Plateau?

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rubixcyoob
rubixcyoob Posts: 395
in Health and Weight Loss
So, for the past two and a half weeks I have been stuck at around 176lbs. I have been exercising 4+ times a week as well as doing daily activities like playing with my son, taking walks while pushing a 23lb load in a pram (uphill) etc.

I think it might be something to do with my net calorie intake. After excercise I am averaging between 600 to 400 net under by 1200 guideline. However, being new to this I don't really want to take any chances and either fully enter starvation mode or eat way to much and just pile everything back on.

I've read people say that they have had to eat more in order to loose weight, but really, the thought of this scares me. Just written down I see no logic in it you know? Eating more = loosing weight? It just doesn't seem plausible.

But if anyone can shed any insight, advice, opinions and tips then please. I'm getting desperate now.

P.S I was loosing between around 2lbs per week before, after initially loosing around 12lbs in two weeks (though illness with vomiting and just not eating) and I've not changed anything I am doing in a negative way, I am still eating the exact same but exercising more.

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  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I'm no medic, but from what i've read on this site and on the web, if you don't eat enough, your body will just store what you do eat to maintain itself. As for losing weight, if you're not eating enough and your body's storing what you're eating...simply put, you're not going to lose any.

    Make sense? What to do about it....that I don't know. But I'm in my own plateau at the moment and for me it's a case of upping the exercise I know that, because I've gone into lazy mode.

    Hope you get yourself sorted
  • cowpacino
    cowpacino Posts: 77 Member
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    the reason you want to eat more is because of your metabolism. If you consistently eat too few calories, your body thinks it's dying, so your metabolism cools down so that you can survive on less calories, and whenever you slip up and have a few extra calories your body immediately stores as fat so that it can be used if the food runs out. Eating more calories keeps your metabolism running hot. Of course you don't want to eat too much, but I see no reason why anyone should eat fewer than 1500 calories a day unless they are 4'9" and 97 lbs
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    Hi i can't see your diary Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



    Good luck on your journey
  • rubixcyoob
    rubixcyoob Posts: 395
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    the reason you want to eat more is because of your metabolism. If you consistently eat too few calories, your body thinks it's dying, so your metabolism cools down so that you can survive on less calories, and whenever you slip up and have a few extra calories your body immediately stores as fat so that it can be used if the food runs out. Eating more calories keeps your metabolism running hot. Of course you don't want to eat too much, but I see no reason why anyone should eat fewer than 1500 calories a day unless they are 4'9" and 97 lbs

    That's what I'm scared of.
    I struggle to eat my 1200 a day, by quite a lot. So if I was to up and manage my 1200 a day for a week. With my regular exercise, would I just put on more weight or loose it?

    I don't want to put on and be disheartened really.

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