plateau underfeed/overexercised

georgesanchez7737
georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hello, I have been plateau for the last 3 weeks and need some help.

I am 228 lbs, 47 years old, 5'8.5". I have lost 47 lbs in 1 year, in the last 6 months 37, 12 with MFP. I was diagnosed 6 mo ago with type 2 hence the motivation to get in shape and not just take medicine. I started with green smoothies, and as raw as possible, then I have tried to be as KETO as possible. I do not drink alcohol, only once every 3 months, used to be every other weekend.
the last 3 weeks I have plateau, I was eating 2000 cals a day and working out 5-6 days a week burning 2,000-3000 cals per day, I might eat back 200-300 some days. the cals are told to me by my fitness tracker app on the smart phone or the cardio equipment.

since monday I changed MFP to sedentary and am now supposed to eat 1600 cal per day, I am a little hungry in the evenings and eat 200 cals from my exercise. yesterday I burned 550 cals on the treadmill and 850 on my mtbk.

does this change make sense, 1600 cal plus 1/2 of what I burn with exercise? or should I eat back all my exercise cals? can I trust that I burned those cals? I own a HB monitor, should I use it to get a more accurate burn number? the treadmill has a HB monitor and I constantly grip it.

any help is appreciated, I also lift heavy to maintain my upper body twice a week.

Replies

  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    Hi

    Congratulations on your weight loss. You should be proud of yourself.

    My suggestion is to use a Heart Rate Monitor for calories burned.

    I found out that gym machines grossly overestimate the calories.

    Burning two thousand calories a day seems a lot, since you were only eating the same two thousand calories a day.
    If you are really burning so many calories, you can not have the "sedentary " calorie goal. Please revise your daily goals for eating.


    Good luck in your journey
  • zensugi
    zensugi Posts: 76
    Besides socioseguro's comment I'd suggest that having a slow, but sustainable, weight loss is more enjoyable than putting a lot of effort and feeling hungry and tired. Thus, I would change your level of activity in MFP from sedentary (because you are not) and create a smaller calorie deficit so you feel better while still dropping weight.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    In addition to the above advice, I would like to ask if you have a food scale. Measurements on packaging are notoriously inaccurate. I'm a bit obsessed, admittedly, because I even weigh my salad veggies, but still. Honestly, it still comes down to calories in vs. calories out. You're not likely to hit a weight loss plateau from an underfeed because you're still in a calorie deficit. There's just no way. Check your sodium levels and your water intake as well. Too much sodium and not enough water being consumed will cause weight loss plateaus or water weight gain.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    since monday I changed MFP to sedentary and am now supposed to eat 1600 cal per day, I am a little hungry in the evenings and eat 200 cals from my exercise. yesterday I burned 550 cals on the treadmill and 850 on my mtbk.

    The treadmill distance should have been about 4 miles for that calorie burn - is that about right? For a MTB burn of 850, you're looking at about an 18 mile ride, assuming something without too much elevation change - is that about right?
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    since monday I changed MFP to sedentary and am now supposed to eat 1600 cal per day, I am a little hungry in the evenings and eat 200 cals from my exercise. yesterday I burned 550 cals on the treadmill and 850 on my mtbk.

    The treadmill distance should have been about 4 miles for that calorie burn - is that about right? For a MTB burn of 850, you're looking at about an 18 mile ride, assuming something without too much elevation change - is that about right?

    the treadmill was at 15% elevation and my hr was around 125, and speed at 4.0, I dont look at distance, but will tomorrow. plus I was doing some HIIT and would go 2 minutes every 10 at 7.5 mph with 0% elevation.

    the MTbk was 7.6 miles and a lot of flat with sand, I use my smart phone android spot tracker app. I want to link it to my heart rate monitor for bettes accuracy.

    on amy road bike I will do 26 miles at 13mph and the sports tracker says 1600 cals. again I will test with hrate monitor.
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    yes scale was the first thing we got with starting MFP. my fear is that too large a calorie deficit will trigger starvation and stop weight loss. I drink about 10-12 glasses of water a day and keep my sodium in check.
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    Hi

    Congratulations on your weight loss. You should be proud of yourself.

    My suggestion is to use a Heart Rate Monitor for calories burned.

    I found out that gym machines grossly overestimate the calories.

    Burning two thousand calories a day seems a lot, since you were only eating the same two thousand calories a day.
    If you are really burning so many calories, you can not have the "sedentary " calorie goal. Please revise your daily goals for eating.


    Good luck in your journey

    thanks, I am happy but want to maintain a 1-2 lbs per week loss, I will revise to active and will start using my HR monitor and compare to the cardio machines, as well as link it to my sport tracker for the bike rides.
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    Besides socioseguro's comment I'd suggest that having a slow, but sustainable, weight loss is more enjoyable than putting a lot of effort and feeling hungry and tired. Thus, I would change your level of activity in MFP from sedentary (because you are not) and create a smaller calorie deficit so you feel better while still dropping weight.

    thanks to all, I will change my goals.

    i spoke to a personal trainer at the gym an hour ago and he said that I should be eating between 2500 and 3000 cals a day. I showed him the elliptical machine, 430 cals in 30 minutes and he said because I use my Hrate monitor I could trust the number and eat them.

    he explained that food is energy. I said what about all the fat (energy) on board?

    he explained that if my body sees such a large deficit it will slow down the metabolism to protest the fat stores. and then he went down the list of bad foods. That I have down, hence my diabetes in remission.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    The setting you use for MFP is based on your job. What type of work do you do? It gives descriptions beside the settings, sedentary is someone with a desk job. You are expected to add your exercise calories in separately and eat those back although unless you are absolutely positive those numbers are correct I wouldn't eat them all back.

    An adult male should be netting no less than 1800 calories a day. If MFP gave you 1600 then you've chosen too aggressive of a setting. You may want to maintain losing 2 lbs a week but as you get closer to goal that isn't always possible. Your body isn't able to maintain that weight loss rate forever and you will eventually get down to being lucky to lose .5 pounds per week as you near your ideal weight.
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    the treadmill was at 15% elevation and my hr was around 125, and speed at 4.0, I dont look at distance, but will tomorrow. plus I was doing some HIIT and would go 2 minutes every 10 at 7.5 mph with 0% elevation.

    Elevation doesn't really matter that much wrt calories burned. It's based off of linear distance (I don't know if the treadmill adds the incline to the distance you traverse).

    Also a bit of a tip: if you intend to run 'flat,' set the treadmill to a 1.0% incline. It compensates for the lack of wind resistance by running in place.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,077 Member
    hello, I have been plateau for the last 3 weeks and need some help.

    I am 228 lbs, 47 years old, 5'8.5". I have lost 47 lbs in 1 year, in the last 6 months 37, 12 with MFP. I was diagnosed 6 mo ago with type 2 hence the motivation to get in shape and not just take medicine. I started with green smoothies, and as raw as possible, then I have tried to be as KETO as possible. I do not drink alcohol, only once every 3 months, used to be every other weekend.
    the last 3 weeks I have plateau, I was eating 2000 cals a day and working out 5-6 days a week burning 2,000-3000 cals per day, I might eat back 200-300 some days. the cals are told to me by my fitness tracker app on the smart phone or the cardio equipment.

    since monday I changed MFP to sedentary and am now supposed to eat 1600 cal per day, I am a little hungry in the evenings and eat 200 cals from my exercise. yesterday I burned 550 cals on the treadmill and 850 on my mtbk.

    does this change make sense, 1600 cal plus 1/2 of what I burn with exercise? or should I eat back all my exercise cals? can I trust that I burned those cals? I own a HB monitor, should I use it to get a more accurate burn number? the treadmill has a HB monitor and I constantly grip it.

    any help is appreciated, I also lift heavy to maintain my upper body twice a week.
    Are you taking insulin?

    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
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    The setting you use for MFP is based on your job. What type of work do you do? It gives descriptions beside the settings, sedentary is someone with a desk job. You are expected to add your exercise calories in separately and eat those back although unless you are absolutely positive those numbers are correct I wouldn't eat them all back.

    An adult male should be netting no less than 1800 calories a day. If MFP gave you 1600 then you've chosen too aggressive of a setting. You may want to maintain losing 2 lbs a week but as you get closer to goal that isn't always possible. Your body isn't able to maintain that weight loss rate forever and you will eventually get down to being lucky to lose .5 pounds per week as you near your ideal weight.
    desk job, I am in R/D and walk more than just desk but not really a lot.
    my goal was 1.5 lbs a week, now I set it to 1 lb and it told me to eat 1850 net. I agree on getting better exercise precision on the burn. I plan to buy a blue tooth HR strap for my galaxy s4 sport tracker on my bike rides.
    thanks,
  • georgesanchez7737
    georgesanchez7737 Posts: 61 Member
    hello, I have been plateau for the last 3 weeks and need some help.

    I am 228 lbs, 47 years old, 5'8.5". I have lost 47 lbs in 1 year, in the last 6 months 37, 12 with MFP. I was diagnosed 6 mo ago with type 2 hence the motivation to get in shape and not just take medicine. I started with green smoothies, and as raw as possible, then I have tried to be as KETO as possible. I do not drink alcohol, only once every 3 months, used to be every other weekend.
    the last 3 weeks I have plateau, I was eating 2000 cals a day and working out 5-6 days a week burning 2,000-3000 cals per day, I might eat back 200-300 some days. the cals are told to me by my fitness tracker app on the smart phone or the cardio equipment.

    since monday I changed MFP to sedentary and am now supposed to eat 1600 cal per day, I am a little hungry in the evenings and eat 200 cals from my exercise. yesterday I burned 550 cals on the treadmill and 850 on my mtbk.

    does this change make sense, 1600 cal plus 1/2 of what I burn with exercise? or should I eat back all my exercise cals? can I trust that I burned those cals? I own a HB monitor, should I use it to get a more accurate burn number? the treadmill has a HB monitor and I constantly grip it.

    any help is appreciated, I also lift heavy to maintain my upper body twice a week.
    Are you taking insulin?

    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
    nothing, a multi vitamin and fish oil. I guess I caught it early enough, just by increasing exercise and going raw, no grains and green smoothies and 5-6 meals a day I lowered to an average of 85 glucose fasting in 3 weeks and my A1c went from 12 to 6.2 in 3 months, my new doctor said I knew what to do, loose more weight (185) and he would see me in 6 months, I have lost 17 lbs since then. I see him in 1 month.

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