Advice please - stall
me0231
Posts: 218 Member
So, my weight loss has come to a complete stall and I went over my numbers and was hoping to get some input. For the record I'm 5'9, SW in April 203, CW 171, GW 150ish and have been stalled since August. I also have PCOS.
So anyways, I'm a nerd and I've averaged out my numbers for a weekly weight and calorie intake and an average weekly loss per month.
April: avg weekly loss 2lbs, avg calories 1338
May: avg weekly loss 1.5lbs, avg calories 1321
June: avg weekly loss 1.3 lbs, avg calories 1319
July: avg weekly loss 2lbs, avg calories 1293
August: avg weekly gain 0.4lbs, avg calories 1320
September: avg weekly loss 0.2 lbs, avg calories 1576 (due to eating at maintenance for the two weeks of the month)
I figured maintenance would help me get things going again, but it's been a month and I haven't lost any more weight despite eating an average of 1297 since then. Going by CICO I must simply be eating too much, right? And yes, I do weigh every bite I eat on a kitchen scale. It has worked well starting out, but it just completely stalled.
From all the stickies I've read, I lost 15% of my bodyweight but only lowered my calories by just under 50 a week, so I need to lower my calories for my lower calories needs now, but that means I'd be dropping them below 1200.
So anyways, I'm a nerd and I've averaged out my numbers for a weekly weight and calorie intake and an average weekly loss per month.
April: avg weekly loss 2lbs, avg calories 1338
May: avg weekly loss 1.5lbs, avg calories 1321
June: avg weekly loss 1.3 lbs, avg calories 1319
July: avg weekly loss 2lbs, avg calories 1293
August: avg weekly gain 0.4lbs, avg calories 1320
September: avg weekly loss 0.2 lbs, avg calories 1576 (due to eating at maintenance for the two weeks of the month)
I figured maintenance would help me get things going again, but it's been a month and I haven't lost any more weight despite eating an average of 1297 since then. Going by CICO I must simply be eating too much, right? And yes, I do weigh every bite I eat on a kitchen scale. It has worked well starting out, but it just completely stalled.
From all the stickies I've read, I lost 15% of my bodyweight but only lowered my calories by just under 50 a week, so I need to lower my calories for my lower calories needs now, but that means I'd be dropping them below 1200.
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Thanks, but if you read my post, you'll see that I've lost 30 pounds, I know how CICO works, the stall is recent.5
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Thanks, but if you read my post, you'll see that I've lost 30 pounds, I know how CICO works, the stall is recent.
it doesnt change the fact that the chart demonstrates why weight stalls. if your logging is ABSOLUTELY accurate and your not eating back many exercise calories, then you may want to go see your doc.3 -
I looked at the chart again, and I am sure that I'm logging correctly and I haven't missed a single day. I weigh all solids, I measure liquids, I guesstimate high when eating out, I double check entries in the database and I don't eat back more than half my exercise calories ever. I've also recently seen a doctor for a full physical and blood work which was all okay.
This is why I'm thinking that this is an actual plateau despite the low calories and I was hoping for input. Even if I were measuring incorrectly and off by several hundred calories a day for some reason I don't know, I would still have to reduce calories, wouldn't I?1 -
I don't know if I have good advice, but here is something to think about. If you are absolutely confident your food logging and your activity tracking is accurate (so #1- re-evaluate that- recheck the NI on your packages etc.), then you have to just know that the weight loss will happen. A lot of factors could be in play- probably mostly water retention for some reason or another. Hidden sodium intake in eating out foods or water retention for muscle repair? I might force myself to drink more water (#2), but I don't think I would cut calories any more...
It is discouraging knowing that you are doing what you know to be right and not be rewarded with a downward trend on the scale. Try not to let that be your prize- the hard work is achieving the calorie deficit and know that you did that! You have been successful, and this phase will pass!1 -
can you open up your food diary? maybe someone can take a look and see if they notice any issues with your logging0
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Anyone else have any thoughts? I've opened the diary, but I'm really not too concerned with the logging. I lost just fine for 4 months, so I can't be totally off.0
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Anyone else have any thoughts? I've opened the diary, but I'm really not too concerned with the logging. I lost just fine for 4 months, so I can't be totally off.
This way of thinking is likely your issue. ITs incredibly easy to eat more thn you think, Especially with the thoughts of "iv been fine, Im okay" Little extra bite here, Little unlogged food there and boom deficit gone5 -
Have you tried increasing the intensity of your current exercise program?
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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How many lbs. are you set to lose per week? Since you are 5'9" how much more weight do you plan to lose??
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lucerorojo wrote: »How many lbs. are you set to lose per week? Since you are 5'9" how much more weight do you plan to lose??
from OP
CW 171, GW 150ish
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Thank you! I misread it. I thought she was at 150 already.1
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If weight loss in not linear, than there are no easy straight answer to why somebody is not losing exactly 1 pound or 2 pound a week.
People can go weeks with out losing and suddenly lose several pounds over night. So OP, if you are logging perfectly and nothing have changed, then maybe something else is going on. I doubt you have to go and see a doctor, that's a little over the top. I think maybe you just have stalled and one day you will just drop x amount of pounds. We hear these stories all the time so maybe that's what happening to you. I still trying to figure out how that works..lol
Also, you are not that big now so it will go slower. At least that's how it is for me.1 -
I have weeks long stalls regularly and then I wake up one morning and weight is down a few lbs...it's very frustrating and can be discouraging, but please don't give up. You'll be rewarded for your efforts...I know any time I start a new exercise I can expect to see a stall for a few weeks until my body realises I'm not dying...I'm just running for sport etc. and then it relaxes and I lose the stress/water weight
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I know you said you ate at maintenance for a couple of weeks in September, but did you do it as discussed in this article? https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
If you're still shooting for 2 lb a week, then you need to drop that. You've only got 20 lb to go, so you should be at 0.5-1 lb per week. Yes, I know more calories doesn't seem like the answer to not losing weight, but hormone levels (leptin, thyroid and cortisol primarily) get really mucked up at a deficit, and more so when we're pushing too hard. The water retention from raised cortisol levels can very easily mask fat loss. Doing a maintenance break as outlined in the above link brings those all back in line. I see you have PCOS, and I know a lot of women with that will go low carb because of insulin resistance, getting your carb intake up above 100g per day is a really crucial part of the diet break. Leptin won't come back up without that.5 -
JaydedMiss wrote: »
This way of thinking is likely your issue. ITs incredibly easy to eat more thn you think, Especially with the thoughts of "iv been fine, Im okay" Little extra bite here, Little unlogged food there and boom deficit gone
Did you see any issues in my logging? I weigh every bite I eat religiously. This is the first time I've lost a significant amount of weight and I have been super careful to tighten my logging ever since I stopped losing.
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Have you tried increasing the intensity of your current exercise program?
I have not. I mainly lift and do some cardio, but I've always been told I need to eat less and exercise is the gravy so to speak.spiffychick85 wrote: »I have weeks long stalls regularly and then I wake up one morning and weight is down a few lbs...it's very frustrating and can be discouraging, but please don't give up. You'll be rewarded for your efforts...I know any time I start a new exercise I can expect to see a stall for a few weeks until my body realises I'm not dying...I'm just running for sport etc. and then it relaxes and I lose the stress/water weight
It's been two and a half months though. Initially I told myself it's water weight, it's the exercise, it's that time if the month but I've actually weighed in at my lowest at the end of July.Nony_Mouse wrote: »I know you said you ate at maintenance for a couple of weeks in September, but did you do it as discussed in this article? https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
If you're still shooting for 2 lb a week, then you need to drop that. You've only got 20 lb to go, so you should be at 0.5-1 lb per week. Yes, I know more calories doesn't seem like the answer to not losing weight, but hormone levels (leptin, thyroid and cortisol primarily) get really mucked up at a deficit, and more so when we're pushing too hard. The water retention from raised cortisol levels can very easily mask fat loss. Doing a maintenance break as outlined in the above link brings those all back in line. I see you have PCOS, and I know a lot of women with that will go low carb because of insulin resistance, getting your carb intake up above 100g per day is a really crucial part of the diet break. Leptin won't come back up without that.
I did actually get the idea after listening to a podcast with Lyle McDonald and yes I've done it exactly like that.
I've actually just seen a post by someone who had their BMR measured. Does anyone know if these are accurat? At least if I knew for sure how many calories I truly need, I'd know what to eat.
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OP, your diary is still closed.0
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Huh no idea, but it should be open now.
So, I had my RMR tested this morning. I still need to go in for a consultation next week, but they measured my RMR at 1305. That seems depressingly low, especially with another 20lbs to lose and it'll be even lower. Online calculators put my maintenance at 1620 based on this RMR, so I take it to mean that I do in fact need to eat under 1200 to lose a pound a week? I know it may be half a pound a week as I get closer, but I still have 20 to go and my body fat was measured at 31% today as well, so good amount of padding left. Thoughts?0 -
Huh no idea, but it should be open now.
So, I had my RMR tested this morning. I still need to go in for a consultation next week, but they measured my RMR at 1305. That seems depressingly low, especially with another 20lbs to lose and it'll be even lower. Online calculators put my maintenance at 1620 based on this RMR, so I take it to mean that I do in fact need to eat under 1200 to lose a pound a week? I know it may be half a pound a week as I get closer, but I still have 20 to go and my body fat was measured at 31% today as well, so good amount of padding left. Thoughts?
Your choices are.. and I vote for 4th option
1) decrease energy intake,
2) increase energy output
3) some combination of both.
A fourth option would be to back away from the fire and simply maintain then put your focus on re-initiating weight loss.0 -
It maybe just a stall (water weight). Before my last low dip I went through 6 weeks of deficit and zero loss. Zero. And then one day bam - all my accumulated deficit right there. The weight was gone in the course of 3 days - 4% of my weight. (I'm 134lbs now).
I love how you take statistics. I've done this too in the past. I used to keep excel tables and graphics. All I've ever seen in my tables for more than a year is proof of cico. So sooner or later you'll see the dip.0 -
Huh no idea, but it should be open now.
So, I had my RMR tested this morning. I still need to go in for a consultation next week, but they measured my RMR at 1305. That seems depressingly low, especially with another 20lbs to lose and it'll be even lower. Online calculators put my maintenance at 1620 based on this RMR, so I take it to mean that I do in fact need to eat under 1200 to lose a pound a week? I know it may be half a pound a week as I get closer, but I still have 20 to go and my body fat was measured at 31% today as well, so good amount of padding left. Thoughts?
Your RMR is fine—this is pretty much the daily calories needed to sustain the most basic bodily functions like breathing and divesting food. You’d burn this if you were in a coma. Even a setting of “sedentary” would add to this number.
You have less than 25 pounds to lose. Plan on .5 lbs per week which is a deficit of 250 calories a day. Or you can go lower with less of a deficit. The last few pounds come off really slooooooooowly.
Are you sure you’ve determined your TDEE correctly? I ask because I’m smaller than you (5’3 and 120) and maintain on about 2000/day. I am very active throughout the day and choose to be that way, which helps. I average at least 10,000 steps outside intentional exercise.3 -
If you were losing 2lbs per week eating 1300 calories, maintenance is not 1500 for you. 2lbs = 1000 calories per day.
So your diet break wasn't a diet break, your leptin will be shot from too aggressive a loss goal and cortisol through the roof at this point. I have waited up to 6 weeks for whoosh. Plus you had two weeks in the middle where you ate more. I think, aside from perhaps a retry at a diet break, you need to just knuckle down for another couple of weeks.
ETA: My bad, I see you said 1500 average for the month. What were your calories for the two weeks maintenance?0 -
gebeziseva wrote: »It maybe just a stall (water weight). Before my last low dip I went through 6 weeks of deficit and zero loss. Zero. And then one day bam - all my accumulated deficit right there. The weight was gone in the course of 3 days - 4% of my weight. (I'm 134lbs now).
My lowest weigh in was in July though, so I've been waiting for that woosh for a long time. Cico has definitely worked for me until July, it was remarkably linear. Not day to day of course but averaged out it was pretty steady.
Your RMR is fine—this is pretty much the daily calories needed to sustain the most basic bodily functions like breathing and divesting food. You’d burn this if you were in a coma. Even a setting of “sedentary” would add to this number.
You have less than 25 pounds to lose. Plan on .5 lbs per week which is a deficit of 250 calories a day. Or you can go lower with less of a deficit. The last few pounds come off really slooooooooowly.
Are you sure you’ve determined your TDEE correctly? I ask because I’m smaller than you (5’3 and 120) and maintain on about 2000/day. I am very active throughout the day and choose to be that way, which helps. I average at least 10,000 steps outside intentional exercise.
I went with Alan Aragon's formula to add daily expenditure on top of the RMR to come up with a maintenance amount, I know that RMR isn't the same as maintenance. I'll go for a consultation with the clinic that measured it so I'll see what they come up with.
Online calculators put my RMR way higher though. I'm not as active as you are. I work a desk job and spend a good amount of time on grad school. I know there's room for improvement there, but there's no way I could maintain on 2000.VintageFeline wrote: »If you were losing 2lbs per week eating 1300 calories, maintenance is not 1500 for you. 2lbs = 1000 calories per day.
So your diet break wasn't a diet break, your leptin will be shot from too aggressive a loss goal and cortisol through the roof at this point. I have waited up to 6 weeks for whoosh. Plus you had two weeks in the middle where you ate more. I think, aside from perhaps a retry at a diet break, you need to just knuckle down for another couple of weeks.
ETA: My bad, I see you said 1500 average for the month. What were your calories for the two weeks maintenance?
When I was losing 2lbs a week I was over 200lbs so I'm sure my maintenance was higher than it is now. I ate 1800-1900 for maintenance for two weeks which is what mfp gave me. Like I said, my lowest weight was in July. I stalled for 2 months, took the break and back to the pre diet weight for 6 weeks now. I'm just at a loss.
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Hi OP, apologies if I missed this but do you set your calorie goal and then adjust for exercise? I know a lot of folks on MFP like to add back a certain % of their exercise but you might benefit from just calculating your TDEE inclusive of exercise (I like the website sailrabbit as an example) and then that way you take out the messy business of estimating your calories burned which could possibly be an issue.1
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What did you learn after your consultation?1
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I'm 5'9, currently 177 lbs, and lose slowly but easily on 2000 calories a day. 1300 is blowing my mind, to be honest.1
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What did you learn after your consultation?
They confirmed that my maintenance is just over 1600 calories a day right now. They recommended to step up the cardio and cycle the calories. So now on exercise days I eat about 1300 and on the rest days I go for a greater deficit. In any case it has worked and I've lost a two pounds over the last three weeks. The scale is finally moving again.
Long-term the goal is to build some muscle and get more active once grad school is done so I can raise my maintenance calories a bit.
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