Need help with plateau

meredithsloane
meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! This is my first post. I began using MFP in August of 2014 and lost 43 pounds. I started off right at 200 pounds and am now 157 (156 on a good day)! I am very proud of my success and feel pretty good, but I have royally plateaued for the past 2 months. I eat between 1300-1400 calories per day, jog outside (I live in Costa Rica) 3-5 times per week and slip in a low carb 3 day booster every month or so. For some reason I haven't been able to break through this plateau and get below 150. I would really appreciate any input or tips as I am heading back to the states in 3 weeks. I will have access to a real gym for the summer months so perhaps that will help? Perhaps a 30 day cleanse? I am climbing Mt Kilimanjaro with my husband in December so I am quite motivated to drop another 17 pounds to reach my goal weight of 140. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and I look forward to responses!

Replies

  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
    If you've stopped losing weight you are no longer in a calorie deficit. As you lose weight the calorie deficit becomes smaller so any errors in logging will become more pronounced. Check your logging weigh all solids measure all liquids and check you are using accurate entries from the database. A cleanse is pointless and will do nothing but make you miserable. If you want more specific input you would need to open your diary
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    If you aren't losing you aren't eating at a deficit. Figure out why what isn't happening. Are you eating more than you think? Are you burning less than you think? Maybe both?

    Mentioning a cleanse as a possible solution tells me you need to learn about the basic concept of how weight loss works.
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you for the replies... It's possible I am not logging as accurately as I was when I lost the 40 plus pounds, I will pay more attention to the details and measurements for sure! Out of curiosity, why does wanting to do a cleanse show that I don't know how weight loss works? It is also very hard to figure out how much I am burning with my runs. It is outside running, very hot and on a rugged terrain. I know I still have more to lose so it's not that my body is "done". Perhaps I need to buckle down and make sure there are no errors in my logging.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    meredithsloane wrote: »
    ! Out of curiosity, why does wanting to do a cleanse show that I don't know how weight loss works? .

    Because a cleanse is snake oil and does nothing for weight loss. Not a rhetorical question; what is a cleanse to you?
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    I was referring to a 30 day nutritional cleansing program with meal replacements, like an isogenix... I thought it would help "streamline" my food options and maybe help boost my metabolism if that's the problem. I definitely was not referring to a crazy snake oil thing, but thank you for taking the time to clarify! Any thoughts on nutritional cleansing? Probably for 30 days?
  • coraborealis80
    coraborealis80 Posts: 53 Member
    I would check your BMR. As you lose weight, your BMR decreases. Your deficit needs to be reflected in that decrease.

    In addition, if you're counting your exercise calories in, you will go over calories-none of them are very accurate because calorie burning is an individual process.

    You are also, likely, basing your goal weight too low. You see, this weight might be heavier than you intended, BUT how much of it is muscle? Muscle weighs more than fat. I would make an appointment with a doctor to talk about body fat percentage before going any further.

    Cleanses are a myth. And, there's a lot about them that is bad for you. For example, juicing removes fiber from the plant, that you need. It also can cause you to absorb less vitamins and minerals, not more!

    Vitamins and minerals is another place to look for females. If you're not getting enough calcium, your body will start to retain fat.

    Long distance jogs and runs are also not ideal for females. There is a lot of science on how they can deteriorate muscle mass due to hormonal influxes. Any exercise is better than no exercise, but only up to a certain point. I see you said nothing about weights, and strength training increases your resting metabolic weight.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Welcome to the discussion boards! :smiley:

    Weight-training would be a good idea to build lean body mass. You could also try tweaking your macros to add more protein, fiber and healthy fat.

    To track your burn, can someone send you a HRM? Or can you buy one yourself?

    There is no science to support the benefits of a "cleanse." Your body does that all on its own. The lack of protein and fats during a "cleanse" does your body more harm than good as far as supplying it with the fuel it needs. Any weight lost during something extreme, like a "cleanse," will come back on when you stop the extreme (and unsustainable) behavior.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Isogenix is snake oil. The only thing it will cleanse is your wallet. Your liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin cleanse your body.

    Like it's already been said, the answer is most likely in your food diary. Tighten up on your logging and the weight should start moving downward. If you aren't sure what the issue could be with that, set the viewing to public and let others take a look at it so they can give you pointers on how to improve it.
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you for your reply... I've been in Costa Rica all year so haven't had the option of a gym or even access to weights, but you're right. I think just running has limited my weight loss ability, but I will have access to a gym for the summer, I will look into the nutritional cleanse more to see if it will do more harm than good. My diet is quite good, not too much unprocessed foods (I don't eat out much and there is no fast food where I live) but there is something holding me back from progressing further. If I really tighten up with precise logging and still no weight loss, I will see if there is anything else "wrong". I don't jog long distances btw, maybe 30 minutes and 5K at a time but that's the most feasible exercise option at the moment!
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    meredithsloane wrote: »
    I was referring to a 30 day nutritional cleansing program with meal replacements, like an isogenix... I thought it would help "streamline" my food options and maybe help boost my metabolism if that's the problem. I definitely was not referring to a crazy snake oil thing, but thank you for taking the time to clarify! Any thoughts on nutritional cleansing? Probably for 30 days?

    It's a multi-level marketing company (legal scam) that offers non-scientific weight loss plans - it is snake oil. I've never heard of a nutritional cleansing program. What are you trying to cleanse?
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    How do I set my log to public? I'm sorry, I've been looking under each tab and can't find it! I would love some input on my diet, and what I might be doing wrong! I appreciate all the responses, I really do.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    meredithsloane wrote: »
    I was referring to a 30 day nutritional cleansing program with meal replacements, like an isogenix... I thought it would help "streamline" my food options and maybe help boost my metabolism if that's the problem. I definitely was not referring to a crazy snake oil thing, but thank you for taking the time to clarify! Any thoughts on nutritional cleansing? Probably for 30 days?

    Isogenix is snake oil! Lol! Low quality junk! What do you mean by boosting metabolism? Mlm products are all scams. Just eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight. There's no such thing as metabolism boosting cleansing products, it's all snake oil. If your not losing weight then you are not eating at a deficit. Weigh everything you consume with a food scale . Log it here accurately. No need for all the other stuff.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    edited May 2015
    coraborealis80 wrote: »
    I would check your BMR. As you lose weight, your BMR decreases. Your deficit needs to be reflected in that decrease.

    In addition, if you're counting your exercise calories in, you will go over calories-none of them are very accurate because calorie burning is an individual process.

    You are also, likely, basing your goal weight too low. You see, this weight might be heavier than you intended, BUT how much of it is muscle? Muscle weighs more than fat. I would make an appointment with a doctor to talk about body fat percentage before going any further.

    Cleanses are a myth. And, there's a lot about them that is bad for you. For example, juicing removes fiber from the plant, that you need. It also can cause you to absorb less vitamins and minerals, not more!

    Vitamins and minerals is another place to look for females. If you're not getting enough calcium, your body will start to retain fat.

    Long distance jogs and runs are also not ideal for females. There is a lot of science on how they can deteriorate muscle mass due to hormonal influxes. Any exercise is better than no exercise, but only up to a certain point. I see you said nothing about weights, and strength training increases your resting metabolic weight.

    Wait, what? Could you please share the science you mention? This is news to me.

    OP, you can set your Diary to public by going to Settings (top right corner of website on a computer) - Diary Settings. :smile:
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    Ok, just posted my log for public viewing. Thanks for the info on isogenix... I thought I was on my gain because I did lose a significant amount of weight over past 9 months, it's frustrating to stall, but I think that you all are right in that I must not be logging as accurately as I was at the beginning of the journey, that will be my top priority to break through.
  • meredithsloane
    meredithsloane Posts: 31 Member
    I guess I was not as educated on a nutritional cleanse as I thought! Ok, scratch that idea! Normal food is the way to continue my progress, and I will join a gym for the summer, having air conditioning while working out will be a treat after not having one in Central America!
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Go to settings -> Diary Settings, click the button that says Public. That will allow others to view your diary.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    when you stop losing weight, then you are eating to much calories. Your deficit has got smaller over time.

    Like you sid yourself you are not that accurate anymore as before.
    The thing is the more you lose and weighing less and less the more accurate you have to be.

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