Have I hit a plateau or am I doing it wrong?

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in2theblu
in2theblu Posts: 42
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, so I've lost about 30lbs so far through clean eating (most of the time) and about an hour a day of cardio (500-600 calorie loss) 5x a week or more. I've been slowly reducing my calories to less and less.. I was at about 1650 calories in February and now 1350/1380 something like that. I don't feel starved at all. My question is though.. I went from 225 to 195lbs.. It's been about 6 weeks now with no further weightless.. Is this a plateau? or Do I consume as much of the 1380 calories and lose 500 from exercise by the end of the day? I feel like I've been eating my set calories..working out .. Then eating a a couple more calories to build up after a work out.. Which might be defeating the purpose of working out? What am I doing wrong? I'm dying to get out of the 190's. please help!
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  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,691 Member
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    Why are you reducing your calories as you go?
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
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    Hey everyone, so I've lost about 30lbs so far through clean eating (most of the time) and about an hour a day of cardio (500-600 calorie loss) 5x a week or more. I've been slowly reducing my calories to less and less.. I was at about 1650 calories in February and now 1350/1380 something like that. I don't feel starved at all. My question is though.. I went from 225 to 195lbs.. It's been about 6 weeks now with no further weightless.. Is this a plateau? or Do I consume as much of the 1380 calories and lose 500 from exercise by the end of the day? I feel like I've been eating my set calories..working out .. Then eating a a couple more calories to build up after a work out.. Which might be defeating the purpose of working out? What am I doing wrong? I'm dying to get out of the 190's. please help!

    There will be plateaus...but 6 weeks is a long time with no loss. You might need to up your calories to lose again, but you should still have a deficit of 400 at the end of the day. Go back to what was working for you. Also, your body will get used to you doing the same thing all the time, so mix up your exercise routine. If you only did cardio, throw weigh training into it or vice versa. If you only did elliptical, ride a bike instead or do zumba. Just do different things to confuse the body. Good luck!

    BTW - your picture looks GREAT for 195 pounds!!! You are going to be too thin at 175! LOL!
  • in2theblu
    in2theblu Posts: 42
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    Honestly I just put in my current weight at the time I was 225 on the MyFitnessPal app and I had 1600 sum calories.. Now I put in 195 for 2lbs/week loss and it said 1300 ish so I just assumed I had to follow suit.
  • in2theblu
    in2theblu Posts: 42
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    Thank u ur too kind lol.. Yeah I've just been doing a lot of treadmill jogging/walking.. Some Pilates and yoga. That's about it. I am clueless as far as lifting weights go. I've been trying to eat over my calories to mix it up too... Are u saying at the end of the day I should still have 500 calories off? I'm confused .. I start with 1380 calories.. Say I eat breakfast & lunch and I'm at 500 left for dinner.. I exercise and lose 400 calories.. Afterward can I still eat 300? Or does that defeat the purpose?
    P.s u look great also!
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
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    Always have a deficit of calories...so if MFP tells you to eat 1300 cals a day and you eat 1300 and then exercise 500 calories...then don't eat back the 500. (At least for me 500 to 1000 a day seems to be my magic number to lose weight, others can get by on having a 300 deficit, but you have to figure out what works for you). Yes as we lose weight, the numbers will probably change to eat less, but then again, it might not work for you even if MFP tells you it will. Each person is different. Someone the same height and weight of you may be able to eat twice what you eat and lose more, it's all how we are made. BUT IN GENERAL, you will still have to have a deficit in calories at the end of the day to lose weight. I think you are doing it right, but to be stuck for that long at the same weight, something has to change, the calories you eat, the calories you burn, the exercises you are doing, mixing it up. You haven't started some new medication or outside variables, correct? Are you drinking about a gallon of water a day? Not adding in something that you didn't eat/drink before (diet soda, etc...?)
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    MFP is set up with a built in calorie deficit before you do any exercise. Your age, height, weight, gender, lbs to lose per week, and daily activity/job is all that is used to figure it. So if it says to eat 1300 calories with 2 lbs a week as the goal you have a 1000 calorie deficit already built in. Instead of the 2300 you'd eat to stay the same (maintain) you're given 1300. Instant deficit. If you burn off 500 calories in a work out that makes your deficit 1500 which is too high for safe weight loss. That's why you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories with MFP. I'd suggest looking at the section of your food diary that says "Your Daily Goal". That's the amount you should eat as near as possible to ensure you get the proper deficit. On no workout days it won't change, so you'll eat your normal 1300ish calories. On a workout day it will go up by however much you burn so with a 500 calorie burn it becomes 1800.
  • in2theblu
    in2theblu Posts: 42
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    Ok I think I have come to the solution to my problem.. Thanks to all your input! I believe that what I've been doing is more "maintaining" then weight loss.. By eating 1300 calories and Exercising off 500 calories..then thinking well I worked out today so I can eat another 300.. It's like, what goes in comes out. Meanwhile I haven't been actually losing anything extra.
    I guess the reduction in calories confused me at some point.. Or maybe 1380 calories is too less a day for me? Anyways thanks for everyone's help. Ill keep u posted.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,691 Member
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    MFP is set up with a built in calorie deficit before you do any exercise. Your age, height, weight, gender, lbs to lose per week, and daily activity/job is all that is used to figure it. So if it says to eat 1300 calories with 2 lbs a week as the goal you have a 1000 calorie deficit already built in. Instead of the 2300 you'd eat to stay the same (maintain) you're given 1300. Instant deficit. If you burn off 500 calories in a work out that makes your deficit 1500 which is too high for safe weight loss. That's why you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories with MFP. I'd suggest looking at the section of your food diary that says "Your Daily Goal". That's the amount you should eat as near as possible to ensure you get the proper deficit. On no workout days it won't change, so you'll eat your normal 1300ish calories. On a workout day it will go up by however much you burn so with a 500 calorie burn it becomes 1800.


    This is exactly what I was thinking...if you excersise off 500 calories and don't eat back those calories then you will not be eating enough (deficit will be too high) and it will slow your weight loss. I don't think you should eat them ALL if you aren't hungry, but it could be the source of your problem. Per your example, if you eat 1300 then excersise off 500, that's only 800 calories for the day. I'd be so hungry I'd probably kill myself. If you eat 300 ( again per your example) thats STILL an extra 200 on top of your built in deficit.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    By eating 1300 calories and Exercising off 500 calories..then thinking well I worked out today so I can eat another 300..

    But see, you CAN. The 1380 that MFP has set for you already INCLUDES your calorie deficit in your daily calorie goal. If you told MFP that you want to lose a lb/week, then it INCLUDES a -500 calorie deficit in your daily target. If you told it you want to lose more or less/week, then the built-in deficit will be greater or smaller, accordingly.

    So, if you burn 500 calories, then YES, you can eat those calories back (all of them) and still maintain your desired deficit that day. So, on a 500 calorie burn day, you want to eat 1880 calories total. On a no-exercise day, eat the 1380. (Though personally I think even just the 1380 seems pretty low. I'd be starving.)
  • LazyBearGrrr
    LazyBearGrrr Posts: 35 Member
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    Ok I think I have come to the solution to my problem.. Thanks to all your input! I believe that what I've been doing is more "maintaining" then weight loss.. By eating 1300 calories and Exercising off 500 calories..then thinking well I worked out today so I can eat another 300.. It's like, what goes in comes out. Meanwhile I haven't been actually losing anything extra.
    I guess the reduction in calories confused me at some point.. Or maybe 1380 calories is too less a day for me? Anyways thanks for everyone's help. Ill keep u posted.

    Ack! No! You were doing it right. You should be eating back the calories you exercise. Please read the post a couple up from this one by herblackwings. This is correct.
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
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    Hey everyone, so I've lost about 30lbs so far through clean eating (most of the time) and about an hour a day of cardio (500-600 calorie loss) 5x a week or more. I've been slowly reducing my calories to less and less.. I was at about 1650 calories in February and now 1350/1380 something like that. I don't feel starved at all. My question is though.. I went from 225 to 195lbs.. It's been about 6 weeks now with no further weightless.. Is this a plateau? or Do I consume as much of the 1380 calories and lose 500 from exercise by the end of the day? I feel like I've been eating my set calories..working out .. Then eating a a couple more calories to build up after a work out.. Which might be defeating the purpose of working out? What am I doing wrong? I'm dying to get out of the 190's. please help!


    BTW - your picture looks GREAT for 195 pounds!!! You are going to be too thin at 175! LOL!

    I agree! Lookin good.

    If you were losing weight at 1550 I would have left it the same until you stall. Eating 1300 and burning 500 a day isn't going to work long term. Eat back your exercised calories.
  • in2theblu
    in2theblu Posts: 42
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    Aaah confusing! Haha
    OK.. Soooo... My daily goal is 1380 (as per MFP) for 2lb loss a week.
    I exercise 60 minutes at least 5X a week. And aim to burn 500-600 calories..
    For example: today-- thus far, I have eaten 843 calories.. And burned 589 calories in exercise.. My net is 254. And now my remaining calories is set to 1126... So from 1126.. How do u know how much of that u can use? Or can u use all of it??

    Because eating 1380 calories a day-- burning off 500 and then eating back 500 sounds like its defeating the purpose and is more of a "maintaining" way of life.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    That is NOT maintaining. If you NET 1380 per day, you are still creating a deficit of 1000 calories every single day, because that's how MFP works. You told it you want to lose 2lbs/week, and it's doing that for you. If you never exercised and ate 1380/day, you would still have that 1000 calorie deficit per day.

    You want to NET your goal. Right now, if you ate nothing else, you are giving your body a mere 254 calories to live off of. People with eating disorders consume more than that. You've undereaten and burned everything else off by exercising.

    Eat your exercise calories. Net your goal, or at least very very close to it, every day.

    Your body probably needs at least 1300/day just to support basic bodily functions - like organ function and breathing. If you're netting less than that, you're doing your body a grave disservice.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I'm going to suggest that you read this post. It might help explain things and help you pick a more healthy and sustainable target:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • Bluejay789
    Bluejay789 Posts: 176
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    What they say, Eat your exercise calories, MVP does all the work, you don't have to calculate as it does it for you.
  • in2theblu
    in2theblu Posts: 42
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    OK THaNK you sooo much! It finally makes sense. This deficit was confusing me.. I guess I've lost 30lbs doing why I've been doing and it's worked so far.. So Im guessing I need to watch more about WHAT I'm eating.. (Because I do cheat)
    When I had a 1500 daily calorie intake.. I was never starving or felt weak. But I usually comfortably ate about 1400 calories a day so for the MFP app to let it go to 1380.. I am definitely going to watch if I feel sick or unhealthy..in which I will go back to the 1400sum calories. Thanks for all ur help and concerns people!! I'm not into an eating disorder this is a life change.

    U are all great wonderful people. Best of luck on all your goals and achievements!
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I'm glad it's "clicking" :) And yeah, don't be afraid to bump your calories up if you're feeling weak, tired, dizzy or grumpy. All of these numbers are just estimates - you have to monitor your body, your weight loss etc and make adjustments as necessary as you go along :)
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
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    wow...now I'm confused! I am the only one NOT eating back my exercise calories in our office and the only one losing weight. The others are maintaining (or gaining). Oh well, do what works for you I say. I'll stick with what I'm doing.
  • ahmadfahmy
    ahmadfahmy Posts: 214 Member
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    Hey everyone, so I've lost about 30lbs so far through clean eating (most of the time) and about an hour a day of cardio (500-600 calorie loss) 5x a week or more. I've been slowly reducing my calories to less and less.. I was at about 1650 calories in February and now 1350/1380 something like that. I don't feel starved at all. My question is though.. I went from 225 to 195lbs.. It's been about 6 weeks now with no further weightless.. Is this a plateau? or Do I consume as much of the 1380 calories and lose 500 from exercise by the end of the day? I feel like I've been eating my set calories..working out .. Then eating a a couple more calories to build up after a work out.. Which might be defeating the purpose of working out? What am I doing wrong? I'm dying to get out of the 190's. please help!

    wait..you eat your daily calories (1350cals), then workout, then eat again?
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    How tall are you? How much more do you have to lose? 2 lbs/week is a hefty goal, especially if you don't have 75+ lbs left to lose. I still have at least 40 to go, and I am losing about 1.5 lb/week, and will soon expect to only lose 1 lb/week. The closer you are to goal, the less you should aim to lose per week.

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