Need help with Plateau

Options
mariom1112
mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay guys, ive posted to this site multiple times and my last feed didnt get much responses anyways i started off at 206 LBS dropped to 168 LBS in 4 months, that was a month ago, i took a rest week off from the gym and stepped back on after and was at 172, i was eating 2400 Calories when i did so and working out 5 days a week that contained cardio (30 mins) and 4 days containing strength training, i am still on that routine, except i go alot harder at cardio and lift heavier as i did increase my cals to about 2600-2800 from my original 2300-2500 losing 2.4 lbs a week, what gets me is work life is the same if not busier but according to my weight loss and calorie intake during that phase i added it up and that means that my Maitence in theory should be 3300-3400, well eating 2600-2800 i did not see any change in my weight for the last 3 weeks and im getting fluastered because i would like to be at 165 and maintain 165 and i was so close before i took a much needed break
To get you a idea of my activity
The work out as up top 5 days a week last about a hour and 15 mins and 4 days a week i work 12 hours on my feet as a auto mechanic (woo hondas) according to my fitbit i walk on average 18000-22000 steps
On my rest days about 5k(no gym rest day) up to 12k because i stay pretty active still or try not to be lazy and run errands, go out to the mall ect.”
The only difference i can say is ive aloud myself a cheat day on sundays still under my calories (no not cake all day) but sure ill have a slice as ive never done it before and feel like it is good for my sanity, so is not having a girlfriend, but i have one (insert laugh)
My diet involves Eggs, Chicken, whole wheat bread
Turkey, honey oat figs, protein bars, maybe a fiber one bar, healthy cereal, skim milk, yogurt (cut greek out alot) -
The bad - Corn Tortillas, Simple Ketchup, bbq sauce Light mayo, provolone, cheddar cheese and added salt - i drink alot of zero monster, and diet sodas, so im definitely have to much salt in my diet that could use work
Im 5’11
172.0
Id im strong and look like i lift but not massive by any means
Waist is a size 30
Size shirt is small - medium
But i would really like to shrink my stomach, thats all.
«1

Replies

  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    If i missed anything let me know, and i apologize for my terrible paragraph skills m.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Pre pdxyzn636jxf.png
    xw9yk36wulub.png
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    After week vacation 1hgzuvtae061.png
    goja7azpi87v.png
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    What are you attempting to show here? It looks like you're over your goal on multiple days -- depending on what that goal is and how much you're over, that can substantially impact your progress.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    I purposely set a lower goal.
    But basically before my 1 week rest i was losing 2 lbs a week eating 2400 cals
    Now eating 2500-2700 im maintaining it
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Which in theory if i was losing 2lbs a week eating
    2400 then 2lbs is 7000 cals a week im in deficit that equals total cals a week to be 2400 x 7 = 16800 ate then i burned 2 lbs a week so that adds 7000 cals to 16800 which equals 23400 / 7 thats 3400 cals that it takes to maintain, so in theory if i eat 2600-2800 a week i should be still losing .5 - 1 lbs of fat a week which im not
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    Which in theory if i was losing 2lbs a week eating
    2400 then 2lbs is 7000 cals a week im in deficit that equals total cals a week to be 2400 x 7 = 16800 ate then i burned 2 lbs a week so that adds 7000 cals to 16800 which equals 23400 / 7 thats 3400 cals that it takes to maintain, so in theory if i eat 2600-2800 a week i should be still losing .5 - 1 lbs of fat a week which im not

    No, but you just recently started eating more and sometimes people find that can cause a temporary water weight gain/increased weight just from extra food in the body. 3 weeks is, IMO, too early to decide this isn't working for you.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Keep in mind, in reality we are dealing with a whole ton of estimates. It would be great if the math was exact every time, but it rarely is. Use the math as a starting point, but use your real life results as indicators of success/progress.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Thank you for your reply, and so to get out of this plateau should i change my diet? Eat less? Or just keep trying it. The only big difference is my cheat meal every sunday, and of course the extra 300 cals, but they are coming from the same sources of food.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    I purposely set a lower goal.
    But basically before my 1 week rest i was losing 2 lbs a week eating 2400 cals
    Now eating 2500-2700 im maintaining it

    So you haven't lost weight for 1 week?
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited December 2017
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    Thank you for your reply, and so to get out of this plateau should i change my diet? Eat less? Or just keep trying it. The only big difference is my cheat meal every sunday, and of course the extra 300 cals, but they are coming from the same sources of food.

    Types/sources of food won't matter, especially in long run. Either be more patient, or reduce your overall intake a bit. (I have a hard time reading/making sense of the screenshots, so I apologize for not being able to offer more clear/definitive advice.)
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Since increasing my diet 300 cals, and having a rest week, i have no dropped any weight in the last 3 weeks, exercise and work has stayed the same since the rest week.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    Since increasing my diet 300 cals, and having a rest week, i have no dropped any weight in the last 3 weeks, exercise and work has stayed the same since the rest week.

    Again, estimates and variance.

    If you're not seeing the results you expect based on the math, the tweak something. In your case, eat a bit less. If you're really confident in your numbers, then give it a bit more time, then reassess.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    Since increasing my diet 300 cals, and having a rest week, i have no dropped any weight in the last 3 weeks, exercise and work has stayed the same since the rest week.

    So drop the 300 cals again if you want to keep losing?
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Let me see if i can undo my confusion
    * before Rest week
    24-2500 Cals a day
    5x 30 mins week cardio
    4 days weight lifting
    4 x 12 hour shifts at 20k steps counted at work give or take a couple grand
    I was losing 2 lbs a week on this work out and cal plan
    —————
    Start of rest week i weighed in at 168
    ——————-
    Getting back into the gym i weighed 172
    Work outs the same
    Works the same
    Cals bumped up 2500-2800 cals on average a day
    Biggest difference because food source is the same
    Is the fact on sunday i will indulge in a cake, donut, ect but it still fits under my total cals, its not my cals + desert.
    I have maintained 172 for 3 weeks now
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    Let me see if i can undo my confusion
    * before Rest week
    24-2500 Cals a day
    5x 30 mins week cardio
    4 days weight lifting
    4 x 12 hour shifts at 20k steps counted at work give or take a couple grand
    I was losing 2 lbs a week on this work out and cal plan
    —————
    Start of rest week i weighed in at 168
    ——————-
    Getting back into the gym i weighed 172
    Work outs the same
    Works the same
    Cals bumped up 2500-2800 cals on average a day
    Biggest difference because food source is the same
    Is the fact on sunday i will indulge in a cake, donut, ect but it still fits under my total cals, its not my cals + desert.
    I have maintained 172 for 3 weeks now

    If you're maintaining your weight long-term (I think three weeks is a bit too early to make that determination), that means you are eating the number of calories you need to maintain. Eat less than this to lose weight.

    We can't see your diary, so it could be that you're making logging errors that are resulting in you eating more than you think you are. Or it could be that you're just in a temporary stall and 2,500-2,800 is a deficit for you. Or it could be that you need less than that to lose weight.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    So what exactly is your hangup here?

    You were losing at 2400-2500 cals per day.
    You're maintaining on 2500-2800 cals per day.

    You want to continue losing weight, correct? You need to eat less.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    @ jess i do use a weight scale, and my diet - the additional indulgence on Sunday have been the same
    And i have recalculated ect, but one thing that stumps me is am i “ Active” or “ Very Active”
    That in itself would make a world of difference
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    jessiferrrb wrote: »
    as you get closer to goal it's going to be harder to lose. also, you lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. the smaller you needs fewer calories than the larger you did. so it's worth it to recalculate at your current weight.

    other than that, how are you logging? do you use a food scale? verify that database entries are correct? when you have less to lose these details matter more.

    The bolded is a very good point. At 5' 11" and 170ish lbs, you're in the "not much to lose" category. As such, you won't have the same type of wiggle room and margin for error as others do. Heck, as you did when you started.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    @ jess i do use a weight scale, and my diet - the additional indulgence on Sunday have been the same
    And i have recalculated ect, but one thing that stumps me is am i “ Active” or “ Very Active”
    That in itself would make a world of difference

    Whatever activity level you choose, you have to evaluate it based on your real life results. What you know right now is that you increased your calories and you aren't seeing the results that you want.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    @ jpo, my confusion comes with that if i was eating 2400 lbs a day and losing 2 lbs a week (which 2lbs is 7000 cals) then you take 2400 x 7 = 16800 and add the 2 lbs you were losing which is 7k cals you get 23800 / 7 days a week my mait. Should be 3400 a day which eating 2800 should have me at a 600 deficit a day which in turn should be losing close to 1 lb a week not maintaining it, this is where i am struggling on the plateau bus.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    mariom1112 wrote: »
    @ jpo, my confusion comes with that if i was eating 2400 lbs a day and losing 2 lbs a week (which 2lbs is 7000 cals) then you take 2400 x 7 = 16800 and add the 2 lbs you were losing which is 7k cals you get 23800 / 7 days a week my mait. Should be 3400 a day which eating 2800 should have me at a 600 deficit a day which in turn should be losing close to 1 lb a week not maintaining it, this is where i am struggling on the plateau bus.

    You're comparing math to real life. Math is precise and exact and predictable. Real life isn't. Regardless of what the math has you wanting to believe, your real life experiences tell a different story... a story where 3400 cals per day is NOT your maintenance (based on how you log).
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    Thats a very solid point, just kinda stunned that the difference between me losing 2 lbs a week and losing none is 300 cals, and that is the reality of the calorie world that i have to accept.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Except that I doubt that difference is actually 300 cals. I'd bet there is something off in your logging/estimating somewhere that accounts for the difference.
  • batorkin
    batorkin Posts: 281 Member
    edited December 2017
    I highly doubt you were losing 2.4 pounds a week and eating 2500 calories/day at your height/weight, it's basically impossible. I'm not surprise to see you maintaining at 2800 calories/day.

    Exercising/lifting does little for weight loss. Even in extreme daily workouts, it's only about 20% of what a good diet does. Another 300 calories/day would mean another 20-30 minutes EVERY DAY of intense exercise.

    Your waist is already 30". You wear a small shirt. That's tiny for most men. You can't expect to lose much more... especially at 2800 calories a day. At those calories + lifting, you are probably putting on muscle which is going to increase your weight in a good way.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    I would gaurentee that my log is 99% spot on, its repetitive food, same thing for months on months, i scale everything, and working out isnt where alot of my energy goes to, im a auto mechanic who works 12 hours shifts, who walks 20k plus steps a day and do a lot of wrenching.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    And 2.4 a week is an average of the total amount of time to the amount of weight ive lost. That would be a weekly average.
  • mariom1112
    mariom1112 Posts: 61 Member
    When i was 15 years old i was 225 lbs and dropped to 155 lbs in 7 months, my body has seen rapid change.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories