Low Carb and Plateauing

michelled924
michelled924 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
Does anybody have trouble with plateauing doing lower carb and if so how have you overcome it?

Replies

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    How long have you been at a plateau? Do you use a food scale to weigh/measure your food?
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    If you eat the same number of calories as you are burning you plateau.

    As you lose weight you need to eat less.

    I'm on a low carb plan and I count my calories just like most people

    You can add activity if you like? You can cut back on food.

    I have lost 145 lbs of body fat on lower carb because it is more filling and suits me. But at no point was it ever an "eat all the calories you want" scenario like some think it is.

    I would say to make sure you use a good food scale, log even cooking oil, add activity, stay in a calorie deficit, and you will start burning fat again.

    Best wishes on getting the ball rolling again soon.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    For me, it isn't so much food cause plateau. It is that I get into too much of a fixed routine and cadence in my workouts. Stuff has been written regarding the body adapting and not burning as much as a result. When I add something new or work more to change cadence and vary intensity that seems to unlock a plateau.
    But we are all different. So Really I have no idea what may help you :)
  • slimzandra
    slimzandra Posts: 955 Member
    I dropped weight fairly impressively the first few weeks. Since then it has become plateau, then lose, rinse, repeat.
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 3lbs
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 2lbs
    2 weeks lose 1lbs.
    2 weeks lose 4 lbs.

    So, I haven't figured out how to fix the non-productive weeks. They are not really zero, but half a pound or less. Still feels like a plateau, I eat 3 meals, no snacking and I just keep plugging away. Occasionally, skipping a dinner at the end of the week before weigh in sometimes pushes it through. Weighing less often doesn't put the plateau "in your face" every morning, and that helps.

    Ditto what Professional said, I would say to make sure you use a good food scale, log everything, add activity, stay in a calorie deficit, and you will start burning fat again.
  • allbarrett
    allbarrett Posts: 159 Member
    slimzandra wrote: »
    I dropped weight fairly impressively the first few weeks. Since then it has become plateau, then lose, rinse, repeat.
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 3lbs
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 2lbs
    2 weeks lose 1lbs.
    2 weeks lose 4 lbs.

    So, I haven't figured out how to fix the non-productive weeks. They are not really zero, but half a pound or less. Still feels like a plateau, I eat 3 meals, no snacking and I just keep plugging away. Occasionally, skipping a dinner at the end of the week before weigh in sometimes pushes it through. Weighing less often doesn't put the plateau "in your face" every morning, and that helps.

    Ditto what Professional said, I would say to make sure you use a good food scale, log everything, add activity, stay in a calorie deficit, and you will start burning fat again.

    That isn't really a plateau as weight loss isn't linear. A plateau is generally when you maintain weight for a period of 4 (or 6, depending on who you ask) or more weeks. You are just experiencing normal weight loss. There are some folks around here who have nice little Excel (or other) graphs to show weight loss, and it is pretty much always in little fits and starts. You are doing great, keep up the good work!
  • michelled924
    michelled924 Posts: 2 Member
    I have been low carb for 2 years and lost 95 pounds. In the last year have added exercise. Since January I have been within 5 pounds of the same weight up and down. Just recently started logging my food on this app and have noticed that I may have been eating too many calories. I'm going to continue to use this app and see what is going on. Thank you for replying.
  • pmm3437
    pmm3437 Posts: 529 Member
    edited July 2015
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 3lbs
    2 weeks lose 0lbs
    2 weeks lose 2lbs
    2 weeks lose 1lbs.
    2 weeks lose 4 lbs

    Looks like a hormonal water retention pattern to me. That, or once a month or so your loading up on sodium from a special occasion/night out type situation.

    Low carb isnt a magic bullet. After a week or two, and your body stops holding all the extra water to store excess glycogen in your muscles and liver, its no different than any other nutrition plan. You still have to pay attention to CICO, and periodically recalculate your targets based on current weight.

    You've realized that now that your tracking, just need to follow thru and make the changes.
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