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How can I get out of this plateau stage

AngelinaDelaney
AngelinaDelaney Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss

My starting weight in March of 2024 was 315 and today I’m down to 194. My goal is 165 by June which is about another 29 pounds and I don’t think that’s completely unattainable but I’ve hit a plateau. I increased my calories from 1200 to 1360 but what else can I do? Does is all really just come down to cardio or exercise now? I do exercise but not everyday. If anyone could help that would be greattt.

Answers

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,343 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10934648/how-can-i-get-out-of-this-plateau-stage

    You need to decrease not increase calories especially when you’ve lost that much weight. Your body is a lot lighter and needs a lot fewer calories, if your weight stopped all of a sudden you may be retaining water if it was more of a gradual loss then that signals that you’ve reached your maintenance calories

  • AngelinaDelaney
    AngelinaDelaney Posts: 5 Member

    I had my calories down to 1119 and some people said that was too little and I needed to eat a little more so I increased to 1200 and saw a little progress, then 1360

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,472 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48525821#Comment_48525821

    Yeah, don't DE-crease any more.

    You don't give us much to go on, so I'll just say - now that you have 30 pounds to go, set your calories here on myfitnesspal to "Lose 1 pound per week." That's plenty.

    Try to be as honest as you can with your "Activity Level" and be reasonable with exercise calories.

    Having lost all that weight already (HUGE Congrats) did you keep track of calories? If so you'd have a good past database on which to base your ongoing calories.

    It's really easy to lose when there is a lot of weight to be lost - now the real work begins.

    One pound per week would get you closer to your Goal in time, but maybe not all the way there. Expect it to be harder. That's just the way the body works. It doesn't really want to let go of the, "emergency fat," that last few pounds of padding to save for the possible famine, ya know?

    It took me eight months to lose the first 65 pounds. The last fifteen took nine months more. Nine. And it was a struggle for me. I exercised for an hour five days per week. I made 20 out of 21 meals per week myself. I used a food scale. I was hungry a lot.

    Keep it going. You'll get there.

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,472 Member

    Here's a good thread, the important stuff is on the first page but the discussions are good too:

    Refeeds and Diet Breaks

  • AngelinaDelaney
    AngelinaDelaney Posts: 5 Member

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48525869#Comment_48525869

    Thank you! And yea just for reference I’m 19, 5’5 and yes I tracked calories before. But yea you’re right now it’s real work, not so easy!

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,602 Member

    First of all: major congrats. This is awesome progress.

    Second…. for the love of all the little kittens and bunnies and all other critters and more importantly yourself.

    Slow down BUT DO continue…. at a slower pace.

    121 lbs is simply awesome for your health.

    But given your age which limits the amount of time it took you to gain the weight and given how fast you've managed to lose so far (at a full 10lbs a month on average over a full year), you really really need to slow down and stretch the effort for another year…. and another year…. and another year because if you don't you will end up regaining and having to start up again.

    Ask how many people on MFP have done exactly that. Some for even as much as 120lbs.

    So at some point "easy management" and ability to continue TOWARDS a result (lower weight) without worrying directly (or not worrying AS MUCH) about the SPEED of the result is important.

    For what it's worth I don't think there is anything wrong with your weight target but I really do think that the date limit and extra effort to meet such limits are way less helpful than concentrating on making the process SUSTAINABLE.

    How often do you weight yourself? I would definitely use a weight trend app or create a weight trend spreadsheet if you're not already doing this. Fast loss hides the normal fluctuations (the normal ups and downs of one's weight). Slower weight loss makes it harder to see the overall trend amidst the daily or weekly fluctuations.

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