Help me out! I need some opinions and advice.

crystalcreek
crystalcreek Posts: 38
edited November 7 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, this is my first post. I've been using MFP for several months now. I have been very successful with it and have learned a lot from the website and other posts. I have lost 44 lbs, gotten much more active than I ever thought I could be, and am continuing to learn more about fitness and overall health.
I recently plateaued in my weight loss. I still need to lose about 10 lbs or so. When I first started on this journey, I was solely focused on cardio. Once I started to plateau, I realized I needed to incorporate some strength training. I joined the gym in December and have been doing that. I feel like I have a much stronger core. I am more energetic. But, I'm still not seeing much difference in the way my clothes fit or on the scale.
I've tried playing with my calories (just a little). I've been reading more about increasing calories when you increase activity, etc. I'm not sure if my caloric intake is too low.
How many calories should I be eating? I'm 5'3", 136 lbs, and lead a fairly active lifestyle. I work out 5-6 days a week. I try to include cardio and strength. Right now, I have my calories set to 1200, but I just lowered it from 1390. And, I have been eating back part of my exercise calories.
What do I need to do to break this plateau and start seeing some physical benefits from my additional training? My diary is open, so feel free to take a look and give me some feedback.
Thanks!

Replies

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    When I plateaued the first time I increased my calories and lowered my goal to .5 lbs per week. Then I noticed that I had stopped measuring and started estimating, so I was eating more calories than I thought I was. The combination of correcting my goals/entering my new weight and making sure to measure/weigh everything made a difference and I started losing again. Good luck! (Search for plateaus and you'll find tons of suggestions for breaking one)
  • bump for suggestions
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