Major Plateau at ~30 pounds down... 35 more to go.

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rebelriesling_
rebelriesling_ Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,
I've lost about 30 pounds since December 28 of 2015 and have an ultimate end goal of 65 pounds of weight loss. I'm normally pretty good at staying positive and working through plateaus but it's been about 2-3 weeks and I've barely lost anything. In fact, on a few occasions my weigh-ins are slightly up! 95% of the time I have a calorie deficit of at least 1000 per day (tracked through Fitbit Charge HR) and my macros are normally pretty good (within 5-8%). I walk every single day and normally do weight training every second day. On occasion I do have a few drinks but that's very rare. I was doing 1 fast day a week (from supper on Sunday to supper on Monday), and I do have a thyroid disorder that causes it to cycle through being underactive to overactive and as of my last blood test about a month ago it was overactive, which means it should be easier for me to lose. I don't know what's going on and whether something like this is normal - any tips?
Thanks! :)

Replies

  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    Stick to it. After losing 30lbs my weight loss stopped for like 2 months. I eventually started paying more attention to what I was doing and it picked back up and I am now down another 20
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    2 -3 weeks where you are still losing even if it isn't as much as you'd like is not a plateau. Whenever I have issues I look to my logging - usually I've gotten sloppy, not using the food scale as much, not picking the most accurate entries, not using the recipe builder, "forgetting" to log those little nibbles here and there....
  • mish26
    mish26 Posts: 60 Member
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    I had way longer plateau's than that while I was losing. It also sounds like the scale is moving, just not as much as you'd like. Maybe you can open your diary so we can have a look and make suggestions?
  • rebelriesling_
    rebelriesling_ Posts: 27 Member
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    I've been gaining and loosing the same 3 pounds for the past few weeks, should have clarified that. Wondering if perhaps eating at maintenance for a week or two is a decent idea?
  • jzancola
    jzancola Posts: 17 Member
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    I would drop the fast day for a while. Eat a maintenance diet for 2 or 3 days. Change up your exercise routine. Then back to the plan. Shake it up a little.
  • dmack073082
    dmack073082 Posts: 21 Member
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    jzancola wrote: »
    I would drop the fast day for a while. Eat a maintenance diet for 2 or 3 days. Change up your exercise routine. Then back to the plan. Shake it up a little.

    Good advice. You have to shake it up. Try youtube videos. This dude is awesome.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O8U7g-3ago
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Great loss so far! A stall for a couple of weeks is completely normal. It's not considered a plateau until 6 weeks. After your rapid initial loss, expect that the overall rate of loss will slow down a bit too. That's also normal.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,527 Member
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    Are you under 150lbs? If so, then your deficit may be too high. Your body has adjusted to it and is possibly in homeostasis.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • rebelriesling_
    rebelriesling_ Posts: 27 Member
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    I am currently at 174.2 pounds coming down from 205.4. I guess to a certain extent I'm expecting quick loss now which I know isn't super reasonable. Also trying to make sure my weight training is allowing me to build muscle as well so I could be gaining slightly in muscle mass. Thanks everyone :)
  • janettemillard868
    janettemillard868 Posts: 10 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I Dropped 36lb from July to December - then plateaued, Injured myself a month ago but I'm still at the same weight thankfully. I've increased my calories to try and find and eat at maintenance until I can get back at it properly in the gym. Best advice I can give you is try getting to maintenance slowly ans stay there for a bit, and change up your workouts - the lower you get the harder you have to push to get even a small loss. Make sure your spot on with your tracking!

    If your building muscle - lifting more progressive in the gym then your going to get some water retention - this is how the muscles protect themselves while they repair and grow, so dont be to worried about a little fluctuation.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    I agree eat at maintenance for a few days, give your body a chance to rest from dealing with that deficit...
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    rebelriesling_ wrote: »
    I am currently at 174.2 pounds coming down from 205.4. I guess to a certain extent I'm expecting quick loss now which I know isn't super reasonable. Also trying to make sure my weight training is allowing me to build muscle as well so I could be gaining slightly in muscle mass. Thanks everyone :)

    I was at same starting weight and currently down 50...it took a while.

    you won't be building any appreciable muscle in a deficit.

    As for being in a plateau probably not. A plateau is 4-6 weeks without any weight loss.

    ftp4ol6upxkb.jpg

    You don't have to mix up exercise and eating at maintenance for a couple days is not going to help out a whole lot either.

    See the chart above.

    Mostly if you aren't losing at the rate you expect check your logging.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    No such thing as a plateau. You are just consuming too much. It doesnt get more complicated than that. You certainly dont need a diagram....
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
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    Eat less.
  • Squirrel698
    Squirrel698 Posts: 127 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Are you under 150lbs? If so, then your deficit may be too high. Your body has adjusted to it and is possibly in homeostasis.

    The what to the what? I ask because I just got off a stalled weight loss time. I gained a pound and it wouldn't leave. Eventually I got frustrated and decided life was too short. I proceeded to eat like a starving man over Easter and Monday. Today I was down 3lbs?? I checked two scales to be sure. Yep. It makes no sense ...
  • Yourkindagirl
    Yourkindagirl Posts: 100 Member
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    I went through this after losing 30 pounds. My plateau lasted 2.5 months. It wasn't until I increased the intensity of my workouts that I lost weight. I would sometimes walk 20,000 steps per day, but I could walk and talk on the phone at the same time. Once I started jogging, (3 - 10 minute intervals, eventually 45 minutes non stop), the weight began melting off. I have lost the other 30 pounds and I am at goal. So whatever you are doing, increase your intensity and do it consistently.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Yourkindagirl wrote: »
    I went through this after losing 30 pounds. My plateau lasted 2.5 months. It wasn't until I increased the intensity of my workouts that I lost weight. I would sometimes walk 20,000 steps per day, but I could walk and talk on the phone at the same time. Once I started jogging, (3 - 10 minute intervals, eventually 45 minutes non stop), the weight began melting off. I have lost the other 30 pounds and I am at goal. So whatever you are doing, increase your intensity and do it consistently.

    so you created a deficit with exercise as opposed to food...

    Exercise is not needed for weight loss you can create the deficit with less food intake.
  • rebelriesling_
    rebelriesling_ Posts: 27 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I'm eating between 1000-1200 calories a day, sometimes less since I'm on medications that make me very nauseated. I don't typically eat back exercise calories either and log everything meticulously, down to the last gram using a food scale. To those saying eat less, I don't see how I could eat less and have adequate nutrition and energy for exercise? Wouldn't I be technically in starvation mode and retain everything? Any tips?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    rebelriesling_ wrote: »
    I'm eating between 1000-1200 calories a day, sometimes less since I'm on medications that make me very nauseated. I don't typically eat back exercise calories either and log everything meticulously, down to the last gram using a food scale. To those saying eat less, I don't see how I could eat less and have adequate nutrition and energy for exercise? Wouldn't I be technically in starvation mode and retain everything? Any tips?

    The thing is this...you are losing weight...per your OP...
    but it's been about 2-3 weeks and I've barely lost anything. In fact, on a few occasions my weigh-ins are slightly up! 95% of the time I have a calorie deficit of at least 1000 per day

    with only 30-35left it will slow down and you should be decreasing your deficit to 500 calories a day.

    If you are weighing your food etc are you logging it correctly?

    Eating less is the go to but I think you are just wanting it all too fast...expecting weight to fall off you.

    Readjust your expectations.

    As well open your food diary for us to see so the advice given is better on point.

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