Plateau

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There are times that when I input my calories for the day, I get a message that there are not enough calories for that day. It happened twice this week and I still gained weight. Getting pretty frustrated.

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Weight loss is not linear. I once sat at the same weight for 6 weeks......that's a plateau. Up & down in the space of one week is normal water weight fluctuation.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702290/the-importance-of-this-phrase-weight-loss-is-not-linear

    1 pound of fat gain would be you eating 3,500 calories above your maintenance. Unless you were seriously over eating the other 5 days, it's not fat gain. This flow chart is great for explaining weight loss stalls. My stall (above).....I wasn't using a digital food scale.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10179969/weight-loss-flow-chart-2-0/p1

    Under eating doesn't stop weight loss, on the contrary it helps you lose a larger % of lean muscle (along with some fat).
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,306 Member
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    I started in January to lose my holiday weight... seemed like I didn't lose at all the first three or so weeks.. now it is about all gone. I know how you feel, you really start to think it isn't working. But the old "weight loss isn't constant .. predictable or linear- is true. don't give up or talk yourself into thinking "what's the use."
  • ManEatingLizard
    ManEatingLizard Posts: 15 Member
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    My favorite way to break a plateau is an epic cheat day. Your body tries to burn what you put in most effectively. That's why really successfully thin for life people tend to eat the same thing everyday. But when you're trying to lose weight and your body pulls this, the easiest way for ME to break it is by telling it we're not dieting anymore. I'll go out with friends, eat a fried seafood platter, get drinks, etc... and the next day I'll actually be lower. Then I go back to my routine. Often tested. The only problem is that if you have a willpower problem, going back to dieting the next day can be.... more than a little depressing, and more than a lot hard.