Macro and breaking plateau

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jaymikhail69
jaymikhail69 Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys , I am a pretty big dude, I am 6'6 > was 350 pounds in November. Now I am 290! I feel great! I do weightlifting on M, W , F , and moderate intensity cardio on S, T, and Th. I also do intermittent fasting Sunday to Friday. All these workouts are in a fasted state. My question. I hit a bit of a plateau. I think it's because my alcohol consumption on the weekends and haven't been tracking what i eat. Trying to get back to focusing on my macros but fasting it is hard to get my 1g of protein per pound in. What do you guys reccomend for more protein?

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    If you want to lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit, so get back to tracking and make sure you are hitting your calorie goal first and foremost. If your plateau is less than 3 weeks or so, it could just be normal - it's pretty typical for folks losing weight over a long period of time to hit a stall of a couple of weeks every once and awhile.

    That 1g of protein should be per lb of lean mass, when you are overweight it's not necessary to add additional protein in relation to the fat you are trying to get rid of. So you might be doing fine! How many grams are you currently getting?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,084 Member
    edited July 2019
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    Looking at the spreadsheet that's linked in this thread, and finding foods you like that you can eat in place of something you're currently eating that isn't helping you meet your goals:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    Go through your food diary, look for things that have relatively many calories, and relatively little protein. Those are your candidates to reduce or eliminate, in favor of other foods you enjoy that have more protein. It's about balancing calories, nutrition, and enjoyment.

    Protein powder or bars are another option, if you like. (Personally, I prefer food, but just because I personally find it more tasty/satisfying than protein supplements.)

    And log daily, including those weekends, even if you have to estimate! ;)
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    The problem with adding more protein is that it adds more calories. Since you do not know how much you are eating now it will be hard to substitute one macro for another... not impossible but harder.

    If you suspect that the alcohol is part of the problem it probably is. You can lose weight while drinking if you remain in a calorie deficit but if you are not tracking it can be very difficult. If you don't want to track I would lose the alcohol for a few weeks and see if those are the calories that are bumping you to maintenance.

    In my time losing I am pretty sure I have experienced every combination of high one macro and low another at some point. This includes protein. It has been extremely rare but I have had some pretty low protein days. There was a week in March that probably 70 percent of my daily calories came from cheese pizza... don't ask. It has never affected my weight loss one way or another because I maintain a calorie deficit.
  • AKTipsyCat
    AKTipsyCat Posts: 240 Member
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    I find that booze is 80% of the time the culprit during my plateaus... it's so easy to underestimate the calories consumed while drinking, and then of course there is the *extra* foods you may eat while under the influence that you forget to log. Cutting back to 1 or two when I indulge has helped me break through recently.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited July 2019
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    Sounds like you know what the issue is and how to fix it:
    jaymikhail69 wrote: »
    I hit a bit of a plateau. I think it's because my alcohol consumption on the weekends and haven't been tracking what i eat.

    Log everything.
    drink less so you can control what you eat, or change up where and when you drink so there is less food available.

    weight loss is about eating fewer calories than you burn (eating a calorie deficit). macros and fasting only help keep to a calorie deficit (or goal) they themselves won't "break the plateau".

    Lots of great advice above on increasing protein.

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