Plateau Help

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Minela675
Minela675 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!


i have a couple questions regarding my weight, workouts and food,

I started MFP on feburary 16th and i weighed in at 164.....its april 16 now and im at 150....problem is ive been at 150 for about 3 weeks and i dont know why......i think its my workout plan so i changeed it up again.........i mostly did cardio everyday besides monday cause thats my rest day....but now ive added in things like planks and crunches and pushups and stuff along with my cardio. ( no weights because i dont want to start weight training until i reach 130lbs)

I want to know if besides my workout plan, can the fact that i eat the same thing every single day be another reason why im at a plateau?
For breakfast every single day i have
Oatmeal
Omelete made with 3 egg whites 1 egg spinach and cheesee

Lunch:
Whole wheat turkey sandwhich with broccoli and a light and fit yogurt

Dinner :
Whey protein with skim milk and an apple.

I keep track of my macros like crazy...

So does anyone know if adding in those new things like planks and stuff will get me off of this plateau? and does eating the same exact thing everyday have anything to do with it?
Much thanks :)
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Replies

  • 3pisciotto
    3pisciotto Posts: 5 Member
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    It sounds like you may be eating too little, so your body is trying to store whatever it can get to keep you going.
    It takes 4-8 weeks to see a physical change in anything you do, so give it time if you just started to add the planks, crunches and pushup (which is strength training without the weights)
    I'm not an expert and don't know your full story, but this is what i can share with you.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
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    I would probably change up the foods.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    What does your food diary look like? I don't believe you eat exactly the same thing everyday for 3 weeks. What's your calorie goal and how tall are you? A lot more information is needed to make an accurate assessment.
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    Im 5'3 and my calorie goal is 1200... and i literally eat the same exact thing...sometimes i add in peanut butter and oatmeal but heres a copy of my diary from today which is what i eat everyday.....i cant eat anymore because i get full and literally cant eat anymore

    Breakfast
    the Happy Egg Company - Large Egg White, 3 egg (57g)
    Kreider Farms - Egg, 1 egg (56g)
    Shop Rite - Ready to Microwave Spinach, 1 cup cooked
    Cheese - Mozzarella, part skim milk, 1 oz
    Keurig Donut Shop - Extra Bold Medium Coffee, 1 - K cup
    Great Value - 0% Fat Free Milk, 0.25 cup (240 mL)

    Lunch
    Hillshire Farm Deli Select - Honey Roasted Turkey Breast Lower Sodium, 2 oz (56g)
    Sara Lee - 45 Calories & Delightful™ 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 2 slices
    Frenchs - Classic Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp (5ml)
    Shop Rite - Steam In A Bag Broccoli Florets, 10 florets
    Dole - Classic Romaine - Romaine Lettuce, Carrots & Red Cabbage 85 g,
    1 1/2 cupsWish-Bone - Fat Free Italian Dressing, 2 Tbsp

    Herbalife - Meal, 2 scoops
    Herbalife - Herbal Tea Concentrate Peach, 1/2 teaspoon
    Dannon Light & Fit - Banana Flavor Yogurt, 1 Container
    Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein, Double Rich Chocolate, 1 Rounded Scoop (30.4g)
    Skim milk 1 cup-90 cals
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    If you are literally too full to eat anymore then what is your plan when you reach your goal and transition to maintenance? Are you just going to keep eating this amount until your TDEE drops enough?

    Try adding in some calorie dense foods like avocado, olive oil or coconut oil, nuts and nut butters, full fat dairy, ice cream, sour cream, Greek yogurt, or just skip the protein shake and have a real dinner.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Im 5'3 and my calorie goal is 1200... and i literally eat the same exact thing...sometimes i add in peanut butter and oatmeal but heres a copy of my diary from today which is what i eat everyday.....i cant eat anymore because i get full and literally cant eat anymore

    Breakfast
    the Happy Egg Company - Large Egg White, 3 egg (57g)
    Kreider Farms - Egg, 1 egg (56g)
    Shop Rite - Ready to Microwave Spinach, 1 cup cooked
    Cheese - Mozzarella, part skim milk, 1 oz
    Keurig Donut Shop - Extra Bold Medium Coffee, 1 - K cup
    Great Value - 0% Fat Free Milk, 0.25 cup (240 mL)

    Lunch
    Hillshire Farm Deli Select - Honey Roasted Turkey Breast Lower Sodium, 2 oz (56g)
    Sara Lee - 45 Calories & Delightful™ 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 2 slices
    Frenchs - Classic Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp (5ml)
    Shop Rite - Steam In A Bag Broccoli Florets, 10 florets
    Dole - Classic Romaine - Romaine Lettuce, Carrots & Red Cabbage 85 g,
    1 1/2 cupsWish-Bone - Fat Free Italian Dressing, 2 Tbsp

    Herbalife - Meal, 2 scoops
    Herbalife - Herbal Tea Concentrate Peach, 1/2 teaspoon
    Dannon Light & Fit - Banana Flavor Yogurt, 1 Container
    Optimum Nutrition - Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein, Double Rich Chocolate, 1 Rounded Scoop (30.4g)
    Skim milk 1 cup-90 cals

    I mean open your food diary so we can see what you've been logging during this plateau. We don't even know how many calories this adds up to. And if you've been literally eating this every day, stop it. That's nonsense, even if you plan on doing it forever.
  • JessDub685
    JessDub685 Posts: 1
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    If your goal is simply to weigh less, cut out the carbs (i.e., oatmeal and bread) and ramp up your cardio. If your goal is to be smaller, you should really incorporate weights into your regimen. I used to be one of those women that was anti-weights, but if you do them the right way (low weight with many reps), you'll find yourself getting more toned and smaller and you won't bulk up. Eventually the weight will come off, because your brand new muscle will help burn more fat when you do cardio:)
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    "Herbalife - Meal, 2 scoops ...."

    Forgive me for being presumptuous.... I'd replace that with some actual food. If you need to eat more, but get full, break your meals down into smaller portions throughout the day.
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    I opened the diary
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    the herbalife i only did today! i dont drink it everyday!
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    PS: ive been eating this stuff since February 16th and i lost 15 lbs so i mean ive lost weight but not enough weight and i mean i chance up foods once in a while but the core of my meals is like a turkey sandwich and an omelette in the morning....
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    I imagine that if you're staying in your calorie goals and producing a deficit, it's just a water retention issue that's masking your weight loss. It's only been a couple of weeks and that's totally common. Some say you can literally retain 10 lbs of water, which could mask up to 10 weeks of work (if losing at a lb/week). I think that's a little extreme myself, but I've definitely been on the end of the water retention "whoosh" myself -- having a great incremental loss for 6 weeks and then nothing for nearly 4, then the next week, a big whoosh and I drop 4 lbs in a few days.

    Some of the things that can aid with this are a good refeed. It has to do with resetting your hormone response -- leptin, cortisol, thyroid, etc. which can become stressed in a prolonged deficit and cause you to retain water or possibly hold onto fat stores.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Is there a medical reason you're keeping your fat intake so low?
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    no should it be higher? should it be at 27g instead of 20g? cause right now im on a 40-15-45 diet. would it be better to do a 40-40-20?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    no should it be higher? should it be at 27g instead of 20g? cause right now im on a 40-15-45 diet. would it be better to do a 40-40-20?

    I aim for .34g of fat per pound of body weight to help with hormone balance, cell regrowth, and vitamin absorbtion. .8g of protein per pound of body weight to help retain and repair your lean muscle mass. Fill in the rest of your calories with carbs as you see fit.


    Of course, you can tweak those numbers to fit your routine, better.
  • Leesha97
    Leesha97 Posts: 11 Member
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    I know you said you don't want to do weights, but there is no better plateau buster than upping your weight training. Every time I up the weights I lose. I've busted through a few plateaus that way. Just a suggestion. Crunches are fine, but you're not building much muscle that way. More lean muscle burns more calories.
  • lautour
    lautour Posts: 89 Member
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    Since Feb. 16th you have lost 15 pounds, that's two months (and Feb. is short), about 2 pounds a week. That's good!

    I know it's frustrating to plateau but people usually do after the initial burst. Have you been measuring yourself? I plateaued while eating correctly but I was losing inches and didn't realize it until I tried smaller clothes.

    Here's a good forum post/article about that frustrating plateau:

    http://www.fastday.com/not-losing-weight-f27/5-2-diet-plateau-t288.html
  • bomftdrum
    bomftdrum Posts: 270 Member
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    According to your food diary, you had 700 calories for today. That isn't enough. If that is all you eat everyday, then that is your problem.
  • Minela675
    Minela675 Posts: 13
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    thats because i was couldnt eat anymore today, i was full....my protein keeps me full for a good couple hours that why i have it for dinnner
  • bomftdrum
    bomftdrum Posts: 270 Member
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    700 calories is still pretty low for a day. Maybe tomorrow have some calorie dense food to get more calories. Almonds, olive oil, or peanut butter works well.

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