Weight loss plateau, need help!!

sejor23
sejor23 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
So ive lost 19lbs since ive started dieting almost 4 months ago, and now im stuck at 166-168. I just cant manage to get under 166. My daily calories are about 1600-1700, sometimes more depending on how much cardio i do. I lift weights about 5x a week and cardio about 3x. Any suggestions!? Thanks!

Replies

  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Well that might be your problem - 5x a week working out.

    The scale is one of the least important tools when you're working out that much. Do you do body measurements and take fat measurements?

    You could be losing fat but replacing it with muscle.
  • sejor23
    sejor23 Posts: 9
    No i havent taken measurements, i keep forgetting, and i dont know where i can get an accurate fat measurement taken at. Not that caliper one
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    It doesn't need to be 100% accurate, just as long as you use the same tools for all measurements. If it's off by 3-4% at least it'll be off by that much the rest of the time too. Just allows you to see if you're going down the right path.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Everyone has their own methods for breaking plateaus, but I've found to be most effective is lower carbs, increasing protein, making sure your fat intake is adequate (at least .35g per pound of body weight), and varying your workouts (if you normally run, start lifting and vice versa). Give it at least a few weeks, but if it still doesn't work try eating clean for a while. Sometimes this helps. If there's still no change, eat less/move more.
  • mdepko
    mdepko Posts: 283 Member
    Take a look at this... http://fitbie.msn.com/lose-weight/tips/7-ways-speed-your-slim-down/tip/0
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    19 lbs in four months sounds very reasonable. How long have you been stuck?

    Also, your calories sound a little low for your age, weight and how much you have left to lose... depending on how tall you are and your activity level. Do you know your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)?

    ETA: Ok, looking at your diary - if you are logging accurately then you're consistently not hitting your calorie goal anyway. That could be the problem.
  • sejor23
    sejor23 Posts: 9
    I usually track everything, but theres times where i get lazy and dont feel like looking up the food to add it in at night
  • TrishLG
    TrishLG Posts: 173 Member
    Maybe you are where you are suppose to be.

    Sometimes to get off a plateau, just eat more, get the metabolism reset, then go back on the reduced calorie count.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I usually track everything, but theres times where i get lazy and dont feel like looking up the food to add it in at night
    Start with that then. Be more consistent. You could be over-eating or under-eating. At least find out where you're at, and then people can give you more specific advice. (If you need it; 19 lbs in 4 months is fine.)
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    I usually track everything, but theres times where i get lazy and dont feel like looking up the food to add it in at night
    Start with that then. Be more consistent. You could be over-eating or under-eating. At least find out where you're at, and then people can give you more specific advice. (If you need it; 19 lbs in 4 months is fine.)

    yup. i can pretend I hit a plateau for a couple of weeks, but really, i just wasn't tracking that handful of pretzels, that extra piece of chocolate before bed. I wasn't even eating poorly, just closer to maintenance than I should have been and I stalled. My first step before wondering how to break the plateau was to get back to much more consistent logging. I haven't weighed in yet since being more diligent, but I'm feeling confident now the problem was simply a few hundred extra calories a day I was trying to pretend didn't matter!

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