Weight loss already stalled after 4 weeks!

ugfcheer09
ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 23, 5'2", and 187 lbs so I have much more to lose. I have been at it for 6 weeks and lost 10 lbs last month. The last 2 weeks I have been at a stall though.

I average about 1200-1300 calories a day and eat almost the exact same thing every day and measure my food.

Breakfast- 1 scoop dark chocolate muscle milk powder with 12 oz. unsweetened plain almond milk. 240 calories
Snack-1 cup 2% cottage cheese-190 calories
Lunch-1 aidells chicken apple sausage and 1 cup carrots-180 calories
Snack-1 quest bar-usually about 180 calories (depends on flavor)
Dinner-6 oz. Jennie-O Turkey Kielbasa with 2 eggs-455 calories
Pre-workout-NO Explode 2.0-40 calories

I workout 45 min. to 1:15 min. 6 days per week.
Monday, Wednesday, Saturday-45 minute spinning class.
Tuesday-30 min cardio (stairstepper machine, uphill walking on treadmill, elliptical) and Leg day (45 min)
Thursday-30 min cardio and Chest and Back day (45 min)
Friday-30 min cardio and Bi's, Tri's and Shoulder's day (45 min)

I do tape measure measurements as well just in case I was losing inches instead of pounds...that is not happening either...losing maybe 1/8th of an inch in my stomach isn't even log worthy.

Is there anything in specific I should adjust? I am open to ideas!

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I left this as a response to you elsewhere.

    Two weeks without a loss usually isn't something to worry about. Weight loss isn't linear and you aren't going to lose every week thanks to the natural water weight fluctuations in our bodies. You lost a good chunk of weight last month and now your body is adjusting. Drink plenty of fluids and wait another week or two to see if things change.

    First thing I would question is how accurately you're logging. 1 aidell's chicken & apple sausage by itself is 180 calories. The cup of carrots is going to add more calories.

    Read through these:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    Make sure that your calorie goal is appropriate for your size and activity level, double-check the accuracy of all of your numbers, and adjust your expectations a little.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    How often do you weigh yourself?

    Weight loss isn't linear...and 2 weeks isn't really a stall. I've gone weeks where I supposedly dropped 3-4 lbs, and then not lost more for another 3-4 weeks...that's just the way it goes sometimes due to water weight fluctuations, etc.

    Keep going, and if things don't pick back up in a few weeks, then maybe see a doc to ensure there's no other issues.

    Also - not that you asked - but (IMO) to be successful long term, you need to make lifestyle changes - not short-term changes. Do you really intend to eat the same menu for the rest of your life? Try mixing things up a bit from time to time...or I guarantee you'll quickly tire of the same food daily.
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    I actually missed adding the calories from the carrots...I was transferring everything from one screen to the next sorry. But I do add everything accurately, I add any sauces or any "bites" I have of everything which in the last 6 weeks has been maybe twice that I had to do that.
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    I am actually planning for the long term. I am eating foods I like and if there is something I really want, I have it. One day I wanted pancakes so I swapped that for my dinner and stayed within my calories. I will eventually find other foods I like but so far I really look forward to each meal every day :) I have made some other things as well, such as turkey burgers, omelets, and I have chicken sometimes as well.

    I am wondering though, should I be eating back my exercise calories? I don't but wondered if I am supposed to be.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    With that amount and type of exercise it probably wouldn't hurt to eat a little more, the result may surprise you.
  • DivineChoices
    DivineChoices Posts: 193 Member
    I actually missed adding the calories from the carrots...I was transferring everything from one screen to the next sorry. But I do add everything accurately, I add any sauces or any "bites" I have of everything which in the last 6 weeks has been maybe twice that I had to do that.

    Are you weighing food with a scale or just using measuring cups?
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    I actually missed adding the calories from the carrots...I was transferring everything from one screen to the next sorry. But I do add everything accurately, I add any sauces or any "bites" I have of everything which in the last 6 weeks has been maybe twice that I had to do that.

    Are you weighing food with a scale or just using measuring cups?

    It depends, if I am having a cup of carrots I use a measuring cup, if I have 6 oz. of meat or something measured in oz. I use a scale. I will try measuring out everything on a scale though, I see how there could be a difference there...but really is it that big of a difference that I wouldn't be losing weight??
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    How often do you weigh yourself?

    Weight loss isn't linear...and 2 weeks isn't really a stall. I've gone weeks where I supposedly dropped 3-4 lbs, and then not lost more for another 3-4 weeks...that's just the way it goes sometimes due to water weight fluctuations, etc.

    Keep going, and if things don't pick back up in a few weeks, then maybe see a doc to ensure there's no other issues.

    Also - not that you asked - but (IMO) to be successful long term, you need to make lifestyle changes - not short-term changes. Do you really intend to eat the same menu for the rest of your life? Try mixing things up a bit from time to time...or I guarantee you'll quickly tire of the same food daily.

    I weigh myself about once every week, same with measurements. Sometimes I weigh in the middle of the week but I do not log it or count it as a weigh in.

    I am actually planning for the long term. I am eating foods I like and if there is something I really want, I have it. One day I wanted pancakes so I swapped that for my dinner and stayed within my calories. I will eventually find other foods I like but so far I really look forward to each meal every day :) I have made some other things as well, such as turkey burgers, omelets, and I have chicken sometimes as well.

    I am wondering though, should I be eating back my exercise calories? I don't but wondered if I am supposed to be.
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)

    I will definitely work on broadening my range of food :) where do you find an accurate calculator on what you should be eating a day? Every single one I have used comes out way different and it gets extremely confusing.

    Thank you!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    How often do you weigh yourself?

    Weight loss isn't linear...and 2 weeks isn't really a stall. I've gone weeks where I supposedly dropped 3-4 lbs, and then not lost more for another 3-4 weeks...that's just the way it goes sometimes due to water weight fluctuations, etc.

    Keep going, and if things don't pick back up in a few weeks, then maybe see a doc to ensure there's no other issues.

    Also - not that you asked - but (IMO) to be successful long term, you need to make lifestyle changes - not short-term changes. Do you really intend to eat the same menu for the rest of your life? Try mixing things up a bit from time to time...or I guarantee you'll quickly tire of the same food daily.

    I weigh myself about once every week, same with measurements. Sometimes I weigh in the middle of the week but I do not log it or count it as a weigh in.

    I am actually planning for the long term. I am eating foods I like and if there is something I really want, I have it. One day I wanted pancakes so I swapped that for my dinner and stayed within my calories. I will eventually find other foods I like but so far I really look forward to each meal every day :) I have made some other things as well, such as turkey burgers, omelets, and I have chicken sometimes as well.

    I am wondering though, should I be eating back my exercise calories? I don't but wondered if I am supposed to be.

    Yes, the site is designed for you to eat back the calories you earn through exercise. That's why it adds them to your daily goal after you log your workout.
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    How often do you weigh yourself?

    Weight loss isn't linear...and 2 weeks isn't really a stall. I've gone weeks where I supposedly dropped 3-4 lbs, and then not lost more for another 3-4 weeks...that's just the way it goes sometimes due to water weight fluctuations, etc.

    Keep going, and if things don't pick back up in a few weeks, then maybe see a doc to ensure there's no other issues.

    Also - not that you asked - but (IMO) to be successful long term, you need to make lifestyle changes - not short-term changes. Do you really intend to eat the same menu for the rest of your life? Try mixing things up a bit from time to time...or I guarantee you'll quickly tire of the same food daily.

    I weigh myself about once every week, same with measurements. Sometimes I weigh in the middle of the week but I do not log it or count it as a weigh in.

    I am actually planning for the long term. I am eating foods I like and if there is something I really want, I have it. One day I wanted pancakes so I swapped that for my dinner and stayed within my calories. I will eventually find other foods I like but so far I really look forward to each meal every day :) I have made some other things as well, such as turkey burgers, omelets, and I have chicken sometimes as well.

    I am wondering though, should I be eating back my exercise calories? I don't but wondered if I am supposed to be.

    Yes, the site is designed for you to eat back the calories you earn through exercise. That's why it adds them to your daily goal after you log your workout.

    Then I will definitely give it a try! Thank you!!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)

    I will definitely work on broadening my range of food :) where do you find an accurate calculator on what you should be eating a day? Every single one I have used comes out way different and it gets extremely confusing.

    Thank you!

    They're all estimates and no one fits neatly into little boxes of active, lightly active, etc. So some trial and error is always going to be involved in figuring out your calorie needs.

    This post is linked within the Sexypants guide I posted above. It will walk you through the two most popular ways of setting your calorie goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)

    I will definitely work on broadening my range of food :) where do you find an accurate calculator on what you should be eating a day? Every single one I have used comes out way different and it gets extremely confusing.

    Thank you!

    They're all estimates and no one fits neatly into little boxes of active, lightly active, etc. So some trial and error is always going to be involved in figuring out your calorie needs.

    This post is linked within the Sexypants guide I posted above. It will walk you through the two most popular ways of setting your calorie goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    If you go this route, then do not use the numbers I gave you, as my calculator figures out TDEE which already includes exercise calories. In other words, you would just manually enter into MFP whichever number you picked (you can do this in your profile settings), then do NOT eat back the exercise calories. I did this and lost 65 lbs in less than a year.

    Here's the calculator I used: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/tools/Calculator-Daily-Calorie.html

    For kicks I put my own stats into the ExRx.com calculator recommended in the link diannethegeek offered above, and it lined up pretty closely with the link I’ve offered here.

    No clue how to use the Scooby calculator though, it was confusing to me…

    I'm not saying you have to use my link or anything, but I will say that it was so accurate (for me) that I was able to predict when I'd hit each 10-lb loss mark within a few days of actually hitting it. :) So it's a good one. And the ExRx one seems to be user friendly, too.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    it was definitely the chicken apple sausage. get rid of that.
  • ugfcheer09
    ugfcheer09 Posts: 10
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)

    I will definitely work on broadening my range of food :) where do you find an accurate calculator on what you should be eating a day? Every single one I have used comes out way different and it gets extremely confusing.

    Thank you!

    They're all estimates and no one fits neatly into little boxes of active, lightly active, etc. So some trial and error is always going to be involved in figuring out your calorie needs.

    This post is linked within the Sexypants guide I posted above. It will walk you through the two most popular ways of setting your calorie goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    If you go this route, then do not use the numbers I gave you, as my calculator figures out TDEE which already includes exercise calories. In other words, you would just manually enter into MFP whichever number you picked (you can do this in your profile settings), then do NOT eat back the exercise calories. I did this and lost 65 lbs in less than a year.

    Here's the calculator I used: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/tools/Calculator-Daily-Calorie.html

    For kicks I put my own stats into the ExRx.com calculator recommended in the link diannethegeek offered above, and it lined up pretty closely with the link I’ve offered here.

    No clue how to use the Scooby calculator though, it was confusing to me…

    I'm not saying you have to use my link or anything, but I will say that it was so accurate (for me) that I was able to predict when I'd hit each 10-lb loss mark within a few days of actually hitting it. :) So it's a good one. And the ExRx one seems to be user friendly, too.

    Thank you very much I am going to take a look at those when I get hone. .. and congrats on the loss that is really good!
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    I calculated your TDEE according to the information you gave us. Here it is:

    To maintain your current weight you should eat 2,837 calories a day.
    To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 2,337 calories a day.
    To lose 2 lbs a week you should eat 1,837 calories a day.

    It is not recommended to lose more than 2 lbs a week at a time.

    So you're under eating by at least 500-600 calories. Eat what your body actually needs to run and you'll lose.

    The only other thing I'd recommend for you is getting some vegetables, fruit, and fiber into your diet. Protein and dairy are great, but you need vitamins, fiber, and nutrients as well. Since you just discovered that you get so many more calories a day now, perhaps consider using these items to fatten up your diet. :)

    I will definitely work on broadening my range of food :) where do you find an accurate calculator on what you should be eating a day? Every single one I have used comes out way different and it gets extremely confusing.

    Thank you!

    They're all estimates and no one fits neatly into little boxes of active, lightly active, etc. So some trial and error is always going to be involved in figuring out your calorie needs.

    This post is linked within the Sexypants guide I posted above. It will walk you through the two most popular ways of setting your calorie goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    If you go this route, then do not use the numbers I gave you, as my calculator figures out TDEE which already includes exercise calories. In other words, you would just manually enter into MFP whichever number you picked (you can do this in your profile settings), then do NOT eat back the exercise calories. I did this and lost 65 lbs in less than a year.

    Here's the calculator I used: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/tools/Calculator-Daily-Calorie.html

    For kicks I put my own stats into the ExRx.com calculator recommended in the link diannethegeek offered above, and it lined up pretty closely with the link I’ve offered here.

    No clue how to use the Scooby calculator though, it was confusing to me…

    I'm not saying you have to use my link or anything, but I will say that it was so accurate (for me) that I was able to predict when I'd hit each 10-lb loss mark within a few days of actually hitting it. :) So it's a good one. And the ExRx one seems to be user friendly, too.

    Wait! Whoops, I "replied" to the wrong post. I meant that if you use MFP's calculator to figure out your calories, then you DO eat back your calories. If you use my calculator, do NOT eat back your calories. I'm so sorry for the confusion - don't know how to delete my previous post.
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    it was definitely the chicken apple sausage. get rid of that.

    Is this a joke?

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