Lost 30+ lbs... Plateaued :(

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AnaFitness2016
AnaFitness2016 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I'm 21 years old, 5'2 and weighed 215 pounds around 4 months ago. I have lost 32 pounds since then and I am around 183 pounds now. I achieved this by eating healthier/less and working out... Simple and effective.

Unfortunately, I have been stuck between 182-185 for the past month and can't seem to break out into the 170s. For reference, (on a good day) I try to eat 1,200 calories per day and workout 5 times a week, usually on the treadmill walking or jogging for about 30-45 minutes. I also workout from home and have a treadmill, elliptical, and hand weights.

Any workout tips or nutrition tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You say you try to eat 1200 calories a day. Are you weighing and logging everything you eat and using the correct entries? Do you eat some or all of your exercise calories back?
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    Keep going, I had the same problem, just stick to your plan and with time you will see the scale start moving down again.
  • AnaFitness2016
    AnaFitness2016 Posts: 10 Member
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    eveandqsmom wrote: »
    I'll bet it's portion creep. I'd clean out the cupboards, start measuring/weighing properly and start fresh. Good luck :)

    Thank you so much! :) Those are great tips.
  • AnaFitness2016
    AnaFitness2016 Posts: 10 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    You say you try to eat 1200 calories a day. Are you weighing and logging everything you eat and using the correct entries? Do you eat some or all of your exercise calories back?

    Hi there! I do measure out my food but I do tend to snack at night after a long workout. This leads me to eat some of the calories that I just burned. I didn't have a problem with this before until recently. Do you think I should stick to eating 1,200 calories per day? Thanks so much!
  • AnaFitness2016
    AnaFitness2016 Posts: 10 Member
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    AlciaMode wrote: »
    Keep going, I had the same problem, just stick to your plan and with time you will see the scale start moving down again.

    Thank you! That's super encouraging.
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
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    I would do a few things in your case- 1200 cals is the lowest you can go as a female generally so it's hard to maintain that the whole time since you have no where else to go from there.

    I would consider revisiting your calorie goal now that you've dropped 30+ pounds and consider reducing your weekly loss to 1-1.5 pounds a week. You'll want to revisit your calorie goals every so often as you lose weight since the less you weigh, the fewer calories you'll need.

    And a lot of plateaus can be fixed with just better logging. Weighing everything. Logging fully and consistently. It all adds up in the end.

    Good luck.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    I've had similar results to you (although I'm both taller and a lot older!) - started at 217 in January, currently at 186 (average of slightly more than 1lb per week). I'm losing fine on about 1400 calories per day and very little exercise. :)

    I've taken a couple of breaks (in March and June) and increased my calories to maintenance levels for two weeks at a time, and this allows me to loosen the reins a bit, assess how well I'm learning (portion control etc.) and then get back to losing with renewed focus and determination. I think that as the weeks go on I do tend to succumb to the "portion creep" thing, and my weighing and logging begins to get a little sloppier, so taking those breaks seems to really help me stay on track!

    Make sure that you take your measurements, take note of how your clothes fit, assess how your fitness is improving, and so on. And take photos for comparison! Sometimes, even if the scale isn't cooperating, we can see improvements in other areas and that helps to keep us motivated.

    Good luck, and stick with it - you're doing great! :)
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    AnaFitness2016 wrote: »
    Hi all! I'm 21 years old, 5'2 and weighed 215 pounds around 4 months ago. I have lost 32 pounds since then and I am around 183 pounds now. I achieved this by eating healthier/less and working out... Simple and effective.

    Unfortunately, I have been stuck between 182-185 for the past month and can't seem to break out into the 170s. For reference, (on a good day) I try to eat 1,200 calories per day and workout 5 times a week, usually on the treadmill walking or jogging for about 30-45 minutes. I also workout from home and have a treadmill, elliptical, and hand weights.

    Any workout tips or nutrition tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

    Being short, we really do hit a wall calorie wise which gives us less room for error. You're going to have to tighten up your logging. Double check that the listings you are using are accurate. Weigh all your food in grams, even slices of bread and packaged foods.

    Yes, eat back a portion of your exercise calories -- you must fuel your body.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    AnaFitness2016 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    You say you try to eat 1200 calories a day. Are you weighing and logging everything you eat and using the correct entries? Do you eat some or all of your exercise calories back?

    Hi there! I do measure out my food but I do tend to snack at night after a long workout. This leads me to eat some of the calories that I just burned. I didn't have a problem with this before until recently. Do you think I should stick to eating 1,200 calories per day? Thanks so much!

    You're meant to eat those calories back, especially being set to 1200 calories. But when you say measure, are you using measuring cups or a food scale for everything?

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