Plateau

satchel2008 · April 2022

I've hit a plateau. I knew this day was coming.. ugh but hate that it's here. So anyone got any pointers on how to break this thing. Little on my situation... On Jan 17th I decided enough was enought at 263lbs I got to work calorie deficit and working out. I'm now at 218lbs and can't seem to break past it. Before everyone comes for me about my calories. I eat anywhere between 400-800 calories a day. I know how to count everything is weighed on a scale in grams and logged in accordingly before everyone also comes for me about how I don't know how to count. Lol before anyone says to try fasting I will say I fast 24 hours every day... Not intentionally just kinda how it ends up being with my day. For a little day in the life of me... I work night shift I wake up around 2:30pm i head to the gym every other day I get there about 2:45 work out till 4 pm then head to work I don't eat at work I don't like the way it makes me feel it makes me tired. I get off work at around 3:30am get home about 3:50am I make dinner eat then shower and get ready for bed will usually watch an episode or 2 of something or read a bit then it's off to bed around 5:30 or 6 am. Note: I would work out after work as well but my gym don't open till 5am and by that time I'm in my PJs . I work alot sometimes Saturdays as well. I don't have alot of time but I'm doing my best. The weight flew off of me up till this point. It's only been a few weeks I've been on my plateau. But I'm just starting to panic. Everything I read just tells me to cut more calories and at this point I'll be cutting down to maybe 200-100 a day. There's no way that's maintenance. I just don't get it. And ya I've wondered if maybe I'm not eating enough but I'm terrified to up my calories and watch the scale start climbing back up. Should I just give it more time? Idk

Butsys410 · April 2022

Im not an expert but 400-800 calories sounds like way too little. Have you used a BMR calculator to work out what your maintenance calories should be? My fitness pal has it built in.

satchel2008 · April 2022

I've used a BMR calculator it says 1747. Mfp has my calorie daily set for 1200. I just can't seem to eat that much. I struggle to eat what I eat now I feel. I'm not hungry. I feel like I eat enough I just think of whatever I wanna eat and find low calorie ways of doing it so I don't feel like I'm really missing out on anything. Next week I'm gonna try to start bringing tuna or something like that to work a protein of some kind that small that I can maybe add into my schedule at work without making me feel sluggish. But other then that I'm not sure what else to do

Lietchi · April 2022

Eating 400-800 calories a day is not enough. Not even close. And your rate of loss is illustrating that: you've lost 45lbs in less than 3 months, nearly 4 lbs a week. Usually a rate of loss of 0.5-1% of your bodyweight per week is recommended. Faster than that and the risks for your health increase greatly: loss of muscle mass (your heart is a muscle!) for example, loss of bone density, etc. This is a cautionary tale:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761904/under-1200-for-weight-loss/p1
Also useful:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1

If you are not hungry at this calorie level, I'm presuming you have changed your way of eating greatly. But hunger is not a good guide for knowing if you are providing proper fuel for your body. Adding in some fatty foods will easily increase your calorie intake. Nuts for example.

Also: patience is an important skill for weight loss. Our weight fluctuates naturally, and sometimes we experience stalls (weight loss is not linear). Unless weight loss stops entirely for a month or more (when you haven't changed your routine) patience is usually the solution.
It's quite possible that your current stall is due to water retention from the extreme stress you are putting your body under from eating so little.

AnnPT77 · April 2022

You've been losing weight aggressively fast, at a rate that dramatically increases health risks. Eventually, that house of cards will collapse. That can take various forms. One of those forms is stress-related water retention. I strongly suspect that that's what's causing your perceived plateau. (I say "perceived plateau" because if I'm right, fat loss is still happening, just not showing up on the scale because your stressed body is retaining water. That's a danger sign.)

This has more information about that kind of scenario:

https://bodyrecomposition.com/research/dietary-restraint-cortisol-levels

The answer, in this situation, would be to eat more, limit fat loss to a sensible pace that's compatible with maintaining good health (like that 0.5-1% of current weight per week). IMO, you should be trying to put your body on a path of thriving, long term thriving: Figuring out eating habits that will give you adequate calories and ample nutrition, while still helping you gradually achieve your weight management goals.

cwolfman13 · April 2022

With 400-800 calories per day it is likely that your body is going through some major adaptive thermogenesis..ie reducing your CO by governing non-essential functions and a reduction in non-voluntary movements and things of that nature...essentially tanking your metabolism to compensate for such a small amount of energy coming in. Such little energy is also a massive stress on the body and I would imagine that your cortisol levels in particular are through the roof and other hormones have gone wonky too.

satchel2008 · April 2022

Ya you guys are probably right. I didn't go into this wanting to loose weight this fast. I gave myself 13 months to try and loose 90 lbs figured that was a good amount of time I had no clue I would loose half that in 3 months and I think I just kinda got excited by it and now I'm obsessing over it. And yup I have no patience lol and the last 2 weeks I have been feeling stressed out the most irritable I've been in a long time my emotions are all over the place. I've been getting crazy angry and snappy at people. But I honestly haven't been hungry I think that's why it's been confusing cause I don't feel hungry otherwise I would have chopped my anger up to being hangry but I feel like Im having to force myself to eat everyday. I did dramatically change my eating habits when I started, I use to be a binge eater, pretty much my daily routine before was the same as I mentioned above just without the gym and instead of eating a well balance meal I would eat an entire large pepperoni pizza from the gas station a large soda and maybe some cookies , Brownies, or doughnuts too. I give myself a cheat day once a month. Like I had one this last weekend I had a bacon cheeseburger from Freddy's and a small frozen custard. I was in the bathroom with stomach cramps and spent most of the night on the toilet lol. My body just rejects fast food now. And even more crazy I don't even want it anymore. I don't crave it. I think I just get scared that eating more will feel like a binge or something but I can up my calories to healthy amount and stop obsessing over loosing fast. I knew my weight loss would slow at some point I didn't expect it to come off so fast I think I just got so overwhelmed cause I was so close to hitting onderland and I havnt been there since I was 19. I kept feeling like just 18 more lbs then it can slow down just 18 more COME ON!!! lol 😂 but your right I did this to be healthy not skinny. I'll get back to giving my body what it needs and the fuel it need to keep going. It's prob why I've been so tired to.just weird that I don't feel hungry. I'll add in some nuts I usually get pistachios but kinda started to lean away cause there was just alot of calories but I also need to remember there are good and bad calories, calories arnt the enemy just gotta make sure your eating what calories you body needs. Ugh. Thanks guys

AnnPT77 · April 2022

satchel2008 wrote: »

Ya you guys are probably right. I didn't go into this wanting to loose weight this fast. I gave myself 13 months to try and loose 90 lbs figured that was a good amount of time I had no clue I would loose half that in 3 months and I think I just kinda got excited by it and now I'm obsessing over it. And yup I have no patience lol and the last 2 weeks I have been feeling stressed out the most irritable I've been in a long time my emotions are all over the place. I've been getting crazy angry and snappy at people. But I honestly haven't been hungry I think that's why it's been confusing cause I don't feel hungry otherwise I would have chopped my anger up to being hangry but I feel like Im having to force myself to eat everyday. I did dramatically change my eating habits when I started, I use to be a binge eater, pretty much my daily routine before was the same as I mentioned above just without the gym and instead of eating a well balance meal I would eat an entire large pepperoni pizza from the gas station a large soda and maybe some cookies , Brownies, or doughnuts too. I give myself a cheat day once a month. Like I had one this last weekend I had a bacon cheeseburger from Freddy's and a small frozen custard. I was in the bathroom with stomach cramps and spent most of the night on the toilet lol. My body just rejects fast food now. And even more crazy I don't even want it anymore. I don't crave it. I think I just get scared that eating more will feel like a binge or something but I can up my calories to healthy amount and stop obsessing over loosing fast. I knew my weight loss would slow at some point I didn't expect it to come off so fast I think I just got so overwhelmed cause I was so close to hitting onderland and I havnt been there since I was 19. I kept feeling like just 18 more lbs then it can slow down just 18 more COME ON!!! lol 😂 but your right I did this to be healthy not skinny. I'll get back to giving my body what it needs and the fuel it need to keep going. It's prob why I've been so tired to.just weird that I don't feel hungry. I'll add in some nuts I usually get pistachios but kinda started to lean away cause there was just alot of calories but I also need to remember there are good and bad calories, calories arnt the enemy just gotta make sure your eating what calories you body needs. Ugh. Thanks guys

This is a better plan. I'm glad you've decided to go that way: Much healthier!

Hunger is not always a good guide. I accidentally ate too little for a while (because MFP underestimates my calorie needs), and I wasn't hungry. I felt great until I suddenly hit a wall, felt weak and fatigued. For me, those were the danger signals, and I corrected quickly.

Things like being short-tempered and moody, having extreme unexplained water retention, can also be alarm bells. Time to correct your course! If you're feeling full, then your idea of eating some more calorie dense nutritious foods is a good one, something like nuts. It would even be OK to eat some treat foods, but I understand that you may not want to do that because you're also trying to change some of your food habits, as well as wanting to lose weight.

Some nutritious but more calorie-dense foods are a good plan: Seeds, nuts, avocados, maybe full-fat dairy foods instead of non/low-fat if you eat dairy, maybe a little more calorie-dense types of meat or fish (fattier cold-water fish, with more Omega-3 fats, are really good for a person - salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, that kind of thing).

I can understand being excited about reaching onederland, but I know you'll want to reach there healthy; with strong, thick hair and nails; having kept muscle well-maintained (for both useful strength and appearance reasons); and with a good energy level and mood; etc. Getting enough calories, which also lets you get good nutrition, is the foundation for all of that good stuff.

You can do this, and it's the right thing to do. Hang in there!

avatiach · April 2022

What they said. Also because you work night shift, it can be more challenging to get your rest, have time to cook, etcetera. Try to build in some time for meal prep, and log your food.

wilson10102018 · April 2022

When people tell me what not to talk to them about I am always pretty sure that the forbidden topic is the problem. And, after 45 years of solving other peoples problems, I have found that I am usually right about that. It may not be productive for me to point out the obvious that others have diplomatically avoided saying, but one cannot keep a 218 lb body warm on 400 calories unless you are in a medically induced coma in a temperature maintained environment without losing weight.

Regardless of your actual intake, with anything close to 400-800 calories at your body weight you are seriously at risk of permanent injury. You would do well to start over and rethink every step with a fresh view.

satchel2008 · April 2022

AnnPT77 thank you ya think I need to get back to basics and stop trying to rush the process. I appreciate your support.
wilson10102018 I understand that thought process and yes most people do the look over here not over here thing when they hit a wall and don't want to talk about the issues they can't seem to face. I was one of them for a long time I had it in my head hey don't log it it don't count right.. then wondered why I always failed. All I was doing is lying to myself it's of no help to me to lie or cover up what I do if I truly want to make a change that's why I this time around complete transparency has been my motive both to myself and others. The reason I left with that was because before I posted my own I had read multiple other people's threads about their plateaus and it was always the same response of eat less log your calories oh you must be doing it wrong oh have you changed your calorie amount as you have lost ect and wanted to avoid going back and forth on the fact that I have. And I actually did a 45 day water fast a few years ago and ran into a similar issue I lost a ton the first 3 weeks then literally nothing else after that and I wasn't eating anything but water and a cup of broth a day and a multivitamin so I'm not sure why my body tends to just stop loosing at certain points but I was eating nothing at that point in time and still had a plateau so idk. I've been thinking about seeing a Dr but for now I think I'm just gonna take the advice above and give it some time.
Thanks everyone

PAV8888 · April 2022

I see that you seem amenable to listening to reason, so I am glad. Truly glad.

It is called a crash diet... because you crash. 45lbs in 83 days is a nice average deficit of close to exceeding 1900 Cal a day. That's DEFICIT, not eating. More than TWICE what you probably ought to have done.

(PROBABLY) Your appetite is currently hormonally suppressed. If your protein intake was low I don't even want to think about what may be taking place. The only good things I hear here is that maybe we're talking under three months and that you HAVE been eating something so probably we don't have to be worried about re-feeding syndromes... or do we?

Kindly DO NOT give it some time. You have to INCREASE your food intake. Unless your protein is very much on point and it doesn't sound like it, you ARE running some degree of ACTUAL SERIOUS HEALTH risk.

Your real problem is going to be controlling rebound hunger when you increase to the minimum 1750 range you OUGHT to be at, or whatever you will go bargain it down to. 1900 (evidence based) + 800 (the upper end of your statements) = 2700 a day. 25% = reasonable deficit would have been an average intake = 2025 on average over the past three months.... not 800. Take into account lost weight and some adaptive thermogenesis = the minimum 1750 range is probably where you OUGHT to be eating at... for continuing weight loss at what will feel glacial but would actually be a fairly fast pace.

By the way, yes, you ARE hangry. It is just that you can't feel it because your body is protecting you from torture while it is preparing to slowly die from lack of sufficient nutritional intake.

Anyway. Hormones too far out of whack = people lose. It's not like hormones operate at the conscious level. So you can be have all the brain and willpower in the world... but how are you going to fight what you can't see?

Timelines and weight loss rarely go well together.

You and I both got ourselves to well over 250lbs at some point of time in our lives. That's not an extra lb or two. Do you really think that either one of us gets to diet once for a few months and then forget about it and not have to continue to manage their weight for the rest of their life?

Does what you've been doing feel sustainable to you? Has it taught you ANYTHING AT ALL about how you're going to manage your weight over the next 1 to 30 years?

Please reconsider. And... I don't think anyone on this thread is saying give it time by continuing to under-eat to the degree that you have. We ARE saying give it time... by eating reasonably and healthily and sustainably so you can be healthy!

xxzenabxx · April 2022

Wow this post is so triggering but I still want to help you. I’m a recovered anorexic and the reason you are not hungry is because your body is literally surviving. Hunger is actually a good thing because it means you have a normal metabolism. When you go to the extremes and starve yourself then cortisol levels can blunt your hunger levels. That’s exactly what happened to me. I remember those days of starving myself and how skinny I became but not feeling hungry. Nope. Not a good idea unless you want to lose all of your hair and nails and have horrible dull skin and develop anxiety and depression. Oh and not to forget gaining all the weight back plus some more. I’m also glad you are taking everyone’s advice on board to increase your calories ASAP.

satchel2008 · April 2022

PAV8888 thank you for your concern for my eminent Doom, but yes I do eat and honestly yes I never seen this as a diet but as my new way of life I don't think I would have a problem continuing on with what I'm doing. Heck as I'm typing this I'm eating 3 personal pizzas I made all 3 come to the grand total of 433 calories. I eat. I'm not starving myself I've did that when I was 19 lost 70 lbs in 2 months but I also didn't drive and had to walk 4 miles to work everyday and anywhere I needed to go plus I didn't do it on purpose it was a stomach bug I got for 2 weeks that made me repulsed by food then I just never ate again till I got knocked up but I digress. I'm aware of how I got where I am and how long it took and I'm aware that it's going to take a long time to get to where I'm going. Are there things in my meal planning that could be better? Sure, of course this whole thing is a process. But shoving myself full of food isn't my idea of getting healthy I'm not gonna stuff my self for the sake of hitting a calorie number. Protein vegetables fruit oats I eat. I've been a big girl my whole life I know how to eat it's eating in moderation I've always struggled with and learning to stop when I'm full instead of eating until I'm throwing up. I have every intention on uping my calorie intake. Thank you for your concern I really appreciate it. ☺️

SuzanneC1l9zz · April 2022

I'm not a medical professional, but I am a healthcare worker with training in nutrition. This post, IMO, sounds a lot like rationalizing an eating disorder. Please talk to a doctor or a registered dietician.

Lietchi · April 2022

satchel2008 wrote: »

PAV8888 thank you for your concern for my eminent Doom, but yes I do eat and honestly yes I never seen this as a diet but as my new way of life I don't think I would have a problem continuing on with what I'm doing. Heck as I'm typing this I'm eating 3 personal pizzas I made all 3 come to the grand total of 433 calories. I eat. I'm not starving myself I've did that when I was 19 lost 70 lbs in 2 months but I also didn't drive and had to walk 4 miles to work everyday and anywhere I needed to go plus I didn't do it on purpose it was a stomach bug I got for 2 weeks that made me repulsed by food then I just never ate again till I got knocked up but I digress. I'm aware of how I got where I am and how long it took and I'm aware that it's going to take a long time to get to where I'm going. Are there things in my meal planning that could be better? Sure, of course this whole thing is a process. But shoving myself full of food isn't my idea of getting healthy I'm not gonna stuff my self for the sake of hitting a calorie number. Protein vegetables fruit oats I eat. I've been a big girl my whole life I know how to eat it's eating in moderation I've always struggled with and learning to stop when I'm full instead of eating until I'm throwing up. I have every intention on upping my calorie intake. Thank you for your concern I really appreciate it. ☺️

Upping your calories to the minimum to ensure adequate nutrition is nowhere near "stuffing yourself" or "shoving yourself full of food" though... As several of us have said, hunger isn't necessarily a good indicator of how well you're feeding your body. Even if your new way of eating leaves you less hungry, it should be quite easy to increase your intake without "eating until you're throwing up": some more calorie dense foods, extra snack times. There should be a happy medium between the two extremes.

SuzanneC1l9zz · April 2022

satchel2008 wrote: »

PAV8888 thank you for your concern for my eminent Doom, but yes I do eat and honestly yes I never seen this as a diet but as my new way of life I don't think I would have a problem continuing on with what I'm doing. Heck as I'm typing this I'm eating 3 personal pizzas I made all 3 come to the grand total of 433 calories. I eat. I'm not starving myself I've did that when I was 19 lost 70 lbs in 2 months but I also didn't drive and had to walk 4 miles to work everyday and anywhere I needed to go plus I didn't do it on purpose it was a stomach bug I got for 2 weeks that made me repulsed by food then I just never ate again till I got knocked up but I digress. I'm aware of how I got where I am and how long it took and I'm aware that it's going to take a long time to get to where I'm going. Are there things in my meal planning that could be better? Sure, of course this whole thing is a process. But shoving myself full of food isn't my idea of getting healthy I'm not gonna stuff my self for the sake of hitting a calorie number. Protein vegetables fruit oats I eat. I've been a big girl my whole life I know how to eat it's eating in moderation I've always struggled with and learning to stop when I'm full instead of eating until I'm throwing up. I have every intention on uping my calorie intake. Thank you for your concern I really appreciate it. ☺️

Just to add... I'm maintaining now, but when I was losing it was at 1,600 calories (sedentary) PLUS all adjustments from my tracker. Worked out to about 1,750 gross on the days I didn't work out. 5'6" and a steady loss of 2/3 - 1 lb/month. The above was a typical lunch - I'm not a snacker and lunch is generally my biggest meal. Protein, vegetables, oats. It's quite possible to eat more calories healthfully.

Redordeadhead · April 2022

satchel2008 wrote: »

PAV8888 thank you for your concern for my eminent Doom, but yes I do eat and honestly yes I never seen this as a diet but as my new way of life I don't think I would have a problem continuing on with what I'm doing. Heck as I'm typing this I'm eating 3 personal pizzas I made all 3 come to the grand total of 433 calories. I eat. I'm not starving myself I've did that when I was 19 lost 70 lbs in 2 months but I also didn't drive and had to walk 4 miles to work everyday and anywhere I needed to go plus I didn't do it on purpose it was a stomach bug I got for 2 weeks that made me repulsed by food then I just never ate again till I got knocked up but I digress. I'm aware of how I got where I am and how long it took and I'm aware that it's going to take a long time to get to where I'm going. Are there things in my meal planning that could be better? Sure, of course this whole thing is a process. But shoving myself full of food isn't my idea of getting healthy I'm not gonna stuff my self for the sake of hitting a calorie number. Protein vegetables fruit oats I eat. I've been a big girl my whole life I know how to eat it's eating in moderation I've always struggled with and learning to stop when I'm full instead of eating until I'm throwing up. I have every intention on uping my calorie intake. Thank you for your concern I really appreciate it. ☺️

But the thing is, if that's all you're going to eat in a day then you ARE starving yourself. Even if you feel like you are eating real food and are happy with it, this is not enough calories to sustain your basic bodily functions long term. If you can't eat more volume then you need to eat more calorie dense foods or eat more often. Please eat more for the sake of your health.

paperpudding · April 2022

kept feeling like just 18 more lbs then it can slow down just 18

Well, no - slow down your pace now, not when you have lost another 18 lb.

AnnPT77 · April 2022

satchel2008 wrote: »

PAV8888 thank you for your concern for my eminent Doom, but yes I do eat and honestly yes I never seen this as a diet but as my new way of life I don't think I would have a problem continuing on with what I'm doing. Heck as I'm typing this I'm eating 3 personal pizzas I made all 3 come to the grand total of 433 calories. I eat. I'm not starving myself I've did that when I was 19 lost 70 lbs in 2 months but I also didn't drive and had to walk 4 miles to work everyday and anywhere I needed to go plus I didn't do it on purpose it was a stomach bug I got for 2 weeks that made me repulsed by food then I just never ate again till I got knocked up but I digress. I'm aware of how I got where I am and how long it took and I'm aware that it's going to take a long time to get to where I'm going. Are there things in my meal planning that could be better? Sure, of course this whole thing is a process. But shoving myself full of food isn't my idea of getting healthy I'm not gonna stuff my self for the sake of hitting a calorie number. Protein vegetables fruit oats I eat. I've been a big girl my whole life I know how to eat it's eating in moderation I've always struggled with and learning to stop when I'm full instead of eating until I'm throwing up. I have every intention on uping my calorie intake. Thank you for your concern I really appreciate it. ☺️

Eating only 400-800 calories daily is profoundly unhealthy, and is starving yourself.

It's nice that those way-to-few calories come from nutritious food, but that doesn't make eating too few calories healthy.

Increase your calories. That is not "shoving yourself full of food". It's eating in a healthful way. Actully do it, don't just "intend to".

It's OK not to hit a calorie number . . . but it's equally OK to be a bit over goal, not just under goal. It's seriously not OK to be routinely, persistently, regularly under a sensible number of calories.

You're rationalizing disordered eating, in your own mind, making it seem OK. It's not OK.

It would be a good idea to seek out counseling, honestly. That's not an attack, there should be no stigma in doing that when it will help a person pursue health. I've gotten that kind of help myself (though with another health-connected issue) from a psychologist. It's no different from consulting a registered dietitian when we need help sorting our our nutrition, or even calling a plumber when the pipes are leaking. When we need help sorting out our thought patterns and their effect on our behavior, we should get the right professional help with that, too - no different.

PAV8888 · April 2022

So how many times in life have you successfully lost a LOT of weight?
And then for whatever very good reason something happened and that weight loss was paused or interrupted.
And then you "woke up" a couple of years later and you were at a new maximum weight?

Am I the only one who went through that a good couple of times in my life? Somehow... I don't think so!

Remember the bit about hormones working below the level of consciousness. Below the level of consciousness means exactly that. You can't sense it. You don't know it is happening. As far as you're concerned everything FEELz FINEz

All you MAY be able to do is figure out that your current FEELz are not matching what you would expect, as a rational outside observer, to hear reported by a different person describing the same situation.

Describe your current weight loss experience... not your plateau; but the way you've been losing weight so far... describe it out loud to yourself pretending you are listening to a co-worker, or a friend, or family member describing their experience to you.

Does it add up? Does it sound... as you would expect? Are there any breaks to expected reality there where as an outside person you would say to yourself: this doesn't quite sound right to me

If current feelz do not match common sense expectations... a red flag should be going up, even when end results are currently to our liking.

Have you ever read about something called a "restrict-binge cycle"?

It's worth a quick google search...

Plateau

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