Plateau for three weeks

MolochBaal
MolochBaal Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
A little background: I read about MFP right after the New Year and decided to give it a go. Started around the 2nd week in January.
I gave the app all my vitals (start: 268, Goal: 200, 5'9' Male, 45 yo, sedentary) and MFP set my goal at 1620 Calories/day.
From Jan. to the end of Feb. I consistently lost around 2 lbs/week. When I reached the 10 lbs. lost mark, MFP wanted to recalculate my daily goal to 1550. I didn't right away and continued to lose 6 lbs. more until a few weeks ago.

I've been fluctuating a pound or so back and forth, but no more steady weight loss. Now that the weather is warming, I've started walking for exercise this past weekend. Still nothing. I've read a few threads on the Boards here and I'm coming to the conclusion that I might not be eating ENOUGH. When I run my current vitals through a BMR calc., I get that I should be eating 2258 with a 2206 BMR to reach my goal.

What I don't understand is why MFP would give me such a low calorie goal at the start (it worked) and yet it doesn't seem to be doing anything anymore even though I lowered it to the revised 1550 goal. What gives?

Should I be increasing my food intake? Am I in fat storing mode. HELP!

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Replies

  • wiss22
    wiss22 Posts: 14 Member
    I'm in the same boat. Same start time and everything! My goals (and stats) are different, and I haven't made it to 16 lbs lost yet, but I am having the same issue. I'm anxious to see the responses!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    I plugged your stats into MFP's BMR calculator and it shows 2018 calories. This is the number of calories you'd burn if you were in a coma. Never eat below your BMR. To be healthy you need to eat above your BMR.

    MFP is a "dumb" tool in that it will set your calorie limit based on your inputs even if it's an unhealthy limit (i.e. below your BMR). Because you've been under-eating your metabolism has slowed down. Your will body will adjust to the amount of fuel you're giving it. Your body fears starvation, hence the plateau.

    Many people use the TDEE method to figure their calories. Read, learn, succeed:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

    Edit:
    To customize your daily calories and macro percentages (and other stuff) go to My Home>>Goals>>Change Goals>>Custom. Save your changes.
  • MolochBaal
    MolochBaal Posts: 4
    Thanks Bizco,

    I tried the link you supplied and it gave me almost the same BMR as the other calc.:, 2205 and 2116 to lose 1.1 lbs per week.
    OK, so I have been starving myself, hence the excellent initial weight loss.

    What can I do you bump my metabolism back up?
    I'll be doing more walking and soon hiking, so right there is some low impact cardio, Is there anything non-exercise related actions I can take? Besides increasing my calorie intake.

    I'd really like to keep losing 2 lbs / week. So you are saying that is an un-healthy target?
  • NareenaTheGypsy
    NareenaTheGypsy Posts: 475 Member
    The simple answer as to why it worked in the beginning is this.... your body wasn't used to you eating better. Your body wasn't used to exercising. And after a few weeks (or months), your body is becoming better at burning calories and is more efficient. So yes, eating MORE calories actually makes sense. At the start, you could eat less (typically under your BMR) because your body was burning the fat you had stored up. Even though there's obviously still fat storage to use now, eating below your BMR for too long simply isn't sustainable and you need to eat healthier to continue your weight loss.
    I plateau'd for almost 2 months before I realized this fact.. As soon as I started to up my calories, the weight began to drop again. There's lots of the "EM2WL" people (Eat More 2 Weigh Less) on MFP and other sites as well. Not everyone agrees with the idea of course, but I've found that it works for me. After only 3 lbs lost in 8 weeks, I am slowly losing again. This past week I hit my 50 lb mini goal :).
    Good luck to you!
  • valeriewxy
    valeriewxy Posts: 418 Member
    I lost about 22 lbs in 2 months on (what I now realise) was a very low cal intake >.> Then I took a break on holiday and ate at about 2000 cals and managed to lose about 2lbs over 3 weeks. Got back home, went back and have been losing erratically. Reading more about EM2WL, In Place of a Road Map, as well as thinking of starting strength training ... I'm going to up my calories to something a bit more reasonable. Also, I figure it'll help me when I start trying to stop logging my food every day! :) I hope the changes we make will work for both of us :D
  • whamann1
    whamann1 Posts: 40 Member
    Wow! This has been so helpful to me! I have been doing the C25K training plan (first time ever!) and staying under my calorie goal and I have not lost a pound in 6 wks! Though I see my fitness and energy levels improving, I have been feeling like this is a lot of work with no results on the scale! So frustrating. I think I am not eating enough!!!!! Go figure, never thought I would say that about myself!!!
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    I'd definitely try eating more. You might and I really mean MIGHT see a slight weight gain over 2-3 weeks but then you should start losing again. This is what happened to me when I moved from 1200 calories to 1500. I had been on a 2 month plateau, bumped it up, stayed the same for a another week and a half, and then started losing again. Weight loss is a slow and steady process. I've learned not to get hung up on the scale, but to rather take body measurements. Now I weigh in once a month because ultimately I need to lose at least 21 more pounds to be at a healthy weight, as well as 6% body fat. Ultimately, I'd like to be a size 6-8 and just feel good about my body
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    Happens to me every month pretty much. I lose then go up before plateauing for a week or two, and then it finally goes back down plus a little more. Use to p!ss me right off (especially considering my diet doesn't change a single iota one week to the next) but now, after 15mths, I'm kinda used to it and don't freak out like I did in the beginning.
    I've decided so long as my ticker is moving in the right direction in the long run it's all good.
  • MolochBaal
    MolochBaal Posts: 4
    Thanks everyone for your feedback and support. This is the first time in my life that I've tried to lose weight.
    I was very excited at the initial results and was confused as to what was going on. I've bumped up my daily goal to 1984 Calories from the previous 1620/1550.

    I'm also trying to stagger my intake throughout the day at work instead of Three Meals for the whole day.
    Here's an example: Breakfast Bar/Coffee, Banana, Lunch (Yogurt or Banana), String Cheese, then dinner at home (Steamed Veggies/Rice), followed by some White Merlot wine as a snack.

    I'm glad this thread has been helpful to others as well. One thing we can all use is a little moral support to keep the ball rolling.
    Thank you again. =D

    How about adding Tabasco or another hot sauce to my diet? I've read that Capsaicin (the active chemical in chilli peppers) also helps to boost a lagging metabolism. Any truth in this myth?
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member

    How about adding Tabasco or another hot sauce to my diet? I've read that Capsaicin (the active chemical in chilli peppers) also helps to boost a lagging metabolism. Any truth in this myth?

    I don't know, but if you find it works I'll start chugging it by the bottle, lol!
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    I think 1984 is much better. I match all your stats within an inch and 10 lbs and I eat 2130 and eat back my exercise. I have steadily lost about 1.5 lbs per week. If I eat less than 1800 I feel very week the next day.
  • whamann1
    whamann1 Posts: 40 Member
    Thank you! Your thoughts are very helpful!
  • maui637
    maui637 Posts: 4
    Bump

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