Plateau
mikkie1040
Posts: 15 Member
Started my "new" weight loss journey in April and have lost 12 pounds (not quite at my goal of 1.5-2.0 per week, but close) I'm 50 years old and I want to lose 100 pounds. I'm getting exercise daily (a mixture of: Manual Treadmill, Recumbent Bike, Step Aerobics, Low Impact Aerobics, Kickboxing, Toning) I am now stuck in a Plateau and keep losing and gaining the same couple of pounds (whether it's salt intake or muscle - who knows!) I can increase my exercise more (which I've been doing) but cannot do running, jogging, etc. because I've had two total knee replacements. I've had good days/bad days/cheat days and my form of liquid intake is water or very watered down Crystal Light. If anyone can look at my diary and give me some constructive criticism or advice, it would be appreciated. Please no trashing what I'm doing. I can take constructive criticism, not a beat down.
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How long has this been going on?0
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You need to open your diary to the public for us to be able to look at it. How long have you been stuck for?0
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chances are you are not gaining muscle...
chances are you are eating more than you think either due to inaccurate logging or over estimating calorie burns.
diary is closed.0 -
Whats your version of a plateau? is it less than 4 weeks?
By far the most common reason is as suggested above you are eating more thna you think due to inaccurate loging, not weighing food or overestimating burns. Am sure any pne of the above will identify/confirm the issue.
Your diary remains closed. Btw people who look at diaries are very rarely interested in what you eat, but look to identify things to explain why you are or are not in deficit. Its just data so I wouldnt worry.0 -
somebody post that pic with the flowchart0
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Most likely, you're not in a deficit. Can you open your diary?0
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Diary is open now. Didn't realize it wasn't before.0
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not only are you over estimating burns you are under estimating intake.
The burns given from MFP are often over estimated...the suggestion is to eat 50-75% back
and to top it all off you are often over your goal+exercise calories.
so you are eating all your burns (and some of those you logged are questionable as exercise) you are not logging accurately and you are going over goal frequently...
you are not losing because you are eating too much.0 -
This last week I was over calories almost everyday (that time of the month is rough when you feel hungry all the time) but then I was under calories almost everyday the week before. It fluctuates. I am using the MFP tool for exercise as best I can. I have a manual treadmill at an incline and there is nothing on there for that..so I use walking uphill (?) Non-electric recumbent bike so I just use stationery bike light effort. It's a guessing game sometimes.0
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So how long was this plateau? Just take on board what stef said as she has looked at your diary and hen make adjustments so you are back in an actual deficit. That is the only way you will lose.0
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mikkie1040 wrote: »This last week I was over calories almost everyday (that time of the month is rough when you feel hungry all the time) but then I was under calories almost everyday the week before. It fluctuates. I am using the MFP tool for exercise as best I can. I have a manual treadmill at an incline and there is nothing on there for that..so I use walking uphill (?) Non-electric recumbent bike so I just use stationery bike light effort. It's a guessing game sometimes.
regardless of the reason you are eating too much. (and I randomly check days..not just the last week and you frequently go over goal+exercise calories) and aren't consistently logging
You are going over goal frequently
You are eating most if not all exercise calories as recorded by MFP
Not using a food scale
All three of those things add up to over eating=no weight loss and maybe gain.0 -
I was told to eat back most of my exercise calories, so that's why I was doing that
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mikkie1040 wrote: »I was told to eat back most of my exercise calories, so that's why I was doing that
Some people can...I could when I started as well but MFP is known to over estimate burns...most people only eat back 50-75% of them to be safe and if you are not losing...
But it's not just exercise calories,
You don't use a food scale
You don't log everyday consistently
You are often over goal+exercise calories.
To lose weight you need to be in a deficit and you aren't. If you are gaining you are in a suplus, if not losing then you are maintaining.
I saw a week where you did really well, eating back 50-75% of your exercise calories and staying in goal and I suspect you lost weight after that...
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Someone always posts that silly chart but I think it is more complex. I think cortisol, hormones and stress play a bigger role. Especially for those of us over 50. We know that calories in calories out is effective and have been steadily effective over a period of time. The chart and advice about weighing and measuring is we'll meaning...but you have had long term success so it is unlikely that you are doing it wrong.
The stress of exercise figures in to the equation as well. Sometimes family events in the summer with some families aren't relaxing. Even dieting can be stressful for someone who uses food as comfort.
I've hit the same wall..in my case I believe it is a matter of over training, nasty stressful job and a bit of unhappiness. I think the next best step for me is to plan a vacation and trade my exercise program in for yoga and walking for a bit. Sometimes on Saturdays I drive to the ocean an run easy miles on the beach and those weeks I always seem more relaxed and the weight loss follows.
What have you done to relax lately. Could that be a factor? What else is going on that could be stressful.
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Your counting isnt accurate. You werent at deficit. Its absolutely fundamental you get to grips with this before exercise ir worrying about what you eat. Consistent deficit are the basis for weight loss.0
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snowflakesav wrote: »Someone always posts that silly chart but I think it is more complex. I think cortisol, hormones and stress play a bigger role. Especially for those of us over 50. We know that calories in calories out is effective and have been steadily effective over a period of time. The chart and advice about weighing and measuring is we'll meaning...but you have had long term success so it is unlikely that you are doing it wrong.
The stress of exercise figures in to the equation as well. Sometimes family events in the summer with some families aren't relaxing. Even dieting can be stressful for someone who uses food as comfort.
I've hit the same wall..in my case I believe it is a matter of over training, nasty stressful job and a bit of unhappiness. I think the next best step for me is to plan a vacation and trade my exercise program in for yoga and walking for a bit. Sometimes on Saturdays I drive to the ocean an run easy miles on the beach and those weeks I always seem more relaxed and the weight loss follows.
What have you done to relax lately. Could that be a factor? What else is going on that could be stressful.
did you even look at the diary? I suspect no due to this response...*smh*0 -
snowflakesav wrote: »Someone always posts that silly chart but I think it is more complex. I think cortisol, hormones and stress play a bigger role. Especially for those of us over 50. We know that calories in calories out is effective and have been steadily effective over a period of time. The chart and advice about weighing and measuring is we'll meaning...but you have had long term success so it is unlikely that you are doing it wrong.
The stress of exercise figures in to the equation as well. Sometimes family events in the summer with some families aren't relaxing. Even dieting can be stressful for someone who uses food as comfort.
I've hit the same wall..in my case I believe it is a matter of over training, nasty stressful job and a bit of unhappiness. I think the next best step for me is to plan a vacation and trade my exercise program in for yoga and walking for a bit. Sometimes on Saturdays I drive to the ocean an run easy miles on the beach and those weeks I always seem more relaxed and the weight loss follows.
What have you done to relax lately. Could that be a factor? What else is going on that could be stressful.
In this case, it is not. The OP is eating too much. Not weighing food, over estimating burns. Simply not in a deficit.0 -
If everyone would look at my diary overall and not just in the last week, I've often been in deficit. And stress could very well be a factor. I run a daycare out of my home and that means chasing around 6 toddlers all under the age of 4 (two are under 1 year of age) and I haven't (literally) taken a vacation or time off in more than 7 years except for when I had my knees replaced. If MVP calculations are not correct for exercise and food, then what is the point in being on here and using their tools? I was consistently losing weight in the beginning and think I'm just at the plateau everyone hits and wanted to know how to get out of it. I know calories out/calories in, but I am not gaining weight at all. Just been stuck at the same number for a couple of weeks.0
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mikkie1040 wrote: »If everyone would look at my diary overall and not just in the last week, I've often been in deficit. And stress could very well be a factor. I run a daycare out of my home and that means chasing around 6 toddlers all under the age of 4 (two are under 1 year of age) and I haven't (literally) taken a vacation or time off in more than 7 years except for when I had my knees replaced. If MVP calculations are not correct for exercise and food, then what is the point in being on here and using their tools? I was consistently losing weight in the beginning and think I'm just at the plateau everyone hits and wanted to know how to get out of it. I know calories out/calories in, but I am not gaining weight at all. Just been stuck at the same number for a couple of weeks.
I work with pre school aged children as well and have taken one vacation in 10 years. MFP calorie calculations are corrrect if you pick the appropriate entry, and weigh your food.0 -
Some exercise entries are not available (I use manual treadmill at incline) and I don't weigh my food, but take information straight from the packages.0
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In this case, it is not. The OP is eating too much. Not weighing food, over estimating burns. Simply not in a deficit. [/quote]
^^^A million times this. There is no way you are burning 600-900 calories a day with your workouts, that would be several hours of strenuous (sweating profusely) exercise. Also, I know that everyone says eat whatever fits into your calorie allowance that you want, but Big Macs and sundaes from McDonald's are probably not helping your efforts here, even just the mental side of it.
Concentrate on accurate logging, and staying at your daily goal. You are simply eating too much. Weigh and measure EVERYTHING and try not eating back any exercise calories for a couple weeks and see what happens.
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How much you burn has alot to do with how much you weigh to begin with. I am sweating profusely and my face is often still red an hour later. With two artificial knees, it takes alot out of me. And it was working consistently in the first 6 weeks or so, so there must have been some accuracy to what I was doing.0
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mikkie1040 wrote: »How much you burn has alot to do with how much you weigh to begin with. I am sweating profusely and my face is often still red an hour later. With two artificial knees, it takes alot out of me. And it was working consistently in the first 6 weeks or so, so there must have been some accuracy to what I was doing.
Firstly, sweat and a red face have absolutely nothing to do with how many calories you burn, that has to do with the heat, and how out of shape you are.
Secondly, it was working the first few weeks because you were heavier, and eating less than you were burning. Now, you are still overeating, but you weigh less, so you have less wiggle room for error. Plus, as everyone else said, you are overestimating your calorie burn, and as you are eating back most of it, you're just eating too much.
If you don't weigh your food, you will never know how much you are eating. Calorie counting doesn't work unless you weigh your food with a digital food scale. Your calorie goal is set to 1200, try eating only 200 calories of exercise calories (or even none at all) and see if it helps. However, until you get a food scale, and weigh everything, you might never get out of this 'plateau'.0 -
CBA did the OP ever tell us the length of the plateau so we cna tie it in with her diary. I asked twice and cant see the answer.
QB63 yes you can, it would take some time but not really several hours of profuse sweating notwithstanding the fact that sweat isnt a very reliable method of calculating exertion. Whether the OP is actually doing or capable of that amount is a different matter.
Looking at the diary it seems MFP normal exaggeration without the OP discounting 50%, so yet another reason why she will be over.0 -
OP do yourself a favour and read this thread so you understand the basics of weight loss and why everyone is point
ting out whats causing your difficulties.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p10 -
I have looked back into may as well...but since you don't believe it...
Since April 6 you have been over goal 27x which is 38% of the time....might not be much over could be really really over....and if you are in goal it's eating allllll your exercise calories usually in June.
you are eating too much.mikkie1040 wrote: »If everyone would look at my diary overall and not just in the last week, I've often been in deficit. And stress could very well be a factor. I run a daycare out of my home and that means chasing around 6 toddlers all under the age of 4 (two are under 1 year of age) and I haven't (literally) taken a vacation or time off in more than 7 years except for when I had my knees replaced. If MVP calculations are not correct for exercise and food, then what is the point in being on here and using their tools? I was consistently losing weight in the beginning and think I'm just at the plateau everyone hits and wanted to know how to get out of it. I know calories out/calories in, but I am not gaining weight at all. Just been stuck at the same number for a couple of weeks.
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Can I just ask why your daily calorie goal is just 1200 per day when your ticker indicates you have over 100 still to lose? Sounds very low. Try running the Goal setter again just in case that's wrong. And as others have said do weigh your food if you haven't been doing so already. 3 years in and I'm still not able to guess correctly by eye. Some people unintentionally over-log exercise by logging everything they do whereas sedentary on MFP already includes about 1.5 miles of activity (FitBit wearers who sync their accounts with sedentary here can verify) so in my case if I was logging my walk to work and back each day I'd be claiming back calories I wasn't entitled to eat back. You might want to consider a FitBit if you want a better guide to what you are burning.0
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Op you asked for advise but then negate everything everyone is telling you about the possibility that you are over eating. Correctly weighting everything you eat with a digital food scale (liquids in cups/the rest on scale) accurately. Believe me it makes a HUGE difference. I am one that cannot for the life of me eye-bowl the amt I am serving myself, I MUST weigh everything, I even weigh the food with labels that have the servings and calories on the box and guess what, sometimes whats printed on the box is incorrect. For example deli thin sliced oven roasted turkey might say on the label serving size: 6 slices (54g) but when I weight it 5 slices add up to 54g. So guess what that 1 extra slice adds up. Good luck!0
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