Losing and Gaining Same Few Lbs

JennBryce
JennBryce Posts: 9 Member
edited February 2023 in Health and Weight Loss
I wonder if someone can help please.

I started at 304lbs and I'm now 215lbs after a year. For the past few months I have been loosing and gaining the same 2 to 3lbs and its so frustrating.

I have heard of people going to maintainance calories for a few days then cutting again. Does this work?

Or does anyone have any ideas on what I can try please 🙂

Replies

  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 178 Member
    You have the right idea, but your break should be for several weeks, not days.

    Also, have you reset your goals under settings to reflect your new weight? It will drop your calorie base when you do, since being lighter means you need less calories. You probably have, but sometimes people don’t think about it.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Yeah, here's the excellent Diet Break thread...

    The first page has all the major points: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • JennBryce
    JennBryce Posts: 9 Member
    Carriehelene wrote: »
    You have the right idea, but your break should be for several weeks, not days.

    Also, have you reset your goals under settings to reflect your new weight? It will drop your calorie base when you do, since being lighter means you need less calories. You probably have, but sometimes people don’t think about it.

    Yeah I've done this so usually when I don't have a loss for 3 to 4 weeks I'll recalculate the calories.

    I was told a few days would reset your metabolism so was unsure
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,225 Member
    edited February 2023
    That’s a nice loss! Vaselating back and forth a couple of lbs is water moving around so you’re most likely eating/drinking at maintenance now.

    Have you been dropping calories along the way? If not you need to or if you have it may not have been enough to keep up with the loss.


  • JennBryce
    JennBryce Posts: 9 Member
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    That’s a nice loss! Vaselating back and forth a couple of lbs is water moving around so you’re most likely eating/drinking at maintenance now.

    Have you been dropping calories along the way? If not you need to or if you have it may not have been enough to keep up with the loss.


    Thank you! And yes i recalculate if i don't have any losses for about 4 weeks so I've gone from over 2000 to around 1500 now according to the multiple TDEE calculators it says around 1479 for my height, weight, age etc. I'm also going to start getting some exercise in so hoping that gets me out this stage
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,225 Member
    JennBryce wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    That’s a nice loss! Vaselating back and forth a couple of lbs is water moving around so you’re most likely eating/drinking at maintenance now.

    Have you been dropping calories along the way? If not you need to or if you have it may not have been enough to keep up with the loss.


    Thank you! And yes i recalculate if i don't have any losses for about 4 weeks so I've gone from over 2000 to around 1500 now according to the multiple TDEE calculators it says around 1479 for my height, weight, age etc. I'm also going to start getting some exercise in so hoping that gets me out this stage
    That sounds like a good reduction of calories.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,221 Member
    When that happens to me, which it does periodically I have to redefine my goals and implement a better strategy and commit. Commitment, which generally translates to working harder and focused is key for me. Hope you find a solution. Cheers.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,252 Member
    edited March 2023
    Congrats on the loss.

    Would suggest you start using a weight trend app or web site. It's a more true picture than even the two or four or however many weeks. Plus the "event" become stressful

    Imagine that you're losing 0.5 or even 1lb a week. Both are far from zero.

    But if your weight fluctuates 2 to 5lbs in a month due to hormones, or because of types of food, or exercise that has you feeling sore, or what have you, you end up in a situation where your loss can be fully masked by a normal fluctuation
  • JennBryce
    JennBryce Posts: 9 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Congrats on the loss.

    Would suggest you start using a weight trend app or web site. It's a more true picture than even the two or four or however many weeks. Plus the "event" become stressful

    Imagine that you're losing 0.5 or even 1lb a week. Both are far from zero.

    But if your weight fluctuates 2 to 5lbs in a month due to hormones, or because of types of food, or exercise that has you feeling sore, or what have you, you end up in a situation where your loss can be fully masked by a normal fluctuation

    I was look at daily weighing and looking at the trends that way as I know weight fluctuates.

    I've looked a few times after bigger meals etc to see what happens body wise. Just unsure on the best weight trend apps?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,252 Member
    web: trendweight (fitbit app is free, device not required) or weightgrapher (ignore her verbiage though make your own decisions as to how you're doing--maybe set to maintain so that it shuts up about your progress!)

    iphone happy scale android libra.

    Are they the "best"? It's been 6+ years since I looked them up, so why not? But I haven't seen someone coming in guns ablaze saying there's something else much better out there!

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