Officially reached a Plateau
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hcarb001
Posts: 28 Member
Hey guys, so i lift weights 5-6 times a week and i do cardio 3-4 times a week. I eat pretty clean and i was seeing major results and muscle gain/definition, but now the results have slowed and the scale is creeping back up.
I’m trying to play around with my macros. I’m doing a cut right now, so I am in a caloric deficit and low carb, but i don’t want to increase my fat too high. I’m not necessarily following a keto diet, but i also don’t want to consume too much protein and block any ketones and all that fun stuff.
Any suggestions or tips on what my next move should be??
I’m trying to play around with my macros. I’m doing a cut right now, so I am in a caloric deficit and low carb, but i don’t want to increase my fat too high. I’m not necessarily following a keto diet, but i also don’t want to consume too much protein and block any ketones and all that fun stuff.
Any suggestions or tips on what my next move should be??
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Replies
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You say you're eating clean, but are you logging and hitting a specific calorie goal?6
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I have been tracking so long that i don’t have to weigh everything out like i did at the beginning. I’m like a encyclopedia on calories and macros of the foods i eat constantly so i keep myself in check. And eating clean means i eat lean protein, i get my fats from natural/healthy sources (nuts, avocados, salmon, etc). And carbs, i don’t eat pasta, i stick to brown/white rice, Greek yogurt, and vegetables, but heavily limit potatoes and only 1 slice of whole grain bread a day17
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It’s been about 3 weeks of stalling.
I’m 22, female, 5’4, and 141lbs with a GW of 127-130. I’m athletic/petite build. Definitely bottom heavy lol0 -
I have been tracking so long that i don’t have to weigh everything out like i did at the beginning. I’m like a encyclopedia on calories and macros of the foods i eat constantly so i keep myself in check. And eating clean means i eat lean protein, i get my fats from natural/healthy sources (nuts, avocados, salmon, etc). And carbs, i don’t eat pasta, i stick to brown/white rice, Greek yogurt, and vegetables, but heavily limit potatoes and only 1 slice of whole grain bread a day
If your weight is slowly increasing, that's a sign that you are consuming more energy than your body is using. Even though I know you are confident you aren't eating more, it's a good indication that you are eating more than you think. I don't think this is a plateau, I think this is an issue of eating more than you think you are. Maybe tighten up on the logging for a little bit to get a handle on it?17 -
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I have been tracking so long that i don’t have to weigh everything out like i did at the beginning. I’m like a encyclopedia on calories and macros of the foods i eat constantly so i keep myself in check. And eating clean means i eat lean protein, i get my fats from natural/healthy sources (nuts, avocados, salmon, etc). And carbs, i don’t eat pasta, i stick to brown/white rice, Greek yogurt, and vegetables, but heavily limit potatoes and only 1 slice of whole grain bread a day
You'd be surprised. Portion creep is a thing.
Eating clean doesn't matter. Eating a calorie deficit does.9 -
maybe try and weigh your food again for a while? see if maybe your portions have gradually increased without you noticing?1
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If you aren't weighing your food and not losing, I would definitely start there. I am also a really good estimator, but I know if I reach a point when I am cutting and the weight isn't falling off, even after cutting down on one of my daily snacks, it's time to check in and weigh food again. Also remember it's not about eating clean but your calories, you could easily blow your deficit with am extra few almonds or serving of avocado.
Do you know your bodyfat% ? As you get leaner and leaner, it can become more difficult to lose and water weight fluctuations can mask progress.
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I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain31
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Definitely agree, weighing out again would be the place to start1
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I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
Nah. Your weight can fluctuate due to all sorts of things, but it is scientifically impossible to gain fat because of "not eating enough". Certainly weight loss can slow for any number of reasons (the chart above lists many of the usual culprits), but you can be confident that you won't gain fat by eating too little.8 -
The advice is the same...tighten up the logging.4
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I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
If you aren't losing.. you aren't in a deficit.
I wish not eating enough could cause weight gain.. I wouldn't have to eat as many calories as I do to bulk.
Unless you are eating so little that you are feeling sluggish, your NEAT goes way down, you are barely getting your workouts in like you did before.. if that is the case for some adding more calories could help.. but I wouldn't do that unless you know exactly how much you are eating and before doing that I would probably add some refeed days on heavier workout days.7 -
I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
But how do you know? You're not weighing and measuring what you eat. It's not that hard to accidentally eat 350 more calories if you're not weighing your food.4 -
But by under eating, you can starve your muscle, which in turn will lower the amount of calories your body naturally burns. I’m eating at an extreme deficit and lifting heavier weights each week. There’s a thin line with cutting/starving the body and i think i might be teeteringMegaMooseEsq wrote: »I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
Nah. Your weight can fluctuate due to all sorts of things, but it is scientifically impossible to gain fat because of "not eating enough". Certainly weight loss can slow for any number of reasons (the chart above lists many of the usual culprits), but you can be confident that you won't gain fat by eating too little.
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I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
No it doesn't. You would have to severely undereat for a long period of time to cause adaptive thermogenesis.
Calories determine weight loss/gain, regardless of what you are eating. It's possible for water weight fluctuations to mask fat loss on the scale, so you could give it another week or two. Otherwise, if you aren't losing weight, you are eating at maintenance level. I am getting that that's not the answer you're looking for, but it is what it is. Would it really hurt to start weighing and logging your food for a couple of weeks to make sure your calories are on target? It seems like you're already willing to work hard for your results, so this little extra temporary effort isn't really much more work. Good luck!7 -
I weigh certain foods, like my dairy products, avocados, and meats. I don’t weigh my vegetables or rice (for rice, i use a measuring cup), or the teaspoon of jelly i eat in the morning.collectingblues wrote: »I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
But how do you know? You're not weighing and measuring what you eat. It's not that hard to accidentally eat 350 more calories if you're not weighing your food.
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But by under eating, you can starve your muscle, which in turn will lower the amount of calories your body naturally burns. I’m eating at an extreme deficit and lifting heavier weights each week. There’s a thin line with cutting/starving the body and i think i might be teeteringMegaMooseEsq wrote: »I’m definitelyyyy in a caloric deficit. I’m supposed to be eating over 2000cals for maintenance, and I’m eating 1650. So another concern is maybe I’m not eating enough which can also cause weight gain
Nah. Your weight can fluctuate due to all sorts of things, but it is scientifically impossible to gain fat because of "not eating enough". Certainly weight loss can slow for any number of reasons (the chart above lists many of the usual culprits), but you can be confident that you won't gain fat by eating too little.
You think 1650 calories a day on a TDEE of 2000 is an "extreme" deficit?
That's not even 20 percent.
Can you lose muscle mass at a high deficit? Sure can. 17 percent isn't a high deficit. Can you develop hormonal adaptations that make water weight more likely to stay on? Yup. After prolonged situations at a high deficit. But you're not at a high deficit.
Is there a reason you're opposed to weighing and measuring, and tightening up your logging before jumping to the "I must be starving myself!" bogus claim?4
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