I'm stalling

TheVirgoddess
TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Today I'm at the same weight I was a month ago. There have been some fluctuations in that time period, but here I still am. Prior to this, I was losing steadily.

I weigh and carefully log all my food in my diary (it's also open) - I've gone over my calorie intake exactly one time in 76 days. I'm active at least 5 times a week. I run, I lift weights, I take dance classes. I have a fitbit to accurately log my daily activity levels. If I have to use MFP to track an exercise, I cut the time in half in an effort to be more accurate.

The only thing that's changed, that I can pinpoint, is that I started Birth Control Pills about a month ago.

So friends, can I push through this? Should I stop taking the pill (I'm on it to treat PMDD)? Give it more time? Suck it up and keep my chin up?

I'm trying, VERY hard not to feel discouraged, but I really am discouraged. I could deal with a slower loss or a shorter stall, but a month of working my a*s off to no results is really, really taking its toll.
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Replies

  • karenMcMillan0712
    karenMcMillan0712 Posts: 82 Member
    saw many post like this-One said add more food-others say just forget the diet for awjie like 30 days. ANd then they all ask are you loosing inches? you may be gaining muscle. so measurements are best. My scale has been the same for 2 weeks but my inches are dropping. Hope this helps
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    No inch loss, either.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    As you're maintaining weight anyway, have you tried taking a couple of weeks at maintenance intake?

    I don't know how that BC could affect you, but a change in estrogen/testosterone balance could affect your RMR, so that's another option.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    I've gone through months like that. If you are sure the numbers are right (for instance, you have been adjusting your calorie goal downwards as you lose weight) and that you are tracking accurately (using a kitchen scale for most things), then continue to stick with it. Start taking measurements and track progress that way.

    Another useful tool I've found is Hacker's Diet Online. They have an online tool where you put in all your weights and it gives you a rolling average over time. So much of our body weight can fluctuate (think about how you will weight more in the evenings, or how your weight will go up a few pounds after a night where you've had a couple of drinks) that is based on water, not our "true" weight. When I entered in my data, I saw that months where I thought I had plateaued, I had actually continued to show a steady decrease in my "average" over that same time.

    Linky: https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet/
  • projhex
    projhex Posts: 23
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since the beginning? As you lose weight you need to keep lowering your intake as you require less calories when you weigh less.

    What is your daily calorie goal and how did you calculate that number?

    Did you set yourself to some too-high activity level in MFP? Generally you want to chose not active as it will give you a better baseline. MFP will generally overstate your calories burned as an "active" person.

    Hormonal birth control can definitely be a factor, but I wouldn't blame it on this until everything else is ruled out.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    I already take measurements - I have since I started.

    Yes, I've recalculated. I've changed my goal from 2 lbs/week to .5 lbs/week, gradually as I've lost.

    I weigh ALL of the food I can, ie no restaurant food. If I can't weigh, I over-estimate.

    My activity level on here is set to sedentary. So no - it's not set too high. Like I said in my OP - if I do an activity I cannot track on my FitBit, I cut the time I actually worked in half to avoid over-estimating my burns. I don't even log my weight lifting.

    My goal right now is set to 1500 cals a day (I'm at 207, my goal is .5lbs/week). I usually hit around 1200 a day (on average). Though I've struggled to meet this goal in the past (I'm not a big eater, never have been, I got fat by drinking too much coffee and Dr. Pepper every day).
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Sorry, my weight loss was set at 1lb a week, not .5. I changed it to 1.5, to see if that will help.

    I know my answers sound really cranky, but I've done everything I can think of and it just plain sucks.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Your goal calories for the day are 1500 and you are eating 1200?

    I would take a week off and eat at maintenance. Then I'd recalculate calories using TDEE, subtract 20% from that, and eat that amount each day. Log your exercise but don't eat it since it is already counted in TDEE.

    I got stuck for 6 weeks back in April/May. I did the above (maintenance week and then TDEE) and my weight loss resumed at ~1.7 pounds per week. I'm now taking a maintenance week every 6-8 weeks (or whenever I start having constant hunger/cravings) and I eat 1700-1800 calories a day.
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    Alright, so a month isn't a terribly long sample time for a scientific measure of weight loss. Nothing I have read suggests that any form of birth control is going to make you immune from the old standard of eat less move more to lose weight. I'm sure it might for a while nudge your metabolic rate down a smidge and probably encourage your body to retain water a bit but if a pill could make it impossible to lose weight we would send them to enfaminished nations and solve the world hunger issue overnight.

    Looking through your diary I don't see many red flags. The super short sample I looked at seemed to have a few less calories consumed a month ago vs today:

    June 1- June 7 - 8015 Calories Consumed
    June 30 - July 6 - 10573 Calories Consumed

    I don't know if that trend is accurate or carries forward or backward in time, but for that sample, you are eating 2500 calories more this month vs. last month in the sampled week. If it did carry through, that's nearly three pounds a month of potential lost weight.

    Clearly there are other factors to consider but I just looked at the most obvious one, how much food did you log eating.

    I hope this doesn't seem rude. I just looked through because I know it sucks when there is a break in the weight loss so though some unbiased eyes might help pinpointing the problem.

    Good luck!
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    It could possibly be the birth control since your body has just had a new hormone added to it. Yes, your body makes the hormones, but you've increased the levels in your body by adding the birth control. Your body should start to adjust to the hormone levels it has been experiencing this past month.

    You mentioned you hit 1200 a day, is that net or total?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I'm trying, VERY hard not to feel discouraged, but I really am discouraged. I could deal with a slower loss or a shorter stall, but a month of working my a*s off to no results is really, really taking its toll.
    I hear you. Last week -- yes, I know it's only a week -- according to the math I was about 17,000 calories under maintenance. And gained 1.6 pounds. That's a lot of water or whatever.

    I'm not to the point of being discouraged -- my body can't generate energy out of thin air -- but I will admit to some frustration that my chart had leveled out.

    Realistically, though, what's the alternative to sticking with it? Eating more? Giving up? The principles are sound. Unless you're somehow now eating at maintenance, you can't stall forever and if you're eating at maintenance there's a straightforward change to handle that. No doubt, it sucks when hard work appears not to pay off, but I'd give it more time.

    Since .5 pounds a week has a relatively small window for error, it may be that your particular metabolic rate has you closer to maintenance than the calculators expect.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I have a fitbit to accurately log my daily activity levels.
    If I have to use MFP to track an exercise, I cut the time in half in an effort to be more accurate.

    You seem to have your act together, so I don't mean to pry, but I wonder how much you're doing this. Which exercises do you put into MFP directly? I've found more success just trusting my FitBit. Granted, it records flights of stairs when I bike .. O_o ... but the calories seem to work out when I track them long-term.

    If you want to go down the rabbit hole, you could list your age, weight, height, TDEE, calorie intake, etc. And people can give you more targeted advice (though some of it will inevitably be wrong or mean or misguided...)
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
    I'm really just getting back on track after several months of slacking, but in my previous experience, sometimes when you stall out, it helps to actually raise your calories for a bit. If your goal is 1500 and you're consistently eating under that, try raising it to 1600 and making sure to actually eat that much every day. Just try it for a couple weeks to get your body out of its rut, and then you can start cutting back again.
  • karenj_m
    karenj_m Posts: 215
    from webmd
    Are There Side Effects of Birth Control Pills?

    Yes, there are side effects of birth control pills, although the majority are not serious. They include:
    Nausea
    Weight gain
    Sore or swollen breasts
    Small amount of blood, or spotting, between periods
    Lighter periods
    Mood changes

    So maybe its your body adjusting to the pills?
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
    I would give it another month so your body can adjust to your new meds. If you were loosing steadily before and haven't changed anything else I would give it some more time. What is one month in the whole journey?

    You could very well be holding on to extra water.

    Also something to keep in mind, and sorry if its a little gross, but if your meds make you slightly constipated, that could account for extra weight.

    A lot of things could be keeping you from seeing results.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    It could possibly be the birth control since your body has just had a new hormone added to it. Yes, your body makes the hormones, but you've increased the levels in your body by adding the birth control. Your body should start to adjust to the hormone levels it has been experiencing this past month.

    You mentioned you hit 1200 a day, is that net or total?

    It's total. I know that's not good, and I'm actively trying to bump that number up and eat at least part of my exercise calories back. I have hunger/appetite issues that I'm getting better handling (I'm on medication that has a side effect of suppressing my appetite). My net is usually between 900 and 1000.

    Deguello - the alternative is to quit the birth control pills. I'm not going to stop my eating and exercising, as that's now just part of my life. But I want the damned scale to move.

    Also, there is no way I'd be able to eat at maintenance right now. My TDEE is 2236 - there is NO way I can eat that much food at this stage in my journey.

    Segovm. Yes, my intake went up - but so did my calories burned. June 1-7, I burned 1035 calories, July 1-7, 2719. So I burned 1684 more. The actual net was >1000 calories different.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    I have a fitbit to accurately log my daily activity levels.
    If I have to use MFP to track an exercise, I cut the time in half in an effort to be more accurate.

    You seem to have your act together, so I don't mean to pry, but I wonder how much you're doing this. Which exercises do you put into MFP directly? I've found more success just trusting my FitBit. Granted, it records flights of stairs when I bike .. O_o ... but the calories seem to work out when I track them long-term.

    If you want to go down the rabbit hole, you could list your age, weight, height, TDEE, calorie intake, etc. And people can give you more targeted advice (though some of it will inevitably be wrong or mean or misguided...)

    The only one I put into MFP is my swimming, for obvious reasons. If I use Runtastic to track a run, I edit the burn to match FitBit. Same goes for my dance classes and any cardio I do.

    Age, 34
    Weight, 206.6
    Height, 5'4"
    TDEE, 2236 (BMR is 1626)
    My average net is around 1,000 cals/day.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    from webmd
    Are There Side Effects of Birth Control Pills?

    Yes, there are side effects of birth control pills, although the majority are not serious. They include:
    Nausea
    Weight gain
    Sore or swollen breasts
    Small amount of blood, or spotting, between periods
    Lighter periods
    Mood changes

    So maybe its your body adjusting to the pills?

    See, I talked to my gyn before getting on this pill (I'm on Yaz, btw) and she said it shouldn't impact my weight gain (that it may actually suppress my appetite).

    I guess I'll give the pills another month, see what happens. Trying to stay focused when it feels like nothing is working is hard though.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I think you should keep doing what you're doing, keep your birth control, and be patient. When I was losing, some months I didn't lose, other months I seemed to lose more. It could be water retention from the birth control pills or from your workouts.

    Weight loss is not linear either.

    Chin up and hang in there! :smile:
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    My average net is around 1,000 cals/day.

    I know it seems counter-intuitive. But if you are as accurate with your intake as you are with your exercise/energy out, then you should eat more. If I were you, or if you were my sister or someone I loved, I'd highly recommend netting closer to 1400.
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 429 Member
    Problem is not calories or birth control pills in my opinion. From a review of just one week, you are over on carbs, fat and excessive sodium mostly from McD and processed foods which will contribute to water weight, gain and bloatness. Did not see 'ANY' vegetables or fruits of any kind since a salad on June 30th ~ not healthy in my opinion and not nearly enough consumption of protein either. Follow this and you will see results.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    It could possibly be the birth control since your body has just had a new hormone added to it. Yes, your body makes the hormones, but you've increased the levels in your body by adding the birth control. Your body should start to adjust to the hormone levels it has been experiencing this past month.

    You mentioned you hit 1200 a day, is that net or total?

    It's total. I know that's not good, and I'm actively trying to bump that number up and eat at least part of my exercise calories back. I have hunger/appetite issues that I'm getting better handling (I'm on medication that has a side effect of suppressing my appetite). My net is usually between 900 and 1000.

    Deguello - the alternative is to quit the birth control pills. I'm not going to stop my eating and exercising, as that's now just part of my life. But I want the damned scale to move.

    Also, there is no way I'd be able to eat at maintenance right now. My TDEE is 2236 - there is NO way I can eat that much food at this stage in my journey.

    Segovm. Yes, my intake went up - but so did my calories burned. June 1-7, I burned 1035 calories, July 1-7, 2719. So I burned 1684 more. The actual net was >1000 calories different.

    I would work on just eating your goal everyday before you try to eat your goal plus exercise calories. If you can, I would add a protein shake or other somewhat higher calorie not-so-filling foods to your diet (i.e. nut butters) since you're on an appetite supressing medicine. Adding a protein shake or a serving of nut butter would boost you to around 1200 net calories a day.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Problem is not calories or birth control pills in my opinion. From a review of just one week, you are over on carbs, fat and excessive sodium mostly from McD and processed foods which will contribute to water weight, gain and bloatness. Did not see 'ANY' vegetables or fruits of any kind since a salad on June 30th ~ not healthy in my opinion and not nearly enough consumption of protein either. Follow this and you will see results.

    The problem is you reviewed just one week - the week my fridge broke (it took over a week for the replacement). So that's not my typical diet at all.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    My average net is around 1,000 cals/day.

    I know it seems counter-intuitive. But if you are as accurate with your intake as you are with your exercise/energy out, then you should eat more. If I were you, or if you were my sister or someone I loved, I'd highly recommend netting closer to 1400.

    No, you're right. It's not enough - I know this. And I know it sounds stupid, but I really am trying to do better. My friends are always poking at me to eat more. It's something I actively work on every day.
  • tag624
    tag624 Posts: 166 Member
    I started Yaz in December 2013, started counting calories and working out January 1st, 2014 and have lost 30 pounds since then. An average of 5 a month, my goal was actually 8 a month but the scale has been stubborn. I have lost 75 pounds before, a few years ago, and the weight seemed to come off a lot quicker, I was not on birth control but I was younger, like 19. I also wasn’t working and stayed with my parents, so I pretty much just focused on weight loss. I think birth control may have an impact on your weight loss but if so, its just a small amount, I think there are other factors that play a role in mine, like stress and eating way more during the weekends. However, maybe since you just started bc your body is not used to the added hormones and it may take a few months to adjust.
  • DanielleH1213
    DanielleH1213 Posts: 154 Member
    Problem is not calories or birth control pills in my opinion. From a review of just one week, you are over on carbs, fat and excessive sodium mostly from McD and processed foods which will contribute to water weight, gain and bloatness. Did not see 'ANY' vegetables or fruits of any kind since a salad on June 30th ~ not healthy in my opinion and not nearly enough consumption of protein either. Follow this and you will see results.

    The problem is you reviewed just one week - the week my fridge broke (it took over a week for the replacement). So that's not my typical diet at all.

    I went back a few weeks. And you had a lot of soda and ate processed food for lunch and fast food for dinner. I would cut back on the soda. Do you really need 3+ sodas a day? Increase your water intake and try eating fresh foods or foods that you make yourself. Pirate booty is not a healthy balanced lunch every day. You are intaking a lot of sodium and do not drink enough water to flush it out of your system. You may be eating within your calorie range but your macros are way off. Up the protein, fruits, and veggies.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    No, you're right. It's not enough - I know this.

    It's so weird that the same brain chemistry issues that make us OVEReat are very similar to the ones that make us UNDEReat.

    Maybe you should eat at TDEE for a month. And if you do, REMEMBER, if you really truly are eating at TDEE, any change on the scale is NOT fat gain. It is only water.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    I agree with the previous poster that commented on your protein and carb levels - somedays your carb goal is up around almost 300 and your protein goal is as low as 50 - where did you get these goal macros????? and have you tried upping your protein and lowering your carbs (not super low - but less than the 250+)??
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Since you have already lost a bunch of weight, I think the issue the last month is miscalculations and possibly water retention. Looking at your diary, it seems you weigh many foods, but some that could be extreme differences between weight and cup ie: potato salad, are logged as a cup. You also had "Swimming, leisurely, general minutes 180 calories burned 1,669" that seems like a huge miscalculation.

    The reason I mentioned water retention is because your diet seems high in sodium, if you are smaller now your rate of loss could be down to ½lb per week... So 4lbs per month, that can easily be hidden by water retention.

    Maybe try the TDEE method and try keeping intake as accurate as possible for the next month, you should see a change then. Best of luck and congrats on your success so far!
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Problem is not calories or birth control pills in my opinion. From a review of just one week, you are over on carbs, fat and excessive sodium mostly from McD and processed foods which will contribute to water weight, gain and bloatness. Did not see 'ANY' vegetables or fruits of any kind since a salad on June 30th ~ not healthy in my opinion and not nearly enough consumption of protein either. Follow this and you will see results.

    The problem is you reviewed just one week - the week my fridge broke (it took over a week for the replacement). So that's not my typical diet at all.

    I went back a few weeks. And you had a lot of soda and ate processed food for lunch and fast food for dinner. I would cut back on the soda. Do you really need 3+ sodas a day? Increase your water intake and try eating fresh foods or foods that you make yourself. Pirate booty is not a healthy balanced lunch every day. You are intaking a lot of sodium and do not drink enough water to flush it out of your system. You may be eating within your calorie range but your macros are way off. Up the protein, fruits, and veggies.

    I don't have a lot of soda, I usually have half of a 12 ounce can a day. Which is not something I'm going to change. It's a very reasonable amount, especially for someone who used to drink six a day.

    I eat fast food for dinner about once a week - due to being gone from my house with my kids from 4:30-8:00 every Friday night. Sorry you don't approve.

    And I didn't claim Pirate Booty was a healthy, balanced lunch, did I?

    In the last 30 days, I've gone over my sodium intake exactly four times. So your claims otherwise are, at best, overly dramatic. (In 90 days I've gone over 8 times total - I can grab a screen of that, too - if you want).

    http://gyazo.com/ff863d6594f53813ec0b1abeef6932fd <
    my sodium report.

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