Weight Loss Plateau Linked to Less Water?
6raham
Posts: 147 Member
Hi all,
I have seemed to hit a bit of a plateau over the previous couple of weeks, from loosing around 2lbs a week regularly since January to now sticking around 11 stone (sometimes 11.2 and the lowest being 10.13) I have looked to review any changes over the past couple of weeks.
I have upped my exercise so I am doing a 20/25 minute HIIT session in the morning straight after I get up before breakfast, I go for a 50 minute walk at a brisk pace at lunchtime after I have eaten my lunch and then after dinner and before bed I am doing 20 minutes of strength training (core work and lifting).
This increase from just walking seems to have stalled my weight loss which I appreciate maybe an increase in muscle but the other thing I noticed was my water intake is a lot less, this is mainly down to the weather changing and rather than water I'm drinking more black coffee or green tea but could this be a reason, does drinking 8 glasses of water contribute to weight loss? Or do you think it is entirely down to the increase in exercise? I have given an example of a typical day for me below:
6:40am HIIT workout 25 minutes
7am Porridge and a yogurt for breakfast with a green tea
9am Black Coffee
10am Snack of blueberries / strawberries and rice cakes with a black coffee
12pm Lunch chicken breast, spinach, tomato, cucumber with a black coffee
1pm Brisk walk - 4.5/5km at a brisk pace
2pm Green Tea
4pm Green Tea
6pm Dinner of Chicken (or some form of meat), vegetables and a yogurt
8pm Green Tea
10pm Strength workout 20 minutes
11pm Bed
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Thanks
I have seemed to hit a bit of a plateau over the previous couple of weeks, from loosing around 2lbs a week regularly since January to now sticking around 11 stone (sometimes 11.2 and the lowest being 10.13) I have looked to review any changes over the past couple of weeks.
I have upped my exercise so I am doing a 20/25 minute HIIT session in the morning straight after I get up before breakfast, I go for a 50 minute walk at a brisk pace at lunchtime after I have eaten my lunch and then after dinner and before bed I am doing 20 minutes of strength training (core work and lifting).
This increase from just walking seems to have stalled my weight loss which I appreciate maybe an increase in muscle but the other thing I noticed was my water intake is a lot less, this is mainly down to the weather changing and rather than water I'm drinking more black coffee or green tea but could this be a reason, does drinking 8 glasses of water contribute to weight loss? Or do you think it is entirely down to the increase in exercise? I have given an example of a typical day for me below:
6:40am HIIT workout 25 minutes
7am Porridge and a yogurt for breakfast with a green tea
9am Black Coffee
10am Snack of blueberries / strawberries and rice cakes with a black coffee
12pm Lunch chicken breast, spinach, tomato, cucumber with a black coffee
1pm Brisk walk - 4.5/5km at a brisk pace
2pm Green Tea
4pm Green Tea
6pm Dinner of Chicken (or some form of meat), vegetables and a yogurt
8pm Green Tea
10pm Strength workout 20 minutes
11pm Bed
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Thanks
3
Replies
-
how are you measuring your calorie intake? that matters more than the hours at which you drink green tea, the amount of water you take in or the walking that you are doing.
edit to add - you are not putting on muscle mass walking if that is what you are thinking either...14 -
More than likely increased exercise (water retention, not increased muscle) or inaccurate logging. Drinking water does nothing for weight loss unless it prevents you from drinking calorie-filled drinks.14
-
A true plateau lasts for more than a month.
Drinking water helps your body flush sodium which makes you retain water. Tea and coffee do count as water so you are getting more than you think and I doubt this is the problem.
A new exercise program will cause your body to retain water to help repair muscles.
Retaining extra water means having more weight which can mask fat loss on the scale for a time. All of this is temporary and will even out. You can still be losing fat weight while the scale shows an increase if you are in a calorie deficit.12 -
It could be anything, but I do think drinking more water will keep you more satisfied and flush things out. Drinking it for me is more of a behavioral thing--I'm "in the zone," drinking my water, just doing all the things I need to do to stay on point.1
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You have been doing this for a while and say you have been losing 2 pounds per week up until plateauing. Just wondering how accurately you are weighing your food? Assuming you have been tracking foods accurately, it’s only been a couple of weeks, so I would guess you just need to be patient, give it more time. The liquids (water, green tea, coffee) are probably not the cause.3
-
Thanks all, just to answer some of your points:
1. Measurements are taken with a scale so I know exactly what I am eating (unless it is something like 1 tomato then I use MFP's option of 1 tomato).
2. No the muscle gain is what I would consider being built from strength training every evening, not cardio work done in the morning and during the day.
3. Is it worth noting with every green tea log I put a log of water down too so I can ensure the accuracy in the amount of water I am having?
4. No I dont think the coffee, green tea is the cause as such but whether an increase to 8 glasses plus the amount I already drink would help.
I very, very, very rarely go over my sodium intake but with an increase in exercise do you think that is the cause?0 -
May I just clarify- you've been consistently losing 2 lbs/week since January? And are currently about 154 lbs? (maybe I'm not converting it right).
2 lbs/week is only for those who are very obese. Assuming you even have anything left to lose, you should not expect, nor pursue, anything greater than .5 lb/week. Most people find the final 10 lbs of weight loss painfully slow and it requires real precision and consistency with your calorie counting.
Have you had a diet break in all this time? You really should have one, as you have been at this many months and your rate of loss has been very aggressive.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p14 -
May I just clarify- you've been consistently losing 2 lbs/week since January? And are currently about 154 lbs? (maybe I'm not converting it right).
2 lbs/week is only for those who are very obese. Assuming you even have anything left to lose, you should not expect, nor pursue, anything greater than .5 lb/week. Most people find the final 10 lbs of weight loss painfully slow and it requires real precision and consistency with your calorie counting.
Have you had a diet break in all this time? You really should have one, as you have been at this many months and your rate of loss has been very aggressive.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p1
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.1 -
May I just clarify- you've been consistently losing 2 lbs/week since January? And are currently about 154 lbs? (maybe I'm not converting it right).
2 lbs/week is only for those who are very obese. Assuming you even have anything left to lose, you should not expect, nor pursue, anything greater than .5 lb/week. Most people find the final 10 lbs of weight loss painfully slow and it requires real precision and consistency with your calorie counting.
Have you had a diet break in all this time? You really should have one, as you have been at this many months and your rate of loss has been very aggressive.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p1
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
So that's 89 lbs in about 7 months time? That's averaging more like 3 lbs/week (I understand the rate was greater in the beginning). There's nothing to be done about it now, but you've been putting your body under a tremendous amount of stress and have likely cost yourself a lot of lean muscle mass. Please read that link about diet breaks and consider eating at maintenance for a while (not just a day or 2) to give your body a chance to recover.
Just an FYI for others who come along and wonder what the concern is:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p111 -
May I just clarify- you've been consistently losing 2 lbs/week since January? And are currently about 154 lbs? (maybe I'm not converting it right).
2 lbs/week is only for those who are very obese. Assuming you even have anything left to lose, you should not expect, nor pursue, anything greater than .5 lb/week. Most people find the final 10 lbs of weight loss painfully slow and it requires real precision and consistency with your calorie counting.
Have you had a diet break in all this time? You really should have one, as you have been at this many months and your rate of loss has been very aggressive.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p1
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
So that's 89 lbs in about 7 months time? That's averaging more like 3 lbs/week (I understand the rate was greater in the beginning). There's nothing to be done about it now, but you've been putting your body under a tremendous amount of stress and have likely cost yourself a lot of lean muscle mass. Please read that link about diet breaks and consider eating at maintenance for a while (not just a day or 2) to give your body a chance to recover.
Just an FYI for others who come along and wonder what the concern is:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
Just reading through it now, thanks1 -
Thanks all, just to answer some of your points:
1. Measurements are taken with a scale so I know exactly what I am eating (unless it is something like 1 tomato then I use MFP's option of 1 tomato).
2. No the muscle gain is what I would consider being built from strength training every evening, not cardio work done in the morning and during the day.
3. Is it worth noting with every green tea log I put a log of water down too so I can ensure the accuracy in the amount of water I am having?
4. No I dont think the coffee, green tea is the cause as such but whether an increase to 8 glasses plus the amount I already drink would help.
I very, very, very rarely go over my sodium intake but with an increase in exercise do you think that is the cause?
Using an entry like "1 tomato" is not an accurate entry. Tomatoes all have different sizes/weights.
You should weigh everything and enter/log by weight. Even packaged food items do not always weigh the same, or what the packaging says.5 -
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
I am not even sure how it is possible you have maintained a 1500 calorie deficit for so long from that starting weight. You have to be eating a very low calorie diet. That is pretty reckless.
3 -
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
I am not even sure how it is possible you have maintained a 1500 calorie deficit for so long from that starting weight. You have to be eating a very low calorie diet. That is pretty reckless.
What do you mean... my calories have always been between 1200 and 1500 every day without fail. I don't see why this is reckless? I am fitter, healthy, eat well and have been consistent in logging, exercising and making sure I have a deficit to loose weight. I have been monitoring my body fat % and my lean body mass has been increasing month on month for the past three months from 60kg up to 61.6kg last month (still to get my mass for this month). I, as far as I am aware seem to be doing what is needed to loose weight (apart from the diet breaks which are new to me).6 -
You are not supposed to lose more than 1 percent of your total body weight per week because your body has a limitation on how much fat you can metabolize. When you exceed that threshold your body turns to muscle for energy.
1500 is the bare minimum calories for men. If you have been eating around that much you must not have been eating back exercise calories or you would not have lost weight at that pace.
As @try2again says there is nothing that can be done about it now. What is done is done.
10 -
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
I am not even sure how it is possible you have maintained a 1500 calorie deficit for so long from that starting weight. You have to be eating a very low calorie diet. That is pretty reckless.
What do you mean... my calories have always been between 1200 and 1500 every day without fail. I don't see why this is reckless? I am fitter, healthy, eat well and have been consistent in logging, exercising and making sure I have a deficit to loose weight. I have been monitoring my body fat % and my lean body mass has been increasing month on month for the past three months from 60kg up to 61.6kg last month (still to get my mass for this month). I, as far as I am aware seem to be doing what is needed to loose weight (apart from the diet breaks which are new to me).
The *minimum* for men is 1500.
You're losing weight at an overly aggressive pace.
Poor tracking aside, you need to eat more once you get your tracking under control. (Because no, selecting "one tomato" is not good tracking and weighing.)10 -
Since you just increased your workouts that is the likely culprit as you retain water when increasing exercise.4
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Congrats on your progress to date man! As per the above the last last few kg / lbs is always the hardest.
Stay the course with your consistent approach, make a few tweaks then assess and log accuratley.
Dont forget adequate sleep.
Good luck mate.
4 -
SkeeAtWork2017 wrote: »Congrats on your progress to date man! As per the above the last last few kg / lbs is always the hardest.
Stay the course with your consistent approach, make a few tweaks then assess and log accuratley.
Dont forget adequate sleep.
Good luck mate.
Thank you1 -
Wow- your weight loss so far is impressive and inspiring! You should feel very proud of yourself!! I know from experience that those last few pounds are definitely the hardest to take off so just keep at it and don't expect a lb a week or even 1/2 lb a week- it might even be like a lb a month...but it will come off eventually!!1
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I've been around enough dieting in my life to know that pretty much everybody hits plateaus, and there isn't necessarily a cause that you can correct. Just hang in there, do the right stuff, and weight loss will resume.0
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I understand your frustration. I went from walking, measuring foods last fall and losing 40 lbs to adding swimming and bicycling in the spring and making it through two sprint triathlons. It seems my weight loss came to a screeching halt once I added more cardio. I did a triathlon Saturday and have been up 4 lbs. I know it is mostly water weight. My clothes are looser, my legs are slightly more toned at the same weight and I feel great. I need to add weight lifting a few times a week for more strength. I know I let more high calories in through bread and sweets sneak back into my diet after a workout instead of protein shakes and fruits.
There was a lot of good advice here.1 -
By your calorie count, it looks like you;ve been under your calories for a while now. You could be messing up with your metabolism.
Same routine every day and low calories may have you in a permanent catabolic cycle. In other words, your body has become efficient in breaking down your food/muscle mass vs your exercise routine and is currently in maintenance.
My suggestion... for 1 or 2 weeks, bump your calorie consumption to 2500 and go heavy and I do mean HEAVY in the gym.
That will throw a monkey wrench into your system and by the time it realizes you've dropped your calories again, you've already lost another stone.
Hope this helps.5 -
Yes, so in January I was 17stone 4lbs, my current weight is 10stone 13lbs. The start of my diet was quicker so my calculation of 2lbs per week is slightly out but Ive lost 89lbs so far. My GW is 10stone 7lbs but the last 7lbs like you say has been the hardest.
No I havent had a diet break as such, maybe apart from a weekend on my stag do but I still kept track of calories and went over my diet intake by 2000 in a day but that was it.
I am not even sure how it is possible you have maintained a 1500 calorie deficit for so long from that starting weight. You have to be eating a very low calorie diet. That is pretty reckless.
What do you mean... my calories have always been between 1200 and 1500 every day without fail. I don't see why this is reckless? I am fitter, healthy, eat well and have been consistent in logging, exercising and making sure I have a deficit to loose weight. I have been monitoring my body fat % and my lean body mass has been increasing month on month for the past three months from 60kg up to 61.6kg last month (still to get my mass for this month). I, as far as I am aware seem to be doing what is needed to loose weight (apart from the diet breaks which are new to me).
1500 is the minimum for a male, and that is for a short and sedentary man. Have you been eating back your exercise calories?
MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
****
Your current stall is likely due to water retention from the new exercise program and stress from your rapid weight loss.
What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:- Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
- Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
- Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
- Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:- Headaches
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Menstrual irregularities
- Hair loss
- Muscle loss
7 -
Increase in exercise is often associated with additional water retention as your muscles recruit water for repair and glycogen storage. A few weeks where your weight doesn't happen to go down isn't a "plateau" or anything to worry about really.
One thing you didn't just do is slap on pounds of muscle in a week while also being calorie restricted. You aren't go to gain any muscle while calorie restricted and you aren't going to gain pounds of muscle in a week under the best of circumstances.4 -
Thank you for the advice and tips, just to let you know over the past 4/5 days I have upped my calorie intake to 1500 while maintaining the exercise program. I dropped a pound this week but feel full, the plan is to eat at maintenance for a week and like you say change the cardio and strength workouts so i vary. Its been good to experiment (and eat more good things!)2
-
Thank you for the advice and tips, just to let you know over the past 4/5 days I have upped my calorie intake to 1500 while maintaining the exercise program. I dropped a pound this week but feel full, the plan is to eat at maintenance for a week and like you say change the cardio and strength workouts so i vary. Its been good to experiment (and eat more good things!)
Please say that's 1500 net?...
1 -
Thank you for the advice and tips, just to let you know over the past 4/5 days I have upped my calorie intake to 1500 while maintaining the exercise program. I dropped a pound this week but feel full, the plan is to eat at maintenance for a week and like you say change the cardio and strength workouts so i vary. Its been good to experiment (and eat more good things!)
Please say that's 1500 net?...
Yes net 15001 -
What is your height? Goal weight? And muscle mass goal? The most important aspects of obtaining your goals0
-
lesa_marie33 wrote: »What is your height? Goal weight? And muscle mass goal? The most important aspects of obtaining your goals
Im 5ft 7
GW 147lbs
Goal body fat % 10%0
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