Weight loss plateau after 2 weeks. Ugh!

Virgo411
Virgo411 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
So, as long as I've been a myfitnesspal member, I rarely post in the community. But as many years as I've dieted and gone in and out of fitness, I am totally stumped! I have hit the weight loss plateau and am in the tail end of the 2nd week of not losing any weight. I have steadily increased the intensity of my workouts from running steady miles to running intervals 7 days a week. I also combine my 30-45 minutes of treadmill cardio with plyometrics 2-3 times a week and strength training 2-3 times per week. I have maintained my low calorie diet (around 1,300 to max 1,400 calories per day for my 161 lb. 5'3 body).

I have a very muscular body and got my RMR, VO2 and hydrostatic fat tested. My RMR is very low (probably from years of not dieting right - i.e. starving) at 1,250 - 1,350 and my lean body mass is very high at 120 lbs. I would like to get down to 140-145 lbs. in order to get my fat around 20% (assuming I hold onto my muscle mass which never really seems to be a problem as I generate muscle very quickly).

Anybody have any ideas for why I'm at a weight loss plateau when I seem to be doing everything right? By my estimates, I burn at least 2,500 calories a day based on my sedentary job (1,800 - 2,000 calories) and the exercise I do (400 - 600 calories). My calorie deficit should be more than enough to see significant weight loss every week.

This wouldn't distress me so much except that I'm now at the end of 2 weeks of no weight loss. 1 week I could deal with but 2 just sucks! My personal trainer suggested I calorie cycle with the days that I do plyometrics being my high calorie days...but the typical starvation dieter in me finds that so counter intuitive! Is it seriously because I'm eating too few calories??

Replies

  • niki87lewis
    niki87lewis Posts: 147 Member
    2 week's isn't a plateau, could be hundreds of reasons why your weight has stayed the same for 2 weeks. Sodium, water, hormones etc
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    A plateau is no weight loss for 4-6 weeks. 2 weeks without a loss could be a lot of things. It could be hormones, sodium, water retention, etc. Weight loss is not linear.

    You are most likely eating too little. You want to lose about 20lbs so set your goal to 0.5lbs per week. Make sure you are consuming your exercise calories back and ensure you are properly tracking all your food.

    Don't forget your lean body mass is not simply muscle but everything within your body that is not fat. Dieting with too high of a calorie defcit will cause you to lose muscle mass... and the muscle loss is increased if you don't consume enough protein or lift heavy weights. Building muscle is a tough process to do as well... it takes time, a lot of time.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Lets start simple, since you had an RMR test, what was the outcome? Because if you said you have a low RMR, then I can bet your TDEE is not 2600 calories. And what is your body fat %


    Also, I can 100% guarantee you, that you do not build muscle that easy. Everyone pretty much has the same requirements to build muscle, calorie surplus and a good strength training program. But that is besides the point.
  • krc99080
    krc99080 Posts: 147 Member
    I'm in the same boat in a way. The scale hasn't moved for me since St. Patrick's day. I've upped my workouts and changed my eating.

    Now in this time I have had some inches lost so I'm still losing, just not where on the scale where it seems more obvious. Have you taken measurements to compare to?
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
    I have been doing this for 12 weeks now, and I've already had 2 2-week periods where I didn't lose anything (or negligible amounts) and yet my overall weight loss average is 1.3 lbs per week lost.

    So like others said, weight loss is not linear, but 2 weeks isn't long enough to decide you're not doing the right things. Keep at it, I'm sure the scale will jump for you very soon.


    Have you measured yourself? Good chance you are losing inches if not pounds.
  • Virgo411
    Virgo411 Posts: 4
    Per the post, my RMR is 1,250 to 1,350 a day. So, if I'm in a coma, I'd be burning 1,250 to 1,350 calories a day. With my regular sedentary job, driving in traffic, typing, going into/out of meetings, etc. I burn another 500 - 750 calories in a 10 hour day. Then, I work out and burn another 400 - 600 calories depending on if I'm doing plyo + cardio, cardio + strength, or straight up cardio. So, that's about 2,500 calories per day on average as I workout 7 days a week.

    When I got my RMR tested, they showed me what the average was for my age, height, weight and pointed out that most people were within 10% of the average. I'm 20% BELOW the average...which sucks.

    I've taken measurements to keep motivated and have lost 2 inches off of everything (waist, hips, thighs, calves, chest, bicep). I'm going to lose another 10 lbs before I re-test my fat which 12 lbs ago was at 28%.

    I've had my hormones tested and everything is normal. I eat about 80 -100 g of protein on average and try to keep my carbs below 100 g (although it can go as high as 135 g). I don't really pay attention to my fat grams as I eat a lot of avocado and healthy fats like nuts. And I don't really look at my sodium in take either but imagine it's rather consistent which is why I don't think my 2 weeks of no weight loss is due to water retention from sodium.

    Whether it's technically a "plateau" or not, it's still super frustrating! Thanks for all the feedback. If my total calories burned is 2,500 per day...then, the only conclusion I can come up with is that my intake may be too low as I'm only taking in around the same as my RMR. Perhaps I should rely on my fitness as the only calorie deficit?
  • Nireedk
    Nireedk Posts: 36 Member
    Hi - I'm interested to hear how you came out of the plateau?
  • jarrett2800
    jarrett2800 Posts: 1 Member
    I to am interested. I'm searching because I am dealing with the same situation. Ugh..

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