No change in 18 days?

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SkyKC253
SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
edited April 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'4'', 155 lbs. Been using MFP and working out since this past September.

I usually manage to lose between 1-2 lbs a week. I exercise hard daily and I'm always at a deficit. But for the past 18 days my average calorie intake was about 1690. After those 18 days, I dropped .4 lbs only. This has never happened. My measurements haven't changed either. Is this a plateau? I'm not even within 20 pounds of my goal weight.. I didn't expect this yet. I'm carrying way too much fat around in my opinion. I'm a small frame at 5'4''.

I lost when I was eating 1400 max a day. Should I go back to the 1400? I burn 500-600 calories a day though. So my net is SO low when I eat below 1700...... I weight train but not insanely.. Never had so little of a loss after almost 3 weeks.

HELP!

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    Are you using a food scale?
    Have you re-calculated your goals since you lost weight?
    Are you using accurate database entries?
  • SkyKC253
    SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
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    Are you using a food scale?
    Have you re-calculated your goals since you lost weight?
    Are you using accurate database entries?

    Yes to all of the above :(
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    @SkyKC253 consider keeping with your current plan and let your body sort out what it wants to do. Weight loss can not be forced long term. Look at what you have achieved and practice maintaining for a while. We all know weight loss is not job #1 but learning how to maintain on our way down. The human body is amazing when we move and feed it correctly. Time is on your side. Best of success.
  • SkyKC253
    SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    @SkyKC253 consider keeping with your current plan and let your body sort out what it wants to do. Weight loss can not be forced long term. Look at what you have achieved and practice maintaining for a while. We all know weight loss is not job #1 but learning how to maintain on our way down. The human body is amazing when we move and feed it correctly. Time is on your side. Best of success.

    Wise words, thank you!

  • seanm560
    seanm560 Posts: 21 Member
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    Listen to what your body is telling you. If you're hungry all the time or feel like you're starving then eat, just make sure it's healthy and beneficial. It sounds like you may be eating too little which would cause your body to go into survival mode. Just a thought....
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Agreed. I've had plateaus last 3 weeks or more without changing anything. Try increasing water intake but keep on doing what you're doing. When the loss starts again it'll happen fast. I've noticed that as I got closer to my goals my body hit plateaus more often. Now it seems I hit one ever couple of weeks. If I keep my salt intake under control and drink lots of water it always starts up again after a week or two without doing anything different.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited April 2016
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    if you aren't losing you are either over estimating calorie burns or under estimating calories in.

    A plateau is a word that describes maintenance.

    A true stall however is when no weight (absolutely none) has been lost in 4-6 weeks.

    At that time it's time to tighten up logging and eat less food.

    ETA 18 days is just over 2 weeks...you have lost 1/4lb each week that is not "no change", it's a small change.

    sometimes weight loss is not linear and you could be retaining water due to new exercise or TOM and in another couple days it could go wooosh and you could lose a lb or 2...
  • SkyKC253
    SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Options
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.
  • SkyKC253
    SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this.

    so why use a website then?

    calculate your own

    you need an accurate log of calories in using a food scale and logging everything but this formula works great

    Total Calories consumed +(lbs lost x 3500)/#days.

    Typically the # of days is 21 or 28 days
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Options
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.

    When you were eating 1400, you were losing 1-2lbs per week correct?

    If that's the case that means your maintenance would be 1900-2400 with the middle ground being around 2200.
  • SkyKC253
    SkyKC253 Posts: 42 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.

    When you were eating 1400, you were losing 1-2lbs per week correct?

    If that's the case that means your maintenance would be 1900-2400 with the middle ground being around 2200.
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.

    When you were eating 1400, you were losing 1-2lbs per week correct?

    If that's the case that means your maintenance would be 1900-2400 with the middle ground being around 2200.
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.

    When you were eating 1400, you were losing 1-2lbs per week correct?

    If that's the case that means your maintenance would be 1900-2400 with the middle ground being around 2200.
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    SkyKC253 wrote: »
    Your exercise burns might be a little less than that.
    I think it's a little soon to say it's a plateau (water weight from where you are in your cycle, too much sodium, ect could be masking results). However I did run some numbers through a calculator and came up with this:

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Difficult workouts
    1962 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.5 lb per week)

    Sedentary daily life
    7 workouts a week
    30 min workouts
    Moderate difficulty workouts
    1887 to maintain (which would put your avg intake currently at 0.3 lb per week)

    http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    The calories that calculator gives you to cut.. do you know if those are net calories or total calories?

    Total.
    The exercise was included when calculating what you would maintain on.

    All the other calculators online give such higher TDEEs. That's always been my issue with the iifym website. Most websites puts my TDEE up near 2600. iifym puts me at 2250. That is an INSANE difference. I never understood this. I even make sure to use the mifflin jeor thing because I hear that's most accurate. Sailrabbit website is different. I always liked their stuff.

    When you were eating 1400, you were losing 1-2lbs per week correct?

    If that's the case that means your maintenance would be 1900-2400 with the middle ground being around 2200.

    Yeah. Using the IIFYM calc, I think my TDEE is probably about 2300 since I workout hard for at least an hour everyday. That's why I'm so confused. How did eating an average of ~1700 a day yield a .16 loss per week? That is what is so confusing. I should have lost at least 2 pounds in those 18 days, I think my scale may be broken honestly......
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    Options
    calculators are just estimates, maybe try eating less.
  • benzieboxx
    benzieboxx Posts: 253 Member
    Options
    @SkyKC253 consider keeping with your current plan and let your body sort out what it wants to do. Weight loss can not be forced long term. Look at what you have achieved and practice maintaining for a while. We all know weight loss is not job #1 but learning how to maintain on our way down. The human body is amazing when we move and feed it correctly. Time is on your side. Best of success.

    Going to second this. I've hit those moments before in the past when I was at my heaviest. Sometimes it just happens and your body just isn't shedding what you want it to. Then you step on the scale the following week and see a big change. Just give it time and don't stress about the number. Work on locking down those good habits instead! Gotta set yourself some non-scale goals too!
  • raishiwi
    raishiwi Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    Try doubling or tripling your water intake, always helps me get unstuck. Sodium makes you hold on to a lot of weight. Secondly, start taking progress pics every few weeks, the scale might not like you, but the camera might.
  • CarpStylist
    CarpStylist Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    Been working out and dieting myself. I havnt lost a single pound! In fact I went up two pounds. BUT....I've been measuring my belly and my waist is getting smaller and I feel better. I also have been measuring my body fat percentage and that has been going down. Don't live by the scale. There are plenty of ways to view progress.