when is a plateau really a plateau

dammitpatrice
dammitpatrice Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hi everyone,

I'll start with stats: 5'7 138lbs, trying to lose 8-10 more after losing about 12lbs since May. I've been hovering between 137-140 for about 2 months now. For the most part I eat healthy, but I love dessert at night and will factor this in to my count on days I know I will be having it. At this point, getting under my calories is more of a priority than making sure my fats/proteins/carbs are exactly where they should be. I usually eat within +/- 50 calories what MFP recommends. I'm eating 1490 cal/day and call myself sedentary. I'm a nurse and on days I work, I bump myself up to lightly active- where I get about 1600 calories. On my 'sedentary' days I usually run 3-4 miles and strength train (nothing super heavy, I have 10lb weights at home and I'll do a youtube video) and I eat back those calories burned.

So.. am I plateauing because I'm not eating enough? Eating too much? Is 2 months not really a plateau? Should I go to 1200 calories? Help!

Replies

  • dammitpatrice
    dammitpatrice Posts: 4 Member
    Anyone?
  • donthesitate
    donthesitate Posts: 255 Member
    You should calculate your bmr, which is the calories you burn to survive, do not go below this, I went below mine and my weightloss stalled because I was not eating enough. I would call this a stall and not a plateau, from what I have heard plateaus last longer. There is also a tdee calculation on this website which is the total amount you burn in a day with activity and such, you want to be lower than this but higher than your bmr.
  • elainematto
    elainematto Posts: 28 Member
    I have a very similar story. Like you I don't have a vast quantity to lose. And like you, I'm stalled. The first 5 pounds was pretty easy! But now... My belief is that as you lose you have to further ratchet down the calories and/or up the activity. Think about that 5 or 10 pounds you are no longer carrying around. That means you don't need as many calories as you did before just for purposes of carrying yourself around. Another thing: I think the calorie expenditures for exercise that MFP lists are too generous. Definitely do not eat those calories back!
  • ccritchie2
    ccritchie2 Posts: 1
    Im 5'7, and lost 10 pounds but the same thing is happening to me. I was eating about 1200 calories for 12 weeks or more with no results. so I've started IIFYM (google it :P) so they told me to go about 1800 calories, and told me how many carbs protien and fats to eat a day. So im going to see if i was under my bmr. that might be the same thing for you. give it 2-4 weeks change up your work outs aswell as your intensity :) hope that helps.
  • haymancm
    haymancm Posts: 280 Member
    Gotta create a bigger deficit. Play with the numbers and try different things. I weigh myself everyday to make sure I'm on track or not. I'm 5'7" also and usually give the scale less than 2 weeks to behave. HIIT workouts usually work for me and monitor my cals burned on my hrm.

    Add me if you'd like! :)
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