HELP! Weight loss plateau

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DesireeAshley90
DesireeAshley90 Posts: 137 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! So I'm not new to the game I've been using MFP off and on for over three years now. I have successfully lost 50 pounds with it. Then I gained 20 lost 20 gained 20 lost 20 at least a couple of times. Obviously I have a problem keeping it off, but I've never had a problem losing it. Here I am in the new year trying to lose this 20 again. This time for some reason it is waaay harder than last time. This time last year I had lost 10lbs. This month I lost 5lbs in the first few days and a whopping 1lb in the past month. I know I am still losing but I'm expecting at least 5lbs a month so what am I doing wrong? I am eating roughly the same (except more at home cooking while weighing my food). And I just started crossfit a month ago have been doing that steadily a couple times a week while implementing some cardio on the weekends. I recently upped the amount of exercise this week. My inches are slowly being lost and I can kind of feel it but come on why is my weight still this high? Any advice? Should I do something to kick start? Please help!

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  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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  • DesireeAshley90
    DesireeAshley90 Posts: 137 Member
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    Thank you! It looks like I'm the big red circle lol which still kind of doesn't help much :/
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    You're losing inches and still losing at least a little weight. You've recently increased your exercise, which often comes with increased water retention and a slight stall on the scale. Add to that all the usual reasons for weight fluctuations (hormones, stress, salt, etc) and I'd suggest giving your body a little more time before you worry too much. It might just be catching up after your change in routine.

    Congrats on your loss so far! 6 pounds is great!
  • MikeAV8s
    MikeAV8s Posts: 85 Member
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    Yeah, I know its anecdotal, but I lost @ 4 pounds through the first three weeks of January and as of yesterday, roughly two weeks, I had lost .4. I had begun training for a half marathon and about then the mileage really ramped up. If you are doing it right, the scale will start to move again. Keep the faith.
  • sfriel68
    sfriel68 Posts: 61 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    You're losing inches and still losing at least a little weight. You've recently increased your exercise, which often comes with increased water retention and a slight stall on the scale. Add to that all the usual reasons for weight fluctuations (hormones, stress, salt, etc) and I'd suggest giving your body a little more time before you worry too much. It might just be catching up after your change in routine.

    Congrats on your loss so far! 6 pounds is great!

    Increased water retention with increased exercise is interesting ?
    I too am struggling to get the scales moving again with a calorie deficit
  • carmkizzle
    carmkizzle Posts: 211 Member
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    DesireeAshley90 wrote: »
    Hi! So I'm not new to the game I've been using MFP off and on for over three years now. I have successfully lost 50 pounds with it. Then I gained 20 lost 20 gained 20 lost 20 at least a couple of times. Obviously I have a problem keeping it off, but I've never had a problem losing it. Here I am in the new year trying to lose this 20 again. This time for some reason it is waaay harder than last time. This time last year I had lost 10lbs. This month I lost 5lbs in the first few days and a whopping 1lb in the past month. I know I am still losing but I'm expecting at least 5lbs a month so what am I doing wrong? I am eating roughly the same (except more at home cooking while weighing my food). And I just started crossfit a month ago have been doing that steadily a couple times a week while implementing some cardio on the weekends. I recently upped the amount of exercise this week. My inches are slowly being lost and I can kind of feel it but come on why is my weight still this high? Any advice? Should I do something to kick start? Please help!

    You may want to change your expectations. Losing 5lbs in a month, especially if you don't have a whole lot to lose, isn't really realistic. Just because you were able to lose it in the past (not sure how quickly) doesn't mean it will be the same in the present. You said it seems "harder", but the fact that it's taking you longer to lose (as far as you're concerned) is probably the real issue. I'd be less focused on that scale on more focused on the inches you're losing.

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,786 Member
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    carmkizzle wrote: »
    You may want to change your expectations. Losing 5lbs in a month, especially if you don't have a whole lot to lose, isn't really realistic. Just because you were able to lose it in the past (not sure how quickly) doesn't mean it will be the same in the present. You said it seems "harder", but the fact that it's taking you longer to lose (as far as you're concerned) is probably the real issue. I'd be less focused on that scale on more focused on the inches you're losing.
    ^--This again and again and again.

    So, based on YOUR track record, as YOU detailed it, you lose 20 in January and February... then gain it by December and start the cycle again.

    How about losing 1.5 lbs, not 5lbs, a month from January to DECEMBER. Next January you will only have 2lbs to lose instead of 20, and by February you will be done.

    And. by that time, you just might have learned what it is you need to do to keep the weight off.

    Because you've obviously not managed, so far, to develop a keep the weight off strategy.

    A trending weight application may help you with your patience when daily fluctuations make it too hard for you to see progress.
  • DesireeAshley90
    DesireeAshley90 Posts: 137 Member
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    Thank you guys! I guess you're right I need to measure my inches and just pack the scale away. I'm just paranoid because now I'm getting married in June and I really need the weight to come off at fast as it did before. Though I shouldn't have gained it again in the first place. And I do know how there's an increase in water retention with more exercise I considered that as well! I guess I do need to give it more time. I guess like I said I'm more impatient now that I have a wedding to prep for. It also freaks me out because this time last year I lost more weight and I was eating nothing but frozen meals and now I cook at home and weigh food and it's way slower so I was worried that had something to do with it but I'm sure it isn't.

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