We are pleased to announce that today, March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Plateau already? Is it possible to not eat enough?

Veda723
Veda723 Posts: 2
edited February 14 in Motivation and Support
Second week of no weight loss after a LOT of hard work has me a little discouraged! I'm using the bodybugg to track calories and religiously logging in food on MFP and the numbers just don't add up. I burn 500-700 calories in exercise 5 days a week and keep under 1200 calories pretty consistently. On weekends I am a little less strict on the 1200 threshold but my numbers still add up to a loss but my results over the past two weigh-ins haven't coincided. I gained 2 pounds back and had a zero result this past weigh in. It just doesn't make sense to me. Someone suggested that maybe I'm not eating enough? Could that actually be a factor? It seems counterintuitive to me but on some days my bodybugg is showing I'm burning 3000+ calories with an intake of 1200 calories.

I'm only 7 weeks in and have only lost 14 pounds so it seems a little early to be hitting a plateau but I want to correct whatever it is that I'm doing wrong so I don't get off track. Thanks for any advice/feedback!

Replies

  • NuggetLovesEdie
    NuggetLovesEdie Posts: 477 Member
    If you are burning 500-700 cal per day and only eating 1200 cal per day, you are not feeding yourself enough. That means your net caloric intake is only around 600 calories per day.

    Try eating at least 1200 + your exercise calories per day and see what happens. You will still be eating at a deficit, probably one that you set to be around 2 pounds a week.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    So you're disappointed that you're only losing on average 2 pounds a week!!!! Sometimes words fail me
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    or 14 lbs in 5 weeks and then no weight loss for two weeks....... You really should be eating at 1200 minimum.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    u should eat more.... at least the exercise calories! You are eating WAY UNDER!
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
    So you're disappointed that you're only losing on average 2 pounds a week!!!! Sometimes words fail me

    Yep... This!
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    Too much exercise without eating enough increases stress on the body and decreases weight loss.

    Eat more, exercise less. Counter-intuitive, but true.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    If you are not losing you are not in a deficit. Do you use a digital food scale and weigh ALL your food?
  • Veda723
    Veda723 Posts: 2
    Hi, thanks for the feedback! I'm not disappointed in a 2lbs/week result, just that it seems to have stagnated a little and I wanted to get feedback early rather than a 'wait and see' approach and I think that's one of the benefits of this app - the community of like-minded people! :) I was off to a great start and just want to keep it going and do the right things. I weigh or measure all my food and also make sure to include those not-so-obvious calories, like fish oil pills. On the heavier workout days I thought the more deficit the better but maybe I need more fuel. Thanks again for everyone's time in giving feedback!
  • JMel86
    JMel86 Posts: 124 Member
    You should NET 1200 cals a day, with or without exercise. Try it out & I bet the scale will start moving down, again. Also, a plateau is 4-6+ weeks of no weight loss. You haven't hit one, I think if you NET 1200 a day, you'll get back on track :) best of luck!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories