Stuck at one weight for over a week

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rben1e
rben1e Posts: 11
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
When I started, a little over four weeks ago, I set a goal of losing 2lbs a week. I weighed 212 lbs. I need to get to 190 lbs, and would like to get down to 160 lbs. I've been eating 1200 calories a day, plus some of what I burn in cardio. I've been over a couple times, but not by more than 50-100 calories. I dropped the first few pounds pretty quickly, down to 206, but then bounced back up to 207 where I seem to be stuck.

Is this common?

Ray
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Replies

  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Yes
  • bikiniaday
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    Totally common! Just be consistant! It will come!
  • Jhostile
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    I hope its common, I am similar and weigh once a week, started at ~210

    207
    208
    204
    199
    198

    Overall progress but sometimes disappointment on weight-in day
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    You're not stuck yet, it's only a week. Have patience.

    I assume you're a male, and 1200 calories is too low for a 200 lb male (and a much smaller female). You might want to rethink your calories, or you're due for a lot of stuck weeks in the future, though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear....you're not going to have losses every week...sometimes you'll have bigger losses and sometimes smaller losses...sometimes the scale will show a gain (water). There is nothing linear about any of this and it's long, slow ride...best just buckle up.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    You're not stuck yet, it's only a week. Have patience.

    I assume you're a male, and 1200 calories is too low for a 200 lb male (and a much smaller female). You might want to rethink your calories, or you're due for a lot of stuck weeks in the future, though.

    Even if you do re-do your calories, which I also suggest, you're still in for a lot of suck...err...stuck weeks in the future.

    Weight loss is not linear, it's not going to always drop 2 lbs a week, some weeks may go up, may go down a pound, may stay the same, and may even drop 3 lbs. Depends on eating, when you weigh, exercise, etc. Focus on the long term end result, don't set a date that you "have" to get to your goal weight, be patient and consistent.

    Also, if you're initial goal is to lose +/- 10 lbs, change your goals from 2 lbs a week to .5 or 1 lb a week.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    It takes time. Patience is needed.
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
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    Just one week? pfft

    That is all
  • 18guyhornet
    18guyhornet Posts: 195 Member
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    You're not stuck . . . This is normal and quite common. Be consistent with your workouts, logging, etc. It will come off. Fluctuations will happen from week to week depending on sodium intake, water consumption, etc.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    You need to eat more!! Figure out your BMR and TDEE!!

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    You're not stuck yet, it's only a week. Have patience.

    I assume you're a male, and 1200 calories is too low for a 200 lb male (and a much smaller female). You might want to rethink your calories, or you're due for a lot of stuck weeks in the future, though.

    Even if you do re-do your calories, which I also suggest, you're still in for a lot of suck...err...stuck weeks in the future.

    Weight loss is not linear, it's not going to always drop 2 lbs a week, some weeks may go up, may go down a pound, may stay the same, and may even drop 3 lbs. Depends on eating, when you weigh, exercise, etc. Focus on the long term end result, don't set a date that you "have" to get to your goal weight, be patient and consistent.

    Also, if you're initial goal is to lose +/- 10 lbs, change your goals from 2 lbs a week to .5 or 1 lb a week.

    True. I agree.
  • Trueray
    Trueray Posts: 1,189 Member
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    Normal!
  • Imabemee
    Imabemee Posts: 36
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    **GASP**

    Totally normal. Won't be the last time it happens either.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You are a man. Eat at least 1500 calories.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
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    um, not to unleash the snark or anything, but i've been "stuck" at the same weight for more than a decade, +/- 5 lbs. just sayin.
  • debbs1970
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    I personally refuse to acknowledge what is commonly referred to as the "plateau"....

    When the scale seems to not want to move, I take some drastic measures to confuse my body as to what is really happening. NO GETTING INTO A RUT, BODY!

    I utilize different methods each time...whatever strikes my fancy that day. But I do ask myself for some brutal honesty first: What have you done in the past few days that may have adversely impacted your progress?

    Then if there is no simpe answer like 1- ate the half gallon of ice cream, 2-drank no water, 3-ate prime rib dinner out, ate no vegetables or fruit and someone needs a laxative...Then I choose from these methods:

    1- Hyper-hydrate: Drink a lot of water, water releases water, and allows the fats to be flushed out of your system. Stay on track with water for a couple days and eat balanced nutrition in a healthy way.

    2- Eat raw food protocol for 24-48 hours. Hate this one. But you do it till you feel your body craving fat, sugar and salt and stay in that area of discomfort for a day.

    3- Eat the most boring diet foods in the world. No sauce, no packaged prepared foods. Boiled chicken, steamed veg's, plain fruit that is lower glucose indexed (apple pear seems best), no grain other than brown rice or quinoa or wheat berries or barley with no sauce or salt, and in small portions (1/2 c.), plain non-fat yogurt (go greek with no additives - what I call God food, just the way it came - no modified food starch or preservatives or artificial sweetners) Again, till you feel your body craving fat, sugar and salt. That area of discomfort IS WHERE THE FAT BURNING HAPPENS. YOU HAVE TO FEEL THOSE CRAVINGS. Learn to identify it and revel in the knowledge that your body is doing what you want it to. And then fight like heck to not eat a chocolate bar or drive to the all-night drivethrough for a fat bomb!

    4- Treat Day - this is my favorite one...sometimes your body detects your intentions as detrimental. Unless you have been cheating and not being honest with yourself first, give your body the chance to take a day off and know that you are not intending to deprive it of every simple pleasure. This is not an opportunity to drink two bottles of wine, but have a glass or two; don't eat the 32 ounce porterhouse, but enjoy the 6 oz filet; don't eat the loaf of fresh baked sourdough and the whole cube of butter, but enjoy a nice hot melty treat piece. Still eat your veggies, still eat your fruit, still eat your dairy, but maybe as icecream instead of cottage cheese.

    5- Get back to basics. Are you eye-balling your portions? Go back to counting, measuring, weighing your portions. Go back to writing what you are biting. Go back to keeping tally on glasses of water, servings of fruit and vegetable.

    6- Cut back on muscle building excercise and increase cardio excercise for a couple days.

    7- Refocus, reframe, reposition yourself MENTALLY. Get your brain out of a stress zone into a happy place. Mental is half the battle.

    8- Pick a NEW diet habit to focus on: like taking vitamins if you don't - or - discontinuing eating after 5 pm - or - trying to learn how to prepare the odd vegetables we never buy in a tasty diet friendly way (jicama? fennel? bok choy? collard greens?) Be creative and inventive.

    STEPS 5, 6, 7 & 8 should happen all the time, but absolutely in conjunction with any of steps 1-4. I also have been told not to "obsess" on my weight loss, but for me and my control freak, OCD self, it is what i exactly need to do. I try on my way way way too skinny clothes way way way too often. I want to see my fat roll out to disgust myself about the condition I let my body get to. Gives me motivation to go walk my fat butt throught the neighborhood for 20 minutes. I weigh myself everyday. I need constant feedeback on my habits. I avoid seeing my friends, that way when they see me for the first time in weeks, they gasp at how different I look (LOVE THAT!). I sleep longer than before - I can't eat if I am sleeping right?. I threw away all the garbage foods in my house - the high fat salad dressing, the hot cocoa, drank the rest of the yummy scotch I had on my last fat day ($$$ = too pricey to dump - had to drink it) Mayo tossed, ice cream tossed, frozen fatty burger tossed. Don't put the temptations in front of yourself. Replace with all the healthy versions. Grocery shop regularly. I stop every night at store for dinner, breakfast and lunch fixing's. Have the frozen Lean Quisine etc for emergency, hectic days but fresh daily makes meal time more fun and more pleasurable.

    Those are my secrets. Happy to share what has worked for me in the past.
  • rben1e
    rben1e Posts: 11
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    Thanks to everyone who answered. It makes me feel better to know this is typical. I'll just keep on keeping on.

    Ray
  • rben1e
    rben1e Posts: 11
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    Have to lose 20 lbs in order to schedule some surgery I need. I'll stick to 1200 calories until I get that far, at least. The more I lose, the safer the surgery will be.

    Ray
  • rben1e
    rben1e Posts: 11
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    um, not to unleash the snark or anything, but i've been "stuck" at the same weight for more than a decade, +/- 5 lbs. just sayin.

    Oh darn.

    If I looked so nice at my weight, I wouldn't mind being stuck either. It's disappointing to see parents at the beach encouraging their kids to head for higher ground as I approach the water.

    Ray
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    You might lose faster but it isn't healthy because you are losing muscle along with fat. You are also lowering your metabolism.
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