Plateau

mannequinchampion
mannequinchampion Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm fairly new to MFP, though prior to joining I lost approximately 50 pounds on my own accord. However my reason for joining the site is because I seem to have reached quite a long plateau period.

I currently weigh 126 pounds, a weight which I seem to have stuck at (give or take the odd pound either way) for months now. I started using MFP to track my eating and exercise habits with the hope of finding the means to improve them, which I have, yet still my weight isn't changing (despite MFP telling me that it should be...)

It's beginning to become incredibly difficult for me to continue to motivate myself as I'm no longer seeing any results. Therefore I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to why my weight loss has stopped or how I could "restart" it again?

Replies

  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    People can't really help you unless they have your stats (height, activity level) as well as knowing how many calories you are eating.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    People can't really help you unless they have your stats (height, activity level) as well as knowing how many calories you are eating.

    ^^^
  • revbobaker
    revbobaker Posts: 1
    Need your AGE and HEIGHT to really help! You said you are at 126...if you are 5'3-5'9 you are okay BUT if you are 3' tall you are overweight! Age also has much to do with your BMI as well. Are you exercising daily and if so, what are you doing?
  • mannequinchampion
    mannequinchampion Posts: 9 Member
    I'm 22 and 5ft 6. I try to exercise at least 5 days or 6 days a week. I do things like circuit training, running and aerobics (burning anywhere from 500 to 1500 calories, depending on how much time and energy I have). I always eat at least 1200 calories a day, though I tend to try and stick to eating what MFP recommends based on my level of activity. Admittedly on days where I exercise a lot I find it difficult to eat my "daily goal" calorie intake and I'm not sure if maybe that's maybe doing more harm than good.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I would say your 1200 calorie goal is too low - at 126lbs and your height & age, you can't possibly have much more to lose? And with the calorie burns you're getting through exercise, you need to fuel that body.

    If you find it difficult to meet your goal after exercise, then you need to either cut back on the exercise, or eat more calorie dense foods to bump up your cals - nuts, nut butters, avocados, full fat dairy, olive & coconut oils, etc.

    Under eating and over training can definitely stall your progress. Great article on that here: http://www.shapefit.com/overtraining-exercising-too-much.html

    Find out how much you should be eating here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    You eat 1,200 calories a day and burn 500 to 1,500 working out 6 days a week? -300 calories some days.

    You're over-exercising in the anorexic sense. You'll have to fix your damaged metabolism by eating your maintenance for two weeks to a month (you won't lose or gain), then start a healthy dieting program where you exercise less and eat more. The calories you burn exercising will have to be compensated (by eating) to reach a healthy calorie reduction of 1,200 calories - you burn 500 exercising you need 1,700 daily calories.

    Of course you'll run into psychological roadblocks. Your BMI is already in the low normal too at 19.7.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    im having the same issue ugh its been a month i lost 20lbs and i think im plateaued not sure though cuz i lost 22lbs then gain a lb back day after strength training i lost a lot of inches in waist 6 inches to be exact
  • cmnold
    cmnold Posts: 11
    Definately not eating enough. If you're exercising 5-6 times a week you're probably eating less than your BMR.

    Try raising your calories up to maintenance level for a week, then lowering back down to 80% of your TDEE.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/680246-tdee-bmr-what-they-are-and-what-to-do-with-them?hl=tdee

    I was plateaued for 4 weeks. I raised my calories up to 2000 and started losing again. I was only trying to maintain but my metabolism and hormones stabilized and I was able to lose again.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    im having the same issue ugh its been a month i lost 20lbs and i think im plateaued not sure though cuz i lost 22lbs then gain a lb back day after strength training i lost a lot of inches in waist 6 inches to be exact

    You gained a whopping 1lb back the day after you were strength training, and you're worried about it? You lost 6" in your waist, and you even care what the scale says??

    SMFH.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    im having the same issue ugh its been a month i lost 20lbs and i think im plateaued not sure though cuz i lost 22lbs then gain a lb back day after strength training i lost a lot of inches in waist 6 inches to be exact

    You gained a whopping 1lb back the day after you were strength training, and you're worried about it? You lost 6" in your waist, and you even care what the scale says??

    SMFH.

    Lol it's a girl thing I guess guess I'm obsessing haha
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    im having the same issue ugh its been a month i lost 20lbs and i think im plateaued not sure though cuz i lost 22lbs then gain a lb back day after strength training i lost a lot of inches in waist 6 inches to be exact

    You gained a whopping 1lb back the day after you were strength training, and you're worried about it? You lost 6" in your waist, and you even care what the scale says??

    SMFH.

    Lol it's a girl thing I guess guess I'm obsessing haha

    Lol it's ok...it's just so far out of my perspective it's tough to fathom =p. I wouldn't care if I gained TEN pounds, if I lost even TWO inches on my waist lol.
  • mannequinchampion
    mannequinchampion Posts: 9 Member
    The idea of eating more is slightly terrifying, ha. I must admit that my relationship with food is verging on the bizarre. I'm very wary of eating in case I over eat and somehow instantly regain all the weight I've lost. From what I've already been reading I sort of thought I should be eating more though, I guess I just needed some sort of direct clarification. Thanks guys!
  • VanCityFit
    VanCityFit Posts: 105 Member
    This would be what is called metabolic damage my friend. If you have a chance go on YouTube and watch a video by Layne Norton called metabolic damage. Soak it all in!!! Then watch his next video on metabolic capacity. Dr. Norton helps people with their diets for a living, you my friend are going to need some assistance with building up your capacity. You should be eating way more clean calories a day with the amount of exercise you are doing.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    This would be what is called metabolic damage my friend. If you have a chance go on YouTube and watch a video by Layne Norton called metabolic damage. Soak it all in!!! Then watch his next video on metabolic capacity. Dr. Norton helps people with their diets for a living, you my friend are going to need some assistance with building up your capacity. You should be eating way more clean calories a day with the amount of exercise you are doing.

    Why clean?
  • SJackson50
    SJackson50 Posts: 282 Member
    Lol it's ok...it's just so far out of my perspective it's tough to fathom =p. I wouldn't care if I gained TEN pounds, if I lost even TWO inches on my waist lol.

    ^^^This, for sure!!!!!!! I always say, if I weighed 200 pounds and wore a size 6...who cares!!!!!
  • skampi
    skampi Posts: 4 Member
    I believe I am in a similar situation. I am 5'4", 123lbs, and I am trying to lose the inches and pounds I gained between Halloween and New Years. I have lost a few, but I still have a few pounds to go, but not only did I plateau several weeks (four or five), I gained two pounds this week. MFP tells me that with my sedentary lifestyle, I should consume 1200 calories per day to lose weight. I exercise four days a week, but I compensate for the calorie burn by adding calories, maintaining the 1200 net calories per day. Why do I gain weight? I am confused about what to do. I realize that I am already at an ideal weight, but I would like to fit into my summer clothes from last year!
  • VanCityFit
    VanCityFit Posts: 105 Member
    This would be what is called metabolic damage my friend. If you have a chance go on YouTube and watch a video by Layne Norton called metabolic damage. Soak it all in!!! Then watch his next video on metabolic capacity. Dr. Norton helps people with their diets for a living, you my friend are going to need some assistance with building up your capacity. You should be eating way more clean calories a day with the amount of exercise you are doing.

    Why clean?

    Because calories are not created equal.
  • leholcomb
    leholcomb Posts: 146 Member
    bump to read later
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I'm fairly new to MFP, though prior to joining I lost approximately 50 pounds on my own accord. However my reason for joining the site is because I seem to have reached quite a long plateau period.

    I currently weigh 126 pounds, a weight which I seem to have stuck at (give or take the odd pound either way) for months now. I started using MFP to track my eating and exercise habits with the hope of finding the means to improve them, which I have, yet still my weight isn't changing (despite MFP telling me that it should be...)

    It's beginning to become incredibly difficult for me to continue to motivate myself as I'm no longer seeing any results. Therefore I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to why my weight loss has stopped or how I could "restart" it again?
    You are 5'6 and 126 lbs, what exactly is your goal weight/how much did you want to lose??

    Just seems like you should already be at goal.. I am 5'2 and I know the top of my healthy weight range is 135.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    This would be what is called metabolic damage my friend. If you have a chance go on YouTube and watch a video by Layne Norton called metabolic damage. Soak it all in!!! Then watch his next video on metabolic capacity. Dr. Norton helps people with their diets for a living, you my friend are going to need some assistance with building up your capacity. You should be eating way more clean calories a day with the amount of exercise you are doing.

    Why clean?

    Because calories are not created equal.

    Oh, that's odd...because a calorie is a unit of energy. Odd that 1 unit of energy wouldn't equal another unit of the same energy.

    In other words, when dieting for the purpose of losing/gaining fat/lean mass, you're wrong. If you disagree, feel free to tell me how all the Taco Bell I eat has affected my fat loss (not weight) program.

    For overall health though...I'm right there with you.

    Edit to add:

    Also, please define clean for me...so I can get on this miraculous diet.
  • mannequinchampion
    mannequinchampion Posts: 9 Member
    I'm fairly new to MFP, though prior to joining I lost approximately 50 pounds on my own accord. However my reason for joining the site is because I seem to have reached quite a long plateau period.

    I currently weigh 126 pounds, a weight which I seem to have stuck at (give or take the odd pound either way) for months now. I started using MFP to track my eating and exercise habits with the hope of finding the means to improve them, which I have, yet still my weight isn't changing (despite MFP telling me that it should be...)

    It's beginning to become incredibly difficult for me to continue to motivate myself as I'm no longer seeing any results. Therefore I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to why my weight loss has stopped or how I could "restart" it again?
    You are 5'6 and 126 lbs, what exactly is your goal weight/how much did you want to lose??

    Just seems like you should already be at goal.. I am 5'2 and I know the top of my healthy weight range is 135.

    In an ideal world I'd be 112 pounds but I'd settle for just losing another 7 or so pounds. I know that doesn't seem like much to quibble over but I'd feel a lot better about myself just getting off those last few pounds.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I'm fairly new to MFP, though prior to joining I lost approximately 50 pounds on my own accord. However my reason for joining the site is because I seem to have reached quite a long plateau period.

    I currently weigh 126 pounds, a weight which I seem to have stuck at (give or take the odd pound either way) for months now. I started using MFP to track my eating and exercise habits with the hope of finding the means to improve them, which I have, yet still my weight isn't changing (despite MFP telling me that it should be...)

    It's beginning to become incredibly difficult for me to continue to motivate myself as I'm no longer seeing any results. Therefore I was wondering if anyone could advise me as to why my weight loss has stopped or how I could "restart" it again?
    You are 5'6 and 126 lbs, what exactly is your goal weight/how much did you want to lose??

    Just seems like you should already be at goal.. I am 5'2 and I know the top of my healthy weight range is 135.

    In an ideal world I'd be 112 pounds but I'd settle for just losing another 7 or so pounds. I know that doesn't seem like much to quibble over but I'd feel a lot better about myself just getting off those last few pounds.
    For your age & height, the "healthy" weight range is 118-155.. so 112 would basically be considered underweight. 7 lbs would put you right at the bottom of the range. So you are going to most likely find your weight loss much slower at this point because your body is already at a "healthy" weight. I'd probably expect less than a 1/2 lb average loss per week - and remember that is average over time.

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