I keep hitting the same plateau

Something is going on. I am wondering if something is kicking in mentally as you go below 400 pounds. We often keep weight on for safety reasons. Not saying that is your situation, but just putting it out there that it is good to do a mental emotional check in about how we feel about being thinner.

For me, weight has been a protective layer. It is taking courage to face the change.

It's funny as we always seem to hang around those milestones weightwise!
Try shaking things up a little nutritionally. Are you stuck in a rut foodwise? Are you eating the same meals again and again? Idon't know if you are doing this but track everything you eat and have a look at patterns. If there are any patterns -change 'em!
Great work on the weight loss btw. Inspirational!

You've done a great job so far! The weight can be obscenely stubborn, though - you just have to be more tenacious. You'll do fine! Keep it up!

When you say you use MFP and "it has adjusted itself as I have lost weight." - do you mean you just do the check-in when you weight yourself? Or do you go into goals and update the information there? Because my experience is that it will not automatically update your calories needed unless you go in through there to do it.

I have lost over 140lbs so far, and I got down to 402lbs last november before being injured and gaining 40lbs of that back. I got back on track once my foot was better a few months ago and have lost that 40lbs I regained. My problem is that every time I get close to the scale going under 400lbs I hit a plateau.

Was the same when I first reached 402 lbs and like clockwork my body has stalled again around that weight. I went on a bit of a binge this weekend to see if that helps but was wondering if anyone has suggestions on breaking through a plateau. A few weeks before I hit the plateau I started to phase out some of the crappy carbs I was eating. I replaced the wheat thins I was eating with some nuts and a banana every now and then, and I changed from eating nothing but turkey to eating nothing but chicken (meat wise). Do any of you have a plateau right after changing your diet. I was just trying to get rid of some of the extra salt I was eating.

I eat 2500-2700 calories a day and walk at least 10,000 steps and that usually puts me at about a 1500-2000 calories restriction per day. I was stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks and was just wondering if anyone has any experience or ideas.

- How closely are you monitoring your intake? Are you weighing all solids on a digital scale? Verifying your entries for accuracy?

- You mention replacing crappy carbs with nuts and a banana. As crappy as those carbs may be, they are not as calorie dense as nuts. Are you weighing your nuts? It is very very easy to underestimate the calories in those.. and all too easy to eat 3 or 4 servings at once (Speaking from experience there!)

- How long have you been stuck at this weight? If it's a week to three weeks, it could be nothing wrong at all. Your body will go through phases that it loses steadily, then others where it lingers, and then drops off again without you doing anything wrong or needing to change a thing.

ETA: Just saw your before and current pictures.. AMAZING job so far!!

I wanted to add that, if you are estimating or using measuring cups/spoons, it could be that your inaccuracies are just now catching up with you. With as much as you have lost, your margin of allowable error will decrease.

You've done a great job so far! The weight can be obscenely stubborn, though - you just have to be more tenacious. You'll do fine! Keep it up!

When you say you use MFP and "it has adjusted itself as I have lost weight." - do you mean you just do the check-in when you weight yourself? Or do you go into goals and update the information there? Because my experience is that it will not automatically update your calories needed unless you go in through there to do it.

About every 15 pounds or so it gives you the option to recalculate your calories, I assume that is what the OP meant.

OP ... how are you tracking calories? What I mean is, are you weighing all solids, using measuring cups and spoons, or estimating? If you aren't accurately weighing, it's easy to be eating more that you think (although I would think that with the deficit you have right now, you shouldn't be undoing all of it). That's always the first place to look.

It sounds like your diet is a bit more restrictive than it needs to be. Instead of eating all chicken (meat-wise), try varying: chicken some days, pork, turkey, or beef on others. Do the same with getting variety in your vegetables, fruits, etc. As long as your calories are in line, there's nothing wrong with eating a varied diet -- I think it's actually better for both body and mind because it's easier to get the balance of nutrients over the course of a week and you feel less deprived. (ETA: even wheat thins are fine as long as they fit your calorie goals - whole grains, yum!)

3 weeks is a stall, but I wouldn't quite think "plateau" yet (I know ... verbiage ) Make sure your calories are where you think they are, drink plenty of water, and keep going. There are plenty of times when weight loss will stall for a few weeks and then suddenly start coming off again. Just keep at it.

I have a strong suspicion..that this plateau is a set point being under served. Not by calories or anything that you externally count..To me this seems like a classic case of lypoytic enzymes adjusting to your metabolic set point for your new weight.

These enzymes are the true work horses of unwantetd body fat.. They operate off the biological energy given off by and extracted from food not the thermal translation of heat generated as you eat food.. Calories is a thermal translation of heat..and its glitchy..

Glitchy means you have to try every thing in your weight loss weaponry to continue to fight on the outside just to manage whats going down on the inside..


The inside is way more important to gauge and adjust than constantly guessing what to do..Your metabolic set point is looking for more horse power from the foods you eat. Its looking to refortify new more potent more hormonally powerful troops looking to come online and help beat back unwanted body fat as they no where at this level of weight they are highly weaponized in complexity.


Not sure why this is such a hard reality to accept.. take that back i am 100% sure.

the suggestions below are reasonable when you throw a dart at a moving target.. but this is not a target so easily seen by a whole lot of folk.
I am going to use the wild card suggestions to put more volts and amps.. to demonstrate the accuracy bias versus what you could be doing to not think what it is but Know what it really is to deweaponize unwanted body fat.



.Below are some of the wild cards I play on my body when this happens(not in any specific order).Good luck.
1.Intermittent fasting -
This concept very correct when CICO is 1 to 1- when there is enough food energy feeding your enzyme agents at work.. Howver when the shift begins.. and the need goes up-- fasting sends your work force into a tail spin and die off because they are now working harder than ever with less and less sustenace.

2.Distribute calories such that I have a refeed day,ie I cut say 100 calories each day of the week and on the saturday of that week I eat an extra 600 calories that I cut during the week.This still keeps the calorie level the same but works like a refeed.

(This suggestion is some thing of a mis match- if you were super fit.. and preparing for competition..and was endomorph in disposition..or using the sauce..it would have an effect at dropping water and leaning you out becasue the the enzymes...know you are going to retore food energy based on past experience.. they have more staying power.. that a deconditioned person

I would simply increase whole food proteins. Thats it using three types of fish salmon, white fish and orange roughy..at least 150 grams..based on some quick calculations of you..The big reason is that you require more beneficial fat..You need fat to fight fat.. you have need so clean for over 100 lbs worth of loss and its to long of time. The trick is to do the protection on your own instead of letting your bodys own regulation take the reigns from you.
.
3.Carb cycling -

( this one.. is a no no..if you are an athlete and a good one you are forced to teach your body how to accept and hold on to carbs more with this method.. but you are not in control of your metabolism yet..The enzyme back office is..carb cycling is a high end technique even the pros get wrong most of the time. because they use calories as a reference when caloires are not even on the radar. its the energy from the carbs that are needed.

The best option or let me say the exact option is to use fiberous veges.as your cab of choice_. Root veges, leafy greens,all the
top grains in the book.. Rhutabaga, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes ( steam them and use balsamic drizzle) they are flavorful adds roughage wand will fill you up with calories rich in food energy.. here is where you will have more wiggle room to also cheat)

4.Increase circuit training and reduce cardio or vice versa depending on the routine Im following...

This is a great one. Your training will need to be opposite your existing training style..But its that precision thing again thats important.. You do not want to workout longer in time nor ego-train like a barbarian..while at the same time fixing intake..way to much stress.. this will default to fat storing more fat..ie re-weaponizng your system

Just use the same time put utilize short 20% increases in strides per minute, steps per minute revolutions per minute in your cardio sessions..going 100 revolutions per minute go 60 seconds and do20% more but keep time the same.... or sky rocket repetitions.. 50 75 10 to 200 in arrow at a weight that will finish off the muscle with out stopping.. 12, 15 perhaps eve 20pounds should do the trick. A body parts that push pull or row..should get a taste of your endurance capability..

5.Take a break from exercise for a week.
This one makes since.. but nit for a week 3 days is all you need. especially since its what you do when you are not at the gym or exercsing some other way. Turn down the temp so its cooler than normal when you sleep.. 5 to 7 degrees...Plan all your new emals for the enxt 30 days before your return to hitting it..I would use both your food diary and food energy plan..there is a 342 day difference in time saving using a food energy plan.. but thats just me being bias..Use both and one will give you accountability the other raw metrics you can act upon in forsight not hind sight

6.Add more fiber. -not sure if this Supplemental fiber like physillium or Metamucil or from raw foods..either way..This is useful only if you know you are are going to cheat..The fiber will bind with counter fit foods very well as the have opposite charges.

7.Go meatless one day a week and eat vegetarian protein or protein shakes.
(
This is an iffy.... I would not try meatless.. i would simply change the kind of meat or density of the meat which was discussed earlier- Eggs with 3 whites one yolk.. scrambled eggs with shrimp or clams. DO NOT EAT Strictly EGG WHITES UNTIL YOU GET within 10% of YOUR GOAL Weight...the active word here is strictly.. This is for people doing high end competition and the body recognizes what new hormone pathway to work from.. yours would be a 3 alarm fat magnet.)

8.Increase protein intake

( talked about this..but again very precise.. calculate it for each new 10 pound loss you achieve as this will keep skin intact and return some elasticity to keep it from really sagging)

9.Drink lots and lot of water like 5-6 litres a day.

This is a two stepper..water also becomes more precise as well Consume Alkaline water in the 8.8 to 10ph+ range..every chance you get.. this water hydrates 30 to 45% better than ordinary mountain spring..volvic, alpine glacier, or any of the others.. I say when you get the chance because its very pricey.. Even if you get one freeze in ice cube tray and freeze into cubes and let the cube melt in your mouth like candy..

10.Cut down added sugars to 0(I still eat fruit). .

Cutting down on sugar you should have long been doing.. but its laser beam accuracy needed.. You can have sugar.. just not double digit sugar. single digit sugars are always your choice until you are with 10% of goal weight.. but by that time you probably really will not want to entertain the idea of satisfying your bliss point. as far as fruit only water based fruits with high fiber.. Apples, pears, cherries, - sparingly have pulpy fruits like bananas, cantaloupe, grapes..

Fruit is natures candy and serves up differing effect on those trying to loose weight when your protein number(Pn#) is unstable.



Doing these glitch fixes will make your CICO process..more rapid

friend me..if any of this gives you room to double take..

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