Stuck at one weight for over a week

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: 4,064 Member
    Yes
  • Totally common! Just be consistant! It will come!
  • 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
    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: 41,865 Member
    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
    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
    It takes time. Patience is needed.
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
    Just one week? pfft

    That is all
  • 18guyhornet
    18guyhornet Posts: 195 Member
    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
    You need to eat more!! Figure out your BMR and TDEE!!

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    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
    Normal!
  • Imabemee
    Imabemee Posts: 36
    **GASP**

    Totally normal. Won't be the last time it happens either.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You are a man. Eat at least 1500 calories.
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    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.
  • 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
    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
    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
    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
    You might lose faster but it isn't healthy because you are losing muscle along with fat. You are also lowering your metabolism.
  • rben1e
    rben1e Posts: 11
    I've gotten past that first hump, apparently. Now I'm down to 203, only 13 lbs more to go to reach my first goal. Once I've reached 190, I'll slow down to about one pound a week.

    BTW, my ticker doesn't seem to work, never shows any progress. Is there a way to fix it?
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    A 200 pound dude eating 1200 calories? How do you do it? Maybe 2 pounds a week is too aggressive for you. Try setting it to 1 pound a week. You'll probably feel better, and though it might take longer, it will probably be more sustainable long-term. Anyways, it's totally normal for your initial loss to be fairly quick and then for it to slow down, especially the closer you get to goal. One week at the same weight is totally normal. I had 2 or 3 weeks go by sometimes where nothing would happen and then suddenly I'd drop 3 pounds over night. It's all good. Just stick with it. :flowerforyou:
  • rben1e
    rben1e Posts: 11
    If only dieting were obsessive. This would be a lot easier for me. I am dieting this aggressively because I have a gigantic hernia and must lose at least twenty pounds before the surgery can be scheduled. I spent two years farting around with less aggressive diets and made no progress. Once I've lost the first twenty pounds, I'll back off to a more rational pound a week plan.
  • If only dieting were obsessive. This would be a lot easier for me. I am dieting this aggressively because I have a gigantic hernia and must lose at least twenty pounds before the surgery can be scheduled. I spent two years farting around with less aggressive diets and made no progress. Once I've lost the first twenty pounds, I'll back off to a more rational pound a week plan.
    I do not really see why at your current weight that you MUST drop 20lbs to get a hernia surgery. I have had countless hernia surgeries and currently am awaiting another. Most of my hernia surgeries... about 4 of them were performed when i was overweight. I can't imagine any of my doctors telling me that to fix my horribly painful medical problem (that prevents exercise) that i should starve myself...
    If you are a 200lb man you body is starving at 1200 calories plain and simple. I am 115lb girl and i eat 300calories more than you EVERY day and still lose.
  • I think debbs1970 has some very good tips for changing up what you're doing when stuck at a weight.
  • jillianbeeee
    jillianbeeee Posts: 345 Member
    happens to me all the time. Weight in the beginning came off a little easier. Every time that happens I step up my exercise and it starts to come off again. I try to remember I did not put this weight on overnight and it isn't gonna come off that way either. Hard work, determination, watching what your eating and logging will work. Just give it time and patience and whatever you do, don't quit! EVER! its well worth it, I promise!

    By the way is 1200 what you set or what MFP set? that seems very low for you! You may be eating to LITTLE. Check out some of the threads on eating to little calories.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    It took me nearly 2 years to lose 45 pounds. Your weight will go up, down, and not move at all during the process. My graph zigs and zags all over the place, but the overall trend was down. Don't get discouraged.
  • bevh1149
    bevh1149 Posts: 1 Member
    Same thing is happening to me. It is very frustrating. I have been on program for 4 weeks. 1200 calories a day faithfully plus exercise. Lost 4 lbs. the first week, very happy. 2 lbs. week 2, great. Nothing week 3 and just 1 this past week. Trying not to get discouraged and hang in there. Good luck to both of us.
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    I have my weight data for multiple years, and no matter whether the overall trend is up or down, there is always a bit of high frequency noise in the data, i.e., little fluctuations that may or may not go with the overall trend at that time.

    Generally speaking, I interpret this as being due to the fact that the balance of energy is a probabilistic process in the short term (i.e., almost no matter what you eat, on a given day, there is some non-zero probability that your weight will go up, and some non-zero probability that it will go down), but deterministic in the long term (e.g., if you are eating a caloric deficit, the trend over, say, weeks or months, will be to lose weight).

    Good luck!

    [Edited for clarification.]
  • ricki011
    ricki011 Posts: 89 Member
    Me too! Very frustrating. But will keep at it as long as it takes. One week at a time...
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