Hit a plateau need help. I can't safely lower calorie intake any further

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MelissaBrown1622
MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I'm hoping someone can offer me some suggestions. I am a 35 year old female 4 ft 11 and currently 115lbs. When I started watching my diet I easily went from 122 to 116 with no exercise outside of normal stay at home to two kids stuff. I am currently on a 1200 calorie diet and I seemes to stop losing. I know its not a good idea to eat any less than this and my matinance calories is calculated at about 1545. I have added daily exercise in the form of cardio and strength traning with my hr monitor recording a minimum of 500 calories burned each time. Why am I still stuck at 115 lbs?. I do weigh my food and I am very careful to record every single thing I eat. What else can I do to get back on track for losing.
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  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    How long have you been 'stuck'? If less than 30-60 days, give it more time. Your loss should be slow which could easily be masked by water weight. Water weight can happen from high sodium, stress, lack of sleep, new workout routine, increased workout routine, and TOM.
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I've been "stuck" for about 6 weeks or so. I switched from weight watchers to my fitness pal about a month ago because I wanted to more closely watch my macros and calories not just "points". To be fair this is only my 3rd week getting to the gym consistently but I was expecting to see some loss in that time. I was easily losing 1 to 2 pounds per week and then nothing :(. Is 1200 calories really where I should be??? If I eat any less my fitness pal yells at me haha
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It's possible you're retaining water to repair muscles from your new exercise. But how are you tracking your food intake...food scale, measuring cups, eyeballing portions? How do you determine exercise calories, and how much, if any, of those do you eat back?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Diet break?
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    I weigh everything on a food scale or use measuring cups. Everything! I never eyeball. My eyes are way to big for that lol. I have been using my under armour chest strap heart rate monitor to determine calories. I do eat back some calories never more than a third and not every day.
  • losingitseattle
    losingitseattle Posts: 90 Member
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    The HR monitor is a good place to start on calculating calorie burn but they do use an estimated formula in many cases with an avg VO2Max. Read this article to see if your HRM is giving you a reasonable calorie burn.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/490909-the-accuracy-of-calories-burned-in-polar-heart-rate-monitors/

    I also think you need to give it more time. Most people experience "water weight" loss the first few weeks and then things slow down when you start losing actual fat. But sounds like you are doing the right things!
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
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    I have heard of some people zig-zagging calories to break a plateau. Check the message boards. Hope that helps.
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have done some reading about calorie cycling. Anyone have thoughts on that??. Do I lower my daily for a few days then up for a day and cycle that back again making sure to keep the same number of cals per week or. Do I keep 1200 per day then up my cals from there on the third day?. Seems to be some differing advise out there.

    Maybe I need to be patient but it's so hard watching what you eat so carefully working hard and not seeing anything happen :(

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Have you been logging your fruit and veg since coming off of weight watchers?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    If you're comfortable opening your diary we can help you a little better.
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    Yes!. I have actually. I was so surprised to see what was in some of my fruit. That was one of the reasons I switched over from weight watchers. I wanted more info onbwhatbibwaa eating. Arditarose I would love to open it up to you personally rather than completly open to everyone if that's possible..
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thankbyou losingitinseattle and hoppymom I will check both of those out!!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    MelissaBrown1622 wrote: »
    Yes!. I have actually. I was so surprised to see what was in some of my fruit. That was one of the reasons I switched over from weight watchers. I wanted more info onbwhatbibwaa eating. Arditarose I would love to open it up to you personally rather than completly open to everyone if that's possible..

    You can lock it with a key and share the password with whoever you want. I wouldn't be afraid to share it, even if for a few minutes. We are not here to judge what you eat, just to check some of your entries. Sometimes it takes a little getting used to finding the correct one.
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    Arditarose I just sent you the password and a friend request I think sorry still learning this whole thing. I appreciate you offering to comb through and look over my diary entries. I appreciate the advise and the help.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    edited July 2015
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    You're pretty small and at a normal BMI for your height, so your weight loss will slow at this point. I'm a bit taller, 5'1.5" and stalled around 120. It's tough for petite women who are within normal BMI to keep losing because their calorie requirements are so low that it's hard to eat at a deficit. I eat between 1200-1400 every day, not a ton, and that's maintenance. I'm doing a "recomp" at this point, which is eating around maintenance and upping my activity level. The purpose is to change my body shape to be more muscular. This might be what you want to do if you don't want to cut calories any further.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    If you would send me the password, I'll gladly have a look at your diary, too. And really, we aren't here to judge in any way. We just want to help :smile:
  • aeviescas
    aeviescas Posts: 26 Member
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    1200 calories intake + burning 500 per day seems...excessive? Maybe eat a little more on some days, like others have suggested.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Here's a great site that will work out your calories . The reason I posted it is because it will figure out zig zag calories for you If you choose that route.

    http://www.weightloss-calculator.net/ultimate-weight-loss-calculator-metric/
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thank you!!
  • MelissaBrown1622
    MelissaBrown1622 Posts: 16 Member
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    I know at first it seems excessive but remember I am 4'11'. I'm small people lol. Maintenance calories are not that much higher than 1200 anyway :(

    aeviescas wrote: »
    1200 calories intake + burning 500 per day seems...excessive? Maybe eat a little more on some days, like others have suggested.

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