Plateau. Hoping for some advice.
Otsego7875
Posts: 14 Member
Hey everyone.
It has taken me a year to lose 18kg. It seems really slow for how obscenely hard I am working (exercising 5x a week, eating 1200-1400 calories, cutting carbs and sugar).
Anyway, in the last month and a half I have been gaining and losing the same kilogram. I am at a plateau but what concerns me more is that I have amped up my efforts and am slowly GAINING weight and I feel like if I go any softer on myself I will rapidly gain all the weight back.
I have always been calorie and exercise conscience. This, I imagine, is why I was so slow to lose weight, because I had no drastic change to be made (when people often change heir lifestyles they lose weight fast, at least in the beginning). I have always been "dieting" per se (in the classically healthy eating clean and exercising way) so in order for me to lose any weight I have to just really go to extremes (like very very little carbs and tougher workouts).
I am freaking out, I am actually not sleeping at the thought that I am slowly gaining this weight back and for no explainable reason. I don't log all too often because I have everything pretty much memorized and I don't have a smartphone so it makes things harder. But basically calories are between 1200-1400 depending on my workout, carbs between 60-120grams and protein between 40-70g a day.
Any advice on where I am going wrong, and what I can do to get out of the plateau (the opposite way, I have to stop gaining!)?
Also, not really part of the topic but by the end of the day I look in the mirror and I am BLOATED. I mean my stomach is way huger than in the mornings. Also, not sure if this is correlated with how slow and brutal this process has been (as opposed to people who do the same thing as me and lose 2-3x as much as me) I am having a serious hair loss issue. I am going to post another thread about this, but my dr. says that all my blood tests are normal. Ideas?
Thanks
It has taken me a year to lose 18kg. It seems really slow for how obscenely hard I am working (exercising 5x a week, eating 1200-1400 calories, cutting carbs and sugar).
Anyway, in the last month and a half I have been gaining and losing the same kilogram. I am at a plateau but what concerns me more is that I have amped up my efforts and am slowly GAINING weight and I feel like if I go any softer on myself I will rapidly gain all the weight back.
I have always been calorie and exercise conscience. This, I imagine, is why I was so slow to lose weight, because I had no drastic change to be made (when people often change heir lifestyles they lose weight fast, at least in the beginning). I have always been "dieting" per se (in the classically healthy eating clean and exercising way) so in order for me to lose any weight I have to just really go to extremes (like very very little carbs and tougher workouts).
I am freaking out, I am actually not sleeping at the thought that I am slowly gaining this weight back and for no explainable reason. I don't log all too often because I have everything pretty much memorized and I don't have a smartphone so it makes things harder. But basically calories are between 1200-1400 depending on my workout, carbs between 60-120grams and protein between 40-70g a day.
Any advice on where I am going wrong, and what I can do to get out of the plateau (the opposite way, I have to stop gaining!)?
Also, not really part of the topic but by the end of the day I look in the mirror and I am BLOATED. I mean my stomach is way huger than in the mornings. Also, not sure if this is correlated with how slow and brutal this process has been (as opposed to people who do the same thing as me and lose 2-3x as much as me) I am having a serious hair loss issue. I am going to post another thread about this, but my dr. says that all my blood tests are normal. Ideas?
Thanks
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Replies
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Have you been following the MFP program the way it was designed?
Selected honest non-exercise activity level?
Selected 1 lb weight loss weekly goal?
Logged exercise calories?
Ate to the goal that was given to you, whether low on non-exercise days or high on exercise days?
Weighed your food, measured your liquids, and logged it correctly?
Any fall-off the wagon weeks from eating so low, or binge meals intermittently?
Might try this to see if you were eating close to a reasonable deficit based on total activity.
If you are at constantly depleted glucose stores and associated water weight, you are at less LBM, that means slower metabolism.
If you burned off decent amount of muscle mass because of under-eating and not enough protein, that means slower metabolism.
If you were really at those levels, your metabolism likely dropped up to 20% in addition to those other reasons for lowering.
Stay on Simple Setup tab, enter the stats you likely have already, or should have, be honest with activity times and levels.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
Eating in total anywhere near that level, or way below?
Your hair loss, likely being colder in winter too, perhaps bad skin, all indicate you are doing this wrong and your body is stressed out and rebelling. Messed up hormones will fight against fat loss, but you can still lose muscle mass, though you shouldn't want to.
Unless of course you desire a life of yo-yo dieting every 2-3 years and having a terrible relationship with food, barely being able to eat without seeing negative results.0 -
Plateau happen because your body gets used to the exercises that you are doing.
Try Insanity, P90X or my favorite The Spartan work out/300 work out. They all Focus HITT
-- Start to take note of what does not work, w/ tjhe calorie intake. Then after a week or two, try soemthing else. either raise your calorie intake or lower it, or try a different exercise.
See if that helps.0 -
I have been stalled for over a month. I decided to switch up my exercises to do something new every other day and increase my calorie goal according to the TDEE calculator at http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ It turns out MFP had my goal computed at way below my BMR, which is not good. I just did the increase a couple days ago, so I will have to let you know how it works out. I feel like it is going to work, and I'm going to see that scale go down any day now...0
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First, I find when I have a lot of simple/ white carbs, I feel like a bloated toad in the sun and it carries through the next morning. If I stick to more complex carbs, this isn't as bad.
I was losing my hair but discovered it was my shampoo - i'm gluten allergic and didn't know it contained any :ohwell: not so bad anymore.
All of that being said, you said you don't log much since you have it memorized - but are you TRULY measuring the same each time??? Are you counting beverage calories? Are you remembering each bite and taste of something (they add up at the end of the week)
are you doing the same exercise all the time? Shake it up.
I was on a plateau for 7 weeks. It took shaking up my food menu and exercise to get it moving again. I am still within my macros, but my food has changed. I now change my workouts routinely.
There can be numerous reasons you are "stuck" but the main one sounds like you're in a rut and so is your body.
I hope between us all, you have found things worthwhile.0 -
When I was in yoru same shoes, it all came down to calories that i was eating. In that, I was not eating enough. I upped my calories and now am back on track with losing 1 lb a week.
I follow what MFP suggests based on a 1 lb a week weight loss goal and eat back my exercise cals. It works very well and I usually eat more than 1800 cals each day.0 -
These suggestions are good, but when I increase my calories i gain weight
EVERYTIME!!! And I really don't eat many calories. If I eat back exercise calories, I gain weight. This is something that makes me really nervous. Im scared to try again. 0 -
What's your sodium intake? High sodium makes you hold onto water like a camel--that might be why you look "bloated" in the morning. The moment I cut back on salty stuff, I looked a lot less like a blueberry; I'm not flat by any means, but I'm getting there.
As far as "gaining" weight, have you considered that muscle weights a bit more than fat? Some will argue this, but that might be why you're noticing a "weight" gain.
When you are excercising, are you exercising the same each time you exercise? Your body is good at transitioning to a "new normal"...if you excersise the same way; for example sit ups for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week; your body will take this as "normal" activity for it and what was once a fat burning exercise now doesn't do anything for you...hense a possible "stall".
My suggestions (take in mind I'm not a dietician or professional): Cut back on the salt if that's an issue, realize that weight can be fat AND muscle (this is why many people don't tend to take scales as a 100% accurate measurement and use other items like fat calipers and measuring tape on top of the scale to get a more accurate representation of what's going on with their bodies), and switch up your exercise. Maybe have a day of upper body, a day of lower body and a day of cardio (remember to get some rest days in there as well, don't burn out and hurt yourself).
If you're still having issues, I would consider consulting a dietician or personal trainer and get a professional's opinion.
Good luck and happy weightloss to you (I hope),
N8r8r0 -
These suggestions are good, but when I increase my calories i gain weight EVERYTIME!!! And I really don't eat many calories. If I eat back exercise calories, I gain weight. This is something that makes me really nervous. Im scared to try again.
How long did you give it?0 -
These suggestions are good, but when I increase my calories i gain weight EVERYTIME!!! And I really don't eat many calories. If I eat back exercise calories, I gain weight. This is something that makes me really nervous. Im scared to try again.
That just proves how glucose depleted you are, instant water weight gain.
That is one reason your metabolism is shot.
Well, look at your 2 options.
Lose more of your hair by eating even less and/or exercising even more, burn off more muscle mass, perhaps never reach goal weight, and even if you somehow manage too, you'll always be eating that low amount. Anything extra is instant weight gain with fat part of it.
Likely fall off the wagon and gain some or most or more of it back.
Repeat the cycle. Go read the comments of women that have wasted their lives doing diets the wrong way.
Or being willing to accept a weight gain, but not fat gain, and let your metabolism be at it's peak, and then finish your fat loss journey.
After all, do people see your fat, or your weight?0 -
a few days.
I weight myself every day (I know, bad) but I have always had body issues and have developed a sort of phobia of gaining weight. I fixate when I gain even a few hundred grams so when I up my caloric intake and see those (even small) gains it effects my mental health (probably more than my physical health).0 -
Keep at it, I did that for a couple of months then started to lose again... you will start to lose again...0
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These suggestions are good, but when I increase my calories i gain weight EVERYTIME!!! And I really don't eat many calories. If I eat back exercise calories, I gain weight. This is something that makes me really nervous. Im scared to try again.
That just proves how glucose depleted you are, instant water weight gain.
That is one reason your metabolism is shot.
Well, look at your 2 options.
Lose more of your hair by eating even less and/or exercising even more, burn off more muscle mass, perhaps never reach goal weight, and even if you somehow manage too, you'll always be eating that low amount. Anything extra is instant weight gain with fat part of it.
Likely fall off the wagon and gain some or most or more of it back.
Repeat the cycle. Go read the comments of women that have wasted their lives doing diets the wrong way.
Or being willing to accept a weight gain, but not fat gain, and let your metabolism be at it's peak, and then finish your fat loss journey.
After all, do people see your fat, or your weight?
I read the post that you linked me to, but I am confused by what exactly you are saying. What are you suggesting that i do exactly?0 -
Plateau's are everyone's demon, but we all have to deal with them, 3 weeks doing something everyday makes it a habit. So every 3 weeks I try to change up my routine of exercise and my foods. To shock the system and stir it up some.
You need to remember that stress is a killer for weight loss also. Don't give up, just reevaluate what your doing. Check your foods, be honest with yourself. Health issue's will also cause problems so check that out.0 -
I read a post similar to this a few weeks ago. The OP had said she was gaining/losing the same 2-4lbs for two months. It was suggested in the thread for her to eat about 100-150calories more than she usually did, for about a week. Naturally she could expect to gain a little, but then to go right back to eating her usual calories and that temporary gain would disappear and take a few pounds with it. I was skeptical, but being in the same boat as her, I tried it- it worked! Maybe just eat whatever you feel like (don't binge- just try not to obsess about it all) for a week. Avoid the scale for that week. Then the next week, go back to your usual habits. Can't hurt to try!0
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Call me a stalker, but half of your diary is empty. How do you know how many calories you are eating if you don't log everything.... or anything at all?
Eat back at least half of your Exercise calories. I was eating between 1300 and 1500 calories a day when I weighed 175lb and still lost 2lb a week.0 -
a few days.
I weight myself every day (I know, bad) but I have always had body issues and have developed a sort of phobia of gaining weight. I fixate when I gain even a few hundred grams so when I up my caloric intake and see those (even small) gains it effects my mental health (probably more than my physical health).
There's the core of your problem right there. Never, NEVER (did I mention NEVER?) weigh daily. Weight fluctuates daily. It's a good way to get yourself anxiety-ridden and freaking the heck out. A good rule of thumb is at the very MOST, weigh yourself weekly; make it the same day each week. You may have to hide the scale from yourself (I put mine in an awkward spot after my weekly check in so I'm not tempted to over-weigh myself)
Manage your stress levels as well; the more stress you're under, the more likely you are to eat. High amounts of Adrenaline caused by daily stress can lead to more increased hunger and therefore more eating to fill saciated.0 -
What kind of workout are you doing?0
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I read the post that you linked me to, but I am confused by what exactly you are saying. What are you suggesting that i do exactly?
Guess what under-eating also effects, really, not joking - your brain. Comprehension and memory.
Reread what I wrote then.
If it's not blatantly obvious what I'm suggesting, you need to go see a Dr right now.
If you read that post, then you should have seen it's about a spreadsheet to get your numbers, and the link for that is at the bottom.
If you didn't discern that, you skimmed really badly.
Just being honest here, those are qualities, combined with the fixation on the scale, that will have you fail many times through your life, on this attempt. Failure to read with comprehension, and not learning.
You can see it many times through the forums here, usually when someone older finally got smarter and ate right and stopped abusing their body, expecting good results from such abuse.0 -
:It is normal to get to a certain point in your weight loss journey when you feel lazy and start to slip. I think you are analyzing it to be an emotional thing.. and you may be right but sometimes you just have to refocus. I been there too many times...once I was halfway and started seeing great results then I started getting lazy and didn't track like I did when I began, I wasn't focused on getting in my water or a good range of vegies. My plan on this is to sit down and get yourself a cheap notebook and weekly planner for the year (dollar store) Then figure out some short term goals and long term goals, not all scale related. Don't forget nonscale victories are just as important as the numbers. I like to make a goal for every 5%, every time I go under a increment of ten, holidays, birthdays, etc. then I plan out some rewards I really want, like for example I want to go parasailing for my birthday and hope to be in the 170's by then (April) so I wrote it on the calendar. I also want to achieve a loss of 5% at least every month or month and half. Your goals may be different but you get the jist. I am visual and numbers person so that is how I stay motivated. I keep a food journal for everday so I can always look back and see what I did right on the weeks I lose or how I can improve on the weeks I don't. MFP is great for loggin in for calories but doesn't leave room for notes on how you feel for the day or any ideas you have or hear and just want to jot them down. For myself, it was around 27 weeks into my weight loss before and I just got lazy and didn't track so I didn't exercise or eat right. When this happens you have to reflect back to your first few weeks on losing weight, and how you were so motivated and read everything and visualized your goals. Just do this again. Start over. smile:0
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I have been stalled for over a month. I decided to switch up my exercises to do something new every other day and increase my calorie goal according to the TDEE calculator at http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ It turns out MFP had my goal computed at way below my BMR, which is not good. I just did the increase a couple days ago, so I will have to let you know how it works out. I feel like it is going to work, and I'm going to see that scale go down any day now...
I'm checking back in after a little over a week of increasing my calories and changing up my exercise as described above. The scale finally moved! I have lost 1.6 pounds!!!!0 -
Weight loss is purely biological chemistry. If you eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Contrary, if you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight. This of course is also looking at your weight over a period of time as your weight can fluctuate +/- 3 pounds due to hydration. I always weigh myself at the same time (1st thing in morning) and I look at the weight loss using a 5 day rolling average. I also closely watch my measurements. Neck, waist, hips, and chest.
A true plateau in weight is really just your body telling you that your caloric intake requirements have changed. You are no longer consuming less than you burn. IMHO, you need to drop the caloric intake by 10%. Run with that for a month and reassess.
Increasing caloric intake when you are currently not losing will surely just make you gain.
Edit: Metabolic changes only account for up to 5% change in metabolism. So starvation mode just gets you losing less quickly but still losing more than at a higher caloric diet. Bigger concern is damage to health when eating too few calories.0 -
Weight loss is purely biological chemistry. If you eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Contrary, if you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight. This of course is also looking at your weight over a period of time as your weight can fluctuate +/- 3 pounds due to hydration. I always weigh myself at the same time (1st thing in morning) and I look at the weight loss using a 5 day rolling average. I also closely watch my measurements. Neck, waist, hips, and chest.
A true plateau in weight is really just your body telling you that your caloric intake requirements have changed. You are no longer consuming less than you burn. IMHO, you need to drop the caloric intake by 10%. Run with that for a month and reassess.
Increasing caloric intake when you are currently not losing will surely just make you gain.
Edit: Metabolic changes only account for up to 5% change in metabolism. So starvation mode just gets you losing less quickly but still losing more than at a higher caloric diet. Bigger concern is damage to health when eating too few calories.
Incorrect regarding the potential change to metabolism, and extent of the damage if you keep pressing it.
By applying your method of only going down from wherever you happen to be stalled, you could make it a whole lot worse, and make recovery take a whole lot longer.
Interesting research in this thread pointed out.
First few posts spell out many of the studies and results that are being found with abuse of the body with typical eat a whole lot less and exercise a whole lot more scenario.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss“Maintenance of a 10% or greater reduction in body weight in lean or obese individuals is accompanied by an approximate 20%-25% decline in 24-hour energy expenditure. This decrease in weight maintenance calories is 10–15% below what is predicted solely on the basis of alterations in fat and lean mass. Thus, a formerly obese individual will require ~300–400 fewer calories per day to maintain the same body weight and physical activity level as a never-obese individual of the same body weight and composition. Studies of individuals successful at sustaining weight loss indicate that reduced weight maintenance requires long-term lifestyle alterations. The necessity for these long-term changes is consistent with the observation that the reduction in twenty four hour energy expenditure (TEE) persists in subjects who have sustained weight loss for extended periods of time (6 months – 7 years) in circumstances of enforced caloric restriction in the biosphere 2 project, bariatric surgery and lifestyle modification.”
But even at that reduced muscle mass state and therefore expected slower metabolism compared to someone else your age, weight, height - your metabolism is STILL lower than would be expected for that LBM.
Eating more can also unstress the body, get hormones set back right, body willing to release energy stores, increase LBM and metabolism, and prepare you for now taking a reasonable deficit.
Sadly for far too many, just slowly raising calories by a mere 150 say doesn't cut it. Some luck out, and that is enough to unstress the body and the loss continues, and they get to keep eating at higher levels.0 -
Increasing caloric intake when you are currently not losing will surely just make you gain.
That isn't always the case. MFP had me at below my BMR, and I ultimately stalled for over a month. I increased my calories and started losing again.0 -
I understand that this is what you believed happened but its physically impossible. What most likely has happened is that you are looking at daily weight fluctuations. Your body is a machine. A wonderfully designed machine. It uses energy and we feed it energy by eating. Metabolism only slows down weight loss by decreasing the energy used as a reaction to its circumstances. Healthy weight loss is a gradual caloric deficit induced long term reaction. 2400 calories needed less 1200 calories eaten equals 1200 calories removed from storage (fat) to stay in balance. Its quite common to over estimate your bodies daily energy requirements which in turn throws off all of your numbers. You can not starve yourself into not losing weight! As some people suggest. But be warned, if you do drop below +/- 1200 calories a day, you are risking health issues at the cost of losing weight.
Edit: There is no such thing as a STALL......
Again, IMHO0
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