A 3 month plateau!
freakdoodle
Posts: 12 Member
I started seriously trying to get in shape in January although I had been using MFP for awhile. I started at 250lbs and have been whittling that down a little at a time. I religiously log my meals and exercises. I'm walking 3 to 6 miles every day at between 2.5 and 3 mph and doing circuit training at the gym 2 or 3 days a week (I don't more than 40 to 50 lbs on upper body because I have physical limitations). I try to keep my caloric intake around 1200 to 1500 consistently but even if I have a "bad" day I never go over 2000 calories. I've been bouncing between 205 and 210 for 3 months now! I need some help because I'm starting to get frustrated. Does anyone have any advice for me?
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freakdoodle wrote: »I started seriously trying to get in shape in January although I had been using MFP for awhile. I started at 250lbs and have been whittling that down a little at a time. I religiously log my meals and exercises. I'm walking 3 to 6 miles every day at between 2.5 and 3 mph and doing circuit training at the gym 2 or 3 days a week (I don't more than 40 to 50 lbs on upper body because I have physical limitations). I try to keep my caloric intake around 1200 to 1500 consistently but even if I have a "bad" day I never go over 2000 calories. I've been bouncing between 205 and 210 for 3 months now! I need some help because I'm starting to get frustrated. Does anyone have any advice for me?
How much of a deficit is 1500 calories? How often do you have a "bad day"? If 2000 is more than your maintenance level and you are doing that a couple of times a week, it could be negating your deficit on your "good days".
Are you using a food scale?
Would you be willing to temporarily make your diary public?
How tall are you and what is your goal weight?
Sorry for all the questions!3 -
This has happened to me before...it was two of the above mentioned: bad days taking my deficit, and not measuring properly. Also, I wasn’t adding in oil cooked with etc. Everything makes a huge difference.3
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I am 5'4" my goal weight is 150 lbs. I want to be fit but not skinny. I used a scale in the beginning but after I got familiar with meat portions I stopped using it. I do use measuring cups and spoons however to make sure I'm tracking accurately. I don't know what you mean by how much the deficit is. I do get a weekly digest that shows calories consumed and burned and that has a weekly deficit is that what you mean?0
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freakdoodle wrote: »I am 5'4" my goal weight is 150 lbs. I want to be fit but not skinny. I used a scale in the beginning but after I got familiar with meat portions I stopped using it. I do use measuring cups and spoons however to make sure I'm tracking accurately. I don't know what you mean by how much the deficit is. I do get a weekly digest that shows calories consumed and burned and that has a weekly deficit is that what you mean?
Go back to using the food scale for a bit. Portion creep happens.4 -
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Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.0
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freakdoodle wrote: »Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.
If your logging is inaccurate, then no, that doesn't say much. Also doesn't tell us what your actual deficit. How many lbs/week did you choose? Have you adjusted your calories down as you lose weight?1 -
Using peanut butter as an example, the serving size is 2 tablespoons so I'm not sure how weighing it would make it different? Totally not being argumentative just trying to figure out my problem :-)1
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freakdoodle wrote: »Using peanut butter as an example, the serving size is 2 tablespoons so I'm not sure how weighing it would make it different? Totally not being argumentative just trying to figure out my problem :-)
The serving size is in grams. The volume measurement (tablespoons, cups, # of chips, etc) is estimated by the manufacturer. Depending on how much you fill that volume measurement and how tightly packed it is, you can get a different weight. The nutrition info on the package is calculated based on the serving weight grams.3 -
Check this post out when you get a chance:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
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My typical day is a high protein slim fast shake with almond milk for breakfast, a protein (usually chicken breast) and a veggie (broccoli or brussel sprouts) for lunch, light Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of peanut butter for snack, a protein with a vegetable for dinner, and either more Greek yogurt and pb, an Atkins snack bar, or some carb smart ice cream for dessert. That's the standard every day menu. If there's a birthday I'll have a piece of cake, if I'm extra hungry I'll have an additional slim fast shake with almond milk. I very rarely eat pasta or bread. If I eat out I go for a protein and a vegetable.0
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Check this post out when you get a chance:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
And this one...
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p10 -
Thank you for your help I appreciate it. I'll take this new information and hope I can finally get past the 200 lb mark. I'm working my butt off and I'm anxious to get to a healthier me.1
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freakdoodle wrote: »Thank you for your help I appreciate it. I'll take this new information and hope I can finally get past the 200 lb mark. I'm working my butt off and I'm anxious to get to a healthier me.
Two tablespoons of Jif creamy peanut butter is 32 grams, and 190 calories. That I know this off the top of my head is a bit concerning. LOL
Guesstimate 2 tablespoons. Then put it on your scale and see how many grams it is. Every extra gram you are off is approximately 6 calories.6 -
Here's an example of why using a food scale is so important. I wasn't measuring my creamer for my coffee, I have drank coffee and cream forever so what did it matter (I had weighed it in the past). This time around, no food scale for creamer but I weighed everything else.
Did not lose anything for July and August. Started weighing creamer and bam, down 6 lbs for the month of Sept.
Turns out, I was consuming WAAAAAAYYY more just in my creamer than I thought. And that was just one thing that I had twice a day.3 -
My scales refused to move for 11 weeks (apart from going up), but if you're confident that you're in a deficit, they will move eventually!1
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quiksylver296 wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »Thank you for your help I appreciate it. I'll take this new information and hope I can finally get past the 200 lb mark. I'm working my butt off and I'm anxious to get to a healthier me.
Two tablespoons of Jif creamy peanut butter is 32 grams, and 190 calories. That I know this off the top of my head is a bit concerning. LOL
Guesstimate 2 tablespoons. Then put it on your scale and see how many grams it is. Every extra gram you are off is approximately 6 calories.
I would find it concerning and a bit sad if you didn’t.1 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.
If your logging is inaccurate, then no, that doesn't say much. Also doesn't tell us what your actual deficit. How many lbs/week did you choose? Have you adjusted your calories down as you lose weight?
I have not adjusted anything in my goals and only update my weight in the progress section. I guess that's something I should do. I'm technology challenged so please don't judge me lol0 -
freakdoodle wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.
If your logging is inaccurate, then no, that doesn't say much. Also doesn't tell us what your actual deficit. How many lbs/week did you choose? Have you adjusted your calories down as you lose weight?
I have not adjusted anything in my goals and only update my weight in the progress section. I guess that's something I should do. I'm technology challenged so please don't judge me lol
Many assume that the program will do it automatically as your weight changes. It doesn't. If you go back to goals, and allow it to adjust based on current weight, you will find that calorie goal drop (and redo this for every 10lbs lost). I do still think that portion creep is your bigger issue. It happens. Go back to weighing your foods for a week or two. You might be surprised.2 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.
If your logging is inaccurate, then no, that doesn't say much. Also doesn't tell us what your actual deficit. How many lbs/week did you choose? Have you adjusted your calories down as you lose weight?
I have not adjusted anything in my goals and only update my weight in the progress section. I guess that's something I should do. I'm technology challenged so please don't judge me lol
Many assume that the program will do it automatically as your weight changes. It doesn't. If you go back to goals, and allow it to adjust based on current weight, you will find that calorie goal drop (and redo this for every 10lbs lost). I do still think that portion creep is your bigger issue. It happens. Go back to weighing your foods for a week or two. You might be surprised.
Am I supposed to change my starting weight or do I leave that alone?0 -
freakdoodle wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »freakdoodle wrote: »Those are screenshots of my weekly report. Not sure if that helps.
If your logging is inaccurate, then no, that doesn't say much. Also doesn't tell us what your actual deficit. How many lbs/week did you choose? Have you adjusted your calories down as you lose weight?
I have not adjusted anything in my goals and only update my weight in the progress section. I guess that's something I should do. I'm technology challenged so please don't judge me lol
Many assume that the program will do it automatically as your weight changes. It doesn't. If you go back to goals, and allow it to adjust based on current weight, you will find that calorie goal drop (and redo this for every 10lbs lost). I do still think that portion creep is your bigger issue. It happens. Go back to weighing your foods for a week or two. You might be surprised.
Am I supposed to change my starting weight or do I leave that alone?
Leave your starting weight alone.
From the drop down menu go to "goals," and then tap "calorie, carb, protein and fat goals" that should adjust it for you.1 -
Some of these have been covered already, but these would be my pretty generic suggestions. It's hard to be more specific with a closed diary.
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 and weigh everything solid. Everything. 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 or happy scale 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.1 -
I updated my goals and there's a HUGE change in the daily calorie goal so right off the bat that's gonna make a difference. Thanks again for everyone's input I got some great tips :-)4
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freakdoodle wrote: »I updated my goals and there's a HUGE change in the daily calorie goal so right off the bat that's gonna make a difference. Thanks again for everyone's input I got some great tips :-)
Thanks for the update. Let us know how it goes.3 -
Thanks for this thread. I have lost 21 lbs and the scale has stopped...I went and changed my goal info and it dropped my deficit calorie count by 100!! Thanks for sharing the details of your healthy life changes!!
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Update - the scale has started moving again and I'm finally below 200 lbs! :-)9
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Do you have a fit bit? I think that’s a really good (directional) tracker of calories burned daily. Then you can set what you know is a substantial deficit. If you want to lose 1 lb a week, then you will need about a 3,500 calorie deficit (weekly). So that’s about 500 cal per day deficit. If your burning about 1,900 cal/day...then you need to adjust intake to 1,400. But to do that, you will need a proper diet, or else you will feel hungry. Believe it or not, with the right macros and foods you can feel full on 1,400 cal/day.0
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freakdoodle wrote: »Update - the scale has started moving again and I'm finally below 200 lbs! :-)
Yay!0
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