One month with no weight change :(

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douglerner
douglerner Posts: 237 Member
in Motivation and Support
This happened in December too, but it's frustrating. All through December my weight hovered between 100.0 and 100.8 kg. I was dying to break the 100 kg barrier by the end of the year.

Finally I did in January. Then for a month weight came down pretty quickly. I was only in the 99s for one day, and I rapidly got down to 95.8 kg.

But all through February my weight has been hovering mostly between 95.8 and 95.2. I have not seen it hit 95.0 yet. And the last 3 days it went from 95.2 to 95.6 and this morning to 96.0. That is exactly the same weight I was at one month ago today. A completely lost month. :(

I know I'm definitely not eating too many calories. And despite the worries some people had in December I'm pretty sure I'm not eating too few either.

My gross calorie intake each day this past week, for example, has been:

1605
1549
1353
989 <- OK this one was pretty low (ultra busy work day)
1451
1486
1356

Not anywhere near starvation-mode levels. And my exercise has been moderate - about 220 calories worth of indoor cycling a day.

I promised myself I wouldn't get frustrated after getting below 100 kg. But I'm frustrated again now.

doug
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Replies

  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    Oh, my total weight loss since last May has been 73 lb by the way.

    doug
  • ajnlee25
    ajnlee25 Posts: 56 Member
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    Maybe you've gained muscle. Have you taken any measurements? Even though we want to see the scale go down the important thing is that you are healthy. Eat right and exercise, and its okay if the scale isn't moving. Change up the exercising too. Sometimes our bodies start to expect what we are doing, and it no longer helps us loose weight. Hope this helps.
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    I've gained just a little bit of muscle from resistance training. Nothing to write home about. I haven't taken any measurement.

    I do have to lose like another 20 kg though!

    doug
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    1605 -220 = 1385 net
    1549 - 220 =1329 net
    1353 - 220 =1133 net
    989 <- OK this one was pretty low (ultra busy work day) - 220 = 769 net
    1451 - 220 = 1231 net
    1486 - 220 =1266 net
    1356 - 220 = 1136 net

    Yes you are NOT eating enough. It's barely enough for a small woman.
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
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    1605 -220 = 1385 net
    1549 - 220 =1329 net
    1353 - 220 =1133 net
    989 <- OK this one was pretty low (ultra busy work day) - 220 = 769 net
    1451 - 220 = 1231 net
    1486 - 220 =1266 net
    1356 - 220 = 1136 net

    Yes you are NOT eating enough. It's barely enough for a small woman.

    ^THIS. Your gross calories aren't what matter - it's your net, and you're not netting nearly enough. Eat more food!
  • jennaji
    jennaji Posts: 1
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    I'm just getting started on my weight loss journey and am feeling frustrated by the lack of weight I have lost with calorie counting and exercise. My doctor told me that I should be doing 6 days of cardio with a minimum of 30 minutes per workout to lose weight. It's hard to get to that number so I try to go at least 4 days a week and spend about an hour. I know that by not following doctors orders I really can only expect to maintain weight, so my suggestion to you would be to increase the intensity and frequency of your workouts. Don't skimp on your calories but don't go over either. If your body feels like you are working harder but it isn't getting the nutrition it needs to keep up your not doing yourself any good. Good luck!
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Work out how many calories you should be on from this tool

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    Well, I'll try to eat more and see if that helps.

    But starvation mode isn't supposed to kick in until under 1,000 calories per day.

    Anyway, I'll add some extra tofu or something with protein in it to add a few hundred calories a day and see if that (despite what seems like common sense to me) actually sparks weight loss again.

    Thanks,

    doug
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    Gained 0.4 kg this past week. Sigh. Eating more seems to just add a bit more weight every day. Common sense.

    doug
  • valeriewxy
    valeriewxy Posts: 418 Member
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    You might really be eating too little :) Those look like my calorie intake, and I'm 1.63m and 68 kg :)
  • kelleyannclemons
    kelleyannclemons Posts: 71 Member
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    When you increase your calories, you need to give it some time for the weight to go back down. You will end up gaining a little bit until your body recognizes that it doesn't need to store the fat any longer from when you were eating a lower amount of calories.

    I hit a plateau like this in December. I hovered between 152 and 154 lbs. Started a higher calorie intake in February, and after two weeks, I finally dropped below the 150 lb mark. I ended up gaining weight up to 155 lbs during that time, and then my weight finally dropped below 150. I am currently sitting at 147-148 lbs.

    Just give it time. Hope this helps!
  • gooellie
    gooellie Posts: 39
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    This whole where starvation mode kicks in isn't 1000 cal or 1200 cal or blah blah blah it's actually your bmr this is your minimal amount of calories your body needs to sustain life and carry out its metabolic function. So everyone weighs different so everyone has a different bmr. You need too look into what your bmr is and never eat below that number.
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    According to the BMR calculator at http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/metric-bmr-calculator.php my BMR is 1870 calories/day.

    Since adding a few hundred calories a day this week I'm right about at that.

    Well, I'll give it another week or so to see what's happening.

    doug
  • Sunny820
    Sunny820 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hi Doug, I don't know if you have dietary restrictions or what, but I noticed that your go-to for increasing your calories was to add more tofu. Some people find that tofu and soy-based products have negative effects such as weight gain and depressions. If you are eating a lot of this food (TVP, tempeh, tofu, textured soy protein in fake burgers, etc), maybe scale back or eliminate it for a month or two and see if it makes a difference for you. It doesn't bother everyone, but something to consider if you are having trouble.

    Also, remember that weight loss isn't linear, but rather tends to come off in chunks. Keep with your program, maybe add a little more intensity to one of your workouts and hopefully you'll see another breakthrough soon. Good luck.
  • Preesy
    Preesy Posts: 37
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    Hi Doug. I've had a similar problem to what you are experiencing, and have gone through it a couple times now. I've lost around 80 pounds so far and I usually hit these plateaus for 3 or 4 weeks at a time. It is frustrating and to say the least it can discourage even the most devoted dieter out there.

    That being said, you have lost quite a bit already, so what you have been doing works for you. Don't panic and start changing things up too much. I do agree you might be eating too little though. Remember that the numbers you see from websites or tools to calculate things such as your BMR are guidelines and not set in stone. When adjusting your caloric intake you don't need to increase or decrease by several hundred calories. Also, I don't think you mentioned your height in your original post so it's hard to tell how accurate 1800ish calories even sounds. I'm 5'10" (~1.78 meters) tall and the BMR website you linked showed my BMR for my current weight to be 1,910. I had a bioelectrical impedance test done at the gym last week and my BMR was calculated at 2,118. (I know the accuracy of BI testing is questionable, I'm just using what I have experienced as an example.)

    Point being here is that no one person is the exact same as another. Everything I have read says that 1,200 should be the bare minimum someone eats in order to receive proper nutrition from their food. Since you exercise regularly you need to eat a little more. I would suggest sticking to around 1,500-1,800 net calories a day and maybe swap up your exercise a little. If you've been doing time on the bike everyday without changing it up your body may have grown used to it and it has become less effective. I have been consistently consuming 2,000 calories a day and usually burn between 400 and 600 a day. This has given me solid results. Don't be in too much a hurry. Slow and steady wins the race, after all! =)
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Hi Doug, I don't know if you have dietary restrictions or what, but I noticed that your go-to for increasing your calories was to add more tofu. Some people find that tofu and soy-based products have negative effects such as weight gain and depressions. If you are eating a lot of this food (TVP, tempeh, tofu, textured soy protein in fake burgers, etc), maybe scale back or eliminate it for a month or two and see if it makes a difference for you.

    Good point, is the OP a vegetarian or vegan? If not, try protein from animal sources instead.

    Also, remember that weight loss isn't linear, but rather tends to come off in chunks. Keep with your program, maybe add a little more intensity to one of your workouts and hopefully you'll see another breakthrough soon. Good luck.

    very true! Patience is important.
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    Thanks for your notes, people.

    Preesy, you seem to be doing extremely well!

    I'm sort of hoping that it's turned into one month plateau followed by one month loss. I can live with that pattern.

    About my dietary restrictions, I'm on the Ornish "heart disease reversal" plan (almost exactly the same as the Caldwell Esselstyn plan). Since last May I have been vegan + no added oils + no nuts/seeds. It's easier to stay on than it sounds. :) Plus it's all but impossible to eat too many calories on this diet.

    Thanks,

    doug
  • douglerner
    douglerner Posts: 237 Member
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    Well, adding calories hasn't hurt in the week since I've tried it. But it hasn't helped either. Still just fluctuating between 95.2 and 95.8 kg.

    doug
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    1605 -220 = 1385 net
    1549 - 220 =1329 net
    1353 - 220 =1133 net
    989 <- OK this one was pretty low (ultra busy work day) - 220 = 769 net
    1451 - 220 = 1231 net
    1486 - 220 =1266 net
    1356 - 220 = 1136 net

    Yes you are NOT eating enough. It's barely enough for a small woman.

    It is NOT enough even for a small woman. I am 125 lbs and 5'2" and regularly NET 1750 calories a day. And, am thinking of upping it again.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Well, adding calories hasn't hurt in the week since I've tried it. But it hasn't helped either. Still just fluctuating between 95.2 and 95.8 kg.

    doug

    How many did you add though? Add another 100 or 200 and see what happens in a week or so.

    Edited to ask you where you get your healthy fats from and how much. I am wondering if your fat intake is safe.

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