YOUR EXPERIENCE !

Do you count your calories/have a calorie deficit set? I read counting calories is important in weight loss. Do you use MFP calories burnt calculators for your workouts? I heard that sometimes that calculator isn't always accurate, and that you should maybe eat about 50% of the calories back.(that's what I read on the forums)
I'd say continue your usual routine; it may seem like you hit a "plateau" but it could just be muscle gain/water weight or simply weigh fluctuations. If none of these, don't give up! You'll eventually reach your goal through routine.

If you haven't lost in two months, then you're most likely eating more than you think and need to tighten up your logging. This may mean any of the following: making sure every piece of food and non-water liquid that passes your mouth is logged, using a food scale to weigh all foods and measuring cups for all liquids, double-checking that the entries you use are 100% accurate, using the recipe builder over homemade or generic entries when you're cooking, and being mindful of how many exercise calories you burn and/or eat back.

22MaiHicka22 wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

This is really informative I thank you , but I need other people experience .
I read many articles and theories about this ,and I am not satisfied yet .

Every single time I've plateaued i traced it back to sloppy logging aka eating too much.

22MaiHicka22 wrote: »

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

22MaiHicka22 wrote: »

Hello mfp peeps ,

I am struggling with "wieght plateau" for two months now -though I gained few pounds back
I read some articles about this subject , but I need to hear your experiences and tips to overcome this dilemma *sigh*

Please , I need this

It's all right HERE.

Thank you very much , I loved the article ,It was well written !
BUT , There is one question nagging me !
I am in 1400 calories deficit "Thus It is not working for me anymore " I thought I could simply switch to 1000 calories per a day but he said " It is not healthy". What am I supposed to do then???

First I would make sure you're actually eating 1400. Like it's been said, most plateaus are caused by logging errors. And 1000 calories is too low.

22MaiHicka22 wrote: »

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

22MaiHicka22 wrote: »

Hello mfp peeps ,

I am struggling with "wieght plateau" for two months now -though I gained few pounds back
I read some articles about this subject , but I need to hear your experiences and tips to overcome this dilemma *sigh*

Please , I need this

It's all right HERE.

Thank you very much , I loved the article ,It was well written !
BUT , There is one question nagging me !
I am in 1400 calories deficit "Thus It is not working for me anymore " I thought I could simply switch to 1000 calories per a day but he said " It is not healthy". What am I supposed to do then???

Please read my post above about tightening up your logging

This is my experience:

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.

malibu927 wrote: »

If you haven't lost in two months, then you're most likely eating more than you think and need to tighten up your logging. This may mean any of the following: making sure every piece of food and non-water liquid that passes your mouth is logged, using a food scale to weigh all foods and measuring cups for all liquids, double-checking that the entries you use are 100% accurate, using the recipe builder over homemade or generic entries when you're cooking, and being mindful of how many exercise calories you burn and/or eat back.

This is excellent advice. I would add to it... Get a heart rate monitor like a Fitbit so that your exercise estimates are more accurate as well. I've never had as much success as I have since I got a Fitbit and a food scale. I think my calorie logs (in and out) are all pretty spot on, and weight has really been falling off of me. Plus I'm over 40. I have discovered it doesn't have to be a constant battle.

Accurate food tracking + accurate exercise tracking = SUCCESS