Plateau Problem

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Hey guys,
I went plant based in November and eat 1100 cal a day. I went from 163lbs to 149lbs. Even though I work out and eat well consistently I have hit a plateau with a couple of pounds that seem to fluctuate higher than 149. Is this normal? Do you guys have any tips to have the weight loss start again? Thanks so much❤️

Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    First, why are you only eating 1100 cals a day? That's below the MFP minimum of 1200 (for a woman), and even that 1200 is only suitable in some situations (if you're working out, it's highly unlikely that you are one of those women, unless you are very short). Most women should be able to eat more than that and still lose. What are your stats (age, weight, height, activity level outside of deliberate exercise, what your work outs are)

    A 14 lb weight loss in three months is right about where you want it to be.

    How long is it that your weight has been fluctuating around the same? Weight loss is not linear, and it's not at all unusual to go through short periods where your weight just seems to bounce around the same. This is usually due to water weight fluctuations (hormones, increases in type or intensity of exercise, variations in sodium intake, among other things).

    How are you measuring your food intake? - weighing all solids and measuring liquids? Using measuring cups? Estimating portion sizes?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Are you using a food scale to weigh ALL your food? Most people who don’t use a food scale are eating more than they think they are. You are hopefully eating more than 1100 calories, which is not enough for any adult.

    How tall are you?

    How long has it been since the scale moved down at all?
  • gatamadriz
    gatamadriz Posts: 68 Member
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    I was losing weight and working our regularly, and one day a week with a trainer. I was going to a nutritionist to be weighed on a metabolic scale that measured my fat, muscle, weight of bone and skin.
    Then I hit the plateau. I was doing everything "right" and not losing on my scale at home. Sound familiar?
    I was devastated, but my nutritionist was thrilled.
    He printed out the charts and said, you are losing 1.5 pounds per week but you are gaining almost 2 pounds of muscle per week. On your home scale, it will seem like you are not losing or even gaining ounces because that scale doesn't tell you the whole story. You have been working out for 5 months now so you want to be gaining more muscle and using the fat. Your body is re-aligning itself. It will stay this way for maybe a month or two and then you will see a drop in pounds on your home scale.
    He was absolutely right.
    You can buy metabolic scales for your house. They are pricey but they do keep track of what is really going on in there, I have one and it is great.
    Take heart, you are on a great track.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    gatamadriz wrote: »
    I was losing weight and working our regularly, and one day a week with a trainer. I was going to a nutritionist to be weighed on a metabolic scale that measured my fat, muscle, weight of bone and skin.
    Then I hit the plateau. I was doing everything "right" and not losing on my scale at home. Sound familiar?
    I was devastated, but my nutritionist was thrilled.
    He printed out the charts and said, you are losing 1.5 pounds per week but you are gaining almost 2 pounds of muscle per week. On your home scale, it will seem like you are not losing or even gaining ounces because that scale doesn't tell you the whole story. You have been working out for 5 months now so you want to be gaining more muscle and using the fat. Your body is re-aligning itself. It will stay this way for maybe a month or two and then you will see a drop in pounds on your home scale.
    He was absolutely right.
    You can buy metabolic scales for your house. They are pricey but they do keep track of what is really going on in there, I have one and it is great.
    Take heart, you are on a great track.

    Sorry, but NO. First, BIA scales really aren't accurate. Second, no one gains 2 lb of muscle a week. Under ideal circumstances (progressive heavy lifting, surplus calorie intake to support muscle growth) a man can gain around 2 lb of muscle a month in their first year of training (it slows over time). For a woman, it's half of that. http://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html/
  • Bluejay61
    Bluejay61 Posts: 28 Member
    edited January 2020
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    First of all, @zoehend congrats on your weight loss so far! Nice job. 🤗

    It's easy to look at our inevitable plateaus as frustrating set-backs, but they really aren't. I look at them this way. Our bodies are always seeking balance; homeostasis. Because of our amazing evolution and ability to store fat for times of famine, your body doesn't know the difference between intentional weight loss and famine, so it tries to hold onto and even regain weight. Plus, as we lose fat and mass, we burn fewer calories than we did in the beginning of our journey. And EVERYONE who is losing fat and gaining muscle in a healthy way hits plateaus. EVERYONE.

    When you hit a plateau, you've achieved a new "set point" which means that you've hit a wonderful REAL marker of your body registering real changes in your makeup. Anyone can lose water weight in the beginning of a major diet change, but when you hit a plateau, it's a big deal. Hope that makes sense! It's almost as if your body is saying "so, this is real this time, is it? We'll see!" And when you wait out the plateau, you'll go on to achieve another set point, and so on.

    Here's a helpful article on what plateaus are and some ideas on how to nudge out of one. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2018-02-09/3-reasons-youve-hit-a-weight-loss-plateau-and-how-to-break-through. Here's an interesting excerpt:

    "'Stay patient after hitting a plateau for a month or two before you try to increase your caloric deficit through cutting calories, exercising more or employing both tactics,' White says, warning not to go under 1,200 calories without medical supervision. 'It can be hard to wait, but it's important to remember that even your weight loss leading up to the plateau can have significant health benefits,' Sowa says. 'Be patient and, as long as you don't give up, you can achieve your weight-loss goals.' "A plateau may simply be your body adapting to a new set point,' says Langer. 'Your metabolism needs time to adjust.'"

    I've been on a four-week plateau myself. I'm hovering between 150 and 151, back and forth, and can't wait to see that number tick over to the forties again! BUT, I know that it will happen in its own time.

    So, just keep doing what you're doing, BE PATIENT and congratulate yourself on achieving this important marker. All of a sudden one morning, you'll see that scale starting moving again. 🤗

    And I have one of those fat/bone/water/weight type scales and it's interesting, but not super accurate for anything but weight. lol YMMV