4th week in a row....no loss! getting frustrated

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wannehunter85
wannehunter85 Posts: 133
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am getting closer to my goal now only 15 pounds until my goal where I want to reevaluate and see if I plan to lose another 5-10. I have plateaued in the past, and for significant amounts of time. But since I have really dedicated myself to MFP last october, and really paying attention to what I put in my mouth and the quality of my workouts the pounds have steadily been dropping.

But I am getting a little frustrated that this is the 4th week in a row that I haven't lost a single pound. NOTHING.

I try to eat according to my TDEE and get all of my macros. I'm pretty young and live abroad so its common to go out on weekends and have a few drinks, but in the past 2-3 months I've significantly cured my alcohol consumption due to the emptiness of the calories. I also do a combo of strength training and cardio, 3 and 4 days per respectively.

My diary should be open for all to view. I would love some suggestions on how to shake things up so this doesn't continue to be an issue. I'd like to think I've been doing this long enough now (I've been on this journey for a few years) that it won't cause me to just want to give up. This is a new lifestyle for me and I am determined to break through this, but I can't help but feel a bit disheartened.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Replies

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    4 weeks isn't a very long time to be honest. Quite easy for weight loss to be masked by water retention over such short periods of time.

    Here is the thing, you are going to get a lot of suggestions to change this or tweak that but to be honest if you don't stick with something for at least 2 months you will not have an accurate read on its effects. If you change what you are doing every 4 weeks you will never really know what is happening with your body.

    My advice is stick with it, give it another 4 weeks and evaluate then.
  • ars1300
    ars1300 Posts: 159 Member
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    Not sure of your stats goals etc. You may need an adjustment in your macronutrients or a change up in routine. These can be the most challenging times- so stay motivated and work through it! Just briefly lloked at your diary which things looked in line pretty well. Maybe try a small bumpin carbs- its you body's preferred source of energy.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Are you weighing your food? It's hard to tell by your Diary.

    When was the last time you updated your stats/calorie goal?
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    I try to reevaluate my macros every 10 pounds or so. so I haven't reevaluated them on the calculators since maybe January. But I've lost maybe 6-7 pounds since that time. I do weigh my food in the morning before work for the most part but things like fruit I've come to be able to eyeball and generally be correct in telling if my orange or pineapple are around 100 grams or so. But things like meat and carbs are still tricky so I weigh them.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I try to reevaluate my macros every 10 pounds or so. so I haven't reevaluated them on the calculators since maybe January. But I've lost maybe 6-7 pounds since that time. I do weigh my food in the morning before work for the most part but things like fruit I've come to be able to eyeball and generally be correct in telling if my orange or pineapple are around 100 grams or so. But things like meat and carbs are still tricky so I weigh them.

    You are clearly capable of sustained weightloss which implies that you know what you are doing. I think you are likely just psyching yourself out by looking at narrow timescales. Its really easy to not lose scale weight over the period of 4 weeks even if you've actually lost pounds of bodyfat.
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    Thanks, no plans to stop! Just want to keep moving forward.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Thanks, no plans to stop! Just want to keep moving forward.

    I know it can be frustrating. I went for a 7 week period with no change to my scale weight despite being very consistant with my diet. I decided to just stick with it during that time and trust that the math wouldn't lie and that my accounting was accurate. Eventually and actually rather all at once I dropped a bunch of weight and then started dropping regularly. I fully expect that this apparent stall will happen to me again and I plan on doing what I did last time when it does.

    That is not to say that it couldn't be that you really are somehow at maintenance, but after 4 weeks I think its to early to say.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I try to reevaluate my macros every 10 pounds or so. so I haven't reevaluated them on the calculators since maybe January. But I've lost maybe 6-7 pounds since that time. I do weigh my food in the morning before work for the most part but things like fruit I've come to be able to eyeball and generally be correct in telling if my orange or pineapple are around 100 grams or so. But things like meat and carbs are still tricky so I weigh them.

    It's great you weigh your food but your entries don't show that.

    And yes this is a small thing but....if you don't choose correct entries you can be under reporting calories...for example I saw an entry for 300g of chicken at 149 calories...that's just wrong but was being used...

    Choosing the correct entries might make a big difference for you, esp with some of the big calorie burns you are getting (only eating 500 back) but if your entries are off by about 200 a day and your burns are off...it can add up.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=Logging+accurately&page=3#posts-19337078
    This is a post I did up about logging accurately which goes beyond weighing food...

    Hope this helps because 4 weeks is my personal limit...so I can see your frustration, but normally after 4 weeks I see a "whoosh" (see link below)

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    This might help as well...
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
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    Thanks, no plans to stop! Just want to keep moving forward.

    I know it can be frustrating. I went for a 7 week period with no change to my scale weight despite being very consistant with my diet. I decided to just stick with it during that time and trust that the math wouldn't lie and that my accounting was accurate. Eventually and actually rather all at once I dropped a bunch of weight and then started dropping regularly. I fully expect that this apparent stall will happen to me again and I plan on doing what I did last time when it does.

    That is not to say that it couldn't be that you really are somehow at maintenance, but after 4 weeks I think its to early to say.

    Exactly my thoughts and my experience. I went 2 months not losing an ounce and then BOOM - all of a sudden everything I should have lost fell off within a 48 hour period. It's probably even more common with females, as we can hold on to a LOT of water at certain points during our cycle. Keep at it and re-evaluate if you continue to be stuck for an extended period of time.
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    I try to reevaluate my macros every 10 pounds or so. so I haven't reevaluated them on the calculators since maybe January. But I've lost maybe 6-7 pounds since that time. I do weigh my food in the morning before work for the most part but things like fruit I've come to be able to eyeball and generally be correct in telling if my orange or pineapple are around 100 grams or so. But things like meat and carbs are still tricky so I weigh them.

    It's great you weigh your food but your entries don't show that.

    And yes this is a small thing but....if you don't choose correct entries you can be under reporting calories...for example I saw an entry for 300g of chicken at 149 calories...that's just wrong but was being used...

    Choosing the correct entries might make a big difference for you, esp with some of the big calorie burns you are getting (only eating 500 back) but if your entries are off by about 200 a day and your burns are off...it can add up.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=Logging+accurately&page=3#posts-19337078
    This is a post I did up about logging accurately which goes beyond weighing food...

    Hope this helps because 4 weeks is my personal limit...so I can see your frustration, but normally after 4 weeks I see a "whoosh" (see link below)

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    This might help as well...


    I don't see or remember the log for chicken. But I will look over this post. Like I said, I do weigh my food mostly and try to be as accurate as possible with it. My burns shouldn't off at all for cardio since I use a HRM, but we all know that doesn't work so well with strength training, so those burns are really just guesstimates based on what is already in MFP. But I did use my HRM for a strength training session a few times and my HRM showed about the same burn in general with what is already in the system. Thanks for the tip of accurately weighing food. One thing what did you mean about eating 500 back? Unless I have a huge burn, like when I go hiking, I just eat my TDEE for the day. This is what the website I read told me to do.....it said to eat specific macros and 1570 cals per day regardless of if I exercise or not. This was based on my exercise activity level being 3 times per week. I am a teacher so I don't sit all day, but I wouldn't consider my job to be too active either.
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    Oh and I did forget to include my stats. I am 28 Female 5'2-3". I am currently trying to fat burn and tone in general. :)
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
    Options
    I try to reevaluate my macros every 10 pounds or so. so I haven't reevaluated them on the calculators since maybe January. But I've lost maybe 6-7 pounds since that time. I do weigh my food in the morning before work for the most part but things like fruit I've come to be able to eyeball and generally be correct in telling if my orange or pineapple are around 100 grams or so. But things like meat and carbs are still tricky so I weigh them.

    It's great you weigh your food but your entries don't show that.

    And yes this is a small thing but....if you don't choose correct entries you can be under reporting calories...for example I saw an entry for 300g of chicken at 149 calories...that's just wrong but was being used...

    Choosing the correct entries might make a big difference for you, esp with some of the big calorie burns you are getting (only eating 500 back) but if your entries are off by about 200 a day and your burns are off...it can add up.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=Logging+accurately&page=3#posts-19337078
    This is a post I did up about logging accurately which goes beyond weighing food...

    Hope this helps because 4 weeks is my personal limit...so I can see your frustration, but normally after 4 weeks I see a "whoosh" (see link below)

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    This might help as well...


    I don't see or remember the log for chicken. But I will look over this post. Like I said, I do weigh my food mostly and try to be as accurate as possible with it. My burns shouldn't off at all for cardio since I use a HRM, but we all know that doesn't work so well with strength training, so those burns are really just guesstimates based on what is already in MFP. But I did use my HRM for a strength training session a few times and my HRM showed about the same burn in general with what is already in the system. Thanks for the tip of accurately weighing food. One thing what did you mean about eating 500 back? Unless I have a huge burn, like when I go hiking, I just eat my TDEE for the day. This is what the website I read told me to do.....it said to eat specific macros and 1570 cals per day regardless of if I exercise or not. This was based on my exercise activity level being 3 times per week. I am a teacher so I don't sit all day, but I wouldn't consider my job to be too active either.

    I read the post and I see what you mean about the generic and homemade thing. I do use those sometimes. I think this is an easy fix I can work on now. :) Thanks for the link.
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    bump
  • clarebear230786
    clarebear230786 Posts: 30 Member
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    My weight loss started off with a pound here and there weekly, sometimes half a pound. For the last 8-10 weeks or so I haven't lost weight for 3 or 4 weeks then I drop 3lbs, I have panicked each time that it isn't working or I'm doing something wrong or I'm not doing as much exercise as the options that are on the TDEE calculators, I have just trusted that I haven't changed anything from when I started and kept going even when the scale fluctuated or stayed the same. I have now lost 12.2lbs since January 6th, I'm only 1.8lbs off a stone, I am so happy! It may start to get harder now as I only want to lose another 10-15lbs. Just keep going, as long as you're sticking to your calories, weighing your food and doing the exercise ti will come off :)
  • kazzyv
    kazzyv Posts: 30 Member
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    You have said you have dropped the alcohol from your nights out but what have you replaced that with ? I am sure you know anyway but sometimes people replace alcohol with things like fruit juices because they are "healthy" but they are actually probably higher in calories than the alcohol they are replacing.
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
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    In to say thanks for bringing it up- I am having the same issue and the responses here have been super helpful. I was thinking the same- just keep going and it will add up- it has to! So I figure in the next week or two I must be ready for my "whoosh" moment! In the past weight has come off rather slow and steady so this has been a new experience.

    Glad to know it doesn't just happen to me!
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    You have said you have dropped the alcohol from your nights out but what have you replaced that with ? I am sure you know anyway but sometimes people replace alcohol with things like fruit juices because they are "healthy" but they are actually probably higher in calories than the alcohol they are replacing.

    I haven't been going out as much. Partly because I am moving to a new country and saving moving funds, party because of the calories, and partly because I've been really busy finishing my work contract. I don't drink juice.......so I haven't really replaced it. I have just found different ways to see my friends like going hiking now that the weather is nice. I might meet someone for a coffee, but even then I drink black coffee with LF milk or almond milk and no sugar.

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