How to break the plateau?

So I have been working regularly and now it seems like my weight won't go down anymore. Everyone says you need to change things because your body is used to this but I'm still new and at a loss for what to change. I used to just work out for 35 min 3 days a week. When I got to the point where I stopped losing I added another 30min onto my workouts then saw I started gaining weight from that. Now I run 3-4 miles five days a week up from 2.4 miles. I also added weights into the mix still my weight holds. My calorie goal from mfp is 1500 but it's rare I get up that high. I normally only eat 900 to 1200 a day. Mfp says I'm not eating enough some days so I'll go have something like a cheese burger. If I don't get hungry for food how is that bad?

If anyone could help me out I would be greatful.
Thanks.

Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited March 2016
    The firs questions you'll get is do you weigh your food and can you make your diary public.

    You can work out for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. But if you aren't in a calorie deficit you won't be losing any weight or you could even gain.
    Losing weight is 80-90% calories/food and 10% exercise. Having said that, you can lose weight with zero exercise.

    Long story short, if you were truly only eating 900-1000 calories, the weight would be falling off of you. Barring any medical conditions ofcourse
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    How long has it been since you lost weight? If more than a few weeks, you're likely eating way more than 900-1200 calories (which you should be anyway...1500 is the minimum intake).
  • ulquiorra00
    ulquiorra00 Posts: 3 Member
    Been two weeks almost since it's gone down it just keeps increasing someone just told me it maybe because of how much fat I'm taking in
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Been two weeks almost since it's gone down it just keeps increasing someone just told me it maybe because of how much fat I'm taking in

    No, eating fat does not make you fat. Going over your calories is the only way you'll gain weight.
  • becca1380461
    becca1380461 Posts: 25 Member
    Check out this article...it's something I'm currently paranoid about myself. A 900-1200 net calories can have negative effects.

    http://www.metaboliceffect.com/starvation-mode/
  • becca1380461
    becca1380461 Posts: 25 Member
    If MFP tells you to net 1500 be sure to eat at or around that...MFP is right for your goals!
  • bcbenp44
    bcbenp44 Posts: 1 Member
    Try mixing up your calorie intake. The body is always trying to achieve homeostasis, so if you are in a long term caloric deficit, your body will change in order to meet it's new caloric intake.

    For example, to maintain my body weight I need about 3200 calories a day. 2700 calories a day will lead to 1 pound lost a week. It's not that simple though. If I eat 2700 calories a week, for a long period of time, my body will adapt by shedding muscle mass and slowing my metabolism until it can be supported by my new calorie intake. I can tell when this is happening because I lose strength and am tired all the time.

    A better approach is to vary day to day, or even week to week calorie intake. Maybe instead of eating 2700 calories a day I will eat 2700 calories one day of the week, 3000 calories a day 3 days, and 2400 calories a day the other three days. You can also have days or weeks where you intentionally go above your maintenance goals. Maybe I would have a couple days where I eat 3500 or even 4000 calories, and I have some weeks where I have a net calorie surplus and gain weight.

    If you are in a constant calorie deficit, your body thinks it is starving and will change to fix the problem. You have to vary your diet in order to keep it from adapting.

    I'm by no means an expert on this but have a lot of personal experience and have done quite a bit of research. Hope this helps.
  • patty_36_2
    patty_36_2 Posts: 22 Member
    I reached my plateau a few months ago....was.doing really well.and only had about 20 lbs left to go.. But it was winter here, so less walking and gardening that I found was a great help... So I just kept an eye on what I was eating and tried to keep busy in the house, but i know i ate more.... only put 4 lb on... Snows going so it's back to the garden and long walks... Overall I found that the break had proberly done me a favor, because I'm now ready to " reset" and March on to lose that last 20 lbs... Don't lose heart....think positive....
  • ulquiorra00
    ulquiorra00 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks yes that helps a lot
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Check out this article...it's something I'm currently paranoid about myself. A 900-1200 net calories can have negative effects.

    http://www.metaboliceffect.com/starvation-mode/

    @becca1380461 Have a read of this, it might make you feel better :smile:

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited March 2016
    You are NOT in a plateau.

    Water weight is a temporary weight gain that can mask your results - and its typical to retain water when you start a new workout routine or increase workout intensity. Its because your muscles need extra water for repair. Other common causes for water weight are high sodium intake, sleep disruption, stress.

    Do fuel your body. You want to lose weight, but do you want to cause damage along the way? And trust the process. You are confident that putting gas in your car and doing regular maintenance is necessary to keep your vehicle on the road for the long term, right? Food is the same, as a source of fuel for the body.

    Google your BMR, its the amount of calories your body (based on height/weight/age/gender) uses in a day to handle basic functions. Then you burn more calories as you use energy to move thru your daily activities, and for cardio where you're moving multiple muscle groups for an extended period of time. This will help you to better understand how you can create a deficit for weight loss and still eat 1500-1800 MINIMUM. From there, just give it time.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited March 2016
    why on earth would you only be eating 1200-1500 cals - for a guy thats just wrong!

    You've added more workouts which masks any fat loss as your muscles are holding onto water for repair.