burn fat directly, the fatty acids have to be chained with other amino acids (proteins) in order to be burnt. If you don't eat enough protein while you are cutting calories, your body will *take* proteins from whatever source is available - your muscles.

    If you are gaining and losing the same 5 or 10 pounds over and over, and not dropping, then your diet varies in much the same way. Every bite of food contributes to weight gain, even liquid calories. People who are in a coma are fed a liquid diet consisting of protein shake mix, carb powders, and fats(with vitamins and minerals of course). Some people with injuries or an inability to process nutrients through their intestinal system are fed vitamins, minerals, and carbs-fats-proteins intravenously. What I mean is that everything needs to be counted in your food diary, especially if you are having a lot of trouble losing weight.

    I'm not sure how much weight you have to lose, and I couldn't even begin to guess, but your diary looks like you're eating in the neighborhood of 1200 calories. It looks like you eat out at restaurants here and there - which is cool, I do too - But one thing you should know is that the calorie counts you can find online or on a menu are *on average* off by 20%.

    Some items tested by independent labs have found double or triple the calories in food ordered by secret shoppers and sent off. A 300 calorie salad can sometimes have over a thousand calories total if the cook makes it heavy on the dressing and heavy on the cheese..

    I had an issue where I was staying close to 180 pounds for the last 3 weeks, and it was because I had been undervaluing the calories in my meals eaten out, I love chicken wings and beer. When I went back and adjusted the calorie counts up 20% for everything, my food journal painted a picture of eating around maintenance or somewhat over on calories for the week. After I ate green vegetables and lean protein to get back on track I saw a 3 pound loss the next day - down to 177 =)

    I don't want you to take "eating out is bad" or that some things are off limits, but you might want to limit your restaurant trips. High calorie, medium fat, and medium carb meal plans will work fine. And even the protein can be medium, if you don't work out on TOO crazy of a schedule.

    If your current efforts are not showing you a loss of 1-2 lbs a week - WHILE EATING AT A DEFICIT, then your calorie counts are off. Most of us know that you can't outwork a crap diet. You gain a killer body from your kitchen, not your gym. Weight loss is 85% diet and 15% exercise.

    Find a diet schedule that works for you, and if you'd like to read more about different ways to lose fat, I can point you in one direction only. This guy's blog seems to be devoted to finding out the truth behind different people's weight loss successes.

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

    I am giving out his Intermittent fasting a try, not because I believe in his hormonal research on fasted state this-or-that, but because it makes sense to me and it fits how I would normally eat, In eating on a 16/8 fast, I consume my daily calories between noon and 8pm, and then fast the rest of the time. It makes calorie counting a lot easier.

    I have to close this with - we must all find what works for us, a diet schedule we can follow and a meal plan that is satisfying for us - we have to live with eating like this for forever, it's not just going to be a crash down to our goal weight and then eating like before. Intermittent Fasting works for me (so far), but may not be what works for you, some people can't go 4 hours before and after bed without eating..
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
    What does "eating clean" all entail...sorry for the stupid question but I feel like this is why I am "stuck" bc I don't know HOW to eat clean...

    The idea is, the more processed and refined a food is, the faster our bodies absorb it. Generally, we feel more full when we eat foods that are from a more raw state that our bodies have to gnaw on and break down. Baked chicken is a good example, it takes our bodies FOREVER to digest all of that. Steamed Broccoli is also a good one with a lot of fiber. Fish, eggs, all kinds of fruit and vegetables are going to be cleaner, simply because they will help you feel more full, have less salt, and have less hidden "ingredients" in them. The calorie counts on them will be much more accurate too.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Hi Emily I went back over around 10 days and it looks like at the beginning you were adding quick cals...but now you got over them lol!

    But sodium is quite high right through the days that I checked out?

    There is no quick fix for plateaus you can only juggle things about your body will learn as you teach it.

    Keep up the good work watch the sodium and sugar, eat lots of protein to fill you up and add the exercise x
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,166 Member
    Losing weight isn't complicated - it's just calories in being less than calories out. So, it's great that you are measuring!

    Changing shape means you need to hit the weights - hard and heavy.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    You look young, about 22? How tall are you? How much do you weigh?

    I ask because it's possible you have your calories set unrealistically low. 1400 is not very much, unless you are really short or extremely overweight.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/804485-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • moniquedeanne
    moniquedeanne Posts: 249 Member
    I've done Jillian Michael's 30 shred in the past. It's just not enough to break a plateau without more. I'd add some heavy lifting or try Jillian Michael's Body Revolution it's a 6 day a week program. It's seems to be working for me. But heavy lifting circuit training alone should bust any plateau you just need to make sure your eating enough to fuel your body and workouts.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
    You look young, about 22? How tall are you? How much do you weigh?

    I ask because it's possible you have your calories set unrealistically low. 1400 is not very much, unless you are really short or extremely overweight.

    She's 5'1 and 23 years old looking to lose 40. Says it all up there ^^^
  • bullfr0g
    bullfr0g Posts: 5 Member
    This is true in theory but not in practice. When and what you eat affect your body in many ways that effect weight loss. Eating 1600 calories worth of butterscotch before you got sleep is not going to result in healthy weight loss.

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