Cannot Break through Plateau!
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toasterburn
Posts: 8 Member
I have been trying to loose weight for a few years now. I started trying at 215, and a healthy weight for me would be around 165, but the lowest I can ever seem to hit is 193 and then nothing works. No matter how strictly I diet or how much I exercise, I can't get my weight below 193.
My Diet:
I have tried counting every calorie (spent a year staying under 1500), tried low-carb, tried strict paleo (6+ months), tried living off diet instant dinners (6 months), made myself get used to smaller and smaller portions, I even spent a few months eating nothing but a light salad for lunch (I don't like salad). Even after all that, I still can't break the plateau. I gave up surgery drinks years ago, and I no longer eat fast-food or junk. I developed gout last year, so I can no longer eat very much meat and it has to be lean meat. I drink water with almost every meal.
My Exercise:
For the past couple of years, I have done intensive exercise (jiu jitsu) for 3-5 hours a week, but I had to give it up recently due to scheduling. It didn't help me break the plateau anyway, and my weight hasn't increased any since stopping. I'm a programmer, so I have to spend 8 hours a day just sitting which is terrible, but I manage to find 15-25 mins throughout the day to get up and walk. I'm also very active on the weekends doing work around the house.
Any advice? After trying for years with so little to show for it, I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up and eat a cookie.
My Diet:
I have tried counting every calorie (spent a year staying under 1500), tried low-carb, tried strict paleo (6+ months), tried living off diet instant dinners (6 months), made myself get used to smaller and smaller portions, I even spent a few months eating nothing but a light salad for lunch (I don't like salad). Even after all that, I still can't break the plateau. I gave up surgery drinks years ago, and I no longer eat fast-food or junk. I developed gout last year, so I can no longer eat very much meat and it has to be lean meat. I drink water with almost every meal.
My Exercise:
For the past couple of years, I have done intensive exercise (jiu jitsu) for 3-5 hours a week, but I had to give it up recently due to scheduling. It didn't help me break the plateau anyway, and my weight hasn't increased any since stopping. I'm a programmer, so I have to spend 8 hours a day just sitting which is terrible, but I manage to find 15-25 mins throughout the day to get up and walk. I'm also very active on the weekends doing work around the house.
Any advice? After trying for years with so little to show for it, I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up and eat a cookie.
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Replies
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Sorry, bombardment with questions. Can you make your food diary public for review? Also, how tall are you? Do you think the gout has come in to play? Have you spoken to your doctor about your weight loss goals?0
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Do you use a food scale? If you weren't losing eating less than 1500 (which is the minimum recommendation for men), then you were eating more than you think. Calorie counting works if you follow it correctly.0
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For the last 8-12 weeks: have you weighed & accurately logged your food? If not, in the past when you did: how consistent were you with it?0
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were u keeping your weekends strict or were they often 'breaks'. have u done a great deal of weight lifting now or in the past? also what is your height?0
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It's pretty much all about taking in less calories than you're burning. Really the best thing you can do is keep track of every single calorie that you consume (using a food scale whenever possible if you want to eliminate as much variance as possible), utilize the tools that My Fitness Pal provides to get an estimate on how much you'll burn on a normal day, adjust for exercise, and make sure you're at a calorie deficit.
If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Doesn't matter if it's high carb, low carb, paleo, vegetarian, or whatever.0 -
do you weigh your food on a scale? you have to weigh everything first of all, you would be surprised at how many calories you are really consuming when you dont weigh food. secondly a man should eat more than 1500 calories. a lot of women on here are eating more than that and losing weight. you need to eat more than just a salad for lunch as well. you dont have to cut any food groups out unless you have a health reason why you cant eat those things. if you weigh and log your food correctly and exercise then you should lose the weight.gout can also be controlled with a decent diet. just avoid foods that cause gout flareups.(you can look those up unless you know what causes yours then avoid those). but 1500 calories was even too little for me and Im female
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you say your weight hasnt increased so it sounds like you are eating around maintenance and most likely that is more than 1500 calories.0
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I'm 5'3" and at 1450 calories per day, I lose weight. If you're truly, TRULY, measuring, weighing and counting everything and you are consistently at that few calories and not losing weight, you should see a doctor. Maybe it's a hormone issue. Otherwise I would have to believe that you aren't tracking honestly.0
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I am guessing only eating 1500 (I doubt you are eating that little though) while doing jiujitsu a large % of your loss was probably from lean muscle, so now your BMR is lower than it would normally be had you retained your muscle.
best way to retain muscle while in a deficit is to get adequate protein (at your size a min of 130 grams minimum) a small deficit (aim to lose 0.5-1 lbs/week) and partake in a progressive overloading strength training routine.
If you did all that and are not losing on 1500 you may want to have your thyroid checked0 -
@toasterburn
I would take everyone's advice above to heart. If you have a long platau ( more than 8 weeks), then it's time to really examine HOW you are logging, making sure that what you think you are eating is what you are actually eating.
I would also recommend changing up your exercise routine. Start either a bodyweight or lifting routine, and add in some high intensity cardio (AKA HIIT), and do them consistently... you will find that if you can get back to the BJJ, the added fitness from the other training is going to benefit you on the mat too.
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This may help:
When people say "you were eating more than you think", they're not insulting you. It's really easy to underestimate calories. This is why people recommend using a food scale.0 -
Ok, questions overload, but here goes...
Posting a food journal is hard; I used to keep it written down every day, but I got out of the habit years ago, and since then every 6 months or so I have changed my diet to try something new. But when I was doing paleo, it was all chicken, fish, fruit, and vegetables. For the last 6 months, a typical day would be one banana for breakfast, a 300-400 calorie instant dinner for lunch, and a dinner consisting of 2 eggs, two small pieces of sausage, and a piece of wheat toast with local honey on it, which by my count is well under 1500 calories. When I was diagnosed with gout though, I changed my diet yet again. Now I limit my meat to 6 oz of chicken a day.
To use today as an example, I had a coffee (with one sugar) for breakfast. For lunch, I have a small spinach salad (with a tablespoon of low-calorie vinaigrette dressing) some celery and baby carrots, and a small orange. For dinner, I'm planing on having half of a chicken fillet (about 6 ozs) with a cup (maybe two if I'm really hungry) of green bean casserole and some cherry tomatoes. I'll also have one glass (less than 8 oz) of cherry juice, as it helps prevent gout flareups.
No, I don't have a food scale. I count calories on packages, use measuring cups, google, myfitnespal, ect. But I have been very calculating.
I usually allow for one cheat meal per week, which usually means pasta or pizza or a restaurant that has roles. After 6+ months of strictly following a diet and seeing no weight loss, I usually give up for a bit and eat whatever sounds good. I gain a few pounds, and then start a new diet. For the most part, I hover between 193 and 197 now.
I have had my thyroid checked, it's fine.
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toasterburn wrote: »Ok, questions overload, but here goes...
No, I don't have a food scale. I count calories on packages, use measuring cups, google, myfitnespal, ect. But I have been very calculating.
there is the issue. If you are using measuring cups instead of a scale you may be eating 10-40% more than you think you are. If you really want to know how much you are eating you must use a scale for solid foods and measuring spoons and cups for liquids.
I believe packaged food is allowed a 20% margin of error.
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I am guessing only eating 1500 (I doubt you are eating that little though) while doing jiujitsu a large % of your loss was probably from lean muscle, so now your BMR is lower than it would normally be had you retained your muscle.
best way to retain muscle while in a deficit is to get adequate protein (at your size a min of 130 grams minimum) a small deficit (aim to lose 0.5-1 lbs/week) and partake in a progressive overloading strength training routine.
If you did all that and are not losing on 1500 you may want to have your thyroid checked
This is my guess as well. I am wondering if you would be well-served by trying to reverse diet a bit, in order to help up your metabolism. If you've cut your activity level and maintained, that was similar to reverse dieting, which is usually done by upping your calories. You could continue to add 100 calories per week until you discover the tipping point at which you start gaining weight/fat. Then stay at maintenance for awhile before cutting your calories once again.0 -
I am guessing only eating 1500 (I doubt you are eating that little though) while doing jiujitsu a large % of your loss was probably from lean muscle, so now your BMR is lower than it would normally be had you retained your muscle.
best way to retain muscle while in a deficit is to get adequate protein (at your size a min of 130 grams minimum) a small deficit (aim to lose 0.5-1 lbs/week) and partake in a progressive overloading strength training routine.
If you did all that and are not losing on 1500 you may want to have your thyroid checked
This is my guess as well. I am wondering if you would be well-served by trying to reverse diet a bit, in order to help up your metabolism. If you've cut your activity level and maintained, that was similar to reverse dieting, which is usually done by upping your calories. You could continue to add 100 calories per week until you discover the tipping point at which you start gaining weight/fat. Then stay at maintenance for awhile before cutting your calories once again.
I've asked this before and it still doesn't make sense. (And yes I'm asking this because the situation to mine is similar, though I do use a scale.) Let's say he is eating 1500 and not losing. Going to the default response, "You're not in a deficit. You're in maintenance." OK, so next step that gets repeated a ton is, "You should add 100 calories a week back until you start gaining. That's your maintenance." Let's say he does this for 3 weeks and the number ends up being 1800. Wait. Pause. Sooooooo why didn't he lose at 1500 (you know, the number everyone claimed was his maintenance)? Because that's a 300 calorie a day (2100 a week) difference from 1800. One might even us the word, deficit. OK, so not a whole pound but surely more than .5 pounds a week.
Your metabolism isn't set in stone. It changes as your diet changes. Read up on metabolism. Here is a primer.
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get a food scale. not all bananas(or any fruit for that matter,same with veggies) are going to weigh the same even if they are the same size or close to it in a bunch,they can vary in weight and calories,a small spinach salad could mean anything,it doesnt say how much is there. you have to know how much spinach is there,the same way with the veggies and the chicken fillet. not every chicken fillet is going to weigh the same(even if you buy all of them in one package. veggies and fruits should not be weighed in cups. only liquids are meant to be weighed in cups. fruits,veggies,meat should be weighed in grams,now oils and condiments can be weighed in teaspoons,tablespoons,etc.a lot of MFP entries are off as well so that is when you have to find an accurate entry or find one online that is, and you can either edit the entry or make your own.like another person said. packaging has a margin of error and are off 98% or the time. very rarely are they spot on.toasterburn wrote: »Ok, questions overload, but here goes...
Posting a food journal is hard; I used to keep it written down every day, but I got out of the habit years ago, and since then every 6 months or so I have changed my diet to try something new. But when I was doing paleo, it was all chicken, fish, fruit, and vegetables. For the last 6 months, a typical day would be one banana for breakfast, a 300-400 calorie instant dinner for lunch, and a dinner consisting of 2 eggs, two small pieces of sausage, and a piece of wheat toast with local honey on it, which by my count is well under 1500 calories. When I was diagnosed with gout though, I changed my diet yet again. Now I limit my meat to 6 oz of chicken a day.
To use today as an example, I had a coffee (with one sugar) for breakfast. For lunch, I have a small spinach salad (with a tablespoon of low-calorie vinaigrette dressing) some celery and baby carrots, and a small orange. For dinner, I'm planing on having half of a chicken fillet (about 6 ozs) with a cup (maybe two if I'm really hungry) of green bean casserole and some cherry tomatoes. I'll also have one glass (less than 8 oz) of cherry juice, as it helps prevent gout flareups.
No, I don't have a food scale. I count calories on packages, use measuring cups, google, myfitnespal, ect. But I have been very calculating.
I usually allow for one cheat meal per week, which usually means pasta or pizza or a restaurant that has roles. After 6+ months of strictly following a diet and seeing no weight loss, I usually give up for a bit and eat whatever sounds good. I gain a few pounds, and then start a new diet. For the most part, I hover between 193 and 197 now.
I have had my thyroid checked, it's fine.
0 -
I am guessing only eating 1500 (I doubt you are eating that little though) while doing jiujitsu a large % of your loss was probably from lean muscle, so now your BMR is lower than it would normally be had you retained your muscle.
best way to retain muscle while in a deficit is to get adequate protein (at your size a min of 130 grams minimum) a small deficit (aim to lose 0.5-1 lbs/week) and partake in a progressive overloading strength training routine.
If you did all that and are not losing on 1500 you may want to have your thyroid checked
This is my guess as well. I am wondering if you would be well-served by trying to reverse diet a bit, in order to help up your metabolism. If you've cut your activity level and maintained, that was similar to reverse dieting, which is usually done by upping your calories. You could continue to add 100 calories per week until you discover the tipping point at which you start gaining weight/fat. Then stay at maintenance for awhile before cutting your calories once again.
I've asked this before and it still doesn't make sense. (And yes I'm asking this because the situation to mine is similar, though I do use a scale.) Let's say he is eating 1500 and not losing. Going to the default response, "You're not in a deficit. You're in maintenance." OK, so next step that gets repeated a ton is, "You should add 100 calories a week back until you start gaining. That's your maintenance." Let's say he does this for 3 weeks and the number ends up being 1800. Wait. Pause. Sooooooo why didn't he lose at 1500 (you know, the number everyone claimed was his maintenance)? Because that's a 300 calorie a day (2100 a week) difference from 1800. One might even us the word, deficit. OK, so not a whole pound but surely more than .5 pounds a week.
Your metabolism isn't set in stone. It changes as your diet changes. Read up on metabolism. Here is a primer.
So that must be why no matter what I do, my weight doesn't ever seem to change... my metabolism is following my diet perfectly. If I cut down to 500 calories a day, my metabolism drops and I won't lose. If I start eating 9,000 calories a day, my metabolism increases and my weight doesn't change. Right?!
I'm struggling with the same thing... haven't changed weight since October. By that, I mean that my weight fluctuates from day to day so I lose the same few lbs. over and over and over and over again, but my weight doesn't really change. It just hovers around the same amount, give or take a few lbs. And I tried all kinds of things (including a 6 week modified IF plan to reduce hunger, during which I didn't intend to lose weight... in fact, I expected to gain based on calorie intake, but that didn't happen either).
So I agree with @BFDeal - sometimes the response that is given to every thread asking for help just doesn't fit the circumstances. And it can be really annoying when you are the OP asking for help and you just get a bunch of useless answers. Maybe it is more complicated than that... then again, maybe I'm wrong and he is eating more than he thinks. The same forum users would tell me that I'm eating more than I think I am also, even though I use a scale, measuring cups, spoons, and intentionally overestimate whenever there is an estimate to be made.
To OP: I agree with those who have suggested using a food scale; but beyond that, I have no idea why you are not losing. If you find out and are able to shed some weight again, please come back and let us know what worked.0 -
I'm on Team Food Scale. Plus it sounds like your weekend meal is hurting you. Personally, I gain weight like crazy if I have rolls AND pasta/pizza. I have to chose between them, and have them in small portions or my weights is up for the week. Maybe ditch that meal and see what happens? (Or, make the same thing at home and save tons of calories?)
ETA: standing desk! Definitely worth a try.
Also, as a 5'3" female, I lose on 1500 so it's definitely not enough for you!0 -
NO real answers here, just some thoughts:
I work for a large computer company and several things are suggested to increase daily activity - standing desks, schedule walking meetings with coworkers, use a lunch break to walk. Not sure if any of those will help. I lost 20 lbs and then maintained that for about a year. I've recently lost 10 more lbs on 1670 cal a day (I'm female, 5'6, moderate activity each day). I also have children, so I'm active after work and on weekends. I track my steps with a watch and get the recommended 10,000 a day on most days. Ask yourself how you feel, maybe it's not technical, but usually you know what you should or shouldn't be doing. Sorry it's a struggle and best of luck.0
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