WTF is up with this 4 month plateau?

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  • Thrasherbabe
    Thrasherbabe Posts: 68 Member
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    ^^^ I was just about to say the same thing. Although everything you are eating is fine in my opinion, I definitely think you need to integrate more vegetables into your diet (and a small amount of fruit). I love my protein shakes and quest bars too.... especially the cookies and cream one.. but there is no doubt in my mind that your body could definitely benefit from WHOLE foods. Good luck on your journey.. and btw, you look incredible! And remember that weight doesn't matter... do you feel strong and energized, etc?
  • KeepGoingKylene
    KeepGoingKylene Posts: 432 Member
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    lots of good advice, one thing i want to throw in is when you tried to eat more calories how long did you try it for? When i changed to the TDEE method and upped my calories it took almost 4 weeks to start losing and I have heard this happens to most people when they up their calories. So if you didnt try for very long then maybe try that?
    If not then I agree with the scale maybe needs new batteries!! :drinker:
  • golferd
    golferd Posts: 400 Member
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    This will go against most on here, this is what I did. I do a run in the morning (I log it 100%). I do a p90x/insanity hybrid and log 1/2 or less. I also cut my calories 500 per day to 1400. (36 yr old male at 229)

    My numbers go against every calculator and recommended advice.

    You know if you are logging accurate, I had a disagreement with a fellow member on my logging. However, I could not argue: if you are maintaining you are in maintenance regardless.

    I see you do interval training. HRM could be miscalculating your burn, likely with your accurate food logging.
  • Sarie_Bronish
    Sarie_Bronish Posts: 255 Member
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    Do you WEIGH your food, or just measure it with cups? Big difference.

    as I stated in the original post, I WEIGH EVERYTHING in grams.
  • Sarie_Bronish
    Sarie_Bronish Posts: 255 Member
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    So, looking at your diary, I would suggest upping protein intake ( set a goal to reach every day), reduce dependance on protein bars and shakes, (limit to 1 per day), and decrease carbs (again set a goal to stay under a certain amount). Fat will fall into place. I liked your eggs/avocado today. Focus on natural sources for protein like beef, chicken, and pork and add some veggies. I also notice you eat a fair amount of cheese? I think cheese is great, I just might limit it to 1-2 oz per day or a harder cheese.

    I am hypothyoid, have some autoimmune issues, and hormonal imbalances that I am trying to manage/improve with diet. It has taken years of push/pull with my eating habits to realize the above. I notice that I only lose if I keep net carbs around 100, and protein up around 100g. I eat a fair amount of fat in the form of avocados, coconut and coconut oil, nuts, and olive oil. I am fairly active and do ballet 6-7 times/week along with other activities. I estimate about 450 cals burned per day. This week, I've eaten about 1900 cals per day and I'm on track to lose 2 lbs (I officially weigh Mondays). So, just some background so you understand where my advice comes from. I am gluten and dairy free as well, which has helped me reduce cravings by 95%. I find that amazing.

    Hope that helps!!

    Eta: I have eaten more carbs and mor processed foods at lower calorie levels and maintained or gained. I have done much experimenting. I am also 5'10" and weigh about 175 at the moment.


    ok - so you want me to reduce my carbs to what exactly? Im under 14 net grams per day most days ,and under 30 grams net carbs other days. thats not a lot of carbs already.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    If you are not losing then you are not in a deficit.

    Op read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    I looked through the posts and I didn't see this question asked: When you say you burn 500-1000 calories a day, measuring using your HRM, what exercises are you doing? It's possible that the exercises you're using your HRM to track aren't actually accurately trackable by a HRM. 500-1000 calories is a lot to be burning, particularly at your weight.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Getting your thyroid checked isn't part of basic bloodwork (at least it wasn't for me). I had to ask for it specifically (runs in the females of my family in a major way) and even then, insurance wouldn't cover it unless I had symptoms. I was "fatigued". :smile: Not being able to lose weight is a symptom of hypo.

    My appointment was for blood work panels to check why I wasn't losing weight. They checked my thyroid.

    Do you know what blood tests you had for your thyroid? I ask because many doctors will just check TSH, and that can miss a lot of thyroid disorders until they get really bad. I first suspected a thyroid disorder over 10 years ago and was told several times that everything was normal, and it only was diagnosed recently in the last few months.

    You can have TSH levels that are within the range, and still have horrible hypothyroid symptoms -- that is why I asked if you had any of those common symptoms. So to be sure, you really need to get your TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and both TPO and Tg antibodies (textbook indicators for Hashimoto's, which is the most common thyroid disorder).
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
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    We are about the same size.

    I have to exercise at a medium to high intensity for nearly 2.5 hours straight to burn anywhere near 1000 calories. Running for an hour for me burns about 380 calories, Zumba might burn 100 more. So unless you're spending 1/8 or more of your day exercising, you are probably not burning as many calories as you think. HRMs are a guesstimate at best.

    Plateaus = eating at maintenance. This could tie in to your metabolism being problematic, but it's also very likely that you're way, way overestimating how many calories you're burning with exercise. At your size, you only have to be off by a hundred or two hundred calories per day to not lose weight.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Just an additional tip -- weighted vest. I bought one recently so I could burn more calories on walks and just doing chores around the house. I have a 20 lb version and I wish I'd incorporated it sooner.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Have you had your thyroid checked, or been to the MD for a checkup?

    Are you on any medications that could inhibit weight loss?

    Is your heart rate monitor new? Do you have it properly calibrated? I ask this questions because it's difficult for anyone to burn 1,000 calories in an exercise session, even at a larger size. This number sounds inflated to me.

    If your thyroid and/or health is fine, you are not on any medications that can inhibit your weight loss, and your heart rate monitor is working properly, there is a miscalculation somewhere.if you have not lost for four months Even though weight loss is not linear, it seems to me you would have seen some downward movement. Water retention is generally fleeting, not constant, and for most people goes away within a few days or weeks, depending on the person..
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    HRMs are not infallible. There are any number of factors that can affect accuracy. I also notice you use it for strength training, which it is not accurate for.

    This is so true! Use the HRM for steady state cardiio only.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    The only thing I can think of, other than what everyone else has already said...are your blood sugar levels normal (you're not hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic) or are you under a lot of stress recently? Periods of very high stress always stops my weight loss even if I'm eating the same amount of calories, not sure exactly why but it stinks.

    THIS^^^ Stress does a NUMBER on your cortisol levels...sounds kinda crunchy, but try some meditation to get your stress levels lower. It's great to think 'nothing' for a few minutes a day.

    I'm going to third this. My life is tweaked or changes just a tiny bit - even if I'm eating in a deficit I don't lose weight. I'll actually start gaining if I'm under stress for a long enough period of time. I have to do yoga.
  • Sarie_Bronish
    Sarie_Bronish Posts: 255 Member
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    when I burned 1,000 calories, that was 3.5 hours of intense cardio.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    when I burned 1,000 calories, that was 3.5 hours of intense cardio.

    wow...you are strong...3 hours of intense cardio, back to back? I can barely do one of like 45 minute of kickboxing...
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    when I burned 1,000 calories, that was 3.5 hours of intense cardio.
    You are way over-training. I'm surprised your body is not screaming at you to slow down.

    I have looked through your exercise diary and find these entires questionable, especially since you use a heart rate monitor to track the calories:

    Elliptical Trainer 20 205
    cardio and strength training mix with chest strap 90 600
    Interval Training with Chest Strap 130 1,024
    Interval Training with Chest Strap 110 842
    Elliptical Trainer 45 550
    Interval Training with Chest Strap 30 236
    Elliptical Trainer 20 178
    Interval Training with Chest Strap 15 118

    First off, a heart rate monitor does not adequately track anything but steady state cardio, and strength training and high intensity training is neither of those. Besides high intensity interval training is just that- intervals.

    I really think your problem is overestimated exercise calories.

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