suggestions to break a weight loss plateau needed
henderson8620
Posts: 4 Member
Hi, I'm in need of suggestions and ideas of how to break a plateau in my weight loss. I have a spinal cord injury and am in chronic pain so increasing physical activity isn't possible. I guess then I'm specifically looking for diet ideas. I eat between 1400 and 1600 calories a day now. Thanks in advance
0
Replies
-
How long have you been in a plateau?0
-
How long would you consider this plateau?0
-
Add in a cheat day where you eat over maintenance.0
-
It's hard to answer these kinds of posts without more details. How long has it been since you last saw a drop on the scale? A plateau is something like 6-8 weeks without a drop on the scale and with no changes to your routine (since diet & exercise changes tend to come with some water weight retention - which can screw with the scale). If it's only been a few weeks, then it's possible that it's just a natural stall and will go away on its own.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear
Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.
Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.
You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.
And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to age, size, or medical issues, then you may need to talk to your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietitian who can give you better advice.
tl;dr version:
0 -
i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again0
-
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
0 -
If you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating less calories than you're burning. It is almost always that simple. The trick is figuring out why. You could be inaccurately logging your food. You could be entering inaccurate information. You could be burning less calories than you think you are. The flow chart above is awesome.0
-
Food scale to make sure you're actually eating as many calories as you believe you are.0
-
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
Muscle depletion possible, but fat gain in a deficit? Nope.0 -
Add in a cheat day where you eat over maintenance.
How will that help?
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
HUH??0 -
1 outta 2 ain't bad. Or is it?ceoverturf wrote: »Add in a cheat day where you eat over maintenance.
How will that help?
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
HUH??
0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
1 outta 2 ain't bad. Or is it?ceoverturf wrote: »Add in a cheat day where you eat over maintenance.
How will that help?
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
HUH??
Give them half a cookie as a reward for getting it half right?0 -
2 months roughltjanejellyroll wrote: »How long have you been in a plateau?
0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »It's hard to answer these kinds of posts without more details. How long has it been since you last saw a drop on the scale? A plateau is something like 6-8 weeks without a drop on the scale and with no changes to your routine (since diet & exercise changes tend to come with some water weight retention - which can screw with the scale). If it's only been a few weeks, then it's possible that it's just a natural stall and will go away on its own.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear
Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.
Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.
You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.
And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to age, size, or medical issues, then you may need to talk to your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietitian who can give you better advice.
tl;dr version:
It's been about 2 months0 -
^^helpful flow chart, thank you0
-
start weighing ALL your solid food, dont use cups or spoons or serving sizes
No loss = your not in deficit!0 -
And if you think, why did it work before?
When you start out your deficit is pretty big...and there is room for errors/inaccurate logging
The more you lose the smaller your deficit, the smaller your loss and the room for errors
At one point you wiped your deficit out.
Really try it...start weighing ALL your food on a food scale and tighten up your logging.0 -
henderson8620 wrote: »
2 months roughltjanejellyroll wrote: »How long have you been in a plateau?
then you're eating at maintenance, drop your calories0 -
henderson8620 wrote: »diannethegeek wrote: »It's hard to answer these kinds of posts without more details. How long has it been since you last saw a drop on the scale? A plateau is something like 6-8 weeks without a drop on the scale and with no changes to your routine (since diet & exercise changes tend to come with some water weight retention - which can screw with the scale). If it's only been a few weeks, then it's possible that it's just a natural stall and will go away on its own.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear
Other than that, the most common problems we see come from underestimating calories eaten and overestimating calories burned.
Opening your diary might help to get you more specific advice if you're comfortable doing so.
You're logging everything you eat? Including condiments, cooking oils, veggies, cheat days, etc? Are you using a food scale, measuring cups, or eyeballing your portion sizes? Most people can be off in their estimates by several hundred calories when they eyeball portions. Measuring cups are better, but a food scale is going to be the most accurate.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
And make sure that you've calculated your calorie goals appropriately. Remember that these are just estimates. You may need to play around a little to find what works best for you.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
If you're exercising and eating back your earned exercise calories, be sure that you're using accurate estimates of your burn. MFP and gym machines have a tendency to overestimate certain activities, which can cause you to eat back more calories than you need to. Even a heart rate monitor isn't 100% accurate. If you're eating those extra earned calories it might be a good idea to eat only 50-75% of those.
And there's something to be said for the fact that some people just burn fewer calories than the generic equations predict. If you're an outlier due to age, size, or medical issues, then you may need to talk to your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietitian who can give you better advice.
tl;dr version:
It's been about 2 months
Out of curiosity, did you read the rest of the post or just the first question? I designed the post to give a broad range of information along with links where you can learn more as needed. I copy/paste it a lot when these sorts of threads come up (several times a day). Yet people tend to answer one or two of the questions and don't seem to go much further. If I can make it easier to read, it would be helpful for the future.
0 -
mantium999 wrote: »
Say goodbye to your muscles. Hello fat.rubyandmani wrote: »i had high protein diet and little carb with no exercise and i hit plateau. i changed my diet to high carb, low protein with some exercise and i started loosing again
Muscle depletion possible, but fat gain in a deficit? Nope.
Correct.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions