I have hit a plateau and need help ASAP

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  • golfgirl15
    golfgirl15 Posts: 12 Member
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    My trainer told me that for women it usually takes a month or more to start seeing steady weight loss. Also muscle weighs more than fat so slight increases or staying the same could be that at 1st. DON'T give up!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    guys, thanks for your opinions especially the supportive ones. But, I really want to know if anyone thinks I'm eating too much or too few calories.
    I never eat back my exercise calories. I make sure I weigh everything and sometimes I overestimate rather than underestimate just to be safe.
    I haven't got the healthiest diet (I love bread) but I keep a calories deficit which has worked for me up until these past 2 weeks

    If you were losing a lb a week before and still have the same deficit (even though it is distributed differently throughout the week) you should still be losing.

    ETA: I don't think I made my point clearly in this reply, sorry. This was meant to back up my theory that it is masked by water retention form the new routine since you already have a deficit calculated out that you know if working for you.
  • st0rmagedd0n
    st0rmagedd0n Posts: 417 Member
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    guys, thanks for your opinions especially the supportive ones. But, I really want to know if anyone thinks I'm eating too much or too few calories.
    I never eat back my exercise calories. I make sure I weigh everything and sometimes I overestimate rather than underestimate just to be safe.
    I haven't got the healthiest diet (I love bread) but I keep a calories deficit which has worked for me up until these past 2 weeks

    For that we'd need a through and consistently logged, open diary going back a couple weeks, which, as a new user, you don't have. "I like bread and eat maybe 12-1300" isn't exactly a lot to make a dietary assessment off of.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    guys, thanks for your opinions especially the supportive ones. But, I really want to know if anyone thinks I'm eating too much or too few calories.
    I never eat back my exercise calories. I make sure I weigh everything and sometimes I overestimate rather than underestimate just to be safe.
    I haven't got the healthiest diet (I love bread) but I keep a calories deficit which has worked for me up until these past 2 weeks

    For that we'd need a through and consistently logged, open diary going back a couple weeks, which, as a new user, you don't have. "I like bread and eat maybe 12-1300" isn't exactly a lot to make a dietary assessment off of.
    What the Dark Lord of All said.
  • skruttan44
    skruttan44 Posts: 86 Member
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    If you just started working out, it could be water retention. I would give it a little more time, and just make sure you're logging accurately, and not over estimating calorie burns if you're eating back exercise calories.
    your bmi is 22.8. why do you feel you need to lose more?

    For what reason should she not want to look slimmer if it's within a healthy range and she isn't taking drastic, unhealthy measures to attain it?

    I agree but maybe sculpting the body is more important at this stage rather than focusing on more weight loss?
    Just a thought :smile:
  • lavendy17
    lavendy17 Posts: 309 Member
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    1. Plateau is 6-8 weeks
    2. You are close to goal. Your weight loss will be slower now. I an similar stats and happy with 1lbs a month.

    If you are accurate and know your TDEE, you will lose weight.
    If your plateau doesn't break after 8 weeks, possible you are not in deficit.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    What is your calorie goal now that you've stopped IF? And can you open your diary?
  • ahlias1
    ahlias1 Posts: 3 Member
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    Its all water weight. You are incorporating a rigorous activity which is putting stress on the body. It takes sometime for your body to adjust. Continue to drink lots of water, eat clean, eat more protein, and stay on your calorie deficit until you reach your goal. Its a simple process that is made complicated by a lack of patience.



    Everything takes time, don't rush things, and be safe.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    My trainer told me that for women it usually takes a month or more to start seeing steady weight loss. Also muscle weighs more than fat so slight increases or staying the same could be that at 1st. DON'T give up!
    No it doesn't and no she's not gaining it
    How much does a cubic inch of fat weigh?

    How much does a cubic inch of muscle weigh?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    guys, thanks for your opinions especially the supportive ones. But, I really want to know if anyone thinks I'm eating too much or too few calories.
    I never eat back my exercise calories. I make sure I weigh everything and sometimes I overestimate rather than underestimate just to be safe.
    I haven't got the healthiest diet (I love bread) but I keep a calories deficit which has worked for me up until these past 2 weeks

    Since you are averaging about 1650 calories a day and averaged 1 lb per week, the only thing you need to revise is your perception on how weight loss works. It's not a linear thing. Some weeks you will gain, some you will lose and some maintain. Stay the same course for another 4 weeks and then relook at things. Also, adding breakfast doesn't change anything. It's all about total calories over the week to determine weight loss. It doesn't matter what time you eat those or how often.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    My trainer told me that for women it usually takes a month or more to start seeing steady weight loss. Also muscle weighs more than fat so slight increases or staying the same could be that at 1st. DON'T give up!
    No it doesn't and no she's not gaining it
    How much does a cubic inch of fat weigh?

    How much does a cubic inch of muscle weigh?

    Lets not get into this. But yes, when you talk muscle vs fat, it's volume not weight. And since muscle is more dense than fat, the equivalent volume of fat will not weight as much as muscle.
  • 59gi
    59gi Posts: 307 Member
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    Its all water weight. You are incorporating a rigorous activity which is putting stress on the body. It takes sometime for your body to adjust. Continue to drink lots of water, eat clean, eat more protein, and stay on your calorie deficit until you reach your goal. Its a simple process that is made complicated by a lack of patience.



    Everything takes time, don't rush things, and be safe.


    Agree, it's water weight due to exercise, that will swoosh in due time.
  • NataBost
    NataBost Posts: 418 Member
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    My trainer told me that for women it usually takes a month or more to start seeing steady weight loss. Also muscle weighs more than fat so slight increases or staying the same could be that at 1st. DON'T give up!
    No it doesn't and no she's not gaining it
    How much does a cubic inch of fat weigh?

    How much does a cubic inch of muscle weigh?

    Lets not get into this. But yes, when you talk muscle vs fat, it's volume not weight. And since muscle is more dense than fat, the equivalent volume of fat will not weight as much as muscle.

    THANK YOU. I hate seeing this argument repeated time after time.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I try to have an intake of about 11,000 - 11500 calories per week and save some calories for the weekend as I tend to eat a bit more and drink alcohol.

    I try to eat about 1200 - 1300 Mon - Thursday
    and then about 2000 Friday - Sunday.

    Average of 1200-1300=1250
    1250 x 5 = 6250
    2000 x 3 = 6000
    6250 + 6000 = 12,250

    12,250 =/= 11,000-11,500

    Are you tracking your food or just estimating?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    My trainer told me that for women it usually takes a month or more to start seeing steady weight loss. Also muscle weighs more than fat so slight increases or staying the same could be that at 1st. DON'T give up!
    No it doesn't and no she's not gaining it
    How much does a cubic inch of fat weigh?

    How much does a cubic inch of muscle weigh?

    Lets not get into this. But yes, when you talk muscle vs fat, it's volume not weight. And since muscle is more dense than fat, the equivalent volume of fat will not weight as much as muscle.
    It's always about volume, not just with regard to muscle and fat. Yes, a pound of styrofoam weighs the same as a pound of lead (tautology alert), but if you tell someone, in common English usage, that lead doesn't weigh more than styrofoam, he's going to think you're nuts.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    It can take 3-4 weeks for your body to adapt to a change in routine. Give yourself some time.

    Also, did you actually try 5:2 with your new workout routine? I do IF in a different way than you, fasting 14 hours per day, and all of my workouts are five hours before I start to eat. I haven't had a problem with energy levels, at all. If you go a few more weeks and nothing has budged, you may want to go back to the way of eating that worked for you in the past, or look into a different IF protocol.

    Best of luck!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    I try to have an intake of about 11,000 - 11500 calories per week and save some calories for the weekend as I tend to eat a bit more and drink alcohol.

    I try to eat about 1200 - 1300 Mon - Thursday
    and then about 2000 Friday - Sunday.

    Average of 1200-1300=1250
    1250 x 5 = 6250
    2000 x 3 = 6000
    6250 + 6000 = 12,250

    12,250 =/= 11,000-11,500

    Are you tracking your food or just estimating?

    There are only seven days per week. :wink:
  • ThatMouse
    ThatMouse Posts: 229 Member
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    You're in the last 15lbs of weight loss. Your pace will slow drastically. This is not for a lack of effort on your part, or "doing things wrong". It's just how weight loss works. Your body tends to hang on to those last pounds for its life - because that's what those last few pounds were for originally. They were meant to be held on to as a method for your body to ensure it wouldn't die if you ran into a famine scenario. Fortunately now, most of us don't face famine as a risk at all - food is plentiful. But our bodies haven't gotten that message just yet.

    Right now, you're reaching around a 680cal deficit - pretty much 1.5lbs a week loss rate. This is pretty aggressive a pace for someone who only has 15lbs left to lose.

    I have 18lbs left and I'm finding I can drop 0.5lbs a week fairly consistently (it's been consistent for the past month, though this past week I lost a bit more than 0.5lbs - strange, as I've been eating like ****).

    In the past, when I've changed my diet (from from IF to unrestricted eating times; keto to IIFYM), I've stalled for up to a month before seeing the weight drop off again. You may want to try experimenting with eating more - and legit make it an "experiment". Don't freak out if you gain 5lbs in your first week of trying to eat more - give it a month or more of shifting your eating habits, track everything meticulously, take lots of notes and make it a process. What do you see? What do you feel? How do you measure?

    Don't expect linear weight loss. It doesn't happen. I've been +/- 1.5lbs during the week only to see my weight drop again until I'm down to -0.5lbs from the week before. Hell, I drop 1+lbs one day and gain 1.2lbs the next only to see a 2lb drop the day after. Losing this isn't a straight line - it goes up, down, sideways and cross-ways. Expect it to take a while, expect it to be hard. Especially in this last home stretch. Expect it to take a long time and learn to enjoy the journey.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    Just keep doing what you've been doing and you will start to lose again.

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