Why did I stop losing weight?

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snorlax1234
snorlax1234 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys! I've been using this site to lose weight for 2 months, and in those two months I went down from 259 to 241, while I'm happy about the weight I lost, I've been having trouble losing more weight, and I've been stuck at 241 for a couple weeks now and I'm not sure why? :( I have MFP set at 1640 calories a day, and I play just dance for 40 minutes every day burning about 200 calories from doing that. I log everything I eat, eat back the calories I burned exercising and I dance every day, so I'm not sure what the problem is! Could losing 17 pounds in under two months have something to do with it? I did notice I was losing weight really fast, but it seems too early to be hitting a plateau. Anyone know why this is happening? I normally don't post here, but I'm pretty desperate for answers. I'm female, 18 and 5'4" :) thanks!

Replies

  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    It is either 1 of two things.

    1 - you are over estimating your food. Are you measuring EVERYTHING? Weighing EVERYTHING? Be honest about how diligent you are about your food log. After all, you will only hurt yourself in the long run if you are not being honest.

    2 - you are over estimating your calories burned for your exercise. I would assume you are only burning 100 (How are you keeping track of your calories burned? just guessing, HRM, body media??)

    80% of weight loss is about food intake. I would focus on that if you have been slacking with the logging. Keep in mind that after the first initial awesome weight drop, the weight loss does slow down! I for one stay the same weight all month...until I am done my TOM. Then the scale tends to drop 3lbs or so...then it remains the same for the entire month again.

    Regardless, it sounds like you are on a good track! This whole process really is trial and error through out.
  • newlooknewme2014
    newlooknewme2014 Posts: 42 Member
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    There might be several causes for it. Have you changed up your workouts at all in the 2 months? Your body might be adjusting to the exercise and therefore making it less effective. Meaning you might be burning less calories. So increasing your workout intensity could help. Usually the MFP App updates you calorie intake every 10lbs loss. It decreases your intake slightly like a -50 calories.

    I've never been big on weighing or measuring my food TOO precisely, but people some to have success using a scale. Maybe your intake is off?

    Possibly doing an hour of the Dance? I love that game by the way soooo much fun!

    I try to continually challenge myself in every workout doing better than the last. Keep pushing!

    Also take measurements! Maybe the weigh might not be shifting but inches might?

    Lastly, when you first start making changes and losing weight it typically comes off quickly. The rate of lose should decrease over time.

    Hope this helps! Good luck and great progress so far! :D
  • Daphnerose86
    Daphnerose86 Posts: 77 Member
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    It would be easier for others to give advice if you make your diary public so people can see what you eat and give more detailed advice.

    Generic advice: You can plateau at any point really. It depends on your body and how you are feeding and exercising it. Even though you may be doing the same exercises that you've always done and eaten the same as you always have, has anything else changed? Have you went from a job you mostly stand or walk to a sitting job? Has your commute increased, therefore you sit longer each day? Are you eating the same amount of calories but you've changed what types of foods you eat? Maybe with more carbs or sodium? Could you be pregant?

    As we lose weight, we need less fuel to run our bodies. Your body may just need less fuel or more exercise to burn off those excess calories.

    Try changing up your work out a little bit. You body may be used to that work out and it has become less challenging burning less calories.

    If something is no longer working, it's time to make a change. It doesn't always have to be drastic either. Sometimes reducing calories by even 100 or switching up your exercise routine can make a huge difference. Good luck!
  • PlumpKitten
    PlumpKitten Posts: 112 Member
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    Weight loss is not like a steady downward line on a graf. If you look at people who chart their weights over time, there are hills and valleys and plateaus - even if the general trend is a loss. So maybe it's just patience.

    Also, if you want to push a little hard, don't eat back your exercise calories.
    Good luck!
  • snorlax1234
    snorlax1234 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks for the replies! I actually haven't been measuring my food, I've been meaning to get a food scale so I'll definitely be looking into getting one soon! The game has a calorie tracker, but it's not a very accurate one, so I probably have been burning less calories than I thought, especially since I play it every day so I probably have been getting used to it. My friend and want to start jogging together, so I could switch to doing that everyday for awhile :) thanks so much for the advice guys, I really appreciate it! I'll try not eating back my exercise calories, and hopefully I'll start losing more weight!! I'm really looking forward to seeing my weight start dropping again haha :)

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