Plateau troubles!

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Hey! So Ive been stuck in a plateau for 2 weeks now and I was hoping some advice could be given?
I'm 23 years old, weight 220 and am 64 inches. My BMR says I need 1800 calories just to function, plus add my activity level which is 4 days a week of 30-50 minute cardio, making my calorie level around 2500. But I only eat 1800 a day because everywhere I look says I need about a 500-1000 calorie deficit to lose weight. I started at 250 lbs so I'm definitely happy with myself for getting this far, I'm just so frustrated. This is my first time actually trying to lose weight so I'm completely lost. There's hundreds of thousands of articles online about which way is best when it comes to weight loss, but I want to hear what real people do when they're stuck. Really, my biggest issue is I'm constantly worried if I'm eating to few or too many calories. If any passing souls is able to give me any advice, please do!

Replies

  • mou_254
    mou_254 Posts: 153 Member
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    If nothing else has changed and if you started exercising recently, you might experience some water weight gain. Will go away with time. Happens to me.
  • MrsPinterest34
    MrsPinterest34 Posts: 342 Member
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    Same thing just happened to me, i actually gained a pound. However on the 3rd week I started losing. I did not reduce my calories. In fact I ate more and exercised more. For exercise I increased my steps from 12000 to 15000-17000 steps daily . I continued to maintain my average 500 calories deficit. So technically I really didn't change much since I continued to maintain the same amount of deficit. MFP fitness gurus are right, you continue to lose even if it doesn't show on the scale. As long as you are in a deficit you'll lose. The human body and physiology sucks. The body does what it wants to do. You just have to focus on the deficit. I'm obsessed with the scale, I had to back off since my clothes are getting loose everyday. Which meant I don't need to make any changes to my calories and I'm weighing my food accurately.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Two weeks is not a plateau, just a stall. There are always going to be reasons why you don't lose or gain for a bit (increased sodium/carb intake, horomones--especially ones related to your monthly cycle, new or increased exercise, stress, or inaccurate logging). If you don't lose over the next week, then it's likely going to fall under inaccurate logging and you'll need to tighten things up.
  • mheat003
    mheat003 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I've lost 25lbs so far, but the last couple of weeks haven't yielded any results. I think all we can do is keep at it, right? Persevere with the same methods that worked before and hope that our bodies will get back in line.
  • happydance1978
    happydance1978 Posts: 1,489 Member
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    I too have hit a plateau since Christmas. I started at 280 and am now 245. It's not budged pants or scale for 3 months I'm not able to amp up exercise as I've just recovered from a torn ligament. I live the LCHF lifestyle but this plateau has got me down my goal weight is 220lbs any suggestions pllllleeeeeeaaaase.