Need help with my plateau

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jerryez1982
jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How should I have my app set if I’m hitting 10,000+ steps a day, and if I don’t, I’m only like 1000 short. I had it set to not active when I first started and was sticking to my calories and I’ve lost 28lbs, but I’ve been stuck for about a month. I’ve started going to the gym 3-4 nights a week. Should I up it to slightly active to take in more calories? I never go over hardly ever, but I do take in under my suggested calorie intake. Need some advice! Thanks!

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  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Do you use a food scale?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1

  • jerryez1982
    jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
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    To measure portions you mean? Yes. I’ve been sticking with under 2300 calories. I changed my active level to slightly active and it gave me 2570 calories. I measure everything out. The other thing is, everytime I try a diet, this being the longest I’ve stuck with it, I find certain foods that I know I like, and that’s kinda what I stick to almost every single day because I get comfortable with it. I’ve been eating smaller meals and several small snacks to make up my 2000-2300 calorie intake.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    so you weight the food to get the portion to log in MFP using weight? no measuring cups or spoons?

    have you updated your weight in MFP?

    the added exercise may be leading to some water retention by the muscles.
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
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    How long since you added the gym? How long did it take you to lose 28lbs?
  • jerryez1982
    jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
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    I log everything by measuring it out whether it be a scale, or tsp or cup, but my thought is, maybe since I’ve been striving to hit my 10,000 step mark everyday, and going to the gym 3-4 times a week, that I should change my activity to slightly active instead of not active. Maybe when I was sticking to 2300 and less calories, I’m not eating enough? 🤷‍♂️
  • jerryez1982
    jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
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    Like maybe my body is hitting starvation mode by sticking to such low calories? Maybe I should infect be eating more in order to lose more based on how active I am?
  • jerryez1982
    jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
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    It’s taken just under 3 months to lose 28 lbs, but it seems like it has really slowed down the past couple weeks. But I started the gym probably about 2 months ago, maybe 2 1/2.
  • jerryez1982
    jerryez1982 Posts: 6 Member
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    I just wanna know what constitutes the term “not active” vs “slightly active” or “active” within the app so that I know what to set it at to get the correct amount of calories.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    jerryez1982 wrote: »
    Like maybe my body is hitting starvation mode by sticking to such low calories?

    Starvation Mode is a myth. One of the MFP pinned posts: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1077746/starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss/p1

    If you are at a calorie deficit, sooner or later you will lose weight. As for activity level, it says what each is. It's based on your day job, not your exercise outside of work. Desk workers are sedentary, Teachers are lightly active, etc. I work a desk job (so I'm set to sedentary), but when I exercise, I log those exercises and earn calories back.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    jerryez1982 wrote: »
    Like maybe my body is hitting starvation mode by sticking to such low calories? Maybe I should infect be eating more in order to lose more based on how active I am?

    Starvation mode in this context doesn't exist. You say in your next comment that your weight loss slowed down in the past couple weeks. Does that mean you haven't lost anything in those two weeks or not as much as you expected?

    Sometimes you have to tinker with the settings a bit to find the level that's right for you. You also need to give it about 4 weeks of steady tracking to see if what you're doing is working. So if for example you decided to go with "slightly active", eat to those calories every day as close as you can for at least a month, and eat back a portion of your exercise calories and see what your weight loss looks like. If you're losing at a reasonable rate, you're good. If you're losing too much, too little or not at all, make appropriate adjustments from there. It's all estimates at the end of the day, sometimes it takes a little trial and error to figure out which one works.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    jerryez1982 wrote: »
    I log everything by measuring it out whether it be a scale, or tsp or cup, but my thought is, maybe since I’ve been striving to hit my 10,000 step mark everyday, and going to the gym 3-4 times a week, that I should change my activity to slightly active instead of not active. Maybe when I was sticking to 2300 and less calories, I’m not eating enough? 🤷‍♂️

    Do you weigh all solids and semi solids (like peanut butter or mayo) and only measure liquids?

    A true plateau is 4 or more weeks at the same weight so your month is the minimum length.

    First thing is to check your settings. Have you adjusted for your new weight? Does your activity level fit your setting?

    Next thing is to tighten up your logging to make sure more calories aren't slipping in.

    You should also check your goals. How close are you to goal? What is your weekly weight loss goal? If you are getting close, you should reset to 1 lb or 1/2 lb per week loss.

    If all is good, patience is the next thing. The human body is not a machine. There are so many different systems interacting with each other and sometimes the body just needs to readjust.

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited June 2019
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    use the scale for all foods unless it's not possible to use a food scale. sometimes thigns work fine when we have a lot to lose, so more wiggle room. but as we lose adn weigh less there is less wiggle room so we need to be more accurate in our logging.

    have you updated your weight in the app to get an updated calorie count?

    if you are losing slowly then progress is progress, that isn't a plateau. and losing. what is "slower" exactly?

    28lbs in 3 months (let's say 12 weeks) is 2lb/week. this is a fairly aggressive rate of loss. it's good if you are obese but as you get closer to goal a rate of loss of 1 to 1.5/lb is recommended (then moving down to 1lb/week, then to 0.5lb/week). How much do you want to lose?
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited June 2019
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    activity level is about day to day activity (non purposeful exercise). one guide sometimes recommended:
    Up to 5K/steps/day=Sedentary
    5K-10K=Lightly Active
    10K-(around) 13K=Active
    ~13K+=Highly Active

    purposeful exercise (the gym, running) should be logged seperately

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