Stopped losing weight
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Although it seems counter-intuitive, I agree with considering upping calories (especially if you're spending half the day with a growling stomach). If your body isn't getting what it needs, then it may be holding tighter onto what it has (metabolism can adapt). I have been in stall before, have a day where there's lots going on and I eat a ton and then a few days later of back on healthy habits, I have a good loss. General advice for breaking a plateau is change something and see what happens over a month or so. Do you just run? Maybe try adding weight/strength training activities for a while? Or try swimming or another form of cardio if you have access. Also, are you taking measurements? Are you possibly not losing weight, but still losing inches (body fat)? It would be helpful to know if that goal of 10 lbs in 10 weeks is a short term goal (i.e., you want to lose 50, but you set a smaller goal to start) or overall. That would be helpful where people are suggesting lower expectations for how much to lose per week. Good luck getting the scale moving in the right direction again.0
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brisingr86 wrote: »Although it seems counter-intuitive, I agree with considering upping calories (especially if you're spending half the day with a growling stomach). If your body isn't getting what it needs, then it may be holding tighter onto what it has (metabolism can adapt). I have been in stall before, have a day where there's lots going on and I eat a ton and then a few days later of back on healthy habits, I have a good loss. General advice for breaking a plateau is change something and see what happens over a month or so. Do you just run? Maybe try adding weight/strength training activities for a while? Or try swimming or another form of cardio if you have access. Also, are you taking measurements? Are you possibly not losing weight, but still losing inches (body fat)? It would be helpful to know if that goal of 10 lbs in 10 weeks is a short term goal (i.e., you want to lose 50, but you set a smaller goal to start) or overall. That would be helpful where people are suggesting lower expectations for how much to lose per week. Good luck getting the scale moving in the right direction again.
Metabolic adaptation doesn't work as you're describing.2 -
If you're not losing, then you're not in a deficit, plain and simple. Whether it is from overestimating burns, underestimating foods, or just that you have a lower metabolism than the generic approximation that MFP calculates, it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you need to eat a bit less. Drop your calories by 100-200 and continue for another month then re-assess.2
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I am hesitant to drop my calories by too much more. My daily goal on MFP is 1,230. According to the calculator a few posts up, my BMR is 1,235 and my TDEE is around 1,750.
Thanks for the suggestions on varying my exercise, I will try that. Again, I don't usually eat back all of the calories my device says I burn when exercising, so I *should* theoretically still be creating enough of a deficit for at least 0.5 lb./week loss even though I'm shooting for 1 lb./week.0 -
OP, just wanted to add that with so little to lose, normal body fluctuations, like water weight, could be masking small losses. Has your diet been a bit higher in salt lately? Sometimes "diet" foods can have a lot more sodium than we are used to. Are you running longer or harder than you used to? Was your TOM during this timeframe? All these things could cause you to gain and lose several pounds of water weight.
Also understand that all these numbers, BMR - TDEE - calories burned - calories in a serving, they are all estimates.
You will never get to your goal weight and stay there, your weight can fluctuate a solid 5 lbs or so from day to day. So don't get frustrated!1 -
I am hesitant to drop my calories by too much more. My daily goal on MFP is 1,230. According to the calculator a few posts up, my BMR is 1,235 and my TDEE is around 1,750.
Thanks for the suggestions on varying my exercise, I will try that. Again, I don't usually eat back all of the calories my device says I burn when exercising, so I *should* theoretically still be creating enough of a deficit for at least 0.5 lb./week loss even though I'm shooting for 1 lb./week.
You said you bike every day. If you are purely eating 1230 a day, you need to eat your exercise calories back.
What, exactly is your height and weight? Don't be ashamed to post it!
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I usually don't eat back my calories I gained from exercise and it has worked for me. I had a lot more weight loss to achieve than you, but it has been working for me. I do cardio in the morning before I eat and again after work. I have plateaued many times when I work out a new muscle group. Try a different exercise like rowing machine etc. Every time I switch to a different machine I will have no lose for days and then one day I wake up and have lost more weight. BTW 185lb male eating 1450 avg calories a day until I reach my goal.1
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I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.
However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.
Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?1 -
I am literally doing everything I can (including spending half the day with a growling stomach) to lose these last 6 pounds.
My only suggestion is don't spend the day with a growling stomach in order to lose 6 pounds. Unless you are planning to live with a growling stomach for a lifetime this is not a solution either. Will there be times you feel hungry and your stomach growls? Yes but it should not be a constant and it's not a sustainable lifestyle change so if you lose that 6 pounds by being constantly hungry you are just going to gain it back if/when you stop starving yourself.
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spoonyspork wrote: »I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.
However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.
Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?
I agree with your comments. I added dead lifts to my workout and stayed the same weight for seven days. I started to panic and then on the eight day I was down two pounds that never came back. I have gone through 5 different multi day plateaus and then experienced a large loss once my muscles have recovered.1 -
MattMMorrissey wrote: »spoonyspork wrote: »I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.
However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.
Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?
I agree with your comments. I added dead lifts to my workout and stayed the same weight for seven days. I started to panic and then on the eight day I was down two pounds that never came back. I have gone through 5 different multi day plateaus and then experienced a large loss once my muscles have recovered.
Sounds more like a natural fat loss cycle then a plateu , the scale isn't going to move down in a linear fashion. then again there is not real definetion for how long a plateu is however some would argue 4 weeks at the same weight is a plateu.
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MattMMorrissey wrote: »spoonyspork wrote: »I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.
However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.
Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?
I agree with your comments. I added dead lifts to my workout and stayed the same weight for seven days. I started to panic and then on the eight day I was down two pounds that never came back. I have gone through 5 different multi day plateaus and then experienced a large loss once my muscles have recovered.
Sounds more like a natural fat loss cycle then a plateu , the scale isn't going to move down in a linear fashion. then again there is not real definetion for how long a plateu is however some would argue 4 weeks at the same weight is a plateu.
And I agree with this for the most part -- I just mention it because I have fluctuations all the time, but for me lots of exercise consistently results in no loss at all for at least a week and then a sudden drop of 2-4 lbs (as opposed to my usual pattern of constant little ups and downs with a final 'down' average at the end of most weeks).2 -
spoonyspork wrote: »MattMMorrissey wrote: »spoonyspork wrote: »I don't run as often as you, but when I do my weight won't move for several days. I ran several miles last weekend and stayed the same all week -- now today I've dropped 2 lbs from yesterday morning, giving me a 2lb weight loss for the week which works out perfectly - I'm set to lose .5 lbs/week, but with the calories MFP says I'd burned my deficit would put me closer to 1.5-2lbs.
However, I don't eat back my exercise calories at all, unless I won't reach at least 1200... and then I only eat to net 1200 (this is to stay within the margin of error that almost certainly occurs, while still eating a 'safe' number of calories just in case I'm really burning anywhere close to that much). So eating back your exercise calories might mean you hold onto the weight longer due to your body recovering from the running plus extra 'material' from eating more to make up for exercise (not fat - actual material like food and water). Not saying NOT to eat back your exercise calories, but know it might be putting you at a smaller deficit than you think, plus other factors affecting the scale weight.
Do you track your body measurements to see if they're going down while weight isn't?
I agree with your comments. I added dead lifts to my workout and stayed the same weight for seven days. I started to panic and then on the eight day I was down two pounds that never came back. I have gone through 5 different multi day plateaus and then experienced a large loss once my muscles have recovered.
Sounds more like a natural fat loss cycle then a plateu , the scale isn't going to move down in a linear fashion. then again there is not real definetion for how long a plateu is however some would argue 4 weeks at the same weight is a plateu.
And I agree with this for the most part -- I just mention it because I have fluctuations all the time, but for me lots of exercise consistently results in no loss at all for at least a week and then a sudden drop of 2-4 lbs (as opposed to my usual pattern of constant little ups and downs with a final 'down' average at the end of most weeks).
I have Excel charts that support exactly what we are talking about. But Camo is spot on also because my body composition was changing at the same time. When my weight didn't change during the addition of dead lifts is also the time when everyone at work finally noticed I was loosing weight, oh and I had to make a new hole in my belt. It is an awesome journey and stay with it and you will get results.
Remember to mix up your work out since your body becomes very efficient at repeat exercises.0 -
please do not take that advise of those stating to cut more calories, (that is if you are already in a caloric deficit). Know that If you've been in a caloric deficit for a while you will plateau since you're body gets used to the low calories it goes into "saving" mode. This means that its saving any reservoirs as it lacks calories. Re-Evaluate your diet and what you are eating, perhaps its hormonal (some people cut too much fats leasing to hormonal imbalance). Set a reset switch, try changing things up a bit, including your routine exercise.
Also avoid the scale, try using a tape measurement instead, you may be putting up weight based on muscle mass and not necessarily fat.1 -
beatrizguiselle wrote: »please do not take that advise of those stating to cut more calories, (that is if you are already in a caloric deficit). Know that If you've been in a caloric deficit for a while you will plateau since you're body gets used to the low calories it goes into "saving" mode. This means that its saving any reservoirs as it lacks calories. Re-Evaluate your diet and what you are eating, perhaps its hormonal (some people cut too much fats leasing to hormonal imbalance). Set a reset switch, try changing things up a bit, including your routine exercise.
Also avoid the scale, try using a tape measurement instead, you may be putting up weight based on muscle mass and not necessarily fat.
The OP mostly likely isn't going to see your post as they haven't been active since 2015.
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