Can you troubleshoot my plateau please?!

mbrickle
mbrickle Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

So, I am down about 40lbs and am probably 10-14lbs away from my goal weight. I am 5'3" and am currently 121.2lbs with a VERY small frame. Last month (April) wasn't that great for me food-wise and I only lost 1lb for the entire month. This month I improved and really tried to work on my eating during the weekend (where I thought my issue was) and lost NOTHING.

I had a plateau a few months back but that mainly resulted in losing and re-gaining the same few lbs. This time, I'm at a standstill. I lift 2x a week, stretch for about 45minutes 2x a week and do cardio at a minimum of 4, but up to 6 times a week. My cardio is walking both on the street and on the treadmill at various inclines (up to 12.5) and the stair-mill at the gym, where I also vary my speed in an interval-like fashion.

So, aside from trying to up my whole food intake and continuing to stay under cals (which I'm pretty good at) what else can I be doing? I could aim to drink a bit more water...but what else?

Important to note: I have a spinal injury so high-impact activities are not an option. In addition, machines at the gym like the elliptical cause too much hip rotation so they are also not possible.

The only difference in the last two months is that I haven't been drinking green tea, but I know that cannot be the only issue.

Thanks!
Melissa

Replies

  • Sunnyjb
    Sunnyjb Posts: 220
    can't see your diary...
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
    I know how you feel I have plateaued this hole month
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
    can't see your diary...

    Hmm...let me make sure it's not private.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    I went for 3 months with no weight loss at all. I was just happy I didn't gain either. Once I increased my calories little by little I started to lose again. I had to increase by a total of 150 calories and that did the trick. Now I've lost all I wanted to lose and then some. :smile:
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
    Diary is public!

    See, I feel as if I vary my calories enough...so I'm not sure if that is it. Fridays are the hardest day because I work Thursday night (I'm a nurse) and then I only sleep for a few hours on Friday so I can go to bed normally Friday night so I end up being awake for 21-24 hours in a row and tend to eat much more on those days...
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    90% of plateaus result from:

    1) people getting lazy. They don't increase the intensity of their workouts as their bodies change (get faster, stronger, etc from workouts). They think doing the same workout they were doing 50lbs will give them the same results.

    2) people getting lazy. They don't log as honestly, completely or as accurately as they did when they get started. They stop logging the 5 hershey kisses they grabbed on their way out the door or little Jimmy's pizza crust they finished as they were clearing the table, etc.

    The moral of the story... don't get lazy.
  • kellijauch
    kellijauch Posts: 379 Member
    You need to increase your exercise intensity. Not necessarily frequency, just intensity
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Your current averages for April are as follows:

    1649 calories
    210 carbs
    58 fats
    67 protein


    If I were in your position I would reduce intake to the following values for the next two weeks while leaving activity the same.

    1485 calories
    95 protein
    45 fat
    175 carbohydrate

    I would additionally recommend that you read this post and make every effort in the upcoming two weeks to apply what you may get out of reading this post, as it pertains to accuracy in logging and tracking/weighing/etc:

    EDIT: OOPS! Wrong thread. Here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    EDIT: Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or would like my opinion beyond what is written above. If you do try this in 2 weeks and you are not satisfied with results, you can also PM me with a link to this thread and I'll take another look at that point. This is a process of fine-tuning based on results.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    I would say from the quick peek I took, try to incorporate less packaged foods and more whole fruits and veggies as snacks. A lot of fruit keeps well without being refrigerated, if you don't have access at work, also try making some hummus with veggies. I find that the more I snack on fruits and veggies the less hungry I am between meal times.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Easy! Too much carbs. 30% carbs is ideal for weight loss. Home, goals, change goals..

    30% carbs
    35% protein
    35% fat

    Works for everyone I've got trying it. Give it 4 weeks to see if it works, staying consistent. My diary is open if you want a peek. Also drink mmore water! Lots more!

    Weight loss is made in the kitchen, fitness is made in the gym.

    I truly believe this is only 10% exercise. Try to do HIIT with your exercise. This can be done walking with your issues like I do. Speed walk 1 minute, 5 mins normal pace.

    Zara
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
    Thanks all!

    I have to say I did increase my carbs too much this month and I did feel as if I was eating too much packaged food...I did buy hummus and veggies to snack on versus the rice crackers and cheese, although I may keep the cheese as I know I don't get too much dairy.

    I do have to say I haven't gotten lazy with tracking...I really do track everything, even when it hurts to see me go over!

    I think I will also try to kick my butt even more with the exercise I do...even take it up a notch walking my dog. I did notice over the past month I had too many days where I was under cals by a single or double-digit number which, at this point as I'm getting much smaller, isn't helpful.

    Guess I will aim to give it my all in May...may weigh-in every two weeks instead of every month for extra motivation to stay on track...
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
    Your current averages for April are as follows:

    1649 calories
    210 carbs
    58 fats
    67 protein


    If I were in your position I would reduce intake to the following values for the next two weeks while leaving activity the same.

    1485 calories
    95 protein
    45 fat
    175 carbohydrate

    I would additionally recommend that you read this post and make every effort in the upcoming two weeks to apply what you may get out of reading this post, as it pertains to accuracy in logging and tracking/weighing/etc:

    EDIT: OOPS! Wrong thread. Here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    EDIT: Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or would like my opinion beyond what is written above. If you do try this in 2 weeks and you are not satisfied with results, you can also PM me with a link to this thread and I'll take another look at that point. This is a process of fine-tuning based on results.

    Great suggestions and will read the thread. Dumb question: how do I see my monthly averages? I would be curious to see how the last two months compare with previous months where I lost 3-4lbs.
  • Sunnyjb
    Sunnyjb Posts: 220
    So many bad carbs and so much dairy. You need more fruit and green leafy veggies, more lean protein and WOAH back on the packaged foods. Completely change the way you are exercising. Change the time of day and get a HR monitor. Up your water. 1 oz per pound. Don't weigh yourself for at least 2 weeks.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Your current averages for April are as follows:

    1649 calories
    210 carbs
    58 fats
    67 protein


    If I were in your position I would reduce intake to the following values for the next two weeks while leaving activity the same.

    1485 calories
    95 protein
    45 fat
    175 carbohydrate

    I would additionally recommend that you read this post and make every effort in the upcoming two weeks to apply what you may get out of reading this post, as it pertains to accuracy in logging and tracking/weighing/etc:

    EDIT: OOPS! Wrong thread. Here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    EDIT: Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or would like my opinion beyond what is written above. If you do try this in 2 weeks and you are not satisfied with results, you can also PM me with a link to this thread and I'll take another look at that point. This is a process of fine-tuning based on results.

    Great suggestions and will read the thread. Dumb question: how do I see my monthly averages? I would be curious to see how the last two months compare with previous months where I lost 3-4lbs.

    http://www.designbyvh.com/myfitnesspal-export-data/#.UYAOALWG37T


    You need to remember that you are quite small.

    This means two things:

    1) Your intakes will be a bit lower than what most people are used to seeing in the context of this site. I wouldn't hesitate to reduce your intake ANOTHER 10% if you don't get results in 2 weeks based on the recommendation I made above. But I would start with what I've listed above (get as close to it as possible) and give it a few weeks to monitor results.

    2) Your rate of loss will likely be reduced at this point. You can probably go a bit faster than 1lb/month but you might not be able to go above 1/week (at least, not for long) and if you land somewhere between .5 and 1/week currently, I'd not be disappointed in that. I'm only mentioning this so that your expectations aren't set unreasonably high.
  • aakaakaak
    aakaakaak Posts: 1,240 Member
    Your current averages for April are as follows:

    1649 calories
    210 carbs
    58 fats
    67 protein


    If I were in your position I would reduce intake to the following values for the next two weeks while leaving activity the same.

    1485 calories
    95 protein
    45 fat
    175 carbohydrate

    I would additionally recommend that you read this post and make every effort in the upcoming two weeks to apply what you may get out of reading this post, as it pertains to accuracy in logging and tracking/weighing/etc:

    EDIT: OOPS! Wrong thread. Here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    EDIT: Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or would like my opinion beyond what is written above. If you do try this in 2 weeks and you are not satisfied with results, you can also PM me with a link to this thread and I'll take another look at that point. This is a process of fine-tuning based on results.

    Great suggestions and will read the thread. Dumb question: how do I see my monthly averages? I would be curious to see how the last two months compare with previous months where I lost 3-4lbs.

    Go to the "REPORTS" tab.
    Click the "NUTRITION" radio button.
    Select "CALORIES", "CARBS", "PROTEIN", etc.
    Select 30 days (or 90 days if you'd like to see the last three months.)

    Edit: Or do what SS did.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • dedicated2014
    dedicated2014 Posts: 36 Member
    I'm an RN...student. Lol close enough?

    Anyway...days where I have to be up for long hours like that, I try to eat most of my carbs early in the day (usually just breakfast). No carbs after lunch, unless it's a piece of fruit or veggies. I also up my protein intake on clinical days, which I find keeps me going much longer than a bagel would anyway. ;)

    Try to keep track of what you're really eating. I know that often times, people bring in "treats" and whatnot, and it's all too tempting to reach for it, especially when you've had a long shift and you're just craving some carbs. Come prepared: acknowledge the fact that you're prone to overeating on Fridays. Bring a lunch bag with plenty of healthy foods in the right serving sizes. Schedule breaks for yourself so you can keep a steady intake of protein and healthy fats. The worst thing you can do is wait until you feel starved and no longer care about what you're eating.
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
    Thanks guys!

    So, I think my new game plan will be to decrease my total number of cals and increase my water. I also increased the intensity of my workout a bit today.

    I bought some veggies and hummus so I can switch up my cheese and cracker snack and get rid of those carbs. I have kicked up the packaged foods lately and that needs to stop! Hopefully this works...

    ...as for the suggestion to change the time I work out...I would love to but I work nights and that pretty much sucks the life out of me!

Categories