Same weight for a month?

Congratulations on the weight loss! May I ask over what time period the loss occurred?

You honestly don't need to worry about macro nutrients or exercise. If you are in a consistent calorie deficit, you will lose weight regardless of the make-up of your diet or activity. It's always beneficial to make sure that we are, in fact, in a consistent calorie deficit. Using a food scale and choosing accurate database entries are the big 2 there.

My bet would be on the stress. Stress increases cortisol, and cortisol increases water retention. You may very well be continuing to lose fat, but some water retention may be masking it on the scale.

how long have you been stable? is it tending down at all? or no?

are you using a food scale? on all foods? do you log absolutely everything?

how long to get from 300 to 264 (congrats!)?

ActuallyGimli wrote: »

@try2again and @Panini911 I started my weight loss in the beginning of October of last year but had slight trouble in January due to having to have a gallbladder removal surgery. (on Jan 21st) So six months approximately, but one of those I wasn't able to exercise much for. (most of Feb.) Since a little before March I have weighed about the same. My weight has gone from 264 to 264 to 267 to 263 to 265 on a weekly weighing basis. I measure everything I eat and make sure the database says the same as the packaging on products with packaging. How do I know if the database is correct on fruit and vegetables though? They don't have nutrition labels to double check against. I hope it really is just the stress and it evens back out again. @kshama2001 I thought about it seriously, but I feel self conscious about it even though it's the best I've eaten in my entire life probably. Is it bad I stick to the same 8-10 fruits and veggies or should I mix it up a bit more? Also, my doctor said not to worry about sodium intake because one of my medications interferes with my body's ability to absorb sodium, but could that affect my weight loss? I stay withing the recommended amount most of the time anyways. Thanks for the feedback everyone!

That's great that you have continued to make progress despite having a surgery in there. Sometimes people get derailed when there is a health issue. The reason we ask over what period you've lost the weight is because people often benefit from a short (1-2 week) diet break when they've been in a calorie deficit for an extended period. An extended calorie deficit can be a little disruptive to our hormones and can slow weight loss for some. Eating at maintenance for a week or two sort of resets things. It's been 6 months, so that's possible. Also, I meant to ask before, have you recalculated your calorie allowance recently to reflect your current weight?

You say you "measure" everything you eat, but specifically do you weigh your food with a food scale? Cups & measuring spoons are not particularly accurate. However, in the calorie deficit you are currently in, there is a lot of breathing room, so you should still be losing something. For fresh fruits, veggies, & meats you will get the most accurate entries if you include "USDA" in your search, however most of those entries are in gram weight. Do you cook multi-ingredient meals at home? Do you know how to use the recipe builder on here?

If you have 8-10 fruits & veggies you like, you are better off than many people. That's fine. In fact, one reason people don't stick with their weight loss plan is because they try to make themselves eat things they don't like, or forbid foods they do like (not that we shouldn't be open to trying new things). A well-rounded diet that includes things we love in the proper portions is usually going to be the most sustainable.

So it seems like you are probably looking at stress, and don't forget that there are a host of other reasons our bodies retain water at times as well, particularly for women. If you are only weighing weekly, perhaps you have been catching yourself on a high days. I'd look for ways to manage your stress level (sometimes a diet break can be helpful with that too) and to improve the accuracy of your logging and see if things don't get moving again in the next few weeks. If they don't, a visit to the doctor might be in order.

Wish you the best!

A few weeks ago I was abnormally stressed and it took me from the very bottom of my weight range to the very top in about 5 days which is a swing of about 8 pounds.

If you haven't changed your routine since before your weight started hovering I don't really believe you are doing anything wrong. I think you are very likely continuing to lose fat weight while a weight fluctuation is masking it and in a little more time you will experience a whoosh.

The diet break is a good suggestion. From everything I have read those of us with a fair amount to lose don't have to worry about adaptation as much but there is usually a mental benefit to it and you might find it relaxing.

You are doing extremely well and I am very happy for you.

food scales are not expensive - keep your eyes open you may find one on sale even. Much cheaper than a human scale! I don't get anything fancy or high tech. as long as it has a tare function and a few measurement options i'm good to go.

ActuallyGimli wrote: »

Thank you to everyone for the advice! @try2again I think I will try to get a food scale once I find another job and have the money for it (the reason behind the stress) because I was using measuring cups. Upping my calories to maintenance sounds counterproductive, but if I don't start dropping again in a few weeks I'll try it anyway. Thank you all again.

Diet breaks are far from counterproductive. Yes, you don't lose anything for a week or two, but it often results in the pace picking up afterward. I don't necessarily think that's the problem here, but I would definitely keep it in mind for future reference:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p1