i have hit a plateu

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lizplawman
lizplawman Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
:cry: I started out weighing 136 and i am now at 127. I run 5 to 6 days a week for at least 40 min and two of those days are at least 1hr and 15 min. mfp has me eating 1200 cals a day. I was still hungry eating that so I bumped it up to 1300 cal. I do try to eat the cals that i burn. I have been at 127 now for about a week and a half. Should I maybe go up in cals again. I was at 1200 for 1 month and like i said i am now at 1300 for about 2 weeks. please help.

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  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I would up them and see how it works.

    I was at the 1200 mark and moved it to 1250 and then 1300 and my weight loss stalled. I changed my activity level and my base is now 1690, once I exercise that goes up to around 2400. Seems much better but we'll see how it works in the long haul.
  • ronny23
    ronny23 Posts: 35
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    Hi ! I was trying to check if anyone else has gone through this plateu stage, so I run into your post... Just wondering... How did it go? I'm running eating 1200 and I'm still the same spot than a week and a half ago.. Frustrating...
  • Angela_MA
    Angela_MA Posts: 260
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    Do you use an HRM to track calories burned? If not you may be over estimating calories, thus eating more calories then logged. Also, you could change up your workout routine to break it!
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    I just posted this yesterday!

    www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com

    I hope it helps!
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
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    i am having this same exact problem!!! hope we can both get past this wall!!!!!!
  • lukimakamai
    lukimakamai Posts: 498 Member
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    I'm sorry your frustrated but a plateau of a week and a half isn't really something to worry about. The stress from worrying about plateauing could be behind the lack of loss. Relax! Listen to your body- if you feel you need to eat more than increase your calories, but don't increase it to just trick your body.
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    Without being able to look at your food diary, it's really hard to say what the cause of your plateau is. Could be you need to eat more, or could be there's stuff that you're eating that you need to cut out.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
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    I just posted this yesterday!

    www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com

    I hope it helps!

    That was GREAT! Thank You
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    I just posted this yesterday!

    www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com

    I hope it helps!

    That was GREAT! Thank You

    Thanks! I hope it helps some folks jump off the plateau and back on the losing path!
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    I'm one of the people this probably is speaking to, and it's scaring me to up the calories...the one thing I should probably do. I had my daily calorie mark as 1220, but I'm a fitness instructor (wasn't before/was overweight) who teaches two classes most days, so I can easily burn 1000 calories a day. I have massive deficits most days (with the exception of a couple weekend blowout meals) but that's with eating breakfast/lunch/dinner and two snacks...so not too many hours go by without me having a snack. I have been stuck on around 150-153 for over a year after getting down to 147 before hand (started teaching Body Pump so I think some of that is muscle?) I love to eat, so if I'm supposed to eat MORE that would be great! LOL! But the only time lately that has gotten me down below 150 has been keeping it strick to 1200 calories or so. If I add to that I would gain! Even with all the working out. It seems no matter what I can't get below these weights. Surely my body is CAPABLE of getting below, but I can't eat any less or workout any more than I already am.
  • purplerose421
    purplerose421 Posts: 18
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    What a great blog! Very informative! Thanks!
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    I'm one of the people this probably is speaking to, and it's scaring me to up the calories...the one thing I should probably do. I had my daily calorie mark as 1220, but I'm a fitness instructor (wasn't before/was overweight) who teaches two classes most days, so I can easily burn 1000 calories a day. I have massive deficits most days (with the exception of a couple weekend blowout meals) but that's with eating breakfast/lunch/dinner and two snacks...so not too many hours go by without me having a snack. I have been stuck on around 150-153 for over a year after getting down to 147 before hand (started teaching Body Pump so I think some of that is muscle?) I love to eat, so if I'm supposed to eat MORE that would be great! LOL! But the only time lately that has gotten me down below 150 has been keeping it strick to 1200 calories or so. If I add to that I would gain! Even with all the working out. It seems no matter what I can't get below these weights. Surely my body is CAPABLE of getting below, but I can't eat any less or workout any more than I already am.

    If you want to increase your metabolism to burn more fat, you've got to eat more! It you're teaching a class and burn 1000 calories, then your body can handle an increase. Start by increasing your calories by 25-50 per meal. That's an extra scoop of cottage cheese, or half an apple. Not that much! But as the calories begin to accumulate, your metabolism will rise and begin burning fat, and weight, again. Work your way up to eating your exercise calories every day by making it a goal to reach in one month. Trust your body's mechanisms! You'll be repaid handsomely!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I just broke through a six week plateau by upping my calories. I was eating 1200 but I bumped it up to 1400.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    It's between 800-1200 5-6 days a week. That is usually two classes split in the day. One in the morning, one in the early evening. So I would need to eat X amount of calories PLUS add the 1000 back every day in the end? That seems like a lot of food! (Not that I would be complaining. LOL!)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Also when I changed my MFP goal from 2lbs a week (which wasn't happening anyway) to .5lb a week it says my goal is over 1700 calories a day! I'm a 5ft 6inch female. Is that too much? Tack on an extra 1000 and that's a whole heck of a lot of food. Funny though that I never gain on vacations....I sometimes lose a bit...and we eat a LOT! Hmmmmm.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    I just posted this yesterday!

    www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com

    I hope it helps!

    Great info! Thanks!!
  • jcl1981
    jcl1981 Posts: 60 Member
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    for all of you that are struggling with this now i can tell you it does happen and quite often. I was stuck at 207 for almost a month and eating 1200 calories and exercising vigorously 5 days a week. I was at the end of my rope and ready to throw in the towel until i read that i should eat a little more and eat some of my exercise calories. I can say i dont eat back the calories burned everyday but most of the time when i need them i do. It took a couple of weeks for the weight to start coming off again but eventually it did. Just hang in there, do what is right for your body and dont try eating less, it will not help. The goal is to nourish your body into losing excess weight, not starve it blind. Try to think of the long term in that you are eating to be healthy for life, not just skinny for now. Your body will catch up it just takes longer for some of us. My journey has taken time but looking back, every plateau was worth the wait since i am still losing weight and creeping closer to my goal every day.
  • ronny23
    ronny23 Posts: 35
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    Thank u!
  • ronny23
    ronny23 Posts: 35
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    Of course i love your blog:) what do you have to say about the zig-zag calorie intake?

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