Plateau...Tips? Just keep being patient?

gmcurtis
gmcurtis Posts: 24 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello!

So I seem to have hit a small plateau. It’s been 14 days now of bouncing around within 137 (up and down 0.2-0.4). I’m meticulous with tracking (I weigh and measure everything), hit my steps (10,000+) daily, and I strength train 4 days a week. Current calorie goal is 1643 (though I have been thinking of trying a calorie cycling approach).

I do know that strength training can cause the scale weight to not go down due to water retention, etc, and I’ve experienced this where my weight goes up a bit after a gym session but goes back down. I’m taking progress pictures every 4 weeks to have another reference.

Any tips for me to break through this? Just keep being patient? I’m trying very hard to keep being patient!

Replies

  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    2 weeks is hardly any time at all. Keep being patient, sometimes it be like that.

    If you want to start futzing around with your plan to see if there's something you're missing, here are some questions to consider.

    * You weigh and measure everything - is your kitchen scale measuring correctly? Is it in need of cleaning, or new batteries?
    * Are you still using the same database entries you always have, and are they accurate?
    * How's your hydration been these past two weeks?
    * How's your sodium been these past two weeks?
    * Have you recently ramped up the strength training or daily step count?
    * Have you been taking measurements in addition to weighing yourself?
    * Your profile says you're female - is there a chance you're pregnant? Or could your cycle otherwise be impacting what the scale is showing you?
  • gmcurtis
    gmcurtis Posts: 24 Member
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    2 weeks is hardly any time at all. Keep being patient, sometimes it be like that.

    If you want to start futzing around with your plan to see if there's something you're missing, here are some questions to consider.

    * You weigh and measure everything - is your kitchen scale measuring correctly? Is it in need of cleaning, or new batteries?
    * Are you still using the same database entries you always have, and are they accurate?
    * How's your hydration been these past two weeks?
    * How's your sodium been these past two weeks?
    * Have you recently ramped up the strength training or daily step count?
    * Have you been taking measurements in addition to weighing yourself?
    * Your profile says you're female - is there a chance you're pregnant? Or could your cycle otherwise be impacting what the scale is showing you?

    Thank you the reply! I had a feeling it was a matter of being patient. As much as I’d like to see the scale move down, I’m still feeling great about my diet and exercise. I’ll consider all your points, I can definitely double check a few of those things, definitely not pregnant at least lol! And I have really ramped up my weight lifting in the last 3 weeks. I got access to a gym again so been lifting heavier.

    I’ll keep pushing through!
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    Just keep going, if you are confident that your calorie counting is accurate.

    But also - have you assessed your TDEE recently? How much of a deficit are you aiming for?
  • gmcurtis
    gmcurtis Posts: 24 Member
    nanastaci2020 wrote: »
    Just keep going, if you are confident that your calorie counting is accurate.

    But also - have you assessed your TDEE recently? How much of a deficit are you aiming for?

    Yes, I took the average between lightly and moderately active because I feel like I fall somewhere in between there. So that was 2113, so a deficit of 470, some days around 400 if I go over a bit. Not a huge deficit but just trying to keep losing in a sustainable way.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    edited May 2021
    So on average you'd expect to lose 3-4 pounds a month? Two thoughts. Even when we try our best, there is some error in our logging. Meaning 3-4 could turn into 2-3 by accident. I am OCD about it - but I'm not perfect. And the last one: what did you weigh a month ago? I don't know how often you weigh, but its possible you're just at a naturally 'high' weight point between your monthly cycle and the more intense weight training.

    My general mantra, especially for women who are not past menopause: is to compare weight NOW with your weight at the same point in last month's cycle. That is a better indication of your trend than looking week to week.
    gmcurtis wrote: »
    nanastaci2020 wrote: »
    Just keep going, if you are confident that your calorie counting is accurate.

    But also - have you assessed your TDEE recently? How much of a deficit are you aiming for?

    Yes, I took the average between lightly and moderately active because I feel like I fall somewhere in between there. So that was 2113, so a deficit of 470, some days around 400 if I go over a bit. Not a huge deficit but just trying to keep losing in a sustainable way.

  • gmcurtis
    gmcurtis Posts: 24 Member
    nanastaci2020 wrote: »
    So on average you'd expect to lose 3-4 pounds a month? Two thoughts. Even when we try our best, there is some error in our logging. Meaning 3-4 could turn into 2-3 by accident. I am OCD about it - but I'm not perfect. And the last one: what did you weigh a month ago? I don't know how often you weigh, but its possible you're just at a naturally 'high' weight point between your monthly cycle and the more intense weight training.

    My general mantra, especially for women who are not past menopause: is to compare weight NOW with your weight at the same point in last month's cycle. That is a better indication of your trend than looking week to week.

    Thanks for the info! I’m pretty particular about my measuring but I’ll be taking a closer look for sure. I weigh myself daily because I like having more data.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    I weigh daily also.

  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    The less I weigh, the less of the month the scale reflects my loss.

    Not that I lose less - I still, while losing, average 3-5lbs a month. It's just that when I was obese, the scale dropped pretty steadily throughout the month, except a couple of days before my period. When I was overweight, I stopped losing *scale weight* the entire week-10 days before my period. I am now in vanity weight territory and the scale drops ONLY at the end of my period.

    Why?

    No idea. But that means 3 weeks or so of no change, dramatic drop over a few days/week, then nothing on the scale again for another 3 weeks.

    SIZE change happens pretty consistently regardless of the scale. Like right now I have recently dropped a pants size since this time last month. Has my scale budged from the weight it was 3 weeks ago? No.

    Bodies are weird and hormones do weird things.

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