Plateau Breakers

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

I'm currently in a rut. I've been in 25% caloric deficit for about 15 weeks. I lost nearly 10 lbs in the first 7 weeks. However, I've been spending the last 8 weeks around the same weight +/- 2 lbs. I typically lose weight in stalls and whooshes. When I do not have a whoosh in a few weeks, I reassess my activity level and intake. I've adjusted my calories down twice, still no changes on the scale. I even tried refeeds (but staying in an overall deficit).

I decided to take a 'diet break' for two weeks and go on maintenance (I'm currently on week 2), after which I'll reduce back down to 20-25% deficit (400-500 calories). Will this be enough to get me back on track to losing?

Does anyone else have any plateau breaking techniques?

Background:

I've previously lost 60 lbs 7 years ago, but slowly gained some back in muscle and fat. The weight gained resulted in going up one size.

I have a desk job, but I have a standing desk and get 8k steps a day. My exercises consists of HIIT, running, lifting and Pole/Aerial. I try to exercise 3-5 days a week.

I'm just Calories in/Calories out. I don't eat animal products tho, but I still get 20% of my calories from protein. I measure out everything to ensure accuracy.

Yes, I measure and yes I take pictures, but it's incredibly frustrating when the number does change for 2 months.

I'm happy to provide any additional information.

Thanks

quiksylver296 · August 2018

Get a food scale. You've reached the point where you've got to tighten up your logging to keep losing. (You look amazing, BTW!)

Check out this thread.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

Thanks! I thought measuring was enough.

cathipa · August 2018

25% deficit is a bit extreme for most. Also adjusting your calories every 2 weeks does not give you time to assess if the deficit is accurate for your goals. Typically you need 4-6 weeks to assess if a plan is working or not. Other factors can contribute to weight gain/stalls but does not always indicate the number is related to fat (i.e hormones, DOMS, water, sodium, high carb days). If you are being truthful with your food log (i.e.weighing with a scale and not measuring with cups/spoons) then consider having more patience. Weight loss isn't linear. Healthy weight loss is 0.5-2 pounds a week.

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

I'm sorry for the confusion. I took a 2 week break after 15 weeks of dieting. I've been +/2 lbs since June. Since then, I've tightened up and increased activity with no change. I'm almost obsessive with my tracking.

Quiksylver made a good point with the scale. I thought I was ok with just using measuring cups.

cathipa · August 2018

purdynerdybirdy wrote: »

I'm sorry for the confusion. I took a 2 week break after 15 weeks of dieting. I've been +/2 lbs since June. Since then, I've tightened up and increased activity with no change. I'm almost obsessive with my tracking.

Quiksylver made a good point with the scale. I thought I was ok with just using measuring cups.

If you have a minute watch this video about weighing vs cups/spoons https://youtu.be/JVjWPclrWVY

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

Thank you

jennacole12 · August 2018

I’m in the same spot and getting so frustrated. I think I will try the food scale and I also bought an Apple Watch so I know exactly how many activity calories I am burning. Fingers crossed this helps!

diannethegeek · August 2018

1. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

2. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

3. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

4. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

5. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

6. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

7. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs. You might also be sure your scale is working and doesn't need new batteries or anything.

8. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

diannethegeek · August 2018

This might be an interesting link for some: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

Thanks Dianne.

I've considered all above over the last 8 weeks which is why I was at my wit's end. I believe the scale will be very helpful since I've always relied on them for measurement. I'm hoping that will make the difference.

Thanks!

ladyhusker39 · August 2018

You've gotten some great advice. I just popped in to say you look amazing! It sounds like you'll be back on track once you tighten up your logging with a food scale. Cudos.

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

ladyhusker39 wrote: »

You've gotten some great advice. I just popped in to say you look amazing! It sounds like you'll be back on track once you tighten up your logging with a food scale. Cudos.

Thank you Ladyhusker! My food scale comes in tomorrow. Meanwhile I've been measuring 'below' the rim of my measuring cups lol.

purdynerdybirdy · August 2018

I want to thank everyone who suggested the scale. My 1/2 cup of oats (which I have all the time) measured 49 grams and not the 40 grams on the label for 150 calories. I was consuming about 34 extra calories (68 if I doubled the serving size). Luckily, my 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter was close to the 31 gram serving size.

This week is the last of diet break. I also decided not to cut my calories so aggressively. I'm gonna reduce by 250 calories.

Thanks again!

TayaCurragh · August 2018

I'm in the same boat. I've lost about 20 pounds so far with about the same amount to go, but my weight hasn't budged at all for over a month now.

I have a fitbit for my activity and I weigh all my food, we don't use cups here in the UK. I'm hoping it will sort itseld out after some time but it's incredibly frustrating keeping up the habits but not seeing results!

Plateau Breakers

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