Plataue?

Leana93412
Leana93412 Posts: 162
edited March 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I'd like to lose 2kg. Thing is, I've been hanging around 130-127lb for a couple of months.

Now earlier today I posted a topic asking about my activity level...and they said I sounded like moderately active. Gym class (1 hour, a combination of weights and cardio) 5 days a week. Weekdays I also walk 4.5km @leisurely pace (I think), and weekends I walk 7.5km because I don't do gym then. Oh and I don't eat them back.

^^ Because of this, I upped my calories from 1500 to 1800.

Again, my stats >> 5'2, 130-127ish lb, female, 21.

Will this break the plataue? If it's a plataue...because I've read plataue just means your not in deficit?

ETA -125lb would be nice...although doesn't seem like I'm getting there...:huh:

Replies

  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Stop thinking about weight at this point. What you want is look, not 2-5 lbs lost. Start eating at maintenance and doing exercise for the toning you want. Since it sounds like you're already eating at maintenance, you should just keep exercising.

    I guarantee you that 2-5 lbs is not visible on your body except when you are standing on a scale.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Stop thinking about weight at this point. What you want is look, not 2-5 lbs lost. Start eating at maintenance and doing exercise for the toning you want. Since it sounds like you're already eating at maintenance, you should just keep exercising.

    I guarantee you that 2-5 lbs is not visible on your body except when you are standing on a scale.

    Hah! it is VERY visible on my body since I'm short. every single pound shows around my waist.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    I'd like to lose 2kg. Thing is, I've been hanging around 130-127lb for a couple of months.

    Now earlier today I posted a topic asking about my activity level...and they said I sounded like moderately active. Gym class (1 hour, a combination of weights and cardio) 5 days a week. Weekdays I also walk 4.5km @leisurely pace (I think), and weekends I walk 7.5km because I don't do gym then. Oh and I don't eat them back.

    ^^ Because of this, I upped my calories from 1500 to 1800.

    Again, my stats >> 5'2, 130-127ish lb, female, 21.

    Will this break the plataue? If it's a plataue...because I've read plataue just means your not in deficit?

    ETA -125lb would be nice...although doesn't seem like I'm getting there...:huh:

    You've read correctly. If you're not losing then most likely you're eating more than you think. Do you weigh everything you eat with a digital food scale?
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    I'd like to lose 2kg. Thing is, I've been hanging around 130-127lb for a couple of months.

    Now earlier today I posted a topic asking about my activity level...and they said I sounded like moderately active. Gym class (1 hour, a combination of weights and cardio) 5 days a week. Weekdays I also walk 4.5km @leisurely pace (I think), and weekends I walk 7.5km because I don't do gym then. Oh and I don't eat them back.

    ^^ Because of this, I upped my calories from 1500 to 1800.

    Again, my stats >> 5'2, 130-127ish lb, female, 21.

    Will this break the plataue? If it's a plataue...because I've read plataue just means your not in deficit?

    ETA -125lb would be nice...although doesn't seem like I'm getting there...:huh:

    You've read correctly. If you're not losing then most likely you're eating more than you think. Do you weigh everything you eat with a digital food scale?

    Yes. Everything. I even meassure out 25mls of milk exactly to put in my coffee.

    Eta : I had my activity on sedentary. That's why they told me to increase it.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    You should probably also know my weight hasn't stalled since I increased to 1800... I did that today.

    Its stalled even if I've been eating 1500 calories for 2 months while not eating back exercise calories.

    And honestly, if my maintenance is at less than 1500.... I'm seriously gaining everything back just so I can eat more. :huh:
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Do you weigh and measure everything you eat? Estimating serving sizes is a major way people make mistakes on their intake.

    Also, I highly doubt your maintenance is 1500, I'm thinking you've been under-eating and your body has been fighting back by not burning calories.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Do you weigh and measure everything you eat? Estimating serving sizes is a major way people make mistakes on their intake.

    Also, I highly doubt your maintenance is 1500, I'm thinking you've been under-eating and your body has been fighting back by not burning calories.

    Again yes. I meassure everything. Liquids with meassuring cups, and solids with a digital food scale. In grams.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Upping calories isn't going to make you lose more weight.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Upping calories isn't going to make you lose more weight.

    What should I do then? Eat 1200? :huh:
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Shock your system a bit. Eat 2500 for 3-5 days, then go back to 1800 and see what happens. I'm no dietician, but I have definitely read that a shock to your system can help you get back on track.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Upping calories isn't going to make you lose more weight.

    What should I do then? Eat 1200? :huh:
    If you aren't losing at an honest-to-goodness 1500 then you're going to have to less or exercise more in order to lose weight.
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Upping calories isn't going to make you lose more weight.

    What should I do then? Eat 1200? :huh:
    If you aren't losing at an honest-to-goodness 1500 then you're going to have to less or exercise more in order to lose weight.

    Unless this person is a registered dietician, with full knowledge of you and your situation, I wouldn't follow this advice.

    If you can't lose at 1500 calories and MFP is saying you should, then you need to double check all your weighing and measuring, ensure your exercise is being logged accurately and if all that fails, try making an appointment with a dietician and take them your food diary etc and discuss with them. I would strongly advise against going under 1500 calories without medical advice.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Upping calories isn't going to make you lose more weight.

    What should I do then? Eat 1200? :huh:
    If you aren't losing at an honest-to-goodness 1500 then you're going to have to less or exercise more in order to lose weight.

    Unless this person is a registered dietician, with full knowledge of you and your situation, I wouldn't follow this advice.

    If you can't lose at 1500 calories and MFP is saying you should, then you need to double check all your weighing and measuring, ensure your exercise is being logged accurately and if all that fails, try making an appointment with a dietician and take them your food diary etc and discuss with them. I would strongly advise against going under 1500 calories without medical advice.
    It wasn't advice.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    :indifferent:
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    This site is pretty good for an easy to relate to TDEE number:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Worth comparing it to the calories you are eating.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    This site is pretty good for an easy to relate to TDEE number:

    http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee

    Worth comparing it to the calories you are eating.

    So between 1700-1800. Which means I should be losing at 1500.

    And I'm not
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    If you aren't loosing then there must be something else occurring, how long have you been at the same weight for between weighing? Do you have any days, weekends for example, where you consume more calories from liquid like wine that might offset your deficit?
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    If you aren't loosing then there must be something else occurring, how long have you been at the same weight for between weighing? Do you have any days, weekends for example, where you consume more calories from liquid like wine that might offset your deficit?

    Been at this weight 2 months. No not really. I log everything. And if I'm over I make up for it over the next 2 days. I don't have "cheat" days for example where I don't log.

    ETA: sorry misunderstood. no I don't drink my calories all I drink is black coffee and water.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    Well assuming that you do not have any medical issue that would affect your metabolism, the only avenue remains that something is inaccurate. Weight loss to all intense purposes is calories in vs calories out. Either your height\weight items are off, or failing that the amount of calories going in must be balancing the calories going out, keeping you at the same level.

    Perhaps open up your diary to public view so we can have a look at your logging etc
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Well assuming that you do not have any medical issue that would affect your metabolism, the only avenue remains that something is inaccurate. Weight loss to all intense purposes is calories in vs calories out. Either your height\weight items are off, or failing that the amount of calories going in must be balancing the calories going out, keeping you at the same level.

    Perhaps open up your diary to public view so we can have a look at your logging etc

    I don't log on mfp anymore unfortunately because ever since I've upgraded the app has been messed up and I don't have a computer to log. So now I log on fatsecret.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    In that case, do you think the calorie values stored in the fatsecret database might be off? Have you manually checked the items you are logging on it to ensure the calories listed on the product match the item in the DB? I've found many many items here on MFP needed correction due to people putting them in inaccurately
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    In that case, do you think the calorie values stored in the fatsecret database might be off? Have you manually checked the items you are logging on it to ensure the calories listed on the product match the item in the DB? I've found many many items here on MFP needed correction due to people putting them in inaccurately

    Yes. Some of the items I eat I need to add to it. Besides that...and this is not just on fatsecret, if it has no nutri value listed on the product I search something similar and always take the one with the highest calories.

    Same goes for my exercise. I always used to underestimate when I ate them back. I know for example that I don't walk slow paced, but that's what I log to allow for error.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    Okay right so is the calories value you were mentioning your Net intake? After you've added exercise? The TDEE value calculated earlier, would be the total gross calories to consume, and would include your exercise in the total, so you would not eat any exercise back, just eat the same total every day, which makes it simple.

    You should read the Gross vs Net Calories article as well.
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx

    Finally you have to be careful with walking calories, the old rule of thumb that its roughly 100 a mile is very inaccurate, based on the flawed assumption that walking was just a slow form of running. Newer research has found that walking is almost 50% more efficient than running, which is why walking a mile doesn't leave you in a sweat, and hence burns a lot less calories.

    The basic way to work out Net calories for walking a set distance is:

    If you are short i.e. 5'2
    (0.42 x weight lb's) x distance miles

    Tall - 5'8 or more
    (0.35 x weight lb's) x distance miles
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Okay right so is the calories value you were mentioning your Net intake? After you've added exercise? The TDEE value calculated earlier, would be the total gross calories to consume, and would include your exercise in the total, so you would not eat any exercise back, just eat the same total every day, which makes it simple.

    You should read the Gross vs Net Calories article as well.
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx

    Finally you have to be careful with walking calories, the old rule of thumb that its roughly 100 a mile is very inaccurate, based on the flawed assumption that walking was just a slow form of running. Newer research has found that walking is almost 50% more efficient than running, which is why walking a mile doesn't leave you in a sweat, and hence burns a lot less calories.

    The basic way to work out Net calories for walking a set distance is:

    If you are short i.e. 5'2
    (0.42 x weight lb's) x distance miles

    Tall - 5'8 or more
    (0.35 x weight lb's) x distance miles

    No. I used to eat back exercise calories but 6 months ago I switched to tdee. 1500 is what I eat...and I do not eat back calories burned because I'm not sure how much I'm burning. so I don't know what my net is.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Shock your system a bit. Eat 2500 for 3-5 days, then go back to 1800 and see what happens. I'm no dietician, but I have definitely read that a shock to your system can help you get back on track.

    My stats are similar to yours, but I'm 45 yrs old & by that virtue alone need less calories than you =/
    I varied my calories & it worked to get things moving again.

    I ate at maintenance for a couple of weeks, then cut by a couple of hundred calories & so far, it's working. You have to experiment a little longer & have faith in the process.

    You'll need to find your 'sweet spot' for continued weight loss. A re-feed sounds like a good idea to re-set stuff.

    Also, it's so simple, it's obnoxious :mad:

    Plateau or weight loss stall = consuming maintenance calories (inadvertently or on purpose)
    Losing weight = consuming less calories than your TDEE
    Gaining weight = consuming more calories than your TDEE

    Good luck :drinker:
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