Hit a plateau. Need advice.
Nic_813
Posts: 21 Member
Hey everyone. I've been on my journey for almost a year and lost almost 60 pounds. I'm way more active and I love it. I have seem to hit that dreaded plateau. I haven't had a loss since January or I loose & gain the same 2-3 pounds a week. I haven't changed my diet much. I tried upping my calories a month, no loss. My macros are within range, my diet is full of veggies and healthy choices. I only drink water. I don't have cheat meals or if I do it's seriously few and far between. (Last one was at Christmas) I like what I eat and I don't crave a cheat meal. Anyway, I do exercise 5-6 days a week for at least an hour. I burn an average of 500 calories but I don't "eat" what I burn. I usually run, yoga/Pilates or some dancing. Any suggestions on what I should try to break this plateau?! Thanks.
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Replies
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How many calories are you eating? What is your current height/weight? How close are you to your goal? Have you worked out your TDEE? I have lost 29 kg (64 lbs) in approx 9 months and have also stopped losing much, however, I know that i am eating closer to maintenance calories with tiny deficit, and am ok with that at the moment as I run lots and eat lots! As you lose weight, your body needs less energy so you need to eat less in order to keep losing.
Don't lose hope, you have done really well, you just need to work out exactly what you eat and burn everyday in order to keep losing, if you need to! As you know, logging accurately is vital for success, especially as you get close to goal.1 -
How many calories are you eating? What is your current height/weight? How close are you to your goal? Have you worked out your TDEE? I have lost 29 kg (64 lbs) in approx 9 months and have also stopped losing much, however, I know that i am eating closer to maintenance calories with tiny deficit, and am ok with that at the moment as I run lots and eat lots! As you lose weight, your body needs less energy so you need to eat less in order to keep losing.
Thanks for responding.
My TDEE is around 2200. I used MFP suggestions and it took me back down to 1230 calories a day. For a month, I was working out a little longer 6 days a week and I went up to 1380 and no success. I'm 5'1 & im at 164 currently. The 1230 calories MFP suggested should help me lose estimated 2 pounds a week but not even losing 1 or even half. It's frustrating but I still eat well and workout hoping to break through.0 -
So you eat 1230 and burn 500 during exercise? So you net 730 calories a day?2
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I have read that if you hit a plateau that you should make some changes. Change your macro ratios (increase/decrease carbs and fats) and do something different for exercise. This can shock your body into further weight loss.2
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »So you eat 1230 and burn 500 during exercise? So you net 730 calories a day?
Yes and I've been thinking this has got to be wrong which is why I upped my calories. When I started, way in the beginning, I was doing WW and my coach said that range was good. Now that I'm active, this can't be right. I did use one of those online calculations and it still brings us 1350-1400 calories a day. I usually don't eat what I burn because I'm not hungry. It all is confusing to me.
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That is frustrating, I am 5'3 and 133 lbs and eat about 2000 - 2500 calories on my running days, of which I burn 500 - 750 calories. I couldn't survive eating 1230 calories! I recently saw a dietitian who told me to up my calories, so i did. If you are working out so much, why aren't you hungry? Do you have health issues that suppress your appetite?1
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »So you eat 1230 and burn 500 during exercise? So you net 730 calories a day?
Yes and I've been thinking this has got to be wrong which is why I upped my calories. When I started, way in the beginning, I was doing WW and my coach said that range was good. Now that I'm active, this can't be right. I did use one of those online calculations and it still brings us 1350-1400 calories a day. I usually don't eat what I burn because I'm not hungry. It all is confusing to me.
Omg how can you function on low caloriea like that.
What kind of exercise do you do?
Have you introduced weights to your routine?1 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »I have read that if you hit a plateau that you should make some changes. Change your macro ratios (increase/decrease carbs and fats) and do something different for exercise. This can shock your body into further weight loss.
I have recently upped my carbs. The gym local to me doesn't have daycare, so I do home workouts. (Live in a small town) I do try to switch up the running and dancing with maybe a T25 session.
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That is frustrating, I am 5'3 and 133 lbs and eat about 2000 - 2500 calories on my running days, of which I burn 500 - 750 calories. I couldn't survive eating 1230 calories! I recently saw a dietitian who told me to up my calories, so i did. If you are working out so much, why aren't you hungry? Do you have health issues that suppress your appetite?
I am anemic and I have gluten sensitivity. I try to limit my gluten intake. Last checkup was last month and 100% healthy other than those two things. But now that you mention it, I do stress a lot more in the last few months. My son was diagnosed with autism in February so I tend to just focus on him. Single mom too, so I guess I tend overlook myself, if that makes sense.
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »So you eat 1230 and burn 500 during exercise? So you net 730 calories a day?
Yes and I've been thinking this has got to be wrong which is why I upped my calories. When I started, way in the beginning, I was doing WW and my coach said that range was good. Now that I'm active, this can't be right. I did use one of those online calculations and it still brings us 1350-1400 calories a day. I usually don't eat what I burn because I'm not hungry. It all is confusing to me.
Omg how can you function on low caloriea like that.
What kind of exercise do you do?
Have you introduced weights to your routine?
I don't do weights. Just my own body weight during Pilates. I can't get to the local gym because of my son and they lack daycare. I run, dance, yoga/Pilates. Do programs like T25 and Insanity at times. I don't know why I don't get hungry. I don't take any supplements at all. I do feel that I need to up my calories. It would make sense right...because I'm more active now?
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Yes it makes sense, I raised my now 18 year-old son alone and put myself last. Now I come first and I don't feel guilty, wish I did it years ago! My iron was very low also, and I am on supplements, I don't eat meat which is a major factor. Maybe you should really try to eat more for a while and see how that goes. You are so active, try not to focus on the scale for while, just get your iron and energy levels up!1
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Yes it makes sense, I raised my now 18 year-old son alone and put myself last. Now I come first and I don't feel guilty, wish I did it years ago! My iron was very low also, and I am on supplements, I don't eat meat which is a major factor. Maybe you should really try to eat more for a while and see how that goes. You are so active, try not to focus on the scale for while, just get your iron and energy levels up!
Thank you. I've been thinking that I do need to up calories for some time now. I do think I'll give that another try.
My son is 3 1/2. I have to say, I'm very glad I took charge of my health and fitness last summer. I have so much energy now to keep up with him and he loves dancing and going running with me. I'll definitely get my iron up and see how that all goes. Thank you so much for hearing me out and helping. I appreciate it.0 -
Hey everyone. I've been on my journey for almost a year and lost almost 60 pounds. I'm way more active and I love it. I have seem to hit that dreaded plateau. I haven't had a loss since January or I loose & gain the same 2-3 pounds a week. I haven't changed my diet much. I tried upping my calories a month, no loss. My macros are within range, my diet is full of veggies and healthy choices. I only drink water. I don't have cheat meals or if I do it's seriously few and far between. (Last one was at Christmas) I like what I eat and I don't crave a cheat meal. Anyway, I do exercise 5-6 days a week for at least an hour. I burn an average of 500 calories but I don't "eat" what I burn. I usually run, yoga/Pilates or some dancing. Any suggestions on what I should try to break this plateau?! Thanks.
You sound a lot like me. How about trying a different work out. The body may need the challenge
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There are 2 options:
1) You are eating more than you think
2) You are burning less than you think
If you have actually netted 700 calories for 4 months, I highly advise taking a full diet break and try to undo some of the damage you may have done.11 -
Open your diary? Or pick 2-3 days from last week and list what you ate? Include food weights & calories. There is an error somewhere. Could be that you're using wrong database entries, using other people's recipes and assuming they are similar to what you're eating, or not using a food scale and eating larger meals than you're logging.2
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Personal opinion, take it or leave it...
I think you should definitely introduce some weight training into your routine, 3 days per week would be plenty. Maybe give the cardio a break for a while (30 days). I've seen plateaus hit like this when people over-train and under-eat. Make sure you're getting enough protein and carbs and check your vitamin levels (especially your B vitamins), as this can affect your metabolic rate. Supplement if necessary. Veggies are great for helping you feel full and providing some vitamins, but they don't really provide much value beyond that. Lean proteins and quality complex carbohydrates (whole grains) are much more valuable in a diet/workout routine.
It also doesn't hurt to blow your calorie goal 2-4 times per month. If you normally consume ~1200 calories per day, schedule one day per week and double (or even triple) that amount. This has been shown to boost metabolism and help people overcome plateaus. Some people call it a "cheat day". I don't like to think of it that way, since quality eating is a way of life, but maybe take a day and significantly increase your carbohydrate intake to make sure you can exceed those calories. Some people take this too far and use a "cheat day" to eat a gallon of ice cream... that's not the purpose of this at all. It's not bad to eat something you like but try to stay on track with your overall nutrition goals. For instance, in my diet, I completely avoid beef and pork, most dairy (except the rare slice of quality cheese or cup of yogurt), and all processed foods, and I stick to my nutrition goals even on my "cheat day".
Like I said, personal opinion based on my own experiences.1 -
I am about the same weight as you, but taller (167, 5'8"). I average about 1400 cals a day but that is an overall average--I learned for me that if I have a several low days (1200ish) followed by several higher days (1600-1800) that I avoid the long plateaus. I lose about 2 lbs/week. Interestingly after I started with the fluctuations, I began to notice that some days I was barely hungry and some days I was very hungry--so now on the not-hungry days I do the lower calories and the more ravenous days I do the higher. The scale almost always drops after the higher calorie days. It's like my body has a rhythm and now that I'm working WITH it, it's dropping the weight pretty easily.
I also recommend doing the weight training (everyone here always told me "lift heavy!") and back off on the cardio for weight loss. I believe this is really a key factor in kicking your body into gear for losing.2 -
Hey everyone. I've been on my journey for almost a year and lost almost 60 pounds. I'm way more active and I love it. I have seem to hit that dreaded plateau. I haven't had a loss since January or I loose & gain the same 2-3 pounds a week. I haven't changed my diet much. I tried upping my calories a month, no loss. My macros are within range, my diet is full of veggies and healthy choices. I only drink water. I don't have cheat meals or if I do it's seriously few and far between. (Last one was at Christmas) I like what I eat and I don't crave a cheat meal. Anyway, I do exercise 5-6 days a week for at least an hour. I burn an average of 500 calories but I don't "eat" what I burn. I usually run, yoga/Pilates or some dancing. Any suggestions on what I should try to break this plateau?! Thanks.
Well you sure won't lose weight by eating MORE, that is for sure.
As you lose, your maintenance calories decrease. You are smaller, you need less fuel to do the same activity. So eat less, or increase your activity.0 -
Best advice I could offer; don't look for advice from others in regards to weight loss goals. Everyone is different, what may have worked for someone else will more than likely not work for you. I know it's not really advice but it seems everyone's an expert and most of what anyone may offer is highly subjective. Just re-evaluate what you've done, what you've been doing and make one change at a time and stick with it for a long enough time to see if it works. The best advocate or person who can let you know what's working and isn't sometimes is just yourself. Good luck!2
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I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
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trigden1991 wrote: »There are 2 options:
1) You are eating more than you think
2) You are burning less than you think
If you have actually netted 700 calories for 4 months, I highly advise taking a full diet break and try to undo some of the damage you may have done.StaciMarie1974 wrote: »Open your diary? Or pick 2-3 days from last week and list what you ate? Include food weights & calories. There is an error somewhere. Could be that you're using wrong database entries, using other people's recipes and assuming they are similar to what you're eating, or not using a food scale and eating larger meals than you're logging.
I was thinking the same about maybe eating more or less than I was thinking. I log everything. Very particular on that for learning and also easy to show a doctor if needed. Helps me also keep up with my iron because of anemia. I recently got a digital food scale and just started logging more accurately since last Friday. I have been off. Thanks guys.2 -
trigden1991 wrote: »There are 2 options:
1) You are eating more than you think
2) You are burning less
I use my Apple Watch to track my burn calories the most. It is on point to when I use the chest HRM. So I think I'm burning accurately.
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quiksylver296 wrote: »I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
Just got one last week.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
Just got one last week.
Sweet. Did you find inaccuracies with your logging once you started using the scale? I found actual serving sizes of peanut butter and ice cream to be pretty disheartening.
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I saw you mentioned you do mostly yoga/Pilates and running. I'd try mixing weight training into the workouts, even if you just start with 2-5 lb. weights or use little ankle weights while walking or running.
I've also heard that at a certain point, your body will actually stop losing weight progressively of you're not eating enough calories. You may want to up your intake a bit.1 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
Just got one last week.
Sweet. Did you find inaccuracies with your logging once you started using the scale? I found actual serving sizes of peanut butter and ice cream to be pretty disheartening.
I found so many inaccuracies. I can't believe how off it all was. Having a digital scale now is beyond helpful. I am hopeful that now I may see change. I decided to up way calories also. Let's see what the next 10-12 weeks bring. Thanks for the advise too. Appreciate all the help.1 -
aamerine08 wrote: »I saw you mentioned you do mostly yoga/Pilates and running. I'd try mixing weight training into the workouts, even if you just start with 2-5 lb. weights or use little ankle weights while walking or running.
I've also heard that at a certain point, your body will actually stop losing weight progressively of you're not eating enough calories. You may want to up your intake a bit.
Thank you for those tips. You know, I actually had ankle weight in my closet. Brought them out and will be using the from time to time. Today I picked some 3 & 5 pound weights. Decided to start small and maybe later do buy 8 or 10. Thank you.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
Just got one last week.
Sweet. Did you find inaccuracies with your logging once you started using the scale? I found actual serving sizes of peanut butter and ice cream to be pretty disheartening.
I found so many inaccuracies. I can't believe how off it all was. Having a digital scale now is beyond helpful. I am hopeful that now I may see change. I decided to up way calories also. Let's see what the next 10-12 weeks bring. Thanks for the advise too. Appreciate all the help.
So this is the answer to the original question you asked!2 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »I may have missed it, but you use a food scale to weigh your food, right?
Just got one last week.
Sweet. Did you find inaccuracies with your logging once you started using the scale? I found actual serving sizes of peanut butter and ice cream to be pretty disheartening.
I found so many inaccuracies. I can't believe how off it all was. Having a digital scale now is beyond helpful. I am hopeful that now I may see change. I decided to up way calories also. Let's see what the next 10-12 weeks bring. Thanks for the advise too. Appreciate all the help.
So this is the answer to the original question you asked!
Thread closed indeed1 -
Normal metabolism of a female to be able to function calories should not go below 1200cal per day. If you are exercising and burning up the calories you've eaten your body will go into starvation mode and slows down. Then when you eat more your not metabolizing as fast this the yo yo effect. Increase your protein at each meal, this will increase your muscle and help your body build and repair it's tissues. Lean muscle helps burn fat. Fuel the furnace with healthy choices lean meat whole grain and lots of vegies at least 2 fresh fruit per day.even if you eat 1400 and burn 500 you are still not eating enough. 1500 cal ADA diet with exercise you will lose lbs.0
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