Help I've stalled!

Servalbanshee
Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone! So I started MFP back in December and have lost an amazing 68 pounds since then. However I seem to have stalled at 214 pounds! I've been patient and waited for about 45-50 days to see what would happen. I'm fluctuating between 216-214.5.
I'm eating 2300 cals a day and use a fit bit as well to track burned calories. I show to be in a 1000 deficit on most days but still..... I'm stalled. What should I do? Eat more calories?
more cardio? I am logging religiously daily and have not missed a single day.
I know the drill, either I'm not burning what I think I am or I'm not logging as tightly as I should be.... could there be anything else? What can I do to loose these last 15 pounds?
Oh and I used to have cheat days one day a month but have since cut that out. It's don't have the desire.

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Replies

  • LeiLaura
    LeiLaura Posts: 238 Member
    Not knowledgeable enough to offer advice, but wanted to send you a supportive hug, at least! From what I've read, these plateaus (plateaux?!) can last up to six months, but they break eventually... Good luck!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited August 2019
    Do you use a food scale? Do you double check that the database entries you are using show the correct calories?

    I can't tell on my phone, but if your diary isn't public, would you be willing to temporarily make it public? We might be able to help you trouble shoot.

    How many extra exercise cals do you typically get, and how many of those do you eat?

    You say you know the drill, but don't say whether you know your logging could be tighter.
  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    Yep my diary is public. I do have a scale and weigh everything. If I eat it, i weigh it. As for my logging, I think I'm logging as accurately as I have any other time. I don't snack here and there and not count it. For instance. We have some chicken breast leftover I like to nibble on throughout the day. What I do is weigh so I know there is x amount of calories in that container. I log it and eat it here and there throughout the day. I'm worried my metabo is slowed to match my intake. My Fitbit says I'm burning 3500+ easily daily though.
    As for exercise, no time right now. As many calories as I burn I thought I'm doing ok.
    I don't want to lower my intake below 2000, I'm at 2360 now I think. lk7h8hw6dewv.png
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  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    LeiLaura wrote: »
    Not knowledgeable enough to offer advice, but wanted to send you a supportive hug, at least! From what I've read, these plateaus (plateaux?!) can last up to six months, but they break eventually... Good luck!
    LeiLaura wrote: »
    Not knowledgeable enough to offer advice, but wanted to send you a supportive hug, at least! From what I've read, these plateaus (plateaux?!) can last up to six months, but they break eventually... Good luck!

    Thanks! Well I'm here for the long haul, I'll never give up! If all it will take is time, I can do that. Thanks again!
  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    I have had a food scale since day one, as far as drinks, All I drink is water, nothing else. And I have been updating my weight in my fitness pal and Fitbit. I think I'm going to try adding a cheat day and see what happens. I really don't see that I am doing anything wrong. Maybe I should just be more patient and give it more time. I have just done so well that I want to be sure I keep this going.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    We obviously don't know your stats, but 2300 seems high for a deficit for many/most people (but obviously not all). I assume by now you've run all those numbers, double-checked for the normal Fitbit inaccuracies, etc and are compensating for the usual issues with activity trackers. Have you taken a planned diet break/refeed period yet? Your diary looks good to me in terms of tracking. If you've been in a prolonged deficit then a refeed might be the thing to try: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,992 Member
    edited August 2019
    I'm currently at around 218 lbs. and I came from 280 last April. Your calorie intake seems high to me? I exercise 6 days a week and have my numbers set to lose 1 lb a week right now. that gives me 1840 calories a day before exercise. I don't usually eat back my exercise calories, maybe a few here and there, so I am actually losing 1.5-2 lbs per week....my goal is 180
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    I agree with the above poster who mentioned readjusting your calorie allotment.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    I took a quick look at a couple of days in your diary - you have a lot of pieces, slices, tbsp, etc. Try weighing everything that isn't liquid - when you are down to the last few pounds weight can come off super slow and you need to be really diligent with your food weighing.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    OP how many steps per day are getting you those calorie burns with no exercise? Considering your current weight (I guessed on your height), your sedentary TDEE would be 2300ish.
  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    Here's a screen shot from my fit bit app. Some say I need to be eating less than 2000k, my RMR is 2025, I don't think I should be eating below that. p2qnjbrbhovf.png
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  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited August 2019
    You tend to eat a lot of the same things (I do that too!). Make sure you aren't assuming that because you eat them all the time you don't have to weight them out.

    What I would suggest is to go to the link in Dianne's post and follow the instructions on the correct way to take a diet break (there's a specific way, not just going off the rails). Then commit to 4 weeks of super accurate logging - weigh every damn thing. Double check that the entries you're in the habit of using are correct. Do a gut check that there is nothing slipping through the cracks. If you're still not losing at that point, a checkup might be in order, and if everything checks out, you would have to lower your calorie goal a bit.

    Your calorie burns still seem high to me, but I'm no expert in that area, so I can't really speak to that.

    I'm sorry your stuck, hang in there!
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,160 Member
    2300 is above maintenance. You have great consistency, and a great routine. Mix it up for a mere, a tiny, a short, two weeks, okay? Do stuff very differently for two weeks.
    An example: pretty much stop vigorous exercise, focus on getting and extra hour+ of sleep, see a movie, read a book, eat 1900 kcal. Then after two weeks click back into your old routine.
    You can do the discipline thing, obviously. Practice doing something very different, and returning to your routine.
  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    You tend to eat a lot of the same things (I do that too!). Make sure you aren't assuming that because you eat them all the time you don't have to weight them out.

    What I would suggest is to go to the link in Dianne's post and follow the instructions on the correct way to take a diet break (there's a specific way, not just going off the rails). Then commit to 4 weeks of super accurate logging - weigh every damn thing. Double check that the entries you're in the habit of using are correct. Do a gut check that there is nothing slipping through the cracks. If you're still not losing at that point, a checkup might be in order, and if everything checks out, you would have to lower your calorie goal a bit.

    Your calorie burns still seem high to me, but I'm no expert in that area, so I can't really speak to that.

    I'm sorry your stuck, hang in there!


    Thanks! I will do that! Yea I think the burns are high too, the 4K plus days are fishing days when I spend the entire day on my feet fishing on a pier or out on the river running trot lines etc. I'll be back later with an update thank you guys.
  • sgude0
    sgude0 Posts: 2 Member
    After losing 40 pounds I stalled for a couple of months. Increasing exercise and pushing calories extremely low (seldom above 1200) didn't move the needle at all. Then I changed to the 5:2 method while cutting back on exercise, and 20 pounds fell off in a few weeks. I don't think 5:2 is necessarily better than exercise, but rather that to change it up is what did the trick. The human body can get used to most anything, so "the new usual" must after awhile lose its initial effect. I have nothing but an anecdote so far, but hope it helps.
  • Servalbanshee
    Servalbanshee Posts: 14 Member
    Hmmm. How many calories did you consume on the 5 normal days?
  • sgude0
    sgude0 Posts: 2 Member
    Eating days vary between 1800 and 2200 calories, though I aim for 2000 (so up from 1200 which clearly was not healthy and seemed to burn more muscle than fat). The two fasting days, I desperately try not to eat anything (I drink lots of water though), but the book says 600 is OK. I initially made the change because I messed up a foot and couldn't work out for awhile, but it worked out great for me. If/when I stall next time, I'll try another change back to more exercise. Like I said before, I believe it was the change in routine rather than the specific solution that kickstarted the process again, but it's only a hypothesis.

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