Stalled weight loss

jstro011
jstro011 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Since October 2021 I have been on Calorie Deficit and have lost a total of 45lbs (20kgs) Av average of 450gram loss per week on the deficit.

I am normally in a deficit for approx 12-16 weeks and then maintenance for 6-8 weeks.

3 weeks ago I came off maintenance (2255 calories) with my new daily calorie limit (1650 calories) and my weight loss has completely stalled.

Any ideas why the scales haven't moved? It would be greatly appreciated

Replies

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,182 Member
    edited January 2023
    There’s a good chance that if you are actually at 1,650 and your activity, both in and out of the gym is the same, your homeostatic system is substituting fat with water. In the event this is the issue you’ll eventually lose the water, sometimes by a whoosh where you lose several pounds all of a sudden. Give it another week or 2.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,198 Member
    You sound plugged in, in terms of your numbers. so I will assume you've made no changes to how you log. Any new activity or exercise? How close to normal weight are you currently at? How close have your previous estimated deficits tracked to your observed weight changes using the 3500Cal per 1lb estimate? Any chance of a bundle of joy? Stress levels? Sleep? Tom's idea is not far off either!
  • jstro011
    jstro011 Posts: 6 Member
    thanks guys, could be water but I thought after 3 weeks it would have sorted itself out by now. A little stressed but nothing out of the ordinary. a lb heavier than when I started 3 weeks ago
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,182 Member
    jstro011 wrote: »
    thanks guys, could be water but I thought after 3 weeks it would have sorted itself out by now. A little stressed but nothing out of the ordinary. a lb heavier than when I started 3 weeks ago
    It should after 2 weeks but everyone is different. Do you eat the same foods as before when you were at 1,650? If not your tracking may be off so you may need to drop a couple hundred a day from what you’re figuring if no change next week
  • jstro011
    jstro011 Posts: 6 Member
    yup pretty much the same things.... will wait it out and see how it goes!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,193 Member
    Maybe go back to maintenance calories for a while longer and add weight training or increase intensity if you already do.
  • noodlesno
    noodlesno Posts: 113 Member
    One way to find out if it is water is to up your water intake. This sounds counter productive but it really helps shift any retention.

    Worth a go at least. The worse (as long as you don't go mental and flood your body on more than 1L an hour) that is going to happen is that you need to pee once an hour!

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