At what point would you see the doctor about a Plateau in weight loss?

caednkat · February 2016

Hi.
I'm 35 years old and I've lost about 83lbs this year. However, I've been holding at the same weight give or take 5lbs since the first of December.
At first I thought it was the holidays. Then January went by and still hanging out in the 270s. So I'm wondering now what my next step is?
I made changes to tackle pre-diabetes not really weight loss. I do weigh all of my food to the gram. I don't however make sure I'm exact on putting it in my log on here that way. I'm a stay at home mom who homeschools. So I just put things in as quickly as I can. I figure at my size I could be unexact as long as I come close to goal I should still see slow loss.

I've lurked on many threads about this and I just thought maybe someone had an idea of something I haven't thought of or tried yet.

My personal goal each day is 1500-1700 calories. MFP puts me at a target goal of 1730 calories to loose 2lbs a week.

I walk on the treadmill daily for 3-4 miles. I don't always enter it daily though. Just depends on if I put my heart rate monitor on or not. Either way I do not eat those calories back.
I also do hand weights every other day (again not usually logged here since I don't eat those calories). And Yoga. Typically 20-30 minutes of yoga daily at home and I take a 1 hour class at least 3 times a month.

I've tried shaking my exercise up the last few weeks. Raising incline one day. Lower incline and faster speed the next. I've also tried adding a higher calorie day just to see what would happen. The nutritionist I saw in Nov. mentioned maybe that would shake the scale up. It hasn't.

I'm getting frustrated. While weight loss wasn't my main goal it was still a smaller goal. My blood sugar is perfect now and I feel great. I'd just like the scale to start moving a little bit again.

For reference. Dec 2nd I was 272. Feb 2nd I was 272. But, between those two dates I lost 2 inches in my waist and hips. 1 inch from my left thigh, right arm and neck. 1 1/4 inch from my right thigh. 1/2 inch from my left arm and 1 1/2 inches from my chest.
So I know that the exercise I'm doing is doing something... I just really want that dang scale to move. lol

Thanks for reading!
Mandi

callsitlikeiseeit · February 2016

janejellyroll · February 2016

I would tighten up my logging before I sought medical attention (as frustrating as that advice may be). Weighing your food is good, but if you are using entries that may be incorrect, you still can't be sure how much you're eating.

jkal1979 · February 2016

You are using a lot of generic & homemade entries and most of your portions are logged in cups/spoons. If you are weighing them, log the weight in grams. This post will give you a good rundown on how to log accurately on here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

Tighten up on your logging and if you are still at the same calorie goal as you were in the beginning it might be a good idea to run through the numbers again to see what your calorie goal should be at your current weight.

NaturallyandProperly · February 2016

I'm assuming you are not eating enough calories - is your heart rate high? Are you challenging yourself? Try to do something different? My doctor mentioned to me that I have to workout 5-6 times a week for an hour, hour and a half each time in order to loose.. so far it's working. It doesn't hurt to see the doctor though. You're doing great so far!!

NaturallyandProperly · February 2016

WAIT - you've lost 83 pounds in 2016?? - SHEESH GIRL - it is working! Even if you mean in 2015 - keep going, you're doing great!

janejellyroll · February 2016

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

I'm assuming you are not eating enough calories - is your heart rate high? Are you challenging yourself? Try to do something different? My doctor mentioned to me that I have to workout 5-6 times a week for an hour, hour and a half each time in order to loose.. so far it's working. It doesn't hurt to see the doctor though. You're doing great so far!!

If OP isn't losing weight, it's odd to assume that she isn't eating *enough*.

AmazonMayan · February 2016

I've had to double check some of my tried and true options for logging lately. Someone somewhere keeps changing things on them and it's incorrect information lol. Sometimes lower calories and sometimes higher. Frustrating and I may have to just do all my own so no one can mess with them. *I notice it while logging.

Make sure your logging is correct (weighed) and the entries you choose are accurate. If you are not losing then you are eating at maintenance.

SonyaCele · February 2016

i would not see a doctor about weight loss, i know my body better than my doctor does. A nutritionist would probably help you more. or even a really good personal trainer, a good one not the local gym trainer.

janejellyroll · February 2016

SonyaCele wrote: »

i would not see a doctor about weight loss, i know my body better than my doctor does. A nutritionist would probably help you more. or even a really good personal trainer, a good one not the local gym trainer.

Since "nutritionist" can mean almost anything, a registered dietitian would be a much better choice.

AJ_G · February 2016

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

I'm assuming you are not eating enough calories

What are you talking about?

SonyaCele · February 2016

janejellyroll wrote: »

SonyaCele wrote: »

i would not see a doctor about weight loss, i know my body better than my doctor does. A nutritionist would probably help you more. or even a really good personal trainer, a good one not the local gym trainer.

Since "nutritionist" can mean almost anything, a registered dietitian would be a much better choice.

yeah, i didn't know there was a difference, but something along the lines of someone that will sit down and go over your diet, spend time with you and help modify it. I actually shy away from nurses or doctors, since my experience is they usually give you three minutes of time and have a text book cookie cutter approach to their diagnosis and recommendations.

juggernaut1974 · February 2016

jkal1979 wrote: »

You are using a lot of generic & homemade entries and most of your portions are logged in cups/spoons. If you are weighing them, log the weight in grams. This post will give you a good rundown on how to log accurately on here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

Tighten up on your logging and if you are still at the same calorie goal as you were in the beginning it might be a good idea to run through the numbers again to see what your calorie goal should be at your current weight.

^^ No need to consult a doctor until you get the above issues addressed.

debrakgoogins · February 2016

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

My doctor mentioned to me that I have to workout 5-6 times a week for an hour, hour and a half each time in order to loose.

@NaturallyandProperly I would get a second opinion on that. Calories in/calories out is the key to weight loss. Working out helps you become healthier and can be helpful in weight loss but you can't exercise away a bad diet.

LKArgh · February 2016

First, your logging is not very accurate. If what you estimate as 1700 calories is e.g. 2200 calories (and it could be even more) it perfectly explains why you were losing and now you have slowed down.
Second, if the issues is avoiding diabetes, asking for a reference to a dietician would be a very good idea. Some of your choices are definitely not what I would expect for someone trying to avoid diabetes (the combinations rather than the choices) so you could benefit from some more specific guidelines, like how to count carbs per meal, how much is a serving of each time you can have per meal etc. It might be time for an extra push after the initial changes you did last year.

WalkingAlong · February 2016

If you're losing inches you're losing fat. Ignore the scale for now. It's probably water. Nice job so far!

middlehaitch · February 2016

You are not losing because you are inconsistent in all your logging.
Why bother weighing your food if you aren't going to make the correct entry?

Start to follow the MFP guidelines to the letter. Weigh and measure everything - a slice of bread, salad dressing, oil in a recipe, pre packaged single servings.

MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories. Your deficit is accounted for in your basic calories. Eat back 50-75% of those you log through MFP, it overestimates.

Reassess your calories. If you haven't adjusted your calories since your last 10-15lbs loss you may well be eating a little over your expected loss. MFP asks if you would like to reassess your goal, but you have to do it manually.

Really, if you aren't using the app like it was designed to be used, you can't expect the results you have set it to.

If you want to lose the weight make how you log a priority.

Cheers, h.

elaineamj · February 2016

What helped me with weighing food is to keep a scratchpad in the kitchen. I scribble stuff down as I cook. Afterwards I sit with my pad and enter the entries. Otherwise, it takes so long to look up each ingredient I grab the first one I see.

caednkat · February 2016

Thanks everyone for the quick answers!!

I'll spend some more time logging the next two weeks and see what happens. I thought I was safe guessing at calories. I weigh everything to the gram for serving sizes because I watch carbs for blood sugar control. So I often just enter it as a serving size. Like my home-made ranch sour cream. I weigh that out for a portion of 30grams. But I log it as 2tbsp. The serving size on the container of sour cream is 2tbsp (30grams). So I thought that was safe.

However since I do cook all our meals from scratch just to keep from having to type everything in I do tend to use things others have put in as a estimate especially for supper.

I've ran the numbers several times on MFP and at my current weight I'm still at their suggested 1730 for a 2lb a week loss. According to other calculators it is higher though, never lower.

My heart rate monitor band if I wear it all day puts me burning around 2600 over the course of a day. I really am not sure how accurate that is though (Microsoft Band).

I just assumed that since I hadn't been eating my exercise calories I was covered for any inaccuracy in my logging. That approach worked for the first 83lbs so I thought it would still work for the rest.

I'm due to see my regular doctor for a yearly check up in March. I'll attack the logging to double check that my numbers are right and then have even better info when I see her next month.

caednkat · February 2016

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

WAIT - you've lost 83 pounds in 2016?? - SHEESH GIRL - it is working! Even if you mean in 2015 - keep going, you're doing great!

Thanks! 83lbs since March of 2015. Well, from March-Dec. of 2015. I haven't lost anything since the first of December. Didn't change anything in what I was doing until a few weeks ago. It just stopped working.

janejellyroll · February 2016

caednkat wrote: »

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

WAIT - you've lost 83 pounds in 2016?? - SHEESH GIRL - it is working! Even if you mean in 2015 - keep going, you're doing great!

Thanks! 83lbs since March of 2015. Well, from March-Dec. of 2015. I haven't lost anything since the first of December. Didn't change anything in what I was doing until a few weeks ago. It just stopped working.

For a lot of people, estimates work really well when they are at the beginning of their weight loss, but as they lose weight the margin for error becomes smaller.

caednkat · February 2016

janejellyroll wrote: »

SonyaCele wrote: »

i would not see a doctor about weight loss, i know my body better than my doctor does. A nutritionist would probably help you more. or even a really good personal trainer, a good one not the local gym trainer.

Since "nutritionist" can mean almost anything, a registered dietitian would be a much better choice.

The woman I see is a registered dietitian. I don't know that I trust her advice too much though. She basically just gave me some hand outs and sent me on my way. I've been to see her 3 times (cause insurance covers it so why not). She gives me some "Atta Girls" and thats pretty much it.
She just happened to mention at my last visit that if my weight loss ever slowed I might want to mix things up a little and have a higher calorie day once every couple of weeks.

caednkat · February 2016

janejellyroll wrote: »

caednkat wrote: »

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

WAIT - you've lost 83 pounds in 2016?? - SHEESH GIRL - it is working! Even if you mean in 2015 - keep going, you're doing great!

Thanks! 83lbs since March of 2015. Well, from March-Dec. of 2015. I haven't lost anything since the first of December. Didn't change anything in what I was doing until a few weeks ago. It just stopped working.

For a lot of people, estimates work really well when they are at the beginning of their weight loss, but as they lose weight the margin for error becomes smaller.

Thanks janejellyroll!
Maybe this will address the problem. I still have a LONG way to go. They make it look so easy on tv. lol

caednkat · February 2016

elaineamj wrote: »

What helped me with weighing food is to keep a scratchpad in the kitchen. I scribble stuff down as I cook. Afterwards I sit with my pad and enter the entries. Otherwise, it takes so long to look up each ingredient I grab the first one I see.

Great idea!!! Thank you! That's exactly what I've been doing. Searching for something and then giving up and picking the thing that seems closest to what I ate.

janejellyroll · February 2016

caednkat wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

caednkat wrote: »

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

WAIT - you've lost 83 pounds in 2016?? - SHEESH GIRL - it is working! Even if you mean in 2015 - keep going, you're doing great!

Thanks! 83lbs since March of 2015. Well, from March-Dec. of 2015. I haven't lost anything since the first of December. Didn't change anything in what I was doing until a few weeks ago. It just stopped working.

For a lot of people, estimates work really well when they are at the beginning of their weight loss, but as they lose weight the margin for error becomes smaller.

Thanks janejellyroll!
Maybe this will address the problem. I still have a LONG way to go. They make it look so easy on tv. lol

No kidding!

Honestly, 83 pounds is a great accomplishment. I think when you tighten up your logging, you've got this.

jkal1979 · February 2016

caednkat wrote: »

However since I do cook all our meals from scratch just to keep from having to type everything in I do tend to use things others have put in as a estimate especially for supper.

The problem with doing this is that you don't know what ingredients they used or how big their serving size was. Those two things can really throw things off. It's times like that when the recipe builder and saving things as meals comes in real handy. You only have to enter them in one time and they are saved under those tabs.

wrenak · February 2016

Everyone's covered it and you're already going to address what the issue may be, so I'm just going to say: Congrats on your loss so far! That's an amazing amount and I imagine you feel SO much better even if you are frustrated by the stall. Getting rid of those pounds makes a world of difference. Also, that's fantastic that your blood sugar is under control. Good luck with the rest!

try2again · February 2016

caednkat wrote: »

However since I do cook all our meals from scratch just to keep from having to type everything in I do tend to use things others have put in as a estimate especially for supper.

If you cook a lot, it's important that you get in the habit of entering your own recipes/meals. Like a PP mentioned, jot the measurements down while you cook if you cook w/o recipes, but once you've entered the "basic" recipe in the recipe builder, you'll be able to go back & make small adjustments each time you make it w/o too much hassle. Also, weigh your pots, pans, & baking dishes & keep a list on the fridge. After you've made the dish, weigh it, subtract out the pan, divide it by the # of servings you want to get out of it, and then weigh out the individual servings. Once you get the hang of it, it's not as time consuming as you might think.

I just assumed that since I hadn't been eating my exercise calories I was covered for any inaccuracy in my logging. That approach worked for the first 83lbs so I thought it would still work for the rest.

Through my own experience, and that of my friends on MFP, I've come to conclude the body has a mind of it's own and while the math works, it doesn't always match our expectations! I also have gone down 2 pants sizes w/o losing more than a handful of pounds the last couple of months. Doesn't make sense to me, but I do know that your body can't hold out forever when you are in a deficit. It'll happen! Great job so far!

try2again · February 2016

Whoops- accidentally inserted part of my comment in your quote!

elaineamj · February 2016

I cook primarily from scratch these days. Like I mentioned above, my scratchpad is my savior. This is what I do (thanks to many tips on here).

1. Scribble down every ingredient and its weight.
2. Weigh the finished product (family size). Because I often forget to weigh my pan/serving dish before I cook, I have to pour everything into a 2nd bowl (washing an extra bowl is worth it for accuracy).
3. Then I create the recipe in the recipe builder, logging each ingredient by weight (using usda entries when possible and verifyingon other websites if I need to).
4. I set # of servings as the total number of grams of the finished product. e.g. 2450g of chicken stirfry.
5. I weigh my portion and log it. E.g. 250g of chicken stirfry (which will then calculate the accurate calories of my portion)

Hope this helps!!

NaturallyandProperly · February 2016

janejellyroll wrote: »

NaturallyandProperly wrote: »

I'm assuming you are not eating enough calories - is your heart rate high? Are you challenging yourself? Try to do something different? My doctor mentioned to me that I have to workout 5-6 times a week for an hour, hour and a half each time in order to loose.. so far it's working. It doesn't hurt to see the doctor though. You're doing great so far!!

If OP isn't losing weight, it's odd to assume that she isn't eating *enough*.

No, not odd. She weighs 270 and is eating 1500-1700 a day. Not enough in my opinion and my research. I didn't look at her logging to see how accurate it is, but I do still think it's too low for right now.

At what point would you see the doctor about a Plateau in weight loss?

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