Tricks for breaking plateau?

Francl27 wrote: »

Is your period due soon? I never lose until it's over.

Actually - I'm a few days late. I've taken a PT just to be sure, negative, so it should come any day. Hopefully that's what's causing this and once I get it I'll start losing again.

Francl27 wrote: »

Ok that's your issue. Keep doing what you're doing... Guaranteed you'll lose a BUNCH of weight as soon as your period is over.

Thanks for the encouragement!

fivethreeone wrote: »

First of all, three weeks isn't long enough to call it a plateau. An actual plateau is 6 or more weeks. So this may be premature, especially considering where you are in your cycle.

However, how/where do you weigh yourself if you do not have a scale? If at a gym: those scales are very inconsistent. I've more than once heard gym employees complaining at how inaccurate they are even though they calibrate them often.

how/where are you tracking your calories? What is your TDEE and how many calories are you eating?

I see you realized it was the food scale I don't have. Will likely get one within the next week just because I really want to be using it.

I am tracking my calories based on packaging/online information in an excel spreadsheet. All my BMR, TDEE, BMI, etc. numbers calculate as my weight changes, which makes it easy for me to stay on track with where those numbers should be.

999tigger wrote: »

I thought the question was about a food scale and not a bathroom scale.
What deficit are you running? age height and weight?
How much exercise and what type?
Eating back exercise calories?

I average a normal 3,500 calorie deficit per week. Each day varies, but overall I've lost about 1.2 #s per week from when I started.
I'm 26, almost 27.
5'7"
I was doing cardio outside (walking, attempting to job in intervals) before the time changed. I had started doing some weights one day a week. When the time changed I've been forced to do the treadmill, stationary bike, and elliptical for cardio indoors. I change it up because I don't like being inside on the equipment but have no other choice since it's dark.
As far as eating back exercise calories, it depends on how much I burn. I mainly focus on keeping my net calories between 1,200 and 1,600. 1,500 is ideal.

SLLRunner wrote: »

cdavis1511 wrote: »

It's almost the end of week 3 on a plateau for my weight loss. I have been drinking a ton of water trying to flush my system and I promise I am logging and eating at a calorie deficit (although I do not log on MFP). I just seem to be stuck ever since the time changed here on the east coast (US).

Does anyone have any tricks that have helped you break a plateau of your own?

Setting aside water retention or normal fluctuations, you are eating more than you realize you are. A plateau means you are eating at maintenance.

Do you weigh all your food (in whatever app or journal you choose) and log every single thing you eat?

Do you log your exercise calories and eat them back? If so, where do you get those estimates?

Scrutinizing my food intake and eating less helped me start losing after a stall. In fact, it worked miracles.

I answered most of these above. I don't think I'm eating more than I realize because I've been adjusting my #s when my weight changes, so my calorie goals are updated. And even on my bad days, I am honest with myself. I have no reason not to be because they only person I'd be hurting/lying to is myself. So yes - even the one darn day out of 75 that I've been tracking that I hit 3,000 calories I logged that crap.

I use MFP, HRM, and other website calculators to determine calories burned, then I use my best estimate based on the various results. I know treadmills and things tend to overestimate so I adjust based on a variety of sources.



Thanks for everyone who's commented/tried to help.