Last 5lbs & Plateau

Jkn921
Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been in a plateau this month and whatever I seem to eat doesn't cause a gain or loss. I was expecting a bit of gain after eating ~1650 calories yesterday but it stayed the same. Even if I have a foot long Subway with all the trimmings = same.

I do have a plan and need to experiment this month but my overall plan is to:
1) Consistently eat 1600 per day - I generally don't eat much because I don't get hungry. I'm going to get calorie dense nutritional foods tomorrow.

2) Combining cardio & strength training - I had one session so far and it seems to me this may just work, yes ignorant judging on one session but I can feel myself being challenged by it.

Are there any other things I can do?

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Are there any other things I can do?
    Have some Patience
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    why would you think you would gain after eating 1650 cals? thats not really a lot....?
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    It's a lot for me...
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    Try going to 1800 cals.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?

    I don't have a eating disorder if that's what you're implying. I eat normally - 3 meals a day in normal quantities but it still adds up to a few calories. I'm not opening my diary either. I'll try the calorie dense foods this month and see how it goes..
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?

    I don't have a eating disorder if that's what you're implying. I eat normally - 3 meals a day in normal quantities but it still adds up to a few calories. I'm not opening my diary either. I'll try the calorie dense foods this month and see how it goes..

    i'm not implying anything, just trying to help.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?

    I don't have a eating disorder if that's what you're implying. I eat normally - 3 meals a day in normal quantities but it still adds up to a few calories. I'm not opening my diary either. I'll try the calorie dense foods this month and see how it goes..

    i'm not implying anything, just trying to help.

    Thanks. Here's an example with no changes in weight:

    Cereal (~200cals)
    Lunch: 12 Inch Subway, Cheese, Light Mayo, Turkey & Ham, All Salad
    Dinner: Pie and roast potatoes

    Result: No change..
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    This thread is getting strange...
  • taylormoooon
    taylormoooon Posts: 130 Member
    Honestly I would try incorporating more "raw" foods into your diet and make sure you're hitting your macros. By raw I simply mean foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. By looking at the meal list you said, I think you need to up your protein by a lot as I see mostly grains and starches. Potatoes can be okay, but they're a starch which will simply be converted into sugar in your body and bread will do the same. It's not always about the calories because not all calories do the same thing in your body. It's about putting the nutrients in that your body needs! Take a look at my food diary if you need ideas:
    (hopefully this link works)

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_tracker.asp?id=TAYCUPCAKE&dte=1/28/2014
  • taylormoooon
    taylormoooon Posts: 130 Member
    also feel free to friend me!
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Honestly I would try incorporating more "raw" foods into your diet and make sure you're hitting your macros. By raw I simply mean foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. By looking at the meal list you said, I think you need to up your protein by a lot as I see mostly grains and starches. Potatoes can be okay, but they're a starch which will simply be converted into sugar in your body and bread will do the same. It's not always about the calories because not all calories do the same thing in your body. It's about putting the nutrients in that your body needs! Take a look at my food diary if you need ideas:
    (hopefully this link works)

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_tracker.asp?id=TAYCUPCAKE&dte=1/28/2014

    Thank you, I also eat lean meats - fish and chicken with vegetables for lunch etc. It's just that they are not usually calorie dense in general. I'm going to be getting foods such as: peanuts, peanut butter, yoghurt, apples, bananas and increasing my intake slowly. I've been eating full on which for me is (1600+) and feeling tired because I'm not used to it so I'll slowly add a thing a day here and there until I get there.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    Thanks. Here's an example with no changes in weight:

    Cereal (~200cals)
    Lunch: 12 Inch Subway, Cheese, Light Mayo, Turkey & Ham, All Salad
    Dinner: Pie and roast potatoes

    Result: No change..

    what sort of change were you expecting from one day?

    with 5lbs to lose you should be aiming to lose 0.5lb per week... and to be honest you would be better off working on your bodyfat than a scale weight goal.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    I would also suggest not focusing on the number on the scale. It's really just some arbitrary number that changes so much depending on water weight, sodium, TOM, etc. if you think you want to "lose" 5 more lbs it may just be that you aren't happy with your body composition right now and how you look and should change up your workouts. Definitely increase your strength training and it may be that you won't need to worry about that number anymore.
  • taylormoooon
    taylormoooon Posts: 130 Member
    Awesome! That is exactly what you need. It was funny recently I actually learned that my weights of my meats were way off. What I thought was 4 or 5 oz of chicken was actually 8 oz and I was eating 300 calories instead of 150! I'm not saying you have this problem but meats can be more calories than you think sometimes lol. Just be sure to always have some sort of lean protein in every meal. Maybe also try spacing out your meals so you won't feel so tired, just a constant supply of energy. I tend to eat 200 calorie snacks inbetween 300-400 calorie meals and I'm always full and I've just felt great the past month that I've been starting to eat better again.
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
    ...And get a tape measure! I got one to use in conjunction with my scales, you'll get a better idea particularly if you have alot of fat on your body.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    This thread is getting strange...

    That often happens with the OP.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Awesome! That is exactly what you need. It was funny recently I actually learned that my weights of my meats were way off. What I thought was 4 or 5 oz of chicken was actually 8 oz and I was eating 300 calories instead of 150! I'm not saying you have this problem but meats can be more calories than you think sometimes lol. Just be sure to always have some sort of lean protein in every meal. Maybe also try spacing out your meals so you won't feel so tired, just a constant supply of energy. I tend to eat 200 calorie snacks inbetween 300-400 calorie meals and I'm always full and I've just felt great the past month that I've been starting to eat better again.

    I've increased my calories today and yesterday and feel so tired as I'm not used to eating this much. I'll take your advice and add in two snacks a day
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Dont eat foot long Subways....
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Do you weigh your food? If not you could be eating more than you think.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Do you weigh your food? If not you could be eating more than you think.

    I feel if I eat less I would starve, I'm quite positive that I'm not eating more than I think, I truly think it's probably not enough. I'm going to try the 1700cals idea and see where it takes me. Don't know how I can consume that much food...
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    Plateaus are super frustrating! I was stuck on my last 5 forever. Be patient, it will happen. What worked for me was switching up my routine drastically. I went on a vacation and worked and moved a lot and ate well... and when I got back that stubborn last five was gone. Also, remember that the scale reflects what you did LAST week not what you ate yesterday.

    Good luck! (PS - there is nothing wrong with your caloric intake. Don't let anyone bully you into this "eat more" bull****. It definitely works for some but not for everyone. Everyone is different. If it has been working for you, fantastic. However... sometimes zig-zagging your calories (eating more on one day, less on another) can confuse your body into some weight loss too. :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    I feel if I eat less I would starve, I'm quite positive that I'm not eating more than I think, I truly think it's probably not enough. I'm going to try the 1700cals idea and see where it takes me. Don't know how I can consume that much food...

    a tablespoon of peanut butter on top of what you listed you ate before....easy!
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Plateaus are super frustrating! I was stuck on my last 5 forever. Be patient, it will happen. What worked for me was switching up my routine drastically. I went on a vacation and worked and moved a lot and ate well... and when I got back that stubborn last five was gone. Also, remember that the scale reflects what you did LAST week not what you ate yesterday.

    Good luck! (PS - there is nothing wrong with your caloric intake. Don't let anyone bully you into this "eat more" bull****. It definitely works for some but not for everyone. Everyone is different. If it has been working for you, fantastic. However... sometimes zig-zagging your calories (eating more on one day, less on another) can confuse your body into some weight loss too. :)

    Thank you for sympathising. I've started doing cardio & resistance training which has proven to be a challenge to my body so I'm going to stick with that for a while. Some people (not in this thread) stated if I wasn't eating 1200 and losing I should cut my calorie intake even lower..
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    Thank you for sympathising. I've started doing cardio & resistance training which has proven to be a challenge to my body so I'm going to stick with that for a while. Some people (not in this thread) stated if I wasn't eating 1200 and losing I should cut my calorie intake even lower..

    Eep - wouldn't do that. 1200 is the minimum for sure!! But do look into calorie shifting... "zig-zagging" if you want to switch it up. It's a nice compromise between eating more and eating less! :) Just my recommendation.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Thank you for sympathising. I've started doing cardio & resistance training which has proven to be a challenge to my body so I'm going to stick with that for a while. Some people (not in this thread) stated if I wasn't eating 1200 and losing I should cut my calorie intake even lower..

    Eep - wouldn't do that. 1200 is the minimum for sure!! But do look into calorie shifting... "zig-zagging" if you want to switch it up. It's a nice compromise between eating more and eating less! :) Just my recommendation.

    Thanks so much, I'll slowly add in calories.

    Peanut butter sounds like a good source to use, I'll get some snacks in tomorrow.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?

    I don't have a eating disorder if that's what you're implying. I eat normally - 3 meals a day in normal quantities but it still adds up to a few calories. I'm not opening my diary either. I'll try the calorie dense foods this month and see how it goes..

    Can't help, sorry.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    It's a lot for me...

    then maybe that is something you should work on before worrying about a plateau or the last 5lbs?

    I don't have a eating disorder if that's what you're implying. I eat normally - 3 meals a day in normal quantities but it still adds up to a few calories. I'm not opening my diary either. I'll try the calorie dense foods this month and see how it goes..

    Can't help, sorry.

    dont need your help
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    Do you weigh your food? If not you could be eating more than you think.

    I feel if I eat less I would starve, I'm quite positive that I'm not eating more than I think, I truly think it's probably not enough. I'm going to try the 1700cals idea and see where it takes me. Don't know how I can consume that much food...

    What she meant was, if you are not weighing your food and estimating calories, what you think is 1600 might be 2000, therefore, you are eating more than you think you are.

    Conversely- maybe you are eating less than you think if you are not weighing everything.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Do you weigh your food? If not you could be eating more than you think.

    I feel if I eat less I would starve, I'm quite positive that I'm not eating more than I think, I truly think it's probably not enough. I'm going to try the 1700cals idea and see where it takes me. Don't know how I can consume that much food...

    What she meant was, if you are not weighing your food and estimating calories, what you think is 1600 might be 2000, therefore, you are eating more than you think you are.

    Conversely- maybe you are eating less than you think if you are not weighing everything.

    I get what you mean but I'm quite sure that it's definitely not 1600. I may have consumed it in the last two days as I'm feeling really bloated. I understand what you're saying though.

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