Plateau

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Active37
Active37 Posts: 43 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been dieting using the BMR and TDEE method since around the middle of January. I had lost about 8 lbs and now Plateau for the last 3 weeks. I am not sure what to do now as I still want to loose 18 lbs. I am still eating around 1500 calories a day per what my BMR and TDEE has suggested but now being a standstill for 3 weeks I feel kind of down :( Any suggestions?

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  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    If you only have 18lbs left, I'd think about changing your eating to TDEE-10%. Also make sure you're being accurate in your logging (for example, do you weigh your food, or do you guess at portions). Also, keep in mind that measuring cups can be pretty inaccurate (see below).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    And watch this video for why measuring cups/spoons suck:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    I currently am fluctuating between 146-138 and my goal is 130. I am aiming at just loosing the 1 calorie a week. Sadly most of what I eat is boxed since being a mom/student keeps me quite busy and I don't get to make fresh meals often. I do however log everything I eat. Including if I use condiments etc. Could you tell me why you think I need to change TDEE to 10percent? I am still new to this and any information that could educate me would be awesome! I do agree I should probably buy a scale for those times I eat a tomato or apple fresh.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Once you start getting closer to goal, your body will naturally start slowing down the weight loss. And in general, you should be eating more (and losing less quickly) as you approach your goal weight. You'll need to "teach" your body to eat more calories (you don't want to suddenly jump 1000 calories when you get to maintenance.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    Wow that is kinda a bummer since I have only lost 8 lbs :( I know I only needed to loose 25, which isnt a big amount but 18 seems so far away and going so slow now
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I am a mom of two, always working, my oldest is a special needs child.. not being able to make fresh foods is an excuse. Trying not to judge but your statement reminded me of myself when before I took control of my life.

    I am at a plateau right now after losing 14 lbs in just two months.. I actually found out after buying a heart rate monitor that I am not eating enough.. before I go further, can you share some more details with us? E.g. how often you workout, what kind of job you do or how long you are on your feet daily, what your BMR is and what your TDEE is?

    Thanks
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    I don't work out at all :( I have school during the day. I clean my house and do homework when I am at home and in the evenings I take my daughter to cheer because she does competitive cheer leading. On the weekends we do stuff as a family, I do more homework, and I take care of my cattle that are an hour away. Maybe that is an excuse but I find it really hard to do it all with trying to hold down a 4.0 in hopes to get into medical school. I do not have a job. Right now I am 146-148 lbs, I am 30 years old and just under 5"7. I am also a vegetarian. My BMR is showing 1472, My TDEE is showing 1759 on one site and 2000 on another. I have been trying to eat no more than 1500 calories in a day. The only time I really am on my feet is when I clean or pick up my house which is maybe 2 hours a day max, and that isn't consistent.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I don't work out at all :( I have school during the day. I clean my house and do homework when I am at home and in the evenings I take my daughter to cheer because she does competitive cheer leading. On the weekends we do stuff as a family, I do more homework, and I take care of my cattle that are an hour away. Maybe that is an excuse but I find it really hard to do it all with trying to hold down a 4.0 in hopes to get into medical school. I do not have a job. Right now I am 146-148 lbs, I am 30 years old and just under 5"7. I am also a vegetarian. My BMR is showing 1472, My TDEE is showing 1759 on one site and 2000 on another. I have been trying to eat no more than 1500 calories in a day. The only time I really am on my feet is when I clean or pick up my house which is maybe 2 hours a day max, and that isn't consistent.

    That is a lot to handle but I know if I can do what I do on a daily basis, you can as well. I remember my days of schooling and it can be tough but it's not impossible. It's all about tweaking our existing situations in a way that we can fit in exercise, healthy eating and more.

    I forgot to ask as well, could you describe your macros (carbs/protein/fat)?

    Moving forward though - exercise is an incredible stress reliever. There are a lot of workouts out there that you can do in home, perhaps when your daughter is asleep.. or anytime you can fit it in. One I highly recommend and many on MFP do as well is 30 Day Shred. It's on Youtube for free - even if you don't have dumbbells, you could do the workout without them or use cans instead. It's only 20 minutes a day and as long as you eat fairly well, you will see a dramatic change to your body.

    Without the macro information, it's hard to say what the boxed foods could be doing against or in your favour.. At the TDEE/ BMR you provided and without exercise, it's surprising that you are at a stall. It's hard to say whether you need to eat more cals or if that is the case, eat more carbs or more protein. It can be hard to eat more but that may be what has to be done in order to get the scale moving again.. Like I was saying earlier.. there are days where I am at home, playing with the children, etc yet I burned a lot more than I thought. I found out today that shopping for an hour burned 300 calories according to my heart rate monitor! Then when I eat at my old goal of 1672, I stop losing weight because I'm actually doing more than I think and end up not fueling my body enough. Although you said you are not doing exercise, it is entirely possible that you are doing more than you think.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I know something that works for many people is a concept called zig zagging calories.. you can also zig zag your macros but let's start with the calories.

    How it works is basically you eat more one day, eat at BMR the next, eat slightly more, eat a lot over BMR, etc,.

    E.g. for me weekly (BMR is around 1590, TDEE is 2633), I could try:
    1700
    2100
    2300
    1750
    1650
    2000
    1900
  • FoodandFitness
    FoodandFitness Posts: 502 Member
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    Just cut your calories 10%.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    Ok looking at my past logs here is what I have come up with. I had set my MFP to lose just 1 lb a week. The calorie intake it is requiring is less than what my TDEE and BMR are telling me though. It has me at eating only 1320 a day but like I said I have been trying to keep it around 1500 so I usually just go over around 180 or so to keep me at that 1500. Since the calories are off I am assuming so are the other macros. According to the MFP I usually go over my carbs around an average of 80 and sugar anywhere from 30 to 50. If it is off like my calories I am assuming I am not eating as many over as that is saying? So FoodandFitness I should be eating more like 1600-1700 calories you think. Oh and Dixie any suggestions on fresh meals that I can make fast that don't include meat?
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    So how many more calories should I increase? I feel kinda scared
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I will say that home cooked meals don't have to take very long. I am in school full time (physics major so I totally get how a huge homework load can rock your world), my daughter is in gymnastics, and I work part time.

    One thing I have found that helps is to only cook protein a few times a week. I cook several chicken breasts at once (with just lemon juice or something so that I can add whatever I want later) and I store all but what the kiddo and I are going to eat. They will be good for a few days. I cook my veggies fresh every night but that only takes about 10 minutes. Chop up a bunch of veggies through in a pan and dry sautee top with a little teriyaki sauce. Uncle Bens ready rice while the veggies are cooking and reheat the chicken or eat it cold. Total time: 15-20 minutes

    There are ways to cook at home even on a tight schedule you just have to want to do it.

    Realistically, if you hold the calories the same, it doesn't matter whether you cook at home or not. I just find that I can eat a lot more food for a lot fewer calories when I eat mostly home cooked (or raw veggies).

    Edit to add: just saw the part about no meat. Tofu is good too and cooks a lot faster than actual meat. I was vegetarian for 3 years. Veggie stir fry is one of the easiest most delicious things to make.

    Vegetarian is actually a lot easier to cook quickly. I have a ton of awesome vegetarian cookbooks and most of the dishes (except for the ones that include things like acorn squash and other long cooking veggies) are pretty quick and easy.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    Well I don't eat meat so I have been looking for some ideas that are veggie only that are not so carb heavy that I can make at home. But it seems most here are suggesting I am eating too little since I only have about 18lbs left I want to loose? I just want to get these last ones off and since I have continued eating the same and its not working something has to change. Three weeks and no weight loss is depressing :(
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Well I don't eat meat so I have been looking for some ideas that are veggie only that are not so carb heavy that I can make at home. But it seems most here are suggesting I am eating too little since I only have about 18lbs left I want to loose? I just want to get these last ones off and since I have continued eating the same and its not working something has to change. Three weeks and no weight loss is depressing :(

    Just saw the no meat part and edited my post.

    It's my opinion (and an unpopular one around here) that if you aren't losing the weight you want to lose, cut your calories down. If I start losing to slowly, I have too much other stuff going on and I won't track as well. It's a fine line for me to keep my motivation and still eat enough so that I don't feel like I'm going hungry.

    Just my opinion.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    Yeah it is really hard to know what to do when some say to cut them down and some say to increase them
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Yeah it is really hard to know what to do when some say to cut them down and some say to increase them

    Maybe just try each way for a few weeks (3-4). I think there is a lot of personal experimentation to be done to figure out what works for you.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    Ok looking at my past logs here is what I have come up with. I had set my MFP to lose just 1 lb a week. The calorie intake it is requiring is less than what my TDEE and BMR are telling me though. It has me at eating only 1320 a day but like I said I have been trying to keep it around 1500 so I usually just go over around 180 or so to keep me at that 1500. Since the calories are off I am assuming so are the other macros. According to the MFP I usually go over my carbs around an average of 80 and sugar anywhere from 30 to 50. If it is off like my calories I am assuming I am not eating as many over as that is saying? So FoodandFitness I should be eating more like 1600-1700 calories you think. Oh and Dixie any suggestions on fresh meals that I can make fast that don't include meat?
    So how many more calories should I increase? I feel kinda scared

    Posted this in the wrong thread..
    Check out this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    Also in reference to fast meals that don't contain meat, I don't know what to advise cause I love meat with my veggies. If you need help getting protein in, there are a lot of vegetarian or vegan protein powders on the market that may help.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    I guess I am just confused....I don't know what exactly you mean by net calories but I get no exercise unless you count my vacuuming or mopping. I don't go by the calories MFP chooses I go by 20 percent down from my TDEE.
  • Active37
    Active37 Posts: 43 Member
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    I just wish there was I knew the right way to do this. When half the people are saying go down in calories and half saying go up it makes it confusing. Both seem to have there reasons behind it as well. My friend has lost 50lbs eating about 1200 a day but then again most say thats too low. I am really getting depressed about this and ready to just give up

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