Low Carb Plateau

aylerz
aylerz Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been having great success with a combination of low carb and intermittent fasting, but I have now hit a plateau. Currently stay at or below 20 carbs, eating about 1300-1400 (MFP recommended calories are 1600) calories, and fasting 16/8.

Has anyone else run into this? What are your suggestions to break through? I've read tons of stuff that suggests upping calories, stopping the fasting for a few days, changing my macros, going off plan for 24 hours entirely, and so on and so forth.

Anyone have real-world tested advice?

Replies

  • kelly_stevens81
    kelly_stevens81 Posts: 79 Member
    How long have you been plateaued? The best advice may be to stay on track for a week or two and see if it stays on a plateau or if you start losing. There are a number of reasons for plateauing water retention, TOM, muscle gain, or just hitting a plateau.
  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
    kelly_stevens81 wrote: »
    How long have you been plateaued? The best advice may be to stay on track for a week or two and see if it stays on a plateau or if you start losing. There are a number of reasons for plateauing water retention, TOM, muscle gain, or just hitting a plateau.

    In plateau for a week now. The strange thing is that I weigh on Mondays and take measurements on Wednesdays, and typically, even if I don't have a weight loss I will have a loss of inches (even if only 1/2" or 1/4"). Now, I'm stuck at the same weight and my measurements have gone UP by roughly 1/2" - 1" all over.

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    aylerz wrote: »
    kelly_stevens81 wrote: »
    How long have you been plateaued? The best advice may be to stay on track for a week or two and see if it stays on a plateau or if you start losing. There are a number of reasons for plateauing water retention, TOM, muscle gain, or just hitting a plateau.

    In plateau for a week now. The strange thing is that I weigh on Mondays and take measurements on Wednesdays, and typically, even if I don't have a weight loss I will have a loss of inches (even if only 1/2" or 1/4"). Now, I'm stuck at the same weight and my measurements have gone UP by roughly 1/2" - 1" all over.

    It's only been a week. My advice would be to stay the course for at least 3 weeks before you make changes.

    You might find one of these interesting:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10196160/scale-stress-syndrome/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634529/why-did-the-number-on-the-scale-go-up-this-week-heres-why/p1
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I agree that one week is not really a plateau. Weight loss is not linear. If you are eating at a deficit you will lose fat. This is probably just a blip for water weight. Just keep going.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    How long have you been on this plan?
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    Depending on how long you've been following a low carb diet, you can look in to implementing "carb ups". But like others have said, 1 week is not a true plateau. I'd try to stick it out for another 2 weeks.
  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    How long have you been on this plan?

    Low carb since Jan., intermittent fasting since April 1.

    ---

    Thanks all! I am going to stick it out for another week or two and if I am still stuck I am planning to adjust my macros to up the fat.

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