Have been on a plateau since january, help!

deevatude
deevatude Posts: 322 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
these are my stats

5'7
160
24 years old
2037 calories
moderate exercise
female


been doing the tdee - 15 method for a year and a half. i took diet breaks and ate at maintenance quite a few times and still have yet to lose a pound. trying to get down to 150. i run 2-3 miles daily but i dont strength train because i dont have access to a gym.

my diary is open. dont ask me why i eat alot of popcorn, why i eat so much for breakfast, why i eat alot of oatmeal, etc. i dont think those are the reasons why im not losing and please dont tell me to eat less because i wont.

i will also add that i drink alot of water, i dont log it because its not necessary. i only drink water.

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    If you won't eat less, then... you're going to need to exercise more. I'm the same height and weight as you, if I ate 2000 calories a day and ran 2-3 miles, I'd maintain.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    If you don't want to change your diet...that leaves changing your exercise routine. You don't need to go to a gym to do that. But I think you probably already know that.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,061 Member
    Try just eating your BMR for awhile.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I am the same height as you 11 lbs heavier, a 41 year old female and moderate exercise...at least 4x a week usually 6 or 7 depending on my schedule.

    I eat a net of 1360 currently to loose 1lb a week. (I eat exercise back to a certian degree).

    Even moving to the TDEE-20% in about 10 days has me at 1546 calories a day to loose about 3/4lb a week.

    so basically you need to cut your calories or exercise more as LadyNocturne has indicated.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    yhhhhhhhhhhg,,,,,,,

    My cat wrote that.

    Your only option that I can see is to increase exercise, which you should check out with your doctor if you need to increase a lot to lose enough.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I am not sure what you are looking for here. You are maintaining i.e. eating at maintenance, but you do not want to eat less. The only things that can really be suggested are:

    1) tweak your macros - your carbs are very high and your protein low (protein has a higher TEF)
    2) move more.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Weight loss success is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise. If you want to lose weight, you are going to have to change your diet. You can't out exercise a poor diet. It just won't happen.

    On the other hand, you are at a pretty good weight for your height, so it isn't like you are at any health risks should you stay the same.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    Yeah, sorry you don't want to hear this but you should really try eating less. Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing weight or are you still eating the same amount that you started at?
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    if you dont want to eat less just make sure you really ARE eating what you think you are.

    are you weighing everything on a food scale?

    that might make difference and get things going.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,035 Member
    Are you sure your TDEE calculation is correct? You have your MFP goal set at 2030 which looks like TDEE to me and you seem to be hitting that most days. I doubt TDEE-15% would be as high as that.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    if you dont want to eat less just make sure you really ARE eating what you think you are.

    are you weighing everything on a food scale?

    that might make difference and get things going.

    This.

    And yeah, depending on what you do apart from your runs, your TDEE might not be as high as you think.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    my diary is open. dont ask me why i eat alot of popcorn, why i eat so much for breakfast, why i eat alot of oatmeal, etc. i dont think those are the reasons why im not losing and please dont tell me to eat less because i wont.

    So, if you don't want help why did you post? :ohwell:
  • SkinnyMarni3
    SkinnyMarni3 Posts: 73 Member
    I see you got the right answers already ^^
    2000 calories seem too much to me. I am 165lbs and 5'7'' and eat 1550-1600 calories a day and I lose weight nicely :) I would really consider lowering the amount of calories I eat if I was you... And then go back to 2000 to maintain...
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm 35, 5'5" and 160 lbs, and I've been losing on 1600 a day, but it's slowed down the last month... I walk 5 miles a day in average, sometimes up to 7, including some treadmill and elevation, and strength train twice a week. My maintenance would be 2050-2100 (guessing 2000 once I'm at goal weight, as long as I stay as active, when I'm not my TDEE is 1700!).

    I'm guessing if you run 2-3 miles a day but don't do anything else on the side, you're not burning as many calories as you think and your TDEE is lower.
  • tennileb
    tennileb Posts: 265 Member
    I can tell you what you want to hear...which is there is nothing wrong with how much you are eating and offer you no suggestions, and tell you that a couple runs a week is all your body needs. But if you are not loosing weight you are not burning more than you are eating .

    Honestly looking at tweaking your diet so you are taking in less and add some strength activities (google body weight exercises, push ups, squats etc require no gym). you need to eat less or burn more...preferably a bit of both. I think your TDEE is off,

    I would also suggest weighing and measuring all your food, I frequently miss judged how much I was eating, what I guessed was 100 calories of peanut butter was closer to 250. and you have to count every bite....I'm a taste tester when I cook which adds up over time.

    I'm 5'5" and was at 155 lbs+ and I could have 1200 (more if I exercised ) and I was loosing steady.

    watch secret eaters on youtube. i just watched it today and it rang true for a lot of my bad habits.
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Congratulations!!! You have maintenance sorted - which is the thing that a lot of people struggle with. Calories in = Calories out.

    I know you have said that you don't want to eat less, but you do need a caloric deficit to lose weight. So you will need to ramp up your activity level every day. Perhaps go for a half hour to hour walk every day, and do some body weight exercises (squats, push ups etc) three times a week to add a little extra exercise calories and get your deficit that way.

    Congrats again on the maintenance!
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    i run 2-3 miles daily but i dont strength train because i dont have access to a gym.

    my diary is open. dont ask me why i eat alot of popcorn, why i eat so much for breakfast, why i eat alot of oatmeal, etc. i dont think those are the reasons why im not losing and please dont tell me to eat less because i wont.

    So... Are you willing to change anything? If nothing changes, nothing changes... right?
  • klinger6395
    klinger6395 Posts: 44 Member
    throw a refeed in there!!!!
  • klinger6395
    klinger6395 Posts: 44 Member
    lol cut calories even more.......naa we don't want any damaged metabolism's up in here
  • MissSaturday
    MissSaturday Posts: 784 Member
    I'm 250 lbs and if i eat 2200 cal per day I will maintain or gain weight!! eheheh
    1) reduce calories to what you feel like maybe you want to start with 1800
    2) change workout at least every month
    3) exercise bit more.

    you can't plateau for ever if you are going the right thing!
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    Congratulations!!! You have maintenance sorted - which is the thing that a lot of people struggle with. Calories in = Calories out.

    I know you have said that you don't want to eat less, but you do need a caloric deficit to lose weight. So you will need to ramp up your activity level every day. Perhaps go for a half hour to hour walk every day, and do some body weight exercises (squats, push ups etc) three times a week to add a little extra exercise calories and get your deficit that way.

    Congrats again on the maintenance!


    i am eating at a deficit though. my tdee is a little over 2300 calories. i eat 2000 calories and burn about 300 from running. my bmr is a little over 1500, so i dont see how eating less would help. i dont want to go under my BMR.

    like i said, im doing the tdee - 15% method.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    I think your TDEE numbers are off a little.

    I maintain at 1800 calories, I'm also 5'7" and 160lbs.

    If you eat 2000 calories and burn off 300 from running.... 2000-300 = 1700. 100 calorie deficit a day.

    Then if you take even one day off of running, and still eat 2000 calories, you will basically negate half of the 600 calorie deficit you might have created during the week. Your TDEE is probably closer to 2100/2150.

    Running 2-3 miles 3-5 days a week just isn't enough to meet the moderate exercise setting.

    Maybe you should consider netting your BMR instead, so you eat 1500 + what you burn running. If you don't exercise, eat 1500. That should give you roughly a 300-350 calorie deficit a day, which is pretty decent.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,035 Member
    Your double counting your exercise. Your TDEE already incorporates your exercise calories so you don't burn an extra 300 by running.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member

    i am eating at a deficit though. my tdee is a little over 2300 calories. i eat 2000 calories and burn about 300 from running. my bmr is a little over 1500, so i dont see how eating less would help. i dont want to go under my BMR.

    like i said, im doing the tdee - 15% method.

    Your TDEE though is what you are eating now. You haven't plateaued. You are eating exactly what your body needs to stay the weight it's at. Don't believe what an online calculator says when reality is telling you otherwise.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Congratulations!!! You have maintenance sorted - which is the thing that a lot of people struggle with. Calories in = Calories out.

    I know you have said that you don't want to eat less, but you do need a caloric deficit to lose weight. So you will need to ramp up your activity level every day. Perhaps go for a half hour to hour walk every day, and do some body weight exercises (squats, push ups etc) three times a week to add a little extra exercise calories and get your deficit that way.

    Congrats again on the maintenance!


    i am eating at a deficit though. my tdee is a little over 2300 calories. i eat 2000 calories and burn about 300 from running. my bmr is a little over 1500, so i dont see how eating less would help. i dont want to go under my BMR.

    like i said, im doing the tdee - 15% method.

    Your TDEE is what you are maintaining at, not what some online calculator tells you (which is full of estimates and assumptions).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    Also, according to your diary, you are actually eating more than the 2,037 calories less 15% - you averaged nearly 1,900 calories this month (ignoring the unlogged days). Take some estimation errors into account - you are at maintenance.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
    Congratulations!!! You have maintenance sorted - which is the thing that a lot of people struggle with. Calories in = Calories out.

    I know you have said that you don't want to eat less, but you do need a caloric deficit to lose weight. So you will need to ramp up your activity level every day. Perhaps go for a half hour to hour walk every day, and do some body weight exercises (squats, push ups etc) three times a week to add a little extra exercise calories and get your deficit that way.

    Congrats again on the maintenance!


    i am eating at a deficit though. my tdee is a little over 2300 calories. i eat 2000 calories and burn about 300 from running. my bmr is a little over 1500, so i dont see how eating less would help. i dont want to go under my BMR.

    like i said, im doing the tdee - 15% method.

    Your TDEE is what you are maintaining at, not what some online calculator tells you (which is full of estimates and assumptions).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    Also, according to your diary, you are actually eating more than the 2,037 calories less 15% - you averaged nearly 1,900 calories this month (ignoring the unlogged days). Take some estimation errors into account - you are at maintenance.


    thanks for the link

    so about how many calories should i be eating around?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Congratulations!!! You have maintenance sorted - which is the thing that a lot of people struggle with. Calories in = Calories out.

    I know you have said that you don't want to eat less, but you do need a caloric deficit to lose weight. So you will need to ramp up your activity level every day. Perhaps go for a half hour to hour walk every day, and do some body weight exercises (squats, push ups etc) three times a week to add a little extra exercise calories and get your deficit that way.

    Congrats again on the maintenance!


    i am eating at a deficit though. my tdee is a little over 2300 calories. i eat 2000 calories and burn about 300 from running. my bmr is a little over 1500, so i dont see how eating less would help. i dont want to go under my BMR.

    like i said, im doing the tdee - 15% method.

    Your TDEE is what you are maintaining at, not what some online calculator tells you (which is full of estimates and assumptions).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1058378-oh-noes-i-am-eating-below-my-bmr

    Also, according to your diary, you are actually eating more than the 2,037 calories less 15% - you averaged nearly 1,900 calories this month (ignoring the unlogged days). Take some estimation errors into account - you are at maintenance.


    thanks for the link

    so about how many calories should i be eating around?

    If you are maintaining at about 1,900 calories, I would cut by about 10 - 15% at first - so 1,600 - 1,700, depending on satiety, energy and adherence, and track that for a few weeks and see how your progress is. Make sure you are as accurate as possible with your tracking also. Pretty much anything less than 1,800 should see losses, but they will be very very slow if you only go to 1,800.

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