Endless plateau
HungryHungrystepho
Posts: 21 Member
I lost 50 lbs last year and have another 30-50 to lose. I have been within the same 5lb range since Christmas!! (8 months). I still count/measure/weigh (i.e. Obsess) over every single thing I eat. I've added more exercise. I recently cut my calories from 1500 to 1400. I do relax and cheat a bit on the weekends but that is the only thing that prevents me from giving up completely. It helps me be so controlled during the week when I know I have the weekend off. I've been able to maintain but I still have so much to lose and the scale is not budging!! I considered giving up the weekend cheats but I believe that would be setting myself up to fail. Any suggestions?
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Replies
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Your weekends maybe messing you up. Do you log your intake on the weekends?2
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Sorry you're eating at maintenance.1
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Sorry you're eating at maintenance.
I considered that as well but my weight is 178 and my job is pretty demanding physically. I've tried researching that as much as possible and chose those calories based on what I found but I'm not against changing that number. I just don't want to under eat and kill my metabolism.
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Stop counting and measuring and weigh all solids. Also make sure that you are using correct entries in the database. There are a lot of incorrect and outdated entries that you may be using.
Instead of cheating on the weekends, pick one day or one meal and make sure that you are still within your calorie goal (or at least make sure you don't go over maintenance).3 -
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queenliz99 wrote: »Your weekends maybe messing you up. Do you log your intake on the weekends?
I tried logging my weekends for a while but I found it was causing me to want to stop doing it at all because I get so sick of counting every little thing. I suppose I could try to automate some meals during the week and start logging better on weekends.
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The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.0 -
This content has been removed.
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Stop counting and measuring and weigh all solids. Also make sure that you are using correct entries in the database. There are a lot of incorrect and outdated entries that you may be using.
Instead of cheating on the weekends, pick one day or one meal and make sure that you are still within your calorie goal (or at least make sure you don't go over maintenance).
If I'm honest with myself, I know I'm going over calories on the weekends and not logging them allows me to lie to myself lol. It worked this way for me to lose the first 50lbs but I'm going to have to give it up.
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Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing0 -
Stop counting and measuring and weigh all solids. Also make sure that you are using correct entries in the database. There are a lot of incorrect and outdated entries that you may be using.
Instead of cheating on the weekends, pick one day or one meal and make sure that you are still within your calorie goal (or at least make sure you don't go over maintenance).
This. If you're using the same entries over and over in the database, it's a good idea to doublecheck those against what you're eating periodically to make sure they still apply.
Also, it's a good idea to double check foods you're entering into the database, anyway, as the MFP database is user maintained, so it is inaccurate quite often. This also includes the green "verified" checkmarked entries (which are pretty much useless) and the barcode scanning. Are you using ASDA values for fruits/vegetables/meats/cheeses?
Also, yes, definitely log the cheat days. You need to get a handle on how many calories you're taking in. Knowledge is power, and you may be surprised by what you learn.
Do you use the recipe builder when you enter home cooked things, or just use your best guess?
Is everything entered into your diary in grams?1 -
HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
What is this job? Construction?0 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »Stop counting and measuring and weigh all solids. Also make sure that you are using correct entries in the database. There are a lot of incorrect and outdated entries that you may be using.
Instead of cheating on the weekends, pick one day or one meal and make sure that you are still within your calorie goal (or at least make sure you don't go over maintenance).
This. If you're using the same entries over and over in the database, it's a good idea to doublecheck those against what you're eating periodically to make sure they still apply.
Also, it's a good idea to double check foods you're entering into the database, anyway, as the MFP database is user maintained, so it is inaccurate quite often. This also includes the green "verified" checkmarked entries (which are pretty much useless) and the barcode scanning. Are you using ASDA values for fruits/vegetables/meats/cheeses?
Also, yes, definitely log the cheat days. You need to get a handle on how many calories you're taking in. Knowledge is power, and you may be surprised by what you learn.
Do you use the recipe builder when you enter home cooked things, or just use your best guess?
Is everything entered into your diary in grams?
It's definitely time to stop lying to myself about the weekend thing. I do use recipe builder and count every single item individually. I use grams with everything except meat just because ounces is easier for me to calculate 1/2 lb etc.
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HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »
What is this job? Construction?
I work in the service department for a water treatment company. I carry 5 gallon bottles of water, and 40lb bags of salt repeatedly throughout the day. Also lifting, moving various equipment up and down stairs etc. Only sitting at lunch for 30 minutes.1 -
HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
2000 is very high for a diet for a woman, even my 6ft husband is on a lower intake.
Start at 1000 (the minimum you can do on this programme) and work up. I promise if it's 1000 balanced calories you won't feel hungry once.0 -
Vegplotter wrote: »HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
2000 is very high for a diet for a woman, even my 6ft husband is on a lower intake.
Start at 1000 (the minimum you can do on this programme) and work up. I promise if it's 1000 balanced calories you won't feel hungry once.
Stop.9 -
Your weekends are undoing your progress. It's so easy to go overboard and not even realize it.
Tighten up on weekends but add in some little "treats" that make you happy along the way. Just make sure they fit within your calorie range.2 -
As others are saying, I think your weekend calories might be just enough to stop you losing weight. How about trying 5:2 intermittent fasting? My parents in law do this and they like it as it allows them to be less restrictive on 5 days. I have 30lb to lose and have to be fairly strict with my calories and quite active in order to lose anything. I'm doing 16:8 fasting as it's helping with calorie control.0
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It's NOT a plateau if your eating is consistent day to day for 6 weeks. Do you account the calories for your cheats? If not, there's your problem.HungryHungrystepho wrote: »I lost 50 lbs last year and have another 30-50 to lose. I have been within the same 5lb range since Christmas!! (8 months). I still count/measure/weigh (i.e. Obsess) over every single thing I eat. I've added more exercise. I recently cut my calories from 1500 to 1400. I do relax and cheat a bit on the weekends but that is the only thing that prevents me from giving up completely. It helps me be so controlled during the week when I know I have the weekend off. I've been able to maintain but I still have so much to lose and the scale is not budging!! I considered giving up the weekend cheats but I believe that would be setting myself up to fail. Any suggestions?
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
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Uh no. Unless you're under 5'0, there's no reason to start at 1000. And 2000 isn't high for a female if they're active.Vegplotter wrote: »HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
2000 is very high for a diet for a woman, even my 6ft husband is on a lower intake.
Start at 1000 (the minimum you can do on this programme) and work up. I promise if it's 1000 balanced calories you won't feel hungry once.
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
0 -
HungryHungrystepho wrote: »I lost 50 lbs last year and have another 30-50 to lose. I have been within the same 5lb range since Christmas!! (8 months). I still count/measure/weigh (i.e. Obsess) over every single thing I eat. I've added more exercise. I recently cut my calories from 1500 to 1400. I do relax and cheat a bit on the weekends but that is the only thing that prevents me from giving up completely. It helps me be so controlled during the week when I know I have the weekend off. I've been able to maintain but I still have so much to lose and the scale is not budging!! I considered giving up the weekend cheats but I believe that would be setting myself up to fail. Any suggestions?
Overdoing it, or cheating as you call it, on the weekends can kill a deficit pretty quickly, especially if you are eating over your TDEE.
Do you weight, log, etc. on those relaxing weekends?
I suggest that you stop creating cheat weekends and simply work treats into your day so you don't feel deprived (and, you obviously feel deprived since you are setting up the weekend to be cheat days). Work hard to stay in your calorie goals each day, but don't beat yourself up if you go over a day here and there.
I also suggest not to call eating over your calories as cheat days, because that implies doing something wrong. That in and of itself has negative connotation.1 -
Vegplotter wrote: »HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
2000 is very high for a diet for a woman, even my 6ft husband is on a lower intake.
Start at 1000 (the minimum you can do on this programme) and work up. I promise if it's 1000 balanced calories you won't feel hungry once.
Nope. This is very poor advice.
2000 is not high. I am a 5 ft 4.5 woman, 55 years old, and I lose on eating 2,000 a day because I exercise.
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Vegplotter wrote: »HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Vegplotter wrote: »The good news is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be (minus a bit as you'll be lighter later). You are wise to worry about metabolism - but 1600 calories plus 'weekends off' does not a diet make. I think it's okay to go low cal at the beginning of a diet, but gradually ratchet up later.
You talk of weekends 'off' - but your feed is private so we can't provide helpful hints.
Eight months means that you're really starting afresh. I'd go right back to basics - as low you can - but balanced!
If you are feeling hungry at the weekends it's either poor nutrition, boredom, lack of exercise or low metabolism. (You're eating at maintenance after all)
A new diet and more activity (anything - walking, gym, volunteering, sport, cleaning, gardening) should kick start the process again.
This time slowly add calories AFTER you've lost 25lbs (half your target), so you reward your good work and gradually achieve a healthy maintenance regime.
Happy to friend.
I'm really not sure how to set my calories because I have a physically active job and even my Fitbit shows I'm under calories during the week. Every seems to say I'm at maintenance though so maybe I do need to cut them. When I calculate online it says 2,000 to maintain, and then the calories go down based on how much I want to lose per week?? So confusing
2000 is very high for a diet for a woman, even my 6ft husband is on a lower intake.
Start at 1000 (the minimum you can do on this programme) and work up. I promise if it's 1000 balanced calories you won't feel hungry once.
Then, unless he is physically disabled of course, your "6ft husband" needs to step his activity game up because I'm a 5'3.5" female who weighs 108 pounds and I have to eat 2000+ calories to maintain my weight. You're right about one thing though; I wouldn't feel hungry once on 1000 balanced calories, I'd feel murderous.4 -
Thank you. I needed this to be honest with myself. I already knew the weekends were getting in my way but just needed a kick to stop living in denial3
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Stop with the cheat days, and incorporate treats throughout the week. I'm very tight with my logging Monday - Saturday, and I'm a little more lax on Sundays, but I still log everything that I eat. It's not a cheat day for me, it's just the day that I visit my grandparents and I refuse to turn away home cooked food from my granny or bring a food scale with me. I just eyeball my portions as best as I can, and will log the highest entry I can find on MFP.
Not logging on the weekends is what's killing you. Also, you don't have to deprive yourself to lose weight. I have 2 of those break and bake cookies almost every night, and I still lose consistently. I know it sounds so cliche, but moderation is key.
Question, you've lost 50lbs, have you updated your goals with MFP? You're lighter than you were when you first started so you don't need as many calories to sustain your current weight as you did when you were your starting weight. I won't lie, it does suck seeing that number go down, but it's necessary to keep the losses coming.
Also, what do you have your loss rate set to? If it's 2lbs/week you might find that calorie budget too restricting. You might need to set it to 1lb. After losing about 18lbs, I had to switch my loss from 1lb to .5lb b/c the calories for a 1lb weekly loss was too restrictive for me. I'd rather lose the weight at a slower rate and be comfortable than be miserable losing at a quicker rate.
Good luck OP and congrats on the amazing loss so far!2 -
HungryHungrystepho wrote: »Thank you. I needed this to be honest with myself. I already knew the weekends were getting in my way but just needed a kick to stop living in denial
For me, the denial usually ends up being all the little bites, nibbles and tastes of things. The smaller you get, the smaller your margin of error becomes and the little things start becoming big things.
I know it's frustrating when you already feel like you're giving it as much as you can but you're not getting any results. But hang in there and give it just a little bit more and it will pay off! (And be thankful you're plateau wasn't a gain - things can ALWAYS be worse!)1 -
Good for you in recognizing what you need to do! Good luck!1
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If you feel like you have to have something at the end of the week to look forward to maybe you can reel it in to one cheat meal rather than a couple cheat days:)0
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Someone with 80lbs to lose can lose easily and steadily with plenty room for error........however once u lose half this weight u need to up your game, theres very little room for error now im afraid with just 30lbs left to go. Set your loss to 1lb or even 0.5 if hunger is a problem for u and try it 7 days a week with no cheat days/weekends off.0
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Yeah I have to agree with other. Weekends are a killer. If you tend to snack at night that can do it too. Also, one you lose a bunch of weight you do have to step up your game as the person above me said. As you get smaller it becomes harder to burn the same amount of calories with the same amount of exercise. Step it up or change it up. I change my routines up about every 30 to 40 days to keep burning the calories.0
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