The last few pounds, what gives???
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so yes i am just recovering from a 6-7 week gain/maintain period.
Over a year I lost like 50lbs. i kept readjusting my goal as things were going super well. Then in April was easter/my birthday so i probably ate maintenance for let's say two weeks? ish. i didn't track too too carefully.
so that brings us to april 29th ish? From that point no matter how well i kept eating (same as before) i wasn't trenidng down (I use a weight trending app). in fact, some point mid-day i was UP 2 lbs. then sorta trended down 1lb from there and stayed there.
Until June 1-2ish. i was maintaining that extra pound.
It was a huge struggle. I doubled down on logging. logged my gum. re-confirmed weights on everything EVERYTHING and removed any portion creep and little extras and ate about 30-50 calories less. I double checked EACH AND EVERY entry used.
FINALLY FINALLY, last week i got a big woosh. it's still stabilizing so not sure where it will stop but looks like despite the 6-7 week pain and maintenance i'm actually on track big picture for a 0.4-0.5lb/week loss.10 -
@Panini911 I was hoping the same would happen to me! I have been in a deficit for 71 weeks (with 2/3 diet breaks) and lost 95lbs. I have 3lb until goal weight but I am sick of sitting at this weight..
I was thinking maybe as i've been in a deficit for so many weeks, my metabolism has adapted, maybe time for a reverse diet back upto maintenance?
Never done it before but maybe once I settled there for a few months I could drop the last 3!1 -
@panini911 Congrats on the loss by the way !! Amazing0
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Thanks
if there is no health issue i'd assume it is an issue with calorie calculations (be it food or exercise).2 -
@panini911 I don't think so, I weigh and log everything, always have done through my weight loss. It worked well for the first 95lbs / 63 Weeks. I had 2 Weeks no loss (after losing 1lb per week consistently) So started lifting and 8.5 weeks later still no loss x1
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I feel your pain. I never did get to my ultimate goal weight after a loss of about 108 lbs. I am still 10 lbs away a year and a half later. If you really want to hit that goal you may have to accept that 1700 calories is not right for you and drop a couple hundred calories down. I have a slow thyroid and even though I am medicated I suspect that's my issue. Some of us are just what horse folk call "easy keepers". My dad used to tell me if there were a famine he and I would last longer, lol. Incidentally you look great in your profile pic. Congrats on the great loss!0
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LaurenMT96 wrote: »@panini911 I don't think so, I weigh and log everything, always have done through my weight loss. It worked well for the first 95lbs / 63 Weeks. I had 2 Weeks no loss (after losing 1lb per week consistently) So started lifting and 8.5 weeks later still no loss x
How often have you taken a diet break in the 95 pounds you lost? If you have not taken one, now is a good time.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p13 -
Thankyou @cheryldumais I am 5 foot 8 though so I can't imagine my maintenance cals are 1700, unless my metabolism has adapted due to so long in a deficit? Who knows.
@NovusDies I had 1 when i went on holiday to Egypt (SEP 2018) and one at Christmas 2018 ( both over a week long) and a 5 day break at easter.. other than that I haven't had any others.0 -
Your metabolism wouldn't adapt down that much if you believe your maintenance TDEE is around 2200. From what I know adaptation happens in a very unhealthy weight loss pattern over an extended period of time not just because you are in a prolonged deficit.
What was your rate of loss for the last 2 months before you stopped seeing positive progress?
Have you been travelling more? Under more stress than usual for some reason?0 -
@NovusDies I started out all wrong, was losing 3lb per week on 1200 cals for 10 weeks, my RoL was set at 2lb per week until Xmas 2018, then down to 1.5lb per week in Jan, and 1lb per week in Feb to now, However end of April was when i just ground to a halt.
No nothing has changed, If it's not my metabolism.. I really dont know what or how to fix it.0 -
LaurenMT96 wrote: »@NovusDies I started out all wrong, was losing 3lb per week on 1200 cals for 10 weeks, my RoL was set at 2lb per week until Xmas 2018, then down to 1.5lb per week in Jan, and 1lb per week in Feb to now, However end of April was when i just ground to a halt.
No nothing has changed, If it's not my metabolism.. I really dont know what or how to fix it.
You started at 260ish, right? You were losing too fast but you had plenty of fat stores originally and you only did it for 10 weeks. I am no expert but it is extremely unlikely you did any damage to yourself.
What was your weight at the first of February and then at the end of March?1 -
@NovusDies I am a data geek, that is all of my weigh-ins, Feb end weight 170 March end weight was 166.
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Have you changed the batteries in your scale lately? It's weird that you aren't getting fractions of a pound anymore.6
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As for maintenance calories, I can tell you that my maintenance is around 1350 (before exercise), I'm 5'5" and about 148 lbs. I'm 62 years old. I've spoken to my doctor about how low I have to go to maintain and he says it has to do with how much weight I lost. I asked him if it would ever get better and he said it might, eventually.
Nothing you can do about it but try to build some muscle which you are already doing. Outside of that I don't know what else to tell you. Good luck.1 -
@quiksylver296 Yeah I did as thought this may be the reason, By Friday i am always 165. give or take 0.1 or 0.2 lb0
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I even tested the accuracy getting on/off holding a few of my weight plates and they were bob-on!3
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So your rate of loss between Feb 1 and March 29 was .91 pounds per week representing a daily deficit average of 456.25 calories.
On what date did you add in your strength training? I would rather not mention this but it appears it is typical for you to have a negative number around the first week of the month. Is it safe to assume that is part of your cycle?2 -
Oh and I should mention I have no idea what it is like in your situation. I still have a long way to go before I run into my last few pounds. I am kind of decent at data analysis though so I will help with what I see but for actual experience you need to lean on others.0
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@NovusDies I started around week 64/65, i had a scale spike (doms) but didn't log as i knew it was my muscles repairing, I was back down to 165 after a week or 2 and sat there ever since.
And unfortunately not, I don't have a period due to the type of birth control pill that I'm on (but that's normal/good for someone with PCOS according to my doc!) It may be the payday splurge at the start
of the month lol0 -
I am same height but weigh less and I seriously doubt 1700 is your maintenance if you are active and lifting. I took a quick peek at your diary and it appears you net out 1700 for the week but have bigger weekend calories and restaurant meals. My weight always spikes up after larger calorie days and eating out and then will take days to get back down to where I was before. It is likely that you are eating more calories than you think on the weekends and messing up the deficit you made during the week.
If I were you, I would try to eat a consistent calorie amount every day and eat at home as much as possible, weighing every single thing before I start worrying about my metabolism. It is more likely you are just eating more than you think.3 -
@dmt4641 I have done average weekly calories all the way through my weight loss, it would be a bummer to have to change my routine now but I'm willing to give anything a go! I will try to net 1700 daily rather than Weekly and see what that does to my next friday weigh in, Thankyou
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Someone posted this article last year and I loved it. It looks like it may have even been updated recently. Not sure if you will find anything that hits home with you, but it might be worth a read...
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/1 -
The last few pounds require much stricter logging. What worked in the beginning won't necessarily work at the end. I eat out and have cocktails too, but I know the result will be bloating and weight gain that will take a few days to go back down. That can really mask your fat loss. I think you could go a little higher on weekends, but 2500 to 1400 calories are big swings. Maybe do 1900 a couple days and 1600 other days so you will always be in a deficit each day instead of several days over maintenance.
I would also change to .5 lb a week at some point soon once your weight starts going in the right direction. And at this point you should worry more about inches lost and how your clothes fit and progress pictures. My weight has barely moved in the past few months but I've lots inches everywhere and look more toned because I am being very consistent with my weight training. And if you are only one month into weight lifting, be patient and in a few months you will see some amazing changes in your body regardless of whether you weight has gone down very much. Newbie gains!! What program are you doing?
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LaurenMT96 wrote: »@NovusDies I started around week 64/65, i had a scale spike (doms) but didn't log as i knew it was my muscles repairing, I was back down to 165 after a week or 2 and sat there ever since.
And unfortunately not, I don't have a period due to the type of birth control pill that I'm on (but that's normal/good for someone with PCOS according to my doc!) It may be the payday splurge at the start
of the month lol
Correct me if I am wrong but can't you still experience some aspects of your cycle even if it is being controlled?
Anyway the numbers do not lie. You can't wake up one day and suddenly a deficit average of 456 calories evaporates into thin air.
If nothing has indeed changed my opinin, fwiw, is that you will woosh in the next week or so.
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@dmt4641 My lifting Is going well, this was a few days ago, I already have good lower body strength from horse riding and doing barn chores day in day out (pushing wheelbarrows carrying heavy buckets etc) but I put my own program together (don’t shoot me) with an upper lower body split, I’m enjoying it though so far!0 -
@NovusDies I'm not sure... that is interesting though, I may have to do some research!
Thanks for all your help, I will keep on keeping on!1 -
A structured progressive overload program would help you get the most out of your newbie gains. I have done several of them, but now I do Alexia Clark workouts because I enjoy them and never get bored. I have actually gotten the best results from this program because I am very consistent with it because its enjoyable. The best program is the one you actually do!1
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Whatever you are doing Lauren - you look fantastic 2
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My suspicion is that Lauren just holds water weight longer than normal when starting a new exercise. If I were you, @LaurenMT96, I'd hold tight for another month. Sounds hard, I know.8
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LaurenMT96 wrote: »Thankyou @cheryldumais I am 5 foot 8 though so I can't imagine my maintenance cals are 1700, unless my metabolism has adapted due to so long in a deficit? Who knows.
@NovusDies I had 1 when i went on holiday to Egypt (SEP 2018) and one at Christmas 2018 ( both over a week long) and a 5 day break at easter.. other than that I haven't had any others.
I am 5'7.5'' and my maintennance is at 1750 or so. I am cutting to 1500 to lose .5 pounds a week. I set MFP at sedentary as I have an office job but add and eat back my exercise calories (I estimate those modestly). I don't think it's unreasonable that your maintenance is 1700 at all...3
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