Stuck

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dannapearsall
dannapearsall Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5"1', 123lbs and have been stuck here for about 2 weeks. Before that, I was stuck at 125 for over a month. I stopped WW and started using MFP and macros while increasing my calories, and I lost 2 pounds easily. I cannot figure out what to do now. I'm at 1300 calories, 50% carbs/30% protein/20% fat, and I'm light/moderately active. I'm a teacher and I do vinyasa/ashtanga yoga at least 5 times a week for an hour or more. To be honest, I find it difficult to eat 1300 calories and stay within my macros. I feel like I stuff myself with whole foods (unprocessed meat, fruit, veggies, whole grains) and protein (powder and bars). I know, poor me, who has trouble eating 1300 calories, right? Any ideas?

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  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Have read this?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • dannapearsall
    dannapearsall Posts: 18 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Have read this?

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

    I have.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Do you use a food scale to weigh everything?
  • dannapearsall
    dannapearsall Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm sorry, but I don't see the point in asking me one question at a time like this, other than maybe to poke until you find a weak spot to attack. Yes, I weigh my food.

    I guess what I'm trying to ask is, based on what I've said, does it seem like I'm at the correct colorie/macro totals, or do I need to change them? Am I inadvertently putting myself in "starvation" mode - especially if I don't increase my calories based on my exercise?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Wow
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Probably going to regret trying to help based on the responses above, but here are my very general tips:

    1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

    2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

    3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

    4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

    5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

    6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

    7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

    8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

    9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.


    If you're looking for foods to help boost your intake, you might find some ideas here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    dannapearsall wrote: »
    I'm sorry, but I don't see the point in asking me one question at a time like this, other than maybe to poke until you find a weak spot to attack. Yes, I weigh my food.

    I guess what I'm trying to ask is, based on what I've said, does it seem like I'm at the correct colorie/macro totals, or do I need to change them? Am I inadvertently putting myself in "starvation" mode - especially if I don't increase my calories based on my exercise?

    No, you are not inadvertently putting your body in starvation mode based on what you've described.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Just keep going. Follow your plan. The results will come when you least expect it. "Trust the process."
  • monicaale38
    monicaale38 Posts: 23 Member
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    Have you heard the 3 day ketosis plan, is to eat only vegetales and protein , every 3 hours for 3 day, after that you go to your regular eating, that will help your metabolism .
  • dannapearsall
    dannapearsall Posts: 18 Member
    edited March 2016
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    dianethegeek wrote: »

    No, you are not inadvertently putting your body in starvation mode based on what you've described.

    Thank you.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
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    Two weeks is not at all a long time to 'stall' but if you want to see progress quicker why not introduce some cardio like running or cycling as well as your Yoga? But bear in mind to get say 1lb/wk weight loss you'd need to burn an additional 3500 calories so that'd be say 7 tough spin classes per week - quite a lot and maybe not realistic hence give yourself a break and be happy with just 1/2lb a week or less even.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    As others have said, two weeks is definitely not a stall. A high sodium day, a higher carb day, water retention due to muscle repair from strenuous workouts, or where you are in your monthly cycle are all examples of things that can make you hold water weight. Since you say that you weigh all of your food on a food scale, I would just be patient and wait a few more weeks. If you still don't lose any weight or even gain weight, then you'd have to reassess your calorie intake.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    You are short and light. Your deficit is likely not large enough to register on the scale weekly or biweekly. You may simply need to accept that your losses may only show monthly.
  • dannapearsall
    dannapearsall Posts: 18 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    You are short and light. Your deficit is likely not large enough to register on the scale weekly or biweekly. You may simply need to accept that your losses may only show monthly.

    Thanks. After reading a few other similar posts, I think this is my biggest problem. Losing pounds is pretty easy at first, but when you are a small person and get down to just a few pounds within your goal, it's tough!
  • veggiecanner
    veggiecanner Posts: 137 Member
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    ever time I get stuck, I increase my walking, like from 2 miles to 3 -4 a day.
    And since it worked I am assuming for some reason I was counting calories wrong.

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