Should I be discouraged now?

timesinfinityplus2 · August 2013

So I am a big proponent for IIFYM, I am a big proponent for eating more to weigh less, I don't eat clean and I never will (when I try I fall off the bandwagon after a few weeks) and I have been losing weight steadily. Over the past 13 weeks or so I have lost 56 pounds (keep in mind I was quite obese at 337 pounds so it isn't a shocking amount) with the occasional "stall" for one week only to lose more the next. Recently, however, that trend has broken.

Two weeks ago I weighed in at 281.4 pounds. Last week I weighed in the same... exactly, at 281.4 pounds. This week I weighed in at 282.8 pounds. The first "stall" I figured was due to fluctuation which is normal, but now actually gaining has made me wonder.... and has been discouraging.

Things about me:

6'4"
32 years old
337 to 282.6 pounds
I have used a Bodymedia device without fail since I started and it's never let me down; proves to be quite accurate
I eat at a 1000 calorie per day deficit, sometimes only reaching 800 calories and some days being at 1400 calorie deficit
I shoot for 1 gram of protein per pound of LBM and usually end up with more
I do cardio 2 days per week and strength train 3 days per week, all 1 hour segments

The ONLY thing I can think of is that I am weighing 1 day early since I will be camping this weekend, and I was unable to void my system prior to weighing which I normally do. I want to blame it on the waste in my body, but I am starting to get discouraged that maybe I am doing something wrong after all this time of success.

Also, please note that I have temporarily opened my diary to the public and the numbers in there are NOT correct. What I mean by that is though I am anal about weighing, measuring and logging my calories, the numbers are not right in MFP. I am linked with my Bodymedia FIT so all my numbers on my Bodymedia account are correct while they never seem to sync up right with MFP.

Any help is appreciated.

ladynocturne · August 2013

I took a look at your diary, and one thing that really jumped out for me is that you don't have your sodium visible. While sodium doesn't affect fat loss, it can mask it on the scale. I noticed a lot of foods that tend to have a lot of sodium in your diet the last two weeks. But I also figured you've been eating similar food since you started at 337lbs.

I suppose you've reassessed your calorie needs for your new weight to maintain the same 1000 calorie deficit?

Its not uncommon, especially as a woman, for me to weigh more or the same for several weeks just because my body is being a d*ick. It sounds like you're doing everything right.

I would probably switch to a 500 calorie deficit for 1 week, then go back to the 1000 the next.

timesinfinityplus2 · August 2013

I do tend to have 3000-4000 mg of sodium each day, but I've been having that since the start. We don't always make all our own food and when we do, there still always seems to be a lot of sodium in it. And with the Bodymedia I don't really have to adjust my calories as I lost weight, I adjust my weight in the program and it does that for me, so yeah... I've been making sure I maintain that 1000 calorie deficit.

I know that many say that it is normal and you shouldn't really worry until you've stalled for 3 weeks, but gaining weight is not something I've had happen.

If things don't change by the next weigh-in, I'll probably adjust my calories a little to see if it helps.

Thanks!

timesinfinityplus2 · August 2013

Here's a shot from Bodymedia for the past 28 days.

Is it possible that I am not eating enough? It seems I am averaging closer to 1700 calorie deficit per day... should I really try to get that to 1000 calories?

ladynocturne · August 2013

Here's a shot from Bodymedia for the past 28 days.

Is it possible that I am not eating enough? It seems I am averaging closer to 1700 calorie deficit per day... should I really try to get that to 1000 calories?

Yeah having an average of 1600+ calorie deficit is pretty dangerous. I would consider making sure you never average more than a 1000 calorie deficit, you're going to really be losing a lot of lean muscle mass that way.

When you eat too far below your net BMR, your brain cannot convert fat stores into energy, so it takes it's energy from your lean muscle mass. A lot of people lose weight this way and end up flabby with a low metabolism, then have to spend a year regaining the muscle they lost.

I'm not sure exactly WHY under eating causes weight to stall or gain (maybe high Cortisol), but it is something I consistently see around here.

Pinkranger626 · August 2013

Should you bediscouraged? Absolutely not! You've made awesome progress thus far!! What are you doing as far as exercise? Have you been doing the same routine for a while now? If so that may be the culprit, and the bodymedia, although very accurate and very helpful may not be picking up on the fact that your body is getting better at your routine.

What I mean is this: the human body is notoriously lazy, it will do everything in its power to use the least amount of calories to complete a given task. If you are doing the same routine for your workout week in and week out your body gets more and more efficient at completing the exercises with using less calories to do it. This is usually where people see a plateu in their progress whether it be strength, speed, endurance, weight loss, etc.

My suggestion would be to change up your workouts and see if that makes a difference. Have you added weight training into your routine? I know with my body, I didn't see a ton of change or weight loss until I started lifting regularly. Don't get discouraged!

Francl27 · August 2013

After 2-3 months my weight loss started to slow down. Still now... I usually lose all my weight in 10 days then the scale doesn't move for 3 weeks. Don't be discouraged unless you don't show any progress for a month. I agree too that I'd try and stick to a 1000 calories deficit at this point.

SarahIluvatariel · August 2013

I've stalled for three separate weeks ... and after seeing the patterns for myself, I think it may have more to do with "regularity" than anything else. I would suggest you try to eat lots of fiber and increase your water for a while.

sharonfoustmills · August 2013

take a look at your sodium, it could be making you hold water weight-- my scale jumped three pounds and I just kept on track and it came back off and then I realized that the night before this happened I had chicken broccoli with a bunch of soy sauce in it and I had gone over the sodium more than 2000 even though all my calories and other stuff were still in line, it was all water weight from the extra salt

timesinfinityplus2 · August 2013

Thanks for the responses everyone. To touch on a few points...

I do strength training and I change it every 2-4 weeks so I am not always doing the same thing. The same goes for cardio; I don't always just run or just walk, I add in HIIT and things to change it up.

I always try to get to (or exceed) my fiber intake and usually do. And as far as water goes, though my diary didn't show it, I usually drink over 300 ounces per day. I am constantly sucking on a giant jug of water

Sodium could be the culprit, but with how much water I drink I would think it would sort of couteract it. I am not sure how easy it will be for me to go away from the sodium. I would assume even if I am retaining water, I would lose weight over time because it's not like I can retain 20 pounds of water extra, right?

Thanks again, everyone. I will push to try to get to a 1000 calorie deficit each day, make sure I keep eating my fiber and drinking my water and not get discouraged because of a couple weeks of stalling.

Should I be discouraged now?

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