So frustrated! Plateau?
ambuford21
Posts: 30 Member
So I'm reposting this from my diary feed because I'm upset and I need validation or help or something (probably doesn't help that I'm starting to get tired from being up at 4:30a.m. to go run...)
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
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Replies
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I looked back in your diary about a week and you were over cals at least 4 of those days. That may be why.0
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I looked back in your diary about a week and you were over cals at least 4 of those days. That may be why.
That's because I had my activity set to lightly active then this morning I got all upset with myself and changed it back to sedentary which changed my goals to around 200 calories less. I really wish MFP calories would reflect the goal at that time instead of the current goal.0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.0
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Over estimate the calories you eat and underestimate the calories you burn, stay within your goal and you should lose weight! I'm staying under 1800 calories a day and always under 1000 net calories while I'm trying to lose weight and it works... 182 pounds now.0
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Ok a couple things...
1) with 30 lbs to lose, eating 2000 calories some days seems excessive, considering the exercise you are doing. What MFP setting are you using? Did you update your goal at all since you lost weight?
2) are you weighing all your food? are you sure you're not overestimating your exercise calories?
3) what kind of pedometer are you using? 1800 to 2900 on some days seems like a huge difference.0 -
So I'm reposting this from my diary feed because I'm upset and I need validation or help or something (probably doesn't help that I'm starting to get tired from being up at 4:30a.m. to go run...)
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
I would swap out either fiber or iron for sodium. Also you need to take a serious look at what your are eating on the days you are running.0 -
I am not sure if this statement is accurate. but once you lose weight, doesn't your maintenance level change (or shouldn't it)? I don't know if MFP does that automatically, I haven't lost enough weight myself to know if it does or doesn't. but if it doesn't, that may be why....if you are eating as you did 12 pounds heavier to lose...instead of eating to lose at your new body's weight.0
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I looked back in your diary about a week and you were over cals at least 4 of those days. That may be why.
That's because I had my activity set to lightly active then this morning I got all upset with myself and changed it back to sedentary which changed my goals to around 200 calories less. I really wish MFP calories would reflect the goal at that time instead of the current goal.
So, if restricting calories isn't working, you are going to address that by further restricting calories? I know the masses of MFP always say "calories in/calories out" and there is nothing more to metabolism that that; well they are WRONG. Our bodies are very complex and while calories play a role it is an over-simplification to say that it's the only factor in metabolism. As you are discovering.
Do you think you might have better success with focusing on long term health rather than just the number on the scale from day to day?0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
That is what MFP suggested in order to lose 1 pound a week assuming I am sedentary which actually according to about 5 different calculators is less than my BMR (which is one of the reasons I initially set my activity as lightly active).
I'm 5'11", 221 pounds, female0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
1700 is actually a pretty good number. If you're eating closer to 1200, I suggest you look into your calculations, because most of the time that is not enough
To op- There are several reasons you could stall in weight loss. Make sure your calculations for calories are correct, make sure you eat enough, make sure you're drinking enough, and do not stop! (Trust me, I did, and it's taken me a year to get back on track) Especially if you are still losing inches, do not give up
Your weight loss isn't linear, you might step on the scale in a few weeks and see that you've lost several pounds! 0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
No, not really. What do you suggest? 1200? :noway:0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
No, not really. What do you suggest? 1200? :noway:
Some days I can eat 2500 and STILL lose weight. It all depends on how active you are.0 -
You are not lifting HEAVY weights, which is the MOST important thing after nutrition. (and btw 1650 cals would be good for you, do not listen to those under 1300 calorie advices, they will wreck your metabolism).
Aerobic excercise does not melt the fat away. WEIGHTS do.
Look at a lot of pictures and the most successful stories always tell you to lift heavy. http://beforeandafterfatlosspics.tumblr.com0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
1700 calories IS NOT HIGH!!!!!
I eat between 1600-1900, I am 5'2 and losing weight (see ticker).
OP are you weighing everything you eat and accurately recording everything you put in your mouth?0 -
Why are your daily calories so high? 1700 is a lot to eat while you are trying to lose weight.
No, not really. What do you suggest? 1200? :noway:
I eat 1650, ate 1700 for a while, so no I won't suggest 1200 lol. But by her ticker I assumed that she only had 30 lbs to lose, so it seemed a lot to eat that plus exercise calories with her amount of exercise.
But I guess she has more to lose, so 1700 should be fine, nevermind me lol.0 -
Ok a couple things...
1) with 30 lbs to lose, eating 2000 calories some days seems excessive, considering the exercise you are doing. What MFP setting are you using? Did you update your goal at all since you lost weight?
2) are you weighing all your food? are you sure you're not overestimating your exercise calories?
3) what kind of pedometer are you using? 1800 to 2900 on some days seems like a huge difference.
Because depending on what it was set to 1,800 to 2,000 calories is what MFP suggested I do to lose a pound a week. I've been weighing the food and trying to be vigilant about bringing my meals to work instead of eating out. And the pedometer which is on my watch wasn't something I was using to base my calories on. I just noticed the calorie function in the last month or so and have been watching it on the days that I wear it vs. the days that I've not worn it and its just strange. On the days that I didn't wear it, it said the calories burned were about equal to my calculated BMR. And I have made sure that the weight and height stats in it are the most current ones.0 -
You are not lifting HEAVY weights, which is the MOST important thing after nutrition. (and btw 1650 cals would be good for you, do not listen to those under 1300 calorie advices, they will wreck your metabolism).
Aerobic excercise does not melt the fat away. WEIGHTS do.
Look at a lot of pictures and the most successful stories always tell you to lift heavy. http://beforeandafterfatlosspics.tumblr.com
Ok I got to disagree there. You don't need to lift heavy, but working your muscles would definitely help you. Even if it's just body weight exercises, dumbbells or whatever.0 -
Well, I was going to contribute to this thread and offer a reassuring statement like "Plateaus are natural. It's the body's way of adjusting to your changing lifestyle. You just have to continually adjust your exercise and diet, and you'll beat the plateau." But then I looked at your food diary, and it's pretty obvious why you're not losing.
First of all, you really need to work with a nutritionist and figure out what a good calorie target is for you. I don't think 1800 is it. I'm a 6', 210-lb male, and 1800 is my daily target. Your target should be much lower.
Secondly (and yet another really good reason to meat with a nutritionist), your food choices are terrible. I don't mean to be offensive when I say that, but, honestly, where are the real foods? Where are the fruits and vegetables? Burgers, sandwiches and tacos aren't real meals. I would highly recommend that you avoid the calorie-dense, fat-dense, sodium dense foods and instead go after nutrient-dense foods, low-glycemic carbs, lean proteins, legumes, nuts, etc. If you don't change your food choices, your weight loss will not be permanent.
Thirdly, reducing your calories is going to seem a lot harder if you don't break those meals up and eat more often per day. Right now, I see two huge meals and one snack in your diary. Consider breaking that up even further to 3 smaller meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. That will make eating fewer calories per day a lot easier to cope with.
Lastly, be willing to shake up your exercise routine. Change something once per month. Otherwise your body will adjust, and you'll plateau again.
Good luck!0 -
So I'm reposting this from my diary feed because I'm upset and I need validation or help or something (probably doesn't help that I'm starting to get tired from being up at 4:30a.m. to go run...)
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
Are you saying you are burning 1800 cals on your runs?? If so that could be why, you over estimating your burn calories.0 -
Weight watchers told me that my sedentary calorie use was 2400 calories / day. However, when I used a special scale/device at my doctor's office, I found out my true calorie burn is ONLY 1580 calories/day. So, when I had "cut back" to 1800 on WW, I was actually eating too much. To lose just over a pound/week, I now consume 1100 calories/day. Remember EVERYONE has a different resting metabolism rate. You may just have one that is lower than others (like me).
AND, what you eat DOES make a difference. Eating carbs encourages water retention. Many things are high in sodium! that will cause you to retain water weight. Focus on getting at least 75gm of protein a day. A good diet is one where you have 40% carb calories, 40% protein calories, and 20% fat. Keep your sodium under 2500/day. Try to hold your sugar consumption to 25 gm/day.
Measure everything. Do not eyeball anything. Always write down everything as you eat it.
My fitness pal grossly overestimates the number of calories you're burning, at least when you're walking. Ignore how many calories you have burned (i.e., don't eat extra because you've burned extra) and focus on staying below your "number", regardless of your exercise. You will lose the weight. Aim for a 500 calorie/day deficit.0 -
Ok a couple things...
1) with 30 lbs to lose, eating 2000 calories some days seems excessive, considering the exercise you are doing. What MFP setting are you using? Did you update your goal at all since you lost weight?
2) are you weighing all your food? are you sure you're not overestimating your exercise calories?
3) what kind of pedometer are you using? 1800 to 2900 on some days seems like a huge difference.
Because depending on what it was set to 1,800 to 2,000 calories is what MFP suggested I do to lose a pound a week. I've been weighing the food and trying to be vigilant about bringing my meals to work instead of eating out. And the pedometer which is on my watch wasn't something I was using to base my calories on. I just noticed the calorie function in the last month or so and have been watching it on the days that I wear it vs. the days that I've not worn it and its just strange. On the days that I didn't wear it, it said the calories burned were about equal to my calculated BMR. And I have made sure that the weight and height stats in it are the most current ones.
It's fine then, keep doing what MFP suggests. I think most pedometers keep running while you're not using them though, so that it gives you your bmr is about right.
Anyway, I'd look into strength/weight training for sure, muscles burn more calories so maintaining them while you lose is pretty important. Otherwise, keep doing what you're doing, plateaus are pretty normal especially with women with our cycles etc. You might just want to not eat back all your exercise calories in case they are overestimated.0 -
Weight watchers told me that my sedentary calorie use was 2400 calories / day. However, when I used a special scale/device at my doctor's office, I found out my true calorie burn is ONLY 1580 calories/day. So, when I had "cut back" to 1800 on WW, I was actually eating too much. To lose just over a pound/week, I now consume 1100 calories/day. Remember EVERYONE has a different resting metabolism rate. You may just have one that is lower than others (like me).
AND, what you eat DOES make a difference. Eating carbs encourages water retention. Many things are high in sodium! that will cause you to retain water weight. Focus on getting at least 75gm of protein a day. A good diet is one where you have 40% carb calories, 40% protein calories, and 20% fat. Keep your sodium under 2500/day. Try to hold your sugar consumption to 25 gm/day.
Measure everything. Do not eyeball anything. Always write down everything as you eat it.
My fitness pal grossly overestimates the number of calories you're burning, at least when you're walking. Ignore how many calories you have burned (i.e., don't eat extra because you've burned extra) and focus on staying below your "number", regardless of your exercise. You will lose the weight. Aim for a 500 calorie/day deficit.
Nooooo. Seriously, those scales measure your BMR most of the time. You got to add all your activity on top of that.0 -
many of us employ the "FAT FAST' to bust off of stalls and platues it simply works amazing, I was on a Plateau for almost 3 weeks, I went on the Fat Fast and in 4 days I had lost 6 pounds, it simply works every time, and the scale will jam down wards,, search it google Fat fast, or search here on my fitness pal the fat fast, many of us in the KETO group us this to keep the scale moving0
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Are you saying you are burning 1800 cals on your runs?? If so that could be why, you over estimating your burn calories.
Oh goodness no! That's over a 24 hour period. I've been resetting it every morning at 7:30 am right before my trek uphill to work.
And yes I do have more than 30 pounds to lose. The 30 pounds is my first goal.0 -
let me clarify...i'm saying that since the calories that are actually burned while you exercise seems to be overestimated by MFP, I would not trust them. If you want to lose weight, don't use calories burned while exercising as an excuse to add more calories to your total daily consumption.
My calculated BMR is MUCH higher than what the scale/device said it was. I consider the calculated one being off by 800 calories to be the primary reason I gained weight and couldn't not lose it over the past 12 years. I'm now losing (I've lost almost 28 lbs now) which is something that escaped me for over a decade.0 -
Well, I was going to contribute to this thread and offer a reassuring statement like "Plateaus are natural. It's the body's way of adjusting to your changing lifestyle. You just have to continually adjust your exercise and diet, and you'll beat the plateau." But then I looked at your food diary, and it's pretty obvious why you're not losing.
First of all, you really need to work with a nutritionist and figure out what a good calorie target is for you. I don't think 1800 is it. I'm a 6', 210-lb male, and 1800 is my daily target. Your target should be much lower.
Secondly (and yet another really good reason to meat with a nutritionist), your food choices are terrible. I don't mean to be offensive when I say that, but, honestly, where are the real foods? Where are the fruits and vegetables? Burgers, sandwiches and tacos aren't real meals. I would highly recommend that you avoid the calorie-dense, fat-dense, sodium dense foods and instead go after nutrient-dense foods, low-glycemic carbs, lean proteins, legumes, nuts, etc. If you don't change your food choices, your weight loss will not be permanent.
Thirdly, reducing your calories is going to seem a lot harder if you don't break those meals up and eat more often per day. Right now, I see two huge meals and one snack in your diary. Consider breaking that up even further to 3 smaller meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. That will make eating fewer calories per day a lot easier to cope with.
Lastly, be willing to shake up your exercise routine. Change something once per month. Otherwise your body will adjust, and you'll plateau again.
Good luck!
In this case, what are some suggestions for lunches and dinners then? Yes, I need to work on the foods but as I said before, I'm just now getting to the point of keeping portions down. I don't really see how eating 3 meals a day is any worse than eating 5-6 smaller meals when I am already not hungry on the smaller portions I'm working on for my 3 meals a day.0 -
So I'm reposting this from my diary feed because I'm upset and I need validation or help or something (probably doesn't help that I'm starting to get tired from being up at 4:30a.m. to go run...)
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
How many weeks have you been counting calories?
When did you lose the first 12 pounds?
If you lost the 12 pounds quickly, most of it may have been water weight, and your body is just catching up. Weight loss is not linear. You will have weeks you lose and weeks you don't. An overall average of 2 lbs per week would be good for you at this point.
If you lost the 12 lbs before you started here, and have been faithfully measuring and logging everything for a month without any loss at all, then your TDEE just may not be as high as you think it is. Calculators and other gadgets can be a bit off for some people. It gives you an estimate of how many calories you burn based on your height and weight, but other factors can affect your metabolism, i.e. body fat %, LBM, hormones, insulin resistance, etc.
Try dropping your cals 100 a day for a week and see if that helps. Or look into intermittent fasting. That works well for many people. Also, try dropping your carbs down a bit. Most of this is all trial and error.
Have patience and keep trying!0 -
So I'm reposting this from my diary feed because I'm upset and I need validation or help or something (probably doesn't help that I'm starting to get tired from being up at 4:30a.m. to go run...)
" I'm so frustrated!!! How is it that I walk 40 minutes a day five days a week plus getting back to running 3x a week, stay within my calories and I'm not losing? I was feeling so good about myself and losing 12 pounds (the lightest I've been in about 3-4 years) but now I'm having a hard time focusing on that. I should have lost at least SOMETHING. What should I do? This is really making it hard to keep wanting to keep up with my calories. And this is despite me seeing about an inch to inch and a half loss around my waist.
And this is despite me trying out sedentary and logging everything vs. lightly active and only logging the run. And my pedometer says somedays I only burn 1,800 calories and some days 2,900. Even so, I'd think there would be a 1/2 pound loss at some point in the last month! " <end post>
I started this trying to get my portions under control so yeah, my diary has some naughty things in it. But if a calorie is a calorie and I'm sticking to goal plus weighing my food, what is the friggin' deal?!? Have I just completely missed something?
How many weeks have you been counting calories?
When did you lose the first 12 pounds?
If you lost the 12 pounds quickly, most of it may have been water weight, and your body is just catching up. Weight loss is not linear. You will have weeks you lose and weeks you don't. An overall average of 2 lbs per week would be good for you at this point.
If you lost the 12 lbs before you started here, and have been faithfully measuring and logging everything for a month without any loss at all, then your TDEE just may not be as high as you think it is. Calculators and other gadgets can be a bit off for some people. It gives you an estimate of how many calories you burn based on your height and weight, but other factors can affect your metabolism, i.e. body fat %, LBM, hormones, insulin resistance, etc.
Try dropping your cals 100 a day for a week and see if that helps. Or look into intermittent fasting. That works well for many people. Also, try dropping your carbs down a bit. Most of this is all trial and error.
Have patience and keep trying!
The 12 pounds came off over two months then the last month I've been hanging around the same number. Hehe, this was by no means a quick loss but far better than I was doing before I started logging food, which by the way was zero pounds lost. September 6 marks the start of my 4th month.0 -
If you are fine with 3 meals a day, there is no reason to change that. Just substitute some non starch veggies for some of your breads and starchy foods.0
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How many calories were you eating when you lost the first 12 lbs?0
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