Hit A Massive Plateau

toptestpilot
toptestpilot Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been at it diligently since the beginning of April and have lost 30+ lbs...however I've only lost 1 lb since the end of May. I'm very strict and take in only 1200 calories a day. I also have increased my workouts from 20 minutes a day to almost 120 minutes a day and I'm burning 2000 calories during my workout -- still nothing.

I can't seem to shake this plateau.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? I still have 60 lbs that I need to lose!
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Replies

  • Chris_Pierce
    Chris_Pierce Posts: 267 Member
    Take a month off.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    How are you burning 1000 calories per hour in the gym? That seems a bit high, are you eating back those calories?

    In fact, can you give us a bit more detail - age, sex, weight, calorie goal, exercise calories, exercise calories eaten back etc?
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    I doubt you really burn that much. Is it the MFP estimate? Because that's not really good.
  • josieami
    josieami Posts: 6
    Following the convo. I hope you get some good advice. I personally could not eat that little, I eat between 1200 up to 3000 a day.... (binging is a bit of an issue here...) netting between 700-2000 generally with a goal of net 1950 for maintenance... I seen it said that slowly increasing your intake can sometimes help when you're in an extremely restrictive diet, but I'm sure someone will come along with the links n a more professional answer ;)
  • k1ttyk1tty
    k1ttyk1tty Posts: 86 Member
    You're eating too little if you're only eating 1200 and working out. Up your intake an eat back a few workout calories. There's like 90,000,000,000 threads of this same problem people are having and it's really as simple as not starving yourself.
  • cdn_beaver
    cdn_beaver Posts: 130 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.
  • toptestpilot
    toptestpilot Posts: 7
    How are you burning 1000 calories per hour in the gym? That seems a bit high, are you eating back those calories?

    In fact, can you give us a bit more detail - age, sex, weight, calorie goal, exercise calories, exercise calories eaten back etc?

    Age: 55
    Weight (Now) 254
    Sex: M

    1000 calories/Hr:
    Stairclimber: 45 minutes
    Elliptical: 45 Minutes
    Powercycle: 30 minutes

    Started at 2000 calories/day - slow loss (less than 1 lb/week). Reduced to 1500 calories/day - went to 1.5 lbs/week. Reduced to 1200/day: stayed at 1.5 lb/week until late May; I've only lost 1 lb since then.

    I'm not eating it back - I've been pretty strict and stayed within +/- 50 calories of my 1200 calorie goal.
  • toptestpilot
    toptestpilot Posts: 7
    I doubt you really burn that much. Is it the MFP estimate? Because that's not really good.

    Yeah, I do. I have a calorie counter that is pretty accurate (verified it against 3 other calorie counters). Most people can't do that much or strenuous exercise, but I've always been able to do so. When I was in the military, I used to burn 3000 to 5000 per day - but I also took in about 8000 per day.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    You are burning less calories than you think and in addition to that, you are eating more that you think.
    Besides that-a male of your size should never aim to eat 1200 calories.
    Weigh your food/measure your liquids/log everything!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.
    How does that work?
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 683 Member
    I can only go by own experience im smaller than you and have less than you to lose yet I eat more than you and im a woman 1200 calories is my opinion why this isn't working and if you really are exercising that much your running on empty feel free to add me, my advice is calculate BMR and TDEE and start eating calories halfway between these numbers and tweak if needed
  • cokefloat1
    cokefloat1 Posts: 86 Member
    I was just going to post a topic up about this. I started on a 1250cal a day diet as recommended by MFP to lose 2lbs a week. I was doing enough exercise to burn off about 600cals a day and was consuming them back but wasn't losing anything.

    Came to the conclusion something wasn't right and figured my body was having issues as it didn't have enough energy to do the exercise so increased my intake to 1720cals a day for a 1lb loss per week and the weight loss has miraculously come back for the last 5 weeks running.

    Lower the weight loss goal per week and eat a bit more and maybe you'll get things going again, it worked for me :)
  • fat2fitdancody
    fat2fitdancody Posts: 259 Member
    If possible get a HRM to track calorie burn.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.
    How does that work?

    It doesn't. You take in less than you expend, you lies weight. Absolutely, positively.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.
    How does that work?

    It doesn't. You take in less than you expend, you lies weight. Absolutely, positively.

    To be fair, a lot of people experience success by slightly upping calories or taking a few weeks off of dieting to get the scale moving again. Long term, calories intake wins out but there can be temporary stalls due to hormones and such.

    OP - can you open your diary?
  • becs3578
    becs3578 Posts: 836 Member
    I was on a plateau for a while.. a few months back. I didnt change the amount of calories I was eating but the type. More veggies, fruit and meat protein (with a little greek yougurt). I tried to stay away from most white carbs (did eat sweet potatoes)... and sweets. Which I had been doing but not as strict. I also gave up sodas and started drinking a gallon of water a day. I think this has really helped.
  • Eli716
    Eli716 Posts: 262 Member
    Women's minimum is 1200.
    Men's minimum is 1800.

    In my opinion, you're eating too little.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    I wouldn't call that a massive plateau.

    I've been stuck in the 180's since Janurary. That's a flippin' plateau.

    But in that time, I went from a size 16 to a size 12 (swimsuit is a 10).

    As much as I HATE not seeing the scale move, I know my body looks different, tighter, firmer etc... because I have eye balls and can see it.

    Are your clothes getting looser?
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    All that working out does build muscle mass and burn fat, so you could be making amazing progress with no scale movement (like me!)

    I know that is soooo frustrating...

    Hang in there!
  • smanning1982
    smanning1982 Posts: 210 Member
    If you are eating only 1200 calories and burning 1000-2000 you realize that you aren't netting 1200 calories a day right? You're netting 200 calories or under. That is basically an eating disorder. You're body is probably in starvation mode
  • fifilan
    fifilan Posts: 18 Member
    I was on a plateau for about a month and was eating 1200 calories a day and I am a 4'11", 124 lb woman. I increased my calories to 1500 and the scale started moving again. I think you need to increase your calories and see if that helps.
  • FireStorm1972
    FireStorm1972 Posts: 1,142 Member
    I agree increase your daily calories for a week or 2 and see what happens , then maybe calorie cycle thru the week.
  • alan1e
    alan1e Posts: 1 Member
    This happens to me sometimes. I just stick with the plan then usually I start losing aging. But, I think everyone is a little different.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    you are not burning 2000 calories per work out. You just aren't. Stop that.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    Yep...

    Carrieous is right on...

    If there was a way to burn 2,000 kcal in a workout we'd of all done figured that **** out.
  • k1ttyk1tty
    k1ttyk1tty Posts: 86 Member
    Yep...

    Carrieous is right on...

    If there was a way to burn 2,000 kcal in a workout we'd of all done figured that **** out.

    If you're big enough I'd think that it would be possible, you'd just feel like dropping after the first 1,000.... Unless you have a bad coke habit...
  • AnswerzPwease
    AnswerzPwease Posts: 142 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.

    Is there actual evidence that shows this?
  • daybehavior
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
    You're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning 1000 calories at the gym!? Eat MORE and you'll start losing again.

    Is there actual evidence that shows this?

    No there's not. It goes against the principles of thermodynamics. Eating at a calorie deficit = weight loss. Eating at calorie surplus = weight gain. Eating at maintenance = plateau. There are no other options. '

    The only circumstance in which eating more will indirectly help you lose weight is in the case of water weight. When you're dieting and exercising, it put stress on your body and it may retain water. Eating more will de-stress your body and aid in releasing that water weight.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    You're an obese male who claims to burn 2000 calories in your workout alone, while only eating 1200 calories, but hasn't lost more than a pound in over a month.

    You're either:

    A. A medical miracle. At which point head to your doctor ASAP as you could be the key to solving world starvation.
    B. Eating far, far more calories than you think while burning far less than you imagine.

    Which option do you think is more likely?
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    I can only go by own experience im smaller than you and have less than you to lose yet I eat more than you and im a woman 1200 calories is my opinion why this isn't working and if you really are exercising that much your running on empty feel free to add me, my advice is calculate BMR and TDEE and start eating calories halfway between these numbers and tweak if needed

    When you have excessive, non-essential body fat, especially in large quantities, there is no such thing as "running on empty".

    If you, and half the people in this thread talking about starvation mode, or claiming his eating too little is causing the "plateau" were correct, there would be no such thing as the millions of emaciated people currently starving to death all over the world. If not eating, and running on "empty", led to weight loss "plateaus" then where do all those pictures come from of concentration camp victims and African children looking like flesh colored skeletons? Shouldn't all these bodies have gone into starvation mode and protected them from losing body fat?

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