Any help on weight loss plateau? I read many ways to get out, but don't know what I need to change
babymin1
Posts: 7 Member
Hello! So far i'm 27 days into my weight loss journey, i'm 5'3, 20 y old, and currently 224 pounds and have been for about a week and half. Everything was great so far, lost 13 pounds at the start and now i'm stuck here. I must admit, its quite demotivating seeing those numbers drop and then stop for so long, I can't help but feel like i'm losing valuable time that I could have spent losing weight. I figured i'm at a weight loss plateau, however here's my question. I've read so many different opinions and suggestions on it from more calories to stop starvation mode, or to eat less calories (which I cannot do, i'm already at the lowest low that mfp and other sites recommend me), or more working out with less calories. Some even say to just wait it out until my body adjusts to these new eating habits. I'm super frustrated and losing my motivation over this to be honest with myself. How am I supposed to know what my body is telling me/wanting me to do to get out of this? Any help or input would be much appreciated because it's leaving me feeling sad and angry at myself that I'm stuck.
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Replies
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Patience. You've lost 13lbs in 27 days, that's not a plateau. Weight loss isn't a smooth, linear progression, you won't lose consistently every day/week and weight fluctuates for a number of reasons including water retention due to exercise, high sodium,stress, hormones, more food in the digestive tract...
Just keep doing what you're doing and monitor your trend over a few weeks. It seems to be working!9 -
A plateau is when you don't lose weight for at least 4 weeks. You only started your weight loss journey only 4 weeks ago, and have lost 13lbs, so you're definitely not experiencing a plateau.
Patience, young grasshopper.
Leave the sadness and anger behind, negative emotions at yourself. like that don't help. Motivation is optional too by the way, you just need discipline and consistency.
And what helps for that, is to choose a strategy that isn't unnecessarily difficult.
You don't mention what these new eating habits entail, but gradual changes are best, and also not being overly restrictive (in what you eat and how much you eat). That way you you don't risk giving up when the scale temporarily doesn't cooperate.
Also, know that's it's common to see a stall after the first weeks, the first weeks often show a faster loss because water weight lost as well and then the body often takes a bit of time to 'recalibrate' its water weight level.
Be kind to yourself and patient.
And perhaps read this article about weight fluctuations:
https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/5 -
So you lost like..... almost 1/2lb per day when losing. I'd say that's far too fast. If I were you - I'd use a Total Daily Energy Expenditure calculator to figure out what your TDEE is (it will have you use your 'activity level' similar to MFP as a multiplier). Then you can manually choose a calorie goal that is more than your BMR and less than your TDEE.
If you are eating the lowest amount of calories that MFP allows, then I'm assuming your calorie goal is 1200 for the day? I had that as my goal waaaaay back when when I first started to try to lose weight and I didn't have much success until I refigured my calorie goal using the TDEE method and it resulted in me eating more, having more energy to complete workouts, and losing weight.
I know it's not a one-size-fits-all thing but it's quite possible that you are not eating enough and your metabolism is just slow...do you find that you feel lethargic? When I wasn't eating enough I found that I could muster up the energy for a workout (I run) but that I didn't make progress quickly (as far as running goes) and I was super tired otherwise.1 -
You've lost 13 pounds in 27 days. This isn't a plateau, it's just that your expectations aren't realistic. It can be hard emotionally when we don't see consistent progress, especially when our plans are unnecessarily restrictive. It might be a better long term goal to eat at a deficit, but not the lowest goal that MFP will generate.7
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This happens to everyone. There is that blissful honeymoon period during the first couple of weeks of eating at a deficit where the weight just seems to melt off. It's fantastic! Except that is sets up a false expectation for the weeks that follow. You will likely never have a week where the weight comes off as fast as those first two weeks. @Lietchi and @Redordeadhead are absolutely correct about patience and weight loss not being linear.
Here's the truth, that initial weight loss was mostly water weight, likely because you were eating less carbohydrates, salt and food volume than you are use to eating and also (hopefully) drinking more water. You aren't at a plateau. You are likely still losing fat. You might just have a wee bit of water retention at the moment and that is going to happen a lot through your journey. Get used to it. Download an app like Happy Scale or Libra to help you see the big picture and over all trends of your weight loss. It will provide you with perspective and reassurance.
Now, about this statement:
You will (hopefully) be spending the rest of your life losing and maintaining your weight loss. You didn't mention your goal weight, but if you hope to lose 90 pounds, expect that it will take a year or more. Yes, it takes forever to lose a large amount of weight, but that is a good thing - more time to practice eating in a way that will sustain your weight loss forever. Enjoy the journey.I can't help but feel like i'm losing valuable time that I could have spent losing weight.
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Just a week or so ago my weight stayed the same for over a week and eventually even went up 2 lbs.
You know what I did to break this "plateau" ? Nothing. It's normal. This is what happened a few days later with no change in my activity level or diet.
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Be kind to yourself, have some faith. It took time to gain it, it'll take time to come off.
Weight on the scale fluctuates, it's perfectly normal and will happen all the time. Best to make peace with it.
What I find helpful is the non scale victories. Take some measurements then take them again in a month. Pull out some trousers that are a bit tight and try them again in a few weeks. See if there's a sport you like, Can you get quicker/stronger/go further? All of these things feel great and help maintain the motivation.
Your body wants nourishing food that tastes good. If you give it that and stick to the plan you'll get there. Beating oneself up is optional and I find it unhelpful.5 -
Use this as an incentive to make sure your logging is as complete and accurate as possible. !🤗2
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Commit to the process, rather than the results. If you are eating nutritious food in appropriate quantities and moving your body regularly, you are on track for your health, no matter what the scale says.
It may be helpful to either use a tracking app to show your weight trend over time or just put the scale in a closet and don't weigh in again until next month. Either way, you will get information that shows averages and trends, rather than expecting a day to day result.1 -
You’re not in a plateau. You have lost 13 lbs in 27 days.2
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Here is something that helped me - when you get to your goal and need to maintain, you are really just eating the same way you ate during losing weight, but when you hit maintenance you get to do small things like have peanut butter on your english muffin instead of light butter, or have a 150 calorie dessert instead of a 75 calorie dessert. So the best thing you can do now, is start to create a way of eating and a lifestyle that is sustainable, that makes you happy and that you can continue. There is no "lost time" because you are in this for the long haul. Once you get rid of any deadlines or finish lines, it becomes easier. The key is to eat in a way that is the best life you can lead, that makes you happy and feel fulfilled, while still achieving your calorie goals.3
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As others have said, be patient. I would be lucky to lose .5 lbs a week, so anything more than 2 lbs a week is a lot.
And what is the alternative? You quit and gain back what you lost plus more? Ask yourself- are you losing for a better life or for a momentary event? Because if it’s for life, you need to be consistent for the rest of your life to maintain, not just for a month. Are you prepared to do that? If I could go back to 20 year old me I would explain the long game is shorter than the short game, if you are patient and weigh everything you eat. I wish you good health and hope you enjoy the journey!4 -
During my weight loss, I often had periods of nearly 2 weeks where the scale didnt budge. This despite eating consistently under my caloric goal. Be patient and hold the course.0
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It will take a couple of months of data to get a true idea of what your weekly average weight loss is (hint- it won't be 4lbs/week) and, if you are a woman, to get a sense of how your hormonal shifts are reflected on the scale. Personally, when I am actively losing weight, my weight goes up a little the first 2 weeks of my cycle and then falls to new lows in the next 2 weeks.2
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