Hit a wall with weight loss, how to jumpstart it back up?

GeauxL
GeauxL Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve lost right at 100lbs in “roughly” a year. I don’t follow a “name brand” diet. I try to stick to 1200/day & I eat low fat, low sugar, lower carbs which I try to keep to whole grains, & heavy fruits & veggies. I do cardio 4 days/week & weights 2 days/week. This has worked pretty well but over the last month or so, I’ve hit a wall &, also been less strict on weekends, can’t seem to breakthrough with more than a pound or nothing over 2 weeks weigh ins. I will say, I haven’t always met my 1200 calories a day, & sometimes, after a “weekend”, cut calories even more the next few days to makeup for my splurges. I know I need to try something different & everything I read says I need to increase my calorie intake to get my metabolism up. According to what I’ve read on numerous sites, My BMR is 1393, for my activity level, I multiply that by 1.55=2159. I then subtract 500 calories from that=1659 & that is the amount of calories I should eat to lose 1lb/week. I know this isn’t an “exact” but multiple sights I’ve used to determine this, all came out around this number. If you know what it’s like to struggle to lose weight, the last thing you want to do is do anything that may make you gain weight. So my problem is, I’m scared to up my calories because what if it makes me gain weight? Has anyone else struggled with this fear of trying to increase calories to break through a plateau? If so, how did you increase your calories-more protein, more good carbs, more fats, more fruits? Thanks!

Replies

  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    Congrats on your loss - that is awesome!

    You've been restricting calories for a long time, no wonder you are going for some "splurges" now. Might be time for a diet break (basically eating up to maintenance for a few weeks). Read the diet breaks and refeeds thread (it's really long but worth the read).
  • RadishEater
    RadishEater Posts: 470 Member
    How accurate is your logging?
    Do you use a scale for most things, especially calorie dense foods?
    When you are less strict on the weekends does that mean just eating lots of calories that are accurately logged or eating lots of calories that aren't accurately logged?

    Is there anything stopping you for losing at .5lb/week? As long as you are accurately logging, and in a calorie deficit you can still lose weight at a slower pace.

    Do you find the low fat, low sugar, lower carbs sustainable? If you don't you should find eating habits that suit you in weight loss and can continue in maintenance, otherwise you might just gain the weight back.

    Lastly, depending on your current weight, height, age you might find it harder to lose weight if you are nearing the lower end of your bmi.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    Wow! You're a weight loss Rock Star!

    The first though that comes to mind for me is to try a diet break.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    Congrats on your loss - that is awesome!

    You've been restricting calories for a long time, no wonder you are going for some "splurges" now. Might be time for a diet break (basically eating up to maintenance for a few weeks). Read the diet breaks and refeeds thread (it's really long but worth the read).

    I agree. I hit the wall at a year too and a diet break solved my problems. I was stuck for over two months with no loss at all. The diet break allowed me a bit of freedom and then I went right back to dieting although I admit 1200 was no longer feasable for me. I went to 1350 and finally got to maintenance.

    Remember the diet break is not eating anything and everything. It's eating at maintenance calories. Good luck.

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited May 2018
    First of all, don't worry about gaining weight on 1659 calories - you won't, as long as it's below maintenance, and you've already estimated that to be around 2159.
    Then be aware that weight loss naturally slows down as you lose. If you're close to goal now, maybe one whole pound per week is too much to ask (your body) for.
    Then be aware that natural water weight fluctuations can easily outweigh a couple of weeks worth of fat loss.
    So you understand that you have to be more vigilant with your food logging now, to keep losing, even at that slower rate.
    Before you start fearing consequences of eating too little, be aware that it's very very easy to underestimate calorie intake, and that unaccounted for cheat days/meals add up fast. You know how much less you've eaten than burnt, when you look at your weight over time. Don't worry about your metabolism, it's fine.
    Then investigate if you're suffering from diet fatigue. Low this and that and everytihng isn't necessary; all you have to reduce, is total calories. All those "tips" should be regarded as help to feel more full on fewer calories, not to make you lose weight faster, or at all.
    You will need a healthy relationship with food, if you don't want to regain. Part of that is trusting yourself and eating food you enjoy. So I don't even want to tell you what to eat (more of), but I want to encourage you to relax and eat a varied and balanced diet, and stop dividing foods into good and bad, healthy and unhealthy.
  • GeauxL
    GeauxL Posts: 57 Member
    On the weekends, I don’t weigh/measure but I do try to make good choices but I know I go over my calories for the day. During the week, I do measure & weigh everything. I think I find it hard to meet the 1200 calories because I eat lots of low calorie foods like loading up on veggies instead of adding more protein, fats, carbs. I have to admit, I’m sacred that if I eat more of those calorie dense foods, lll gain. That’s why I’m having trouble with the idea of upping my calorie intake. This is probably a problem a lot of people who’ve struggled with weight loss have, it’s the opposite end of the unhealthy relationship we have with food-it’s “all or nothing” either way.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    lebasgeauxtigers wrote: »
    On the weekends, I don’t weigh/measure but I do try to make good choices but I know I go over my calories for the day. During the week, I do measure & weigh everything. I think I find it hard to meet the 1200 calories because I eat lots of low calorie foods like loading up on veggies instead of adding more protein, fats, carbs. I have to admit, I’m sacred that if I eat more of those calorie dense foods, lll gain. That’s why I’m having trouble with the idea of upping my calorie intake. This is probably a problem a lot of people who’ve struggled with weight loss have, it’s the opposite end of the unhealthy relationship we have with food-it’s “all or nothing” either way.

    I completely understand and I will be honest when I did my diet break I felt the same way. But...I did it and although I gained a couple pounds initially it came right back off and then my weight loss started again. Overall even though I was terrified to gain it was worth it in the end. I actually was encouraged because I was afraid I would loose control and I didn't. You've learned more than you think you have in the last year.

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