Confused About Weight Loss Plateau
Options
Replies
-
Yea you've done well to stick to such a restricted diet, my mum is on similar she is completely over eggs.
They warn that when you start eating carbs again there can be a tendency to binge, it will test your will power.2 -
rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
10 -
I know I know, you know better than all of us but two weeks isn't a plateau. I wouldn't change anything for another couple of weeks. Human bodies aren't machines even though they may behave that way sometimes (as yours has thus far).
Nobody is trying to be mean or call you a liar, just pointing out some of the most common reasons for the scale not to show what we think it should. It's an imperfect tool.
Asking how you are sure there is no calorie/portion creep is a valid one. Most of us don't consume perfectly portioned foods, we'll have say, 1kg of chicken breasts and all of those will be a different weight. I eat porridge/oats every morning and those come in big bags. I know what I think my 30g looks like on my scoop but without weighing it I know my subconscious would let me throw a little extra on there. Because brains are sneaky like that.
You asked for help. People are offering it. If you wanted specific answers probably best to let us know in the OP so we don't annoy you with perfectly valid suggestions.23 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »Okay just so we're clear. I know my body. I know what I eat. If I eat the same thing all the time it's illogical to track calories because the calories in the things I eat don't change. And finally I know when I've hit a plateau because I know my body. Thank you to everyone who posted positive support and answered the question.
You may eat the same things, but are you sure you're eating the same amounts of those things. A little creep in portion sizes with high cal stuff is going to mount up pretty quickly.
Nony. Nope. Not the case. I literally eat the same thing. Not sure why thats so difficult to understand.
Because eating the same things and eating the same amounts of those things are not the same. I was asking for clarity on that, and you haven't yet said how you know you are eating the same amounts. Do you weigh, but not log, your foods, for example?
Also, have you recalculated your calorie needs since starting?
You asked for advice and people are trying to help you. The most obvious place to start is always to check your logging to make sure you are eating the calories you think you are.14 -
Sometimes people can act quite harshly, I've noticed when someone is asking for help.8
-
Okay Nony. I don't think youre getting what I'm saying. Of course changing the amount of food would change the amount of calories. That's as common as common sense gets. So if I've repetitively told you that I'm eating the same thing and that my calories haven't changed would that not imply to you that I'm eating the same amount? I mean really do you honestly think I'm sitting here doubling the amount of food I'm eating and thinking it's the same amount of calories? I'm sorry but I really dont get why this is difficult for you
11 -
Nykkismommy21 wrote: »Sometimes people can act quite harshly, I've noticed when someone is asking for help.
Nobody in this thread has been the least bit harsh. Matter of fact, yes. Harsh, no.19 -
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
7 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
So you're in a deficit, which means it's not a plateau just that the scale isn't matching your expectations. That's normal, frustrating at times, yes, but normal.9 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »Okay Nony. I don't think youre getting what I'm saying. Of course changing the amount of food would change the amount of calories. That's as common as common sense gets. So if I've repetitively told you that I'm eating the same thing and that my calories haven't changed would that not imply to you that I'm eating the same amount? I mean really do you honestly think I'm sitting here doubling the amount of food I'm eating and thinking it's the same amount of calories? I'm sorry but I really dont get why this is difficult for you
Maybe because we see that all the time. People say 'oh but I'm eating the same!'. When they actually weigh and log, they discover they're not. You don't have to be eating twice the amount, a little bit of creep is very common if you're not weighing your food, and that adds up quickly. Example - I have halloumi for dinner nearly every night, it's pretty high cal, I aim to cut the same size portion each time, I can easily be 20g off. Hence people are asking you to clarify what you mean by 'the same', and how you know that. I really don't get why that is so difficult for you...
So, do you weigh your food, or are you eyeballing those portions? Simple question, yes/no answer.7 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »Okay Nony. I don't think youre getting what I'm saying. Of course changing the amount of food would change the amount of calories. That's as common as common sense gets. So if I've repetitively told you that I'm eating the same thing and that my calories haven't changed would that not imply to you that I'm eating the same amount? I mean really do you honestly think I'm sitting here doubling the amount of food I'm eating and thinking it's the same amount of calories? I'm sorry but I really dont get why this is difficult for you
Maybe because we see that all the time. People say 'oh but I'm eating the same!'. When they actually weigh and log, they discover they're not. You don't have to be eating twice the amount, a little bit of creep is very common if you're not weighing your food, and that adds up quickly. Example - I have halloumi for dinner nearly every night, it's pretty high cal, I aim to cut the same size portion each time, I can easily be 20g off. Hence people are asking you to clarify what you mean by 'the same', and how you know that. I really don't get why that is so difficult for you...
So, do you weigh your food, or are you eyeballing those portions? Simple question, yes/no answer.
I would say especially so when on a high fat diet. A slip of the hand and boom, 200 calories over.8 -
rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
6 -
-
CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
With your activity level that calorie intake is too low. So I'm calling water retention due to cortisol from stressing the body. Again, very common.8 -
-
VintageFeline wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
With your activity level that calorie intake is too low. So I'm calling water retention due to cortisol from stressing the body. Again, very common.
^^This. Eat properly.2 -
VintageFeline wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
With your activity level that calorie intake is too low. So I'm calling water retention due to cortisol from stressing the body. Again, very common.
Im retaining water because I'm not eating enough? That's a new one but it makes sense
1 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »
It's what I have used as I need to be a certain weight by a certain date for a fight, hence why I freaked by my plateau.0 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
With your activity level that calorie intake is too low. So I'm calling water retention due to cortisol from stressing the body. Again, very common.
Im retaining water because I'm not eating enough? That's a new one but it makes sense
Yep, that absolutely may be the answer. I'd highly recommend taking a diet break and eating at maintenance for a week or two, reset those hormones, then get back to a sensible deficit, eating 50-75% of your exercise calories back.4 -
CheersforWhit wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »
It's not just a matter of your metabolism slowing, a 178 lb person uses more calories than a 147 lb person. Your caloric needs have to be periodically recalculated as you lose weight.CheersforWhit wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »I agree with others that tracking your calories is essential for learning whether or not you are in a deficit. Since your caloric needs drop the smaller you become, you can't rely on eating what you have always eaten. At this point you're guessing. Not logging was fine for you while you were steadily losing weight but since you're not, it is clearly no longer working for you.
It's completely normal to start off losing regularly and after a few months transition into losing weight intermittently in a series of plateaus followed by "whooshes" of losing several pounds overnight. If you have reason to believe you are still in a deficit, be patient and wait for the whoosh. The whoosh effect is caused by the way the body retains water while breaking down fat - lost fat cells are temporarily filled with water, which is then flushed all at once.
I'm in deficit. I don't feel like defending myself on that point anymore so you'll just have to take my word for it. If you're implying that my metabolism may have slowed then that's a possibility but my initial deficit was so big and I've stuck to the same diet every week for 12 weeks that I highly doubt. I'd need to go to a Dr. Or Nutritionist to get a BMR calculation
That's a fair point. I know I'm going to need less calories for my current weight but I also only consume between 1000 and 1200 per day so I can't cut much more
With your activity level that calorie intake is too low. So I'm calling water retention due to cortisol from stressing the body. Again, very common.
Im retaining water because I'm not eating enough? That's a new one but it makes sense
Yup. Increased cortisol from stressing the body with too high a calorie deficit causes water retention. It can also happen with a moderate deficit over the longer term (along with other hormonal changes) and is why diet breaks and lower deficits are recommended often here. You're still losing fat but it is masked on the scale by this retention. Additionally, with too high a deficit you risk larger muscle losses than necessary. Faster isn't always better.5
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 390 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions