Tips for a plateaued weight?
maxman190
Posts: 7
Alright, so I've been stuck on around 221ish pound for nearly a week now, whereas I lost at a much steady rate weeks before. At times I try to eat at LEAST 1200 cals, but sometimes I'm not that hungry and I eat less than 900 cals maybe once a week. Is there anyway to push beyond my stalled weight?
I normally eat cereal for breakfast and for linner, I usually eat turkey sandwich or 8 cups of steamed eggplants/broccoli and after that I either eat 2 apples or 2 oranges for dessert.
As of today, I've switched to a protein meal replacement shake, but that lowered my cal intake for breakfast from 300+ to about 120... Now I'm packing in all my nutrients by drinking protein shakes along with Nestle Carnations Breakfast Essentials, also took vitamin E softgel along with fish oil softgels to prevent malnutrition.
P.S. - I'm not sure if what I mentioned about my food intake is completely accurate as I have a terrible sense of time and memory... You can check my food diary for an accurate intake. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/maxman190
I started using MFP on November 18, 2012.
I normally eat cereal for breakfast and for linner, I usually eat turkey sandwich or 8 cups of steamed eggplants/broccoli and after that I either eat 2 apples or 2 oranges for dessert.
As of today, I've switched to a protein meal replacement shake, but that lowered my cal intake for breakfast from 300+ to about 120... Now I'm packing in all my nutrients by drinking protein shakes along with Nestle Carnations Breakfast Essentials, also took vitamin E softgel along with fish oil softgels to prevent malnutrition.
P.S. - I'm not sure if what I mentioned about my food intake is completely accurate as I have a terrible sense of time and memory... You can check my food diary for an accurate intake. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/maxman190
I started using MFP on November 18, 2012.
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Replies
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I am guessing that you're not eating enough and your body is stressed. I abhor the term "starvation mode" but prefer the term "conservation mode". I'm no expert but I didn't lose weight at 1200 kcal. and I felt lousy as well. Sometimes people say they just aren't hungry and it's difficult to eat more, if this is your issue try to incorporate more physical activity. What's your goal weight? If it's 190 lbs as your screen name suggests you should see how many kcal it takes to maintain that weight and eat that amount, you can cut 10-15% from that but 1200 kcal is just not sustainable in my experience. Best of luck.0
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Have you lost 23 lbs in a month? Or did you manually enter a higher starting weight?0
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Yeah, it was in a month and one week. Lol, my doctor was shocked.0
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you weigh too much to eat so little, especially when you are a male.0
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You "try" to eat 1200 but end up eating less than 900 O.O.....Ummmmmmm You need to eat more...lots more...
If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.
Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance
And if you are looking for foods to help with upping your calorie intake, I suggest checking this out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/410771-i-can-t-reach-my-calorie-goal-it-s-too-much-food
For the whole eating under a 1000 calories, look...you are going to do what you want but check out the link below at some of the stories of people who thought it was okay (especially because they weren't "feeling" hungry a lot of times) but ended up regretting it. These links are just information to give you options. I'm not preaching or trying to tell you or anyone what is the "right way"...just throwing some info your way is all.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521480-1000-calories-or-less-a-day0 -
Wow... too aggressive! I like to eat *and* lose weight. Eat more. You won't be able to keep up that type of diet for long. I'm hungry just looking at your diary. Why skip lunch?0
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Bump up the eating, son!
Honestly, I think you should aim for 1800-2000 calories per day. It's not as big a deficit as what you've had lately, but it's FAR more sustainable and you'll be less likely to fall off once you reach or get closer to your goal, and you should look to achieve more of your caloric burn from exercise. Do some cardio, do some weights.. your metabolism will creep on that large of a caloric deficit.
I started my fitness journey at that same 1800-2000 calories per day, concentrating on higher protein consumption and doing P90X. Even at that consumption I was able to go from 185lbs to as low as 160lbs within about five months time - being heavier, you would definitely see much quicker results.0 -
I recommend a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger, Large Fries and a Chocolate Shake at Burger King. As you can see from my name, it doesn't work either so you have nothing to lose
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1 week is not a plateau, if you stick for 3 weeks that is a plateau and you must shake things up your not eating enough, seriously you aren't. You must eat all your cals and eat back most of your exercise cals. At your weight, loss should be consistent most weeks. Up your cals, I upped mine and that worked! Eating more really does help you weigh less! Ok for me I'm almost at goal, it's still darn hard but I'm getting there!
Persevere!
Drink loads of water, exercise as much as you can and ready within your allowance and you will see results!
all the best with your journey.0 -
You are not plateaued. A plateau is not losing weight over a period of a number of weeks, not less than one.
Weight loss is not linear. You may not lose weight every week, some weeks you may even go up. There are a whole number of things that affect scale weight, like water retention. Just because the scale isn't moving does not mean you aren't losing fat.0 -
For a 19 year old male, you are not eating enough!!!!0
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For a 19 year old male, you are not eating enough!!!!
This! I didn't know you were a young male.0 -
As everyone here recognizes, you arent eating enough.... & even 1500 cals is not enough. Recalculate your goal to NO MORE THAN 2 LBs loss per week. (1 -1.5 per week is better)
Eat at least 3 balanced meals daily & dont worry so much as to what. Add a few snacks if necessary, I do.
I eat anything I want, as long as it fits my daily goal. Check my diary, you will see candy, cookies, cake, butter, & cream...all in moderation. I will worry about eating better once I drop more weight.
Friend you can plan it taking over a year for you to lose the weight youre trying to drop. It's gonna be long & difficult. Dont make it any harder than it is. Reduce the processed foods, sodas, and sugar, but eat the foods you like.
You gotta eat to lose.0 -
The only problem is that I'm Chinese, so everywhere around me is usually Chinese food and not much of it is in the MFP database, so I try to estimate the calories in it by adding the ingredients into the diary, but I worry that I'm eating too much because of the inaccurate calories, so that's why I tend to eat less.0
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The only problem is that I'm Chinese, so everywhere around me is usually Chinese food and not much of it is in the MFP database, so I try to estimate the calories in it by adding the ingredients into the diary, but I worry that I'm eating too much because of the inaccurate calories, so that's why I tend to eat less.
Real chinese food tends to have a lot of veggies. And just watch your portions...but don't NOT eat. There is a recipe part of MFP if you want to put in all the ingredients for a dish and then have it saved for later input. There are also a lot of dishes that people have put into MFP that are homemade. Pick one of those if that is easier.
Either way, the fact that you are eating so little doesn't change the fact that you are eating too little. Calculate your TDEE, set your calorie goal to -20% below that and eat.0 -
^^^^^^Wow... too aggressive! I like to eat *and* lose weight. Eat more. You won't be able to keep up that type of diet for long. I'm hungry just looking at your diary. Why skip lunch?
THIS
I am in this fight to win the war - not victory in a few fast battles.
All I would advise is follow MFP recommendations where you can realize steady and lasting results for life.
This is not a race.
Good Luck!0 -
Alright, so I've been checking out my BMR and TDEE, the thing is, when I was 240+ and I ate AT LEAST 1800, no more than 2000, I gained weight! Which is why I'm so cautious with my eating habits now.
Also, I'm not really understanding the whole TDEE thing, I grew up learning that 2000 calories is the maximum I should eat each day...
Okay, so the calculator says that my BMR is 2208 and my TDEE is 2649 and I read a tread in MFP that we should not eat below our BMR... so I need to eat at least 2208 cals a day? It just seems like it's A LOT of calories for me... and whenever I see a red mark in MFP app when I go over my goal calories, I just feel really really guilty and I eat a lot less...
On the app, it just auto set to my current weight and I chose that I wanted to lose 2lbs/week with little to no exercise and that my goal calories is 1520.
Also, would I need to watch my carb and fat intake? Because for this past month, I'm just focusing on my calorie intake.0 -
You "try" to eat 1200 but end up eating less than 900 O.O.....Ummmmmmm You need to eat more...lots more...
If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.
Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance
And if you are looking for foods to help with upping your calorie intake, I suggest checking this out:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/410771-i-can-t-reach-my-calorie-goal-it-s-too-much-food
For the whole eating under a 1000 calories, look...you are going to do what you want but check out the link below at some of the stories of people who thought it was okay (especially because they weren't "feeling" hungry a lot of times) but ended up regretting it. These links are just information to give you options. I'm not preaching or trying to tell you or anyone what is the "right way"...just throwing some info your way is all.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521480-1000-calories-or-less-a-day
^^^^ THIS ^^^^0 -
So you were eating at least 1800 when you were overweight..but you aren't sure how much..just that it was at least 1800. You aren't going to gain weight if you are eating below your TDEE. You were probably eating a lot more calorie wise then you realized.
Your TDEE is 2649. So set your calorie goal to -20% below that which is about 2100 calories.
Also, you need to be careful about your attitude you are taking. You are going to end up pushing yourself to having an eating disorder if you start feeling guilty about eating. Don't be scared of food. Eat smarter. Make conscious decisions towards healthier decisions and watch your portions. See if eating smaller meals or snacking throughout the day works better for you than 3 set meals.
Make sure you log everything correctly. I say this especially because you said you tend to eat 900 or less and "try" to get to 1200 but looking at your diary, on average, you have been eating between 1200-1400 just fine. Are you over estimating knowing you aren't really eating that calorie amount??? If so..stop that and record as accurately as possibly.
Are you exercising at all?0 -
Actually can I get your info? Like your height, GW, and your activity level?0
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Alright, so I've been stuck on around 221ish pound for nearly a week now, whereas I lost at a much steady rate weeks before. At times I try to eat at LEAST 1200 cals, but sometimes I'm not that hungry and I eat less than 900 cals maybe once a week. Is there anyway to push beyond my stalled weight?
I normally eat cereal for breakfast and for linner, I usually eat turkey sandwich or 8 cups of steamed eggplants/broccoli and after that I either eat 2 apples or 2 oranges for dessert.
As of today, I've switched to a protein meal replacement shake, but that lowered my cal intake for breakfast from 300+ to about 120... Now I'm packing in all my nutrients by drinking protein shakes along with Nestle Carnations Breakfast Essentials, also took vitamin E softgel along with fish oil softgels to prevent malnutrition.
P.S. - I'm not sure if what I mentioned about my food intake is completely accurate as I have a terrible sense of time and memory... You can check my food diary for an accurate intake. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/maxman190
I started using MFP on November 18, 2012.
You could try a fructose-fast. Since table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose (and 50% glucose) that means no sugar at all or anything that contains it. A tiny bit of dextrose is okay as dextrose is the food industry's name for glucose and it is fructose that presents the most problems. There is a book called, "The Fat Switch", by cardiologist, Richard J. Johnson, M.D., that basically discusses the most up-to-date research on the dangers of fructose (and it isn't just that it makes you fat). While you will lose weight by reducing your calorie intake, keeping large amounts of fructose in your diet will practically force you to regain the weight you lost. And it can also sabotage weight loss. If you go on a two-week fructose fast (easier than you'd think) you will knock your fructokinase (an enzyme necessary to the absorption and utilization of fructose in the liver) down to normal levels. If you eat a lot of sugar (and anything more than a pinch is too much) your fructokinase levels skyrocket and create all kinds of nasty effects in your body. Once you get your fructokinase levels back down, you can eat a small amount of fructose in a couple of servings of low-fructose fruit. The reason why sugar is so dangerous is that something that is sugar-sweetened gives you a LOT of fructose in one shot and messes up your bio-chemistry. One can of soda (sweetened with high fructose corn syrup) gives you the same amount of fructose as TWELVE oranges. Also, the soda doesn't have any fiber (which slows down the transmission of the fructose in fruit). Forever after that, you must keep your fructose down to 25 grams or less per day or you risk getting the Sugar Monster back on you---which basically means swearing off of sucrose, honey, molasses, maple syrup, etc. for the rest of your life. When you read what it does to you in terms of chronic disease, it isn't difficult to give up. I am in the middle of a two-week fructose fast and I must say that I really don't miss the sugar (although I will be glad to have fruit back in my life in another week).
p.s. I have lost about three pounds this week just cutting out fructose, when before, my weight was just creeping down at the rate of about a pound every two weeks. My calorie count is about the same. I'm assuming that some of the weight loss is water. I feel great and have a LOT more energy. Dr. Johnson explains why eating fructose cuts your energy levels way back. It is pretty technical but if you did okay in high school biology, it shouldn't be too difficult to understand.0 -
Up your calories a bit. I'm female and I was eating 1200. I was losing, but once I upped to 1500 I lost at a faster rate.
Also, eat more protein and don't skip meals.
Make sure you exercise around 5 times a week and do strength/weight training as part of that.0 -
Yikes! I just looked at your food diary. Going low-fat and eating simple carbs is absolutely the worst thing you can do to your body! Get Dr. Johnson's book and you will see why.
You can take a look at my food diary to get ideas on how to nourish your body. My 1,500 calories is VERY different from your 1,500 calories in terms of nutrition. Three CUPS of white rice??? :noway: Seriously, there is not much but empty carbs there. I'm assuming you are a man and there is no way that your 1500 calories is enough to nourish a man's body--it isn't even enough for a child's body.0 -
Yikes! I just looked at your food diary. Going low-fat and eating simple carbs is absolutely the worst thing you can do to your body! Get Dr. Johnson's book and you will see why.
You can take a look at my food diary to get ideas on how to nourish your body. My 1,500 calories is VERY different from your 1,500 calories in terms of nutrition. Three CUPS of white rice??? :noway: Seriously, there is not much but empty carbs there. I'm assuming you are a man and there is no way that your 1500 calories is enough to nourish a man's body--it isn't even enough for a child's body.
Whoa..now hold on. Let's not bash the rice. He's Chinese. Asians take their rice seriously. Granted, I don't eat 3 cups in one meal..but I think that there is NOTHING wrong with the rice in your meal.
He needs to work on portion control. Of course, I think he needs to also not skip lunch if he's eating that much at dinner because he's so hungry.0 -
Yikes! I just looked at your food diary. Going low-fat and eating simple carbs is absolutely the worst thing you can do to your body! Get Dr. Johnson's book and you will see why.
You can take a look at my food diary to get ideas on how to nourish your body. My 1,500 calories is VERY different from your 1,500 calories in terms of nutrition. Three CUPS of white rice??? :noway: Seriously, there is not much but empty carbs there. I'm assuming you are a man and there is no way that your 1500 calories is enough to nourish a man's body--it isn't even enough for a child's body.
Whoa..now hold on. Let's not bash the rice. He's Chinese. Asians take their rice seriously. Granted, I don't eat 3 cups in one meal..but I think that there is NOTHING wrong with the rice in your meal.
He needs to work on portion control. Of course, I think he needs to also not skip lunch if he's eating that much at dinner because he's so hungry.
When you restrict calories, you must make every calorie contribute toward good nutrition. I like white rice and eat it sometimes too but I understand that it isn't really very nourishing so I keep it to an occasional treat and limit my portion to 1/2 cup or less. White rice, like white bread, is calorie/carbohydrate dense and contributes to high blood sugar problems without contributing much toward good health.0 -
Yikes! I just looked at your food diary. Going low-fat and eating simple carbs is absolutely the worst thing you can do to your body! Get Dr. Johnson's book and you will see why.
You can take a look at my food diary to get ideas on how to nourish your body. My 1,500 calories is VERY different from your 1,500 calories in terms of nutrition. Three CUPS of white rice??? :noway: Seriously, there is not much but empty carbs there. I'm assuming you are a man and there is no way that your 1500 calories is enough to nourish a man's body--it isn't even enough for a child's body.
Whoa..now hold on. Let's not bash the rice. He's Chinese. Asians take their rice seriously. Granted, I don't eat 3 cups in one meal..but I think that there is NOTHING wrong with the rice in your meal.
He needs to work on portion control. Of course, I think he needs to also not skip lunch if he's eating that much at dinner because he's so hungry.
When you restrict calories, you must make every calorie contribute toward good nutrition. I like white rice and eat it sometimes too but I understand that it isn't really very nourishing so I keep it to an occasional treat and limit my portion to 1/2 cup or less. White rice, like white bread, is calorie/carbohydrate dense and contributes to high blood sugar problems without contributing much toward good health.
I work my rice in to my meals and have done just fine. And on my mother's side that is Japanese doesn't have high blood sugar problems. I think that eating anything in moderation is key. And when I say that, they eat at least 2-3 cups a day with lots of veggies and good protein.0 -
5'10", 150lbs, and no exercise, just sitting around watching tv.0
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Portion control. I am also chinese and family cooks rice or noodles everyday. Most of the chinese food on mpf is not too accurate to what it really is. but try your best to google/measure how much you eat.
i use to eat 3 bowls of rice for dinner. Now i been eating 1 bowl at most. More veggies and meat. You can also limit noodle intake with more bean sprouts.
Do not feel bad when you get -red calories. I use to do this and felt bad so the next day i would eat almost 500 under. This was bad. I stuck to 1500 cal a day for 3 months. While i lost some weight i plateaued . Now i have been eating 2200 cal and losing .
stick in there!0 -
Alright, I appreciate all your posts and tips! I'll try eating at least 2200 calories each day for a week and see what happens and I'll try to not overestimate my calories.0
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5'10", 150lbs, and no exercise, just sitting around watching tv.
No exercise at all? Well, I would suggest maybe taking a walk at least once a day or something...but that's just me.
Okay, here is what I got for your #s and I put your CW at 221, just fyi.
At sedentary you'd be at 2112. Since you want to eat -20% below your TDEE, you should set your calorie goal at 1600-1700.
If you do decide to start exercising (for future reference) and you become Lightly Active, you'd need to set your calorie goal to about 1900.0
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