Help

Options
When I first started my fitness pal a year ago, I was on 1200 but the thing Is i ate much lower than that like 800 calories daily with a cheat day, it worked and I lost 20 pounds, when I started using all 1200 calories these days, my weight loss stopped. I still want to shed off a few pounds but these days but I won’t go any lower on calories because it is harmful and I don’t really have time to work out, any advices on how I can get out of this weight loss plateau

Replies

  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    edited November 2020
    Options
    What is your height/weight now? What was your weight Nov 1, and Oct 1? How accurately do you track your calories?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    The majority of people would lose weight on 1,200 calories so the answer is either:

    1) You are using less than 1,200 calories per day and will need to eat less than this to have a deficit (possible, but less likely)
    2) You are using less accurate methods to estimate your calorie intake and are actually eating more than you think you are (much more likely).

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Options
    We need more info to help. Height and weight? Do you measure your food and pick accurate entries in the database? Activity level?
  • SharpWellbeing
    SharpWellbeing Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    Farouha98 wrote: »
    When I first started my fitness pal a year ago, I was on 1200 but the thing Is i ate much lower than that like 800 calories daily with a cheat day, it worked and I lost 20 pounds, when I started using all 1200 calories these days, my weight loss stopped. I still want to shed off a few pounds but these days but I won’t go any lower on calories because it is harmful and I don’t really have time to work out, any advices on how I can get out of this weight loss plateau

    Are you having 1200 a day with a “cheat” day a week? If so what is the cheat day consisting of?

    Also as others have added, without knowing more about you it’s impossible for anyone to give advice based on arbitrary figures.


  • Farouha98
    Farouha98 Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I weigh 68 kg and 170 cm and my weight had been the same since 3 months approximately. I have always had a cheat day where I eat everything and I still lost weight. I don’t know what the cause of the plateau is because I am sure that my calorie counting is accurate. I don’t exercise. Will exercising twice a week with this system work
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited November 2020
    Options
    Farouha98 wrote: »
    I weigh 68 kg and 170 cm and my weight had been the same since 3 months approximately. I have always had a cheat day where I eat everything and I still lost weight. I don’t know what the cause of the plateau is because I am sure that my calorie counting is accurate. I don’t exercise. Will exercising twice a week with this system work

    Often people find that when they lose weight the tactics that they previously had "wiggle room" for (like roughly estimating portion sizes or cheat days) no longer work and they have to be more accurate now that they're lighter.

    The cheat day didn't previously cause issues for you. Now it apparently is.

    If you want to continue the cheat day, then it's possible that exercise will restore your weight loss -- but only if you exercise enough to create the deficit that your cheat day is apparently cancelling out. For many people, it's hard to exercise just to cancel out extra food and it's easier to ensure they're eating the right number of calories. It's really up to you though.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Options
    Farouha98 wrote: »
    I weigh 68 kg and 170 cm and my weight had been the same since 3 months approximately. I have always had a cheat day where I eat everything and I still lost weight. I don’t know what the cause of the plateau is because I am sure that my calorie counting is accurate. I don’t exercise. Will exercising twice a week with this system work

    Often people find that when they lose weight the tactics that they previously had "wiggle room" for (like roughly estimating portion sizes or cheat days) no longer work and they have to be more accurate now that they're lighter.

    The cheat day didn't previously cause issues for you. Now it apparently is.

    If you want to continue the cheat day, then it's possible that exercise will restore your weight loss -- but only if you exercise enough to create the deficit that your cheat day is apparently cancelling out. For many people, it's hard to exercise just to cancel out extra food and it's easier to ensure they're eating the right number of calories. It's really up to you though.

    ^^^

    Second this with one other comment. Since losing some weight did you reset your goals? MFP doesn’t automatically adjust your calories based on weight, so you have to monitor it and when your rate of loss slows, it is one of the things you can check.

    I lost a bunch of weight and didn’t update my calories. Then my weight loss slowed and I knew I was weighing everything and UNDER estimating calories burned from exercise. Then I remembered I hadn’t updated my goals in awhile. I “lost” 200 calories a day. My weight loss went back to the expected 1 lb a week.