I've hit a plateau

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lynsi3nich0ls
lynsi3nich0ls Posts: 4
in Motivation and Support
I am a 5'4" female and am 25yrs old and weigh 157lbs. Since I've started using MFP, I have lost 9lbs. I work out 4 days a week, twice a day and drink nothing but water (and sometimes green tea), but right now, I have found myself at a plateau.
For the most part, I eat pretty healthy, but I have had a few rough days (these days are not a regular occurance)
My goal is to weigh between 130-140lbs by September 1.
Does anybody have suggestions to help me out? I feel as though I have tried everything and I'm starting to lose my motivation.

Replies

  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    You should probably open up your diary so people can offer you suggestions.
  • bpe101
    bpe101 Posts: 53 Member
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    Consistency is key! Reevaluate everything you are doing and get back on track, then make sure you stick with it. You should see a couple days of no change, then you will start to see the pounds drop again.

    Also, plateaus occur when we need to adjust our calories. When we start losing weight, the total number of calories we need lowers slightly. If we keep eating the same amount, we won't see the steady decline of weight.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
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    How long has it been since you've seen results?
  • lynsi3nich0ls
    lynsi3nich0ls Posts: 4
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    It's been roughly 2 weeks that I've been stuck at this weight
    **Also, I have made my diary public if that can help anyone see what I am not seeing**
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
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    I can see the issue fairly clearly.

    On Tuesday you were nearly 1000 calories below your goal. Last Thursday you were 1600+ below your goal. You have several days where you ate in the neighborhood of 1000-1100 calories total. I looked back as far as the beginning of May, and in there found 11 days where your total calories equaled between 500-900 calories. There were a few days that had nothing at all in them, and I truly hope you were just too busy to log.

    MFP already creates a deficit for you so that you will lose weight regardless of exercise. When you exercise and don't replenish at least some of those calories, you're creating a much larger deficit. I understand that sounds like a good thing on the surface, but your body will only perform the way you want it to for so long like that, and it looks like you're beginning to see that in your recent lack of results.

    As far as food itself goes, there is a lot of processed food and it would be wonderful for your body if you were able to swap at least some of that out for fresh, whole foods. Your protein is often quite low, and if you hope to maintain your muscle (and lose fat, not just 'weight') then upping that with quality sources would be an excellent choice, too.

    EDIT: I see in another post you made that you've only got about 20 pounds you'd like to get rid of. If that's the case, I'd suggest setting your goal to losing 0.5-1 pound/week, and meet your calorie goal.
  • lynsi3nich0ls
    lynsi3nich0ls Posts: 4
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    Thank you for your suggestion, I will try that starting this weekend through the end of this month and see if I notice any results.
  • ThaiKaren
    ThaiKaren Posts: 341 Member
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    Some of my friends are doing the Wendie Plan, you have all your calories but juggle them about i.e. you have 1 really high day and then 3 low days and 3 very low days, but you still have the same amount of calories in a week, if that makes sense, I'll let you know how they do, apparently it tricks your body. Google it and it will explain better than I can x

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