weightloss plateau

ahmadfares1986
ahmadfares1986 Posts: 3 Member
edited January 10 in Health and Weight Loss
ok so i lost 21 pounds in the last 40 days. i lost 20 pounds in the first 30 days. every thing was good and according to plan. i was losing an average of 2 pounds a week. but in the last two weeks i decided to hit the gym and start lifting weight again (i used to lift weight 2 years ago) . and that's when my problem started. ever since i started going back to the gym weight lost slowed down. i only lost a pound or two in the last two weeks. i dont understand whats the deal. according to myfitnesspal app i'm suppose to eat 1630 calories every day in order to lose 2 pounds a week. most of the days i stay in the neighborhood of 1200. i stay below my carbs and fat limit and i try to eat more on protein. some people say that it's cause i'm gaining muscle, but i doubt that cause i dont think you gain that much in a week. i read some other opinion that i'm eating too little and i should eat more, but honestly i dont feel hungry anymore. does anyone have similar situation or experience in the matter? . that's where i usually quit :(

also i'm not sure whats a good weight for me. i mean i wanna look fit. my goal is 200 pounds. but last time i measured my body fat % it was 28.6% and i weighted 246 at that time. so i did the math and i looks like i have a 176 of pure lean body mass and 70 pounds of fat? does that mean at 200 pounds i would have 24 pounds of fat which is12.5% of body fat? isn't that when people get a six pack?

i'm 26
weight 239
and i'm 6 feet tall
i workout about an hour, four times a week

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    eat more! as a guy doing that much exercise you should NOT be eating only 1200 cals... try more like net 1800 at least!

    'only losing a pound a week' is a GOOD thing!
  • TheKeithEllis
    TheKeithEllis Posts: 155 Member
    Yep, a 1lb a week is awesome loss and more importantly gives your body the time to adjust and balance.
  • ambernikki3
    ambernikki3 Posts: 1
    yep, that's why some people can weight the same amount and one can look super skinny and the other overweight. Don't worry too much about the scale, look in the mirror. My husband has lost 0 lbs and 6% of his body fat by just lifting weight, trust me he looks COMPLETELY different.
  • ahmadfares1986
    ahmadfares1986 Posts: 3 Member
    thanks guys, i'll try to eat more this week. what about the second part of the question? will i be fit at 200?
  • aliciab307
    aliciab307 Posts: 370 Member
    No expert here but for a man to only take in 1200=not good, especially when lifting. Seems like you've already gotten advice and you're questioning it probably only to end up hearing the same thing from replies in this thread. Eat more protein for your muscles, eat more calories period, net your calorie goal, make sure your calorie goal is correct. I'm a 21 yo female and i eat a minimum of 1600 cals, and 2000-2200 on workout days, please eat more!
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    Ok, I have a few points to make.

    1. What other people have said is right. You aren't eating enough. I weigh 10lb more than you, I'm 5"10 and female and I eat 1800 cals a day to lose weight. There are plenty of foods to healthily bump up your calories without increasing the volume of food too much, like peanut butter, nuts, avocado. Eating as little as you do will eventually result in you plateauing.

    2. You aren't actually at a plateau if you've lost 1 or 2 lb in the last two weeks. That is a perfectly healthy weight loss. It's completely normal to drop more in the beginning of any health kick, but it will inevitably slow down. Patience is your friend. These things don't happen overnight.

    3. Lifting weights can slow weight loss down. I'm no expert but I'm sure it's because when your muscles are healing, they retain water = you 'gain' weight. However, if your measurements are coming down, your BF% is reducing, and you are looking slimmer, then that is far more important than a number on the scale.

    Concentrate on getting those calories up to a healthy level, don't expectt to lose it all yesterday, and don't obsess over the scale and take measurements instead, and you will be fine.

    *edited to add: As for your target weight, don't set one if you aren't sure. Just see how you look and feel when you get to 200, and adjust as required. As already said, it is not all about the scale.
  • alijane9
    alijane9 Posts: 67 Member
    Again, no expert, but as others have said you need to eat more to fuel the workouts and build muscle. As to your question 'will I be fit at 200lbs?', who knows? You may build more muscle, you may not - it takes a loooonnnng time. What sort of fitness were you wanting? Running a marathon? Bench pressing a few hundred lbs? If you are wanting the 6-pack abs, then you're going to have to do a whole tonne of research on what foods to eat to optimise muscle build, check out what you should do to cut from your TDEE for fat loss. If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, then you don't cut... and the whole thing goes on.
    This site might help you: http://scoobysworkshop.com/muscle-gain-calculator/ not the best site, not the worst. There are lots out of other sites out there. Get yourself educated to achieve your goals :smile:
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