Stalled Loss After 20lbs

Trudii22
Trudii22 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in mid April. I went cold turkey from high carbs and soda to a very strict LCHF diet. About C:20% / P:20% / F: 60%. (Before anyone flips out - I LOVE carbs, but my pancreas disagrees.) I eat 1300 calories a day which is about 100 more calories than MFP told me to, but I was hungry all the time and the extra 100 helped.

I exercise 30 minutes every day on an elliptical I bought a couple years ago. I am not in shape at all, I only get up to 5 resistance (out of 20) and 40 RPM. Not fantastic, but I get a good sweat so that has to be enough for now. I do not eat back the calories that the elliptical says I used (usually 250 / 30 min) - partially because I don't trust the number.

Between the dietary changes and exercise my blood glucose readings have dropped quite a bit - fasting averages 90 and after meal averages 100-110. Huge improvement to the average of 217 I was at diagnosis.

The Problem: I started at 230lbs / 5 ft 6 in. The first two months I lost consistently 2 pounds a week for a total of 21 lbs. Since then I've just hovered - down to -23, then back to -21, rinse & repeat. I need to lose a total of 75 lbs, so losing an entire month is starting to get discouraging.

What the heck do I need to do differently? I cannot change my distribution of calories or risk my glucose readings going wacky again. I cannot imagine I need more calories, I'm really only hungry during the week of my period. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • SheriF49
    SheriF49 Posts: 50 Member
    I am in your same situation and would like to see any responses.
  • NathanielUK
    NathanielUK Posts: 61 Member
    This happens, more regulary after "alot" of weightloss in a "short time" - Your body just compensates for what its lost. Maybe another thing is 3-4 pound of that loss could be water weight. You put that on as soon as you hydrate.

    Just keep doing what your doing - It takes time, There is no "Switch" IT will start again, The more weight you lose the harder it gets.
  • Trudii22
    Trudii22 Posts: 4
    Bumping back up - I'd truly appreciate some advice if at all possible on how to break a stall.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I would start eating back some of your earned exercise calories. The machine probably isn't accurate, so eat back 50-70% of them instead of all. Or, alternately, figure your TDEE and BMR to get a better look at how much you're burning a day and what you should be eating (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/). A lot of us have found that our weight loss stalls out if we cut our calories too low.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    I am no expert BUT one fact is that the less you weigh the less calories you burn naturally and during physical activity. As you lose, it would seem exercise needs to increase accordingly. This is not working for me because of physical issues not allowing increase in exercise so y only other option is to decrease in intake.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Since you're insulin resistant, I agree with keeping your carbs low, and your protein is pretty high, which is good. Now that you've started to lose, you may need to switch your goal from 2lbs per week to 1lb per week (I'm assuming it's at 2 since that's how most people get to 1200). You likely also chose the activity level of sedentary. Most people aren't sedentary even if they don't "move much". But, since that's what you went with, you do need to eat back your exercise calories.

    If you're putting your age and weight into the machine, it may not be horribly off (maybe). But I'd eat back at least 180-200 calories for each of your workout sessions (this will give wiggle room for the possible error).

    Also, I'm personally a fan of diet breaks. Every few months, take a week and eat at maintenance levels. Then get back to it. I'm not sure why it works, but it really helps the body seem to adjust better.

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