If this isn't a plateau, I don't know what it is.

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Sammbep
Sammbep Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone! First of all, thank you for opening the discussion. I really need some advice about what happened on the recently days.

Well I've been losing weight for almost 4 months, I came from 207 to 184 pounds but there is yet some pounds to lose to reach my ideal weight (and rid off my belly). But since last month, I haven't seen almost no change in the weight, just 1 pound.

I know, there are endless factors that affect the weight, but I've made no changes in my alimentation or exercise rutine. But I must admit that since the beginning I've never measured with a balance the food. But that was never a problem, I was still losing.

I'm currently with 1570 calories daily (that said myfitnesspal) and today I will start a new HIIIT cardio workout and I hope that will burn those "extra" calories.

What do you think pals? Any advice?

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    That's not really a plateau... wait until 6 weeks or more.
    • Are you weighing your foods with a measuring scale?
    • Are you weighing your foods accurately? i.e. grams instead of cups, not using generic entries on MFP database?
    • How are you obtaining your calorie burns? HRM , MFP , machine?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    The more weight you lose, the less room for error you have when it comes to your deficit. Since you aren't weighing your food, it might be a good idea to start so you know exactly what you are eating.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    The more weight you lose, the less room for error you have when it comes to your deficit. Since you aren't weighing your food, it might be a good idea to start so you know exactly what you are eating.

    This.

    Plus, I'd say you're not really at a plateau. If you've got 4-6+weeks with no change, then you know you need to recheck things. Remember too, that weight loss is not linear. There will be weeks your weight goes up and down and all over. It's the downward trend that counts.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Can you open your diary?
  • Sammbep
    Sammbep Posts: 32 Member
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    Sure, here it is http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Sammbep, but most of the entries are in spanish.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Sammbep wrote: »
    Sure, here it is http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Sammbep, but most of the entries are in spanish.

    Just needed to see the way you were calculating, not the what. Start weighing your food. Cups and "half's aren't accurate.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    if you lost a pound it's not a plateau...period.

    But if you are set to lose more you are eating more than you think.
  • Sammbep
    Sammbep Posts: 32 Member
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    Thanks to all, I'm going to buy a measuring scale. I tried always to compensate that measuring error with the exercise, but eventually if I want to get in shape I'll need to control my calorie and macros intake.
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    edited June 2015
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    OP did you ever adjust your calorie goal after losing the weight? You need to recalculate your calories roughly every 5 lbs lost (or gained if bulking) or they are no longer accurate.

    Also I agree with other people that if you aren't actually measuring food with a scale, you can't really complain at this point. You have literally no way to measure what you are actually putting in. Especially on calorie dense foods.
  • Spyer116
    Spyer116 Posts: 168 Member
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    Depending on how aggressive the calorie restriction was
    - Your metabolism could slow down, meaning that instead of burining 2000 calories for example on a daily basis, that now for the exact same activity you do in a day, it might be burning the 1800 calories only, or even lower.

    - Your body adapts to exercises you do regularly. So that it becomes more "efficient" at them - also meaning it might burn less calories for doing the same exercise for the same duration, compared to what it burned doing it last week.

    - You're not measuring food? You don't seem to realize that "guessing" does't work. not when making your own portions.
    Using entire packets, or simple divisions (eg a full packet is 200 calories. And you plan on eating half today, and half tomorrow, then if you roughly portion out half and mark down the 100 claories today, and 100 calories tomorrow. Then it wouldn't matter if it wasn't portioned correctly and that you ate 110 calories today. since tomorrow you'd only be able to eat 90 calories from that packet since thats all that would be left).
    But things like ketchup or other sauces, butter, olive oil or other oils. Condiments you use on food, all usually add up to 100-300 extra calories / day depending on what you'd use.
    Alot of times, I just use either entire packets, or not, then just half packets of whtaever food(s) i'm eating. And always add on an extra 10-50 calories to whatever the packaging says is in the food.

    Also for being that weight and eating 'only' that much calories right from the start. Your metabolism almost certainly slowed down significantly since that was probably a pretty steep deficit. Which is difficult/slow to repair, so you can get back to losing weight safely and at a reasonable pace.

    Do you drink your calories? Tea? Coffee? Cream/sugar/milk are all calorie heavy.
    Sodas (coke, orange, 7up, energy drinks) are all calorie heavy. Unless you get the sugar/calorie free kinds.
    Alcohol? That has massive amounts of calories. Half a bottle of vodka is like 700 calories, give or take, I think. but all alcoholic drinks are calorie heavy.
    Excess Salt? Water retention could add on pounds and pounds of water weight.
    Lots of carbohydrates? They'll replenish/store more glycogen in your body - which isn't fat weight, but it would hide fat loss, when looking at straight up numbers on a scales.
  • Sammbep
    Sammbep Posts: 32 Member
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    Spyer116 wrote: »
    Depending on how aggressive the calorie restriction was
    - Your metabolism could slow down, meaning that instead of burining 2000 calories for example on a daily basis, that now for the exact same activity you do in a day, it might be burning the 1800 calories only, or even lower.

    - Your body adapts to exercises you do regularly. So that it becomes more "efficient" at them - also meaning it might burn less calories for doing the same exercise for the same duration, compared to what it burned doing it last week.

    - You're not measuring food? You don't seem to realize that "guessing" does't work. not when making your own portions.
    Using entire packets, or simple divisions (eg a full packet is 200 calories. And you plan on eating half today, and half tomorrow, then if you roughly portion out half and mark down the 100 claories today, and 100 calories tomorrow. Then it wouldn't matter if it wasn't portioned correctly and that you ate 110 calories today. since tomorrow you'd only be able to eat 90 calories from that packet since thats all that would be left).
    But things like ketchup or other sauces, butter, olive oil or other oils. Condiments you use on food, all usually add up to 100-300 extra calories / day depending on what you'd use.
    Alot of times, I just use either entire packets, or not, then just half packets of whtaever food(s) i'm eating. And always add on an extra 10-50 calories to whatever the packaging says is in the food.

    Also for being that weight and eating 'only' that much calories right from the start. Your metabolism almost certainly slowed down significantly since that was probably a pretty steep deficit. Which is difficult/slow to repair, so you can get back to losing weight safely and at a reasonable pace.

    Do you drink your calories? Tea? Coffee? Cream/sugar/milk are all calorie heavy.
    Sodas (coke, orange, 7up, energy drinks) are all calorie heavy. Unless you get the sugar/calorie free kinds.
    Alcohol? That has massive amounts of calories. Half a bottle of vodka is like 700 calories, give or take, I think. but all alcoholic drinks are calorie heavy.
    Excess Salt? Water retention could add on pounds and pounds of water weight.
    Lots of carbohydrates? They'll replenish/store more glycogen in your body - which isn't fat weight, but it would hide fat loss, when looking at straight up numbers on a scales.

    Great tips Spyer, you're right. I almost never consider condiments in food (not even oil), I don't have that problem with drinking calories. I began a new workout routine that's a little more demanding. I hope that will help to improve my metabolism and my weight lose. Thanks gor the tips.

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