Plateau

justmexris
justmexris Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I already lost about 50lbs but now I hit a plateau for almost a year now. It's very frustrating. I hit the gym 3 times a week, maintain a very active lifestyle, train and run marathons. But I still can't shed those pounds off. I just started using this app to monitor my calories because I believe that's where I'm having trouble with. Anyone with the same problem? Any advice to get out of a plateau? Thanks

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    A year? You're eating at maintenance. Congrats on finding your maintenance calories but you're eating too much to lose. Just use the app, and a food scale. You should be moving along soon.
  • justmexris
    justmexris Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks arditarose. It's really frustrating cause I'm putting my hours in the gym. I just need to get better in the kitchen. hopefully this app works for me in monitoring my calorie intake because I still have a long way to go to my ideal weight.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    justmexris wrote: »
    Thanks arditarose. It's really frustrating cause I'm putting my hours in the gym. I just need to get better in the kitchen. hopefully this app works for me in monitoring my calorie intake because I still have a long way to go to my ideal weight.

    I know. Trying to create a deficit through exercise alone is very difficult. You can lose weight without exercise, but of course exercise is beneficial for health and helping to create a larger deficit. Really, once you get your calories in line you'll be good. Good luck!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    justmexris wrote: »
    Thanks arditarose. It's really frustrating cause I'm putting my hours in the gym. I just need to get better in the kitchen. hopefully this app works for me in monitoring my calorie intake because I still have a long way to go to my ideal weight.

    I know. Trying to create a deficit through exercise alone is very difficult. You can lose weight without exercise, but of course exercise is beneficial for health and helping to create a larger deficit. Really, once you get your calories in line you'll be good. Good luck!

    ^^This! Underestimate your calories eaten and burned, and you will find yourself back on track.
  • TrainerNaomiGutierrez
    TrainerNaomiGutierrez Posts: 8 Member
    justmexris wrote: »
    I already lost about 50lbs but now I hit a plateau for almost a year now. It's very frustrating. I hit the gym 3 times a week, maintain a very active lifestyle, train and run marathons. But I still can't shed those pounds off. I just started using this app to monitor my calories because I believe that's where I'm having trouble with. Anyone with the same problem? Any advice to get out of a plateau? Thanks

    A year is a long time to plateau.

    Here is what you need to do:

    1. go back to the drawing board, and reconfigure your calorie goals based upon your current weight and body composition.
    2. change your workout. Add interval training once a week if you are not already doing it. If you don't know what interval cardio training is, look it up on Youtube, there are many tutorial videos.
    3. Incorporate two days of Intermittent Fasting, with a 16/8 model only. If you don't know what intermittent fasting is, go look it up on YouTube. There are many different videos, so I suggest you watch at least 5 different videos from 5 different people. The Hodge Twins have some pretty funny videos about their intermittent fasting. It is a great way to break a plateau, but is hard to maintain if you are not use to it. I linked several of my favorite videos on my pinterest board --> LINK

    Good Luck

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    TrainerNaomiGutierrez wrote: »
    justmexris wrote: »
    I already lost about 50lbs but now I hit a plateau for almost a year now. It's very frustrating. I hit the gym 3 times a week, maintain a very active lifestyle, train and run marathons. But I still can't shed those pounds off. I just started using this app to monitor my calories because I believe that's where I'm having trouble with. Anyone with the same problem? Any advice to get out of a plateau? Thanks

    A year is a long time to plateau.

    Here is what you need to do:

    1. go back to the drawing board, and reconfigure your calorie goals based upon your current weight and body composition.
    2. change your workout. Add interval training once a week if you are not already doing it. If you don't know what interval cardio training is, look it up on Youtube, there are many tutorial videos.
    3. Incorporate two days of Intermittent Fasting, with a 16/8 model only. If you don't know what intermittent fasting is, go look it up on YouTube. There are many different videos, so I suggest you watch at least 5 different videos from 5 different people. The Hodge Twins have some pretty funny videos about their intermittent fasting. It is a great way to break a plateau, but is hard to maintain if you are not use to it. I linked several of my favorite videos on my pinterest board --> LINK

    Good Luck

    OP, you don't NEED to do any of these. You obviously weren't counting calories properly to begin with so there is nothing to reconfigure, just use the calories MFP gives you and try to weigh your food on a scale. You don't need to change your exercise if you don't want to, and you don't need to do to IF to lose weight. If you want to though-that's fine.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Your MFP says 0 pounds lost? REENTER all of your information, make sure it's accurate and eat within the allotment it gives you. As stated above, you're eating at maintenance.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    OP, how did you lose the first 50 lbs? Did you track calories or just try to eat less and exercise? I assumed you were new to a calorie tracking app
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Almost a year? I admire your patience :smile:
  • justmexris
    justmexris Posts: 6 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    OP, how did you lose the first 50 lbs? Did you track calories or just try to eat less and exercise? I assumed you were new to a calorie tracking app

    I am new to this app that's why it shows 0 lbs lost because I want to start with a clean slate. I started at 230 lbs. Sedentary lifestyle because of a corporate desk job. I started running and lost the first 10lbs easily in a month. then I got a gym membership and the rest of the 40lbs followed within 6mos. then I hit a plateau.

    Now I'm having difficulty shedding off pounds. I am very active doing hiking, surfing, diving etc. but I have to admit, I am not good in watching my calories. I think I would try monitoring my calories first based on what MFP provided before I try more drastic approach. Aside from watching calories, I just want to see if there are other options I can try simultaneously which doesn't include "fasting". I try to limit fasting during lent season only. :)

  • justmexris
    justmexris Posts: 6 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Almost a year? I admire your patience :smile:

    It's so frustrating I have to admit. good thing I enjoy a more active lifestyle now compared to my sedentary lifestyle before. Plus the fact that though I want to reach my ideal weight, just being able to do what I can't before is really what's driving me now. :)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    justmexris wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    OP, how did you lose the first 50 lbs? Did you track calories or just try to eat less and exercise? I assumed you were new to a calorie tracking app

    I am new to this app that's why it shows 0 lbs lost because I want to start with a clean slate. I started at 230 lbs. Sedentary lifestyle because of a corporate desk job. I started running and lost the first 10lbs easily in a month. then I got a gym membership and the rest of the 40lbs followed within 6mos. then I hit a plateau.

    Now I'm having difficulty shedding off pounds. I am very active doing hiking, surfing, diving etc. but I have to admit, I am not good in watching my calories. I think I would try monitoring my calories first based on what MFP provided before I try more drastic approach. Aside from watching calories, I just want to see if there are other options I can try simultaneously which doesn't include "fasting". I try to limit fasting during lent season only. :)

    Oh okay. Yeah...Originally you just really upped your activity level and lost. Now you're smaller with a lower TDEE, time to count the cals. There are no other "options" really. People go about their deficits in different ways. Some people do a ton of cardio so they can eat more, some do none, some eat many times per day, some eat two big meals a day, high fat, low fat, low carb, high protein-etc. Find what works best for you.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I could bust my butt for 6 hours a day at the gym and not lose a single pound if I was eating more than I was burning.
    Yes exercise is a great tool in weight loss, but calories is really where it begins and ends.
  • justmexris
    justmexris Posts: 6 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    I could bust my butt for 6 hours a day at the gym and not lose a single pound if I was eating more than I was burning.
    Yes exercise is a great tool in weight loss, but calories is really where it begins and ends.

    Agreed! thanks for the inputs...
  • justmexris
    justmexris Posts: 6 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    justmexris wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    OP, how did you lose the first 50 lbs? Did you track calories or just try to eat less and exercise? I assumed you were new to a calorie tracking app

    I am new to this app that's why it shows 0 lbs lost because I want to start with a clean slate. I started at 230 lbs. Sedentary lifestyle because of a corporate desk job. I started running and lost the first 10lbs easily in a month. then I got a gym membership and the rest of the 40lbs followed within 6mos. then I hit a plateau.

    Now I'm having difficulty shedding off pounds. I am very active doing hiking, surfing, diving etc. but I have to admit, I am not good in watching my calories. I think I would try monitoring my calories first based on what MFP provided before I try more drastic approach. Aside from watching calories, I just want to see if there are other options I can try simultaneously which doesn't include "fasting". I try to limit fasting during lent season only. :)

    Oh okay. Yeah...Originally you just really upped your activity level and lost. Now you're smaller with a lower TDEE, time to count the cals. There are no other "options" really. People go about their deficits in different ways. Some people do a ton of cardio so they can eat more, some do none, some eat many times per day, some eat two big meals a day, high fat, low fat, low carb, high protein-etc. Find what works best for you.

    Thanks for the inputs! :)

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