Last Five Pounds + "bloating"

medicamina
medicamina Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys -

So, I'm on the home stretch. Unfortunately that means that I have stalled out and am battling tooth and nail to get those last 5 lbs off. I have successfully lost 25 so far, and so I know that what I have been doing has worked -until now.

All of a sudden I have stopped losing weight, am extremely bloated, and unbelievably gassy/constapated! I dont' know what to do! This has been going on for at least 3 weeks now, and not only have I stopped losing weight, I've actually GAINED weight.

Bloating/constipation wise - I've tried laxatives, "smooth" tea, and eating more fiber. None of it has helped long term.

I've unlocked my log. I hope that some of you brilliant people out there can see a pattern that may lead to such tummy uncomfort. I'm miserable. Having lost 25 lbs so far, I am trying not to feel discouraged.

Also, MFP had me drop down to 1250 calories a day (from 1350) when I got to the 140lb mark. Maybe this has something to do with it? I just don't know....

Any insight? :)

Thanks guys! For any and all help, information, suggestions, and support!

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    a couple of things
    1) I went back a full 2 weeks and only saw 2 servings of green leafy veggies and it was boiled greens. You might consider a salad on occasion.
    2) You tend to eat a lot of starches and whole grains. These can affect people differently.
    3) You eat quite a bit of yogurt and bananas and I saw flax in there too. These can all cause symptoms you describe in different people.
    4) Do you always eat so much pumpkin or is this a seasonal development - if so, I'd probably start there!
    5) Looks like you aren't measuring out your food. Those last 5 can be really tough without being accurate in your diary. Since you more than likely reduced your deficit, you have no room for error.
  • medicamina
    medicamina Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks for the tips, GauchoMark!

    1. I eat salads almost everyday for lunch. :) I try to limit my greens though - as they seem to directly cause the issues above. Any more than 1x/day is too much.
    2. Interesting! I didn't realize I was eating so many starches.
    3. Good to know!
    4. This is seasonal...I'll have to keep an eye out for sure.
    5. I do measure my food consistently. Most items I weight, the others I measure by size.

    I'll defintiely look into the suggestions you made. Thanks!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Why would MFP have you drop down to less calories the closer you got to goal? If you have only 5 pounds to lose you need to slow down, losing .5 pounds a week or something. Or so I've read.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Why would MFP have you drop down to less calories the closer you got to goal? If you have only 5 pounds to lose you need to slow down, losing .5 pounds a week or something. Or so I've read.

    I assume you are referring to item 5 in my post. You have it right, you just read my statement wrong. You reduce your DEFICIT (aka the number of calories less than what you need to maintain weight). When you reduce your deficit, you decrease the rate you start losing. However, it also gives you less room for error.

    example: you are losing a 1 lb/wk at 500 calorie deficit. If you have some logging error and eat an extra 100 calories a day, you reduce your loss rate to 0.8 lb/wk which is 20%. Now you reduce the deficit to 250 to target 0.5 lb/wk. Now, if you have that same 100 calorie error, your loss rate falls to 0.3lb/wk which is 40% decrease and people start perceiving a "stall" or "plateau".
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    GauchoMark wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Why would MFP have you drop down to less calories the closer you got to goal? If you have only 5 pounds to lose you need to slow down, losing .5 pounds a week or something. Or so I've read.

    I assume you are referring to item 5 in my post. You have it right, you just read my statement wrong. You reduce your DEFICIT (aka the number of calories less than what you need to maintain weight). When you reduce your deficit, you decrease the rate you start losing. However, it also gives you less room for error.

    example: you are losing a 1 lb/wk at 500 calorie deficit. If you have some logging error and eat an extra 100 calories a day, you reduce your loss rate to 0.8 lb/wk which is 20%. Now you reduce the deficit to 250 to target 0.5 lb/wk. Now, if you have that same 100 calorie error, your loss rate falls to 0.3lb/wk which is 40% decrease and people start perceiving a "stall" or "plateau".

    I was actually responding directly to the OP because it seems she reduced her calories for the last 5 pounds. I don't know what her weekly goal is but it sounds like she is still trying to lose a pound or 2 a week, isn't that too fast when you're down to the last 5?

    I see what you're saying though, I was just thinking about it in the opposite direction.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Oh, I see what you are talking about now. That is just because your BMR is calculated based on your body weight. As your body weight decreases, you have to recalculate it or else you end up overeating. You need to recalculate it every 10 lbs or so.
  • medicamina
    medicamina Posts: 16 Member
    Yes, that's what happened for me. MFP gave me a pop up that said I needed to recalculate my calories. I'm not eating 1250 as reccomended by MFP.

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