Darn plateau...can I beat it?

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Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Not eating the way you have been as it wAY too little calories. But lets gather some data. First use the link below to figure out your estimated BMR and post that. Also, what do you do for a living and what do you do for exercise?



    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    ps- based on your current stats, you should be closer to 1 lb per week and eating at least 50-75% of your exercise calories but we can adjust things once you post results.

    I just did mine and it's 1392, but on this site I am at a 1200. So what do I do??? p.s 35, f, 138 lbs, 64 inches in height

    Whats your lifestyle and exercise routine?
  • criscricket
    criscricket Posts: 69 Member
    Not eating the way you have been as it wAY too little calories. But lets gather some data. First use the link below to figure out your estimated BMR and post that. Also, what do you do for a living and what do you do for exercise?



    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    ps- based on your current stats, you should be closer to 1 lb per week and eating at least 50-75% of your exercise calories but we can adjust things once you post results.



    Ok I did this and I got "your current BMR is 1536 calories." I work at a desk job and I run three times a week for 45 minutes, do weight training 1-2x a week. Some weeks I get more cardio like a step class and some weeks I may take a yoga class. So average 4-5 days a week doing something.

    The chart says I should be eating 2158! Wow thats alot more than I am doing now.

    here's the chart:
    Activity Level Daily Calories
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1670
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1914
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2158
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2401
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2645

    I would eat between 1900-2100 based on the numbers I ran for you. Your biggest benefit will come from cutting some of the cardio and increasing weight training, especially if you want to burn fat.

    OMG! I am so scared to up my calories that much....petrified really!
  • criscricket
    criscricket Posts: 69 Member
    And what about the days I'm sedentary, my rest days??? 1900-2000 as well?
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    And what about the days I'm sedentary, my rest days??? 1900-2000 as well?

    Since you will not be exercising, you will not be eating your exercise calories back, simple as that
  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
    It's time to change your workout routine. Your body has gotten used to your everyday treadmill routine. Switch it up. Try a spin class or some other high cardio class. You also might try adding some weight training.
  • Jendusi
    Jendusi Posts: 9 Member
    Are you eatting back all your calories gained from excercise? Also, you should definitely be eatting more than 1290 calories, I would go with the 1800 your BMR calculations suggested.
  • honestlysweet
    honestlysweet Posts: 221 Member
    I would say definitely do strength training. Go to youtube and look up Bodypump classes, and other Les mills classes. They really work your core and strengthen and tone your body and they are very intense. Most gyms offer them, but also, I would try some workout DVD's if you can't make it to the gym. The main thing is to do workouts that take your breath away. I don't know how fast you are going on the treadmill, but when you are done you should not be able to hold a conversation. You should be totally winded and wiped out.

    In other words, push yourself really hard. That's why I like classes because you have to keep going. You can do them at your own pace, but the main thing is to do all the reps.
  • JodiHop
    JodiHop Posts: 25
    BUMP...
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
    Change up your exercise every 6 weeks or so. Take a Zumba class, or pilates, or yoga. Just something different every once in a while.

    Also, PATIENCE! I know, we all want the weight to just be gone, but it doesn't happen that way. It took me 20 years to gain 60 lbs, and it's taken me about 6 years to slowly lose 45 lbs. At the purposely slow rate I am losing weight, it will have taken me about 8 years to lose the entire 60 lbs - less than half the time it took me to gain it! Hurrah is all I gotta say for that.

    You will have weight loss spurts and plateaus, so just keep logging what you're doing, analyze what's working and what isn't, tweak here and there and the weight will continue to come off.

    Good luck!
  • kokaneesailor
    kokaneesailor Posts: 337 Member
    I've been doing this for 15 weeks now. I've lost 14 pounds, but I have been stuck at this weight for 3-4 weeks now. After listening to the others, it seems like they think I need to eat more. I adjusted my goal from losing 2 pounds a week to 1.5 pounds a week. It has put me from 1200 calories to 1290 calories a day. My question is this...is the 90 calories enough to make me overcome this plateau or should I go by the BMR number I found online which is 1878.
    If it helps, I was 172, currently 158 and 34 years old, healthy, and walk the treadmill 4-5 days a week for 35-40 minutes weekly carrying 5-8 pound weights. Any ideas for me to get over this hurdle?
    THANKS!!

    If you are losing inches, you are losing fat and toning. I have lost about 40 pounds but have not lost a pound since early March. It is super frustrating but I have accepted that I need to stop looking at the scale. Also, I have increased my calorie limit on MFP to 1500 calories. Though, I do eat my exercise calories, so the increase can leave me eating 1800-2100 calories a day. I've been losing inches/fat but not really losing "weight" or pounds on the scale. It is pretty awesome still. I fit into a size 9 in Juniors the other day. Keep in mind, when I started MFP, I was wearing size 14 in women's!

    Awesome!:smile:
  • curvykim78
    curvykim78 Posts: 799 Member
    Oh man...half my body weight in water?? I think I'll be floating! lol :)

    Have your body weight in ounces of water.

    Yeah, that's what I meant. I'm not an avid drinker and I need to work on that as well.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    And what about the days I'm sedentary, my rest days??? 1900-2000 as well?

    Since you will not be exercising, you will not be eating your exercise calories back, simple as that

    This isn't true. When I run the numbers, I include exercise into your TDEE and cut 20% from there and your deficit is over the week, not per day. Some days you will burn more than others. So yes, she should eat 1900 calories a day. There are multiple methods to use but I have found that form a deficit over the week is easier to manage.


    Also, If your TDEE is about 2300 calories (which yours is) than you cant gain weight off of 1900 calories. For further proof below is a response from one of the women I work with. She is 36 years old and weights 154lbs. She workouts 4 days a week and ONLY did strength training.. aka NO cardio. Below is her achievement after 12 weeks.


    "I just wanted to thank you for your help. You helped me a few months back and I just wanted to give you an update on my progress. 12 weeks ago I started at 154 and 28% bf. I got my bf remeasured last Friday and it was 24%. But I only lost 1 pound. It is crazy to me but I have learned to ignore the scale. You were right that keeping consistent and not giving up my body would finally adjust.

    Thanks again for your help!

    Stephanie"
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    And what about the days I'm sedentary, my rest days??? 1900-2000 as well?

    PS- I eat 3000 calories every day.
  • curvykim78
    curvykim78 Posts: 799 Member
    Are you eatting back all your calories gained from excercise? Also, you should definitely be eatting more than 1290 calories, I would go with the 1800 your BMR calculations suggested.

    I don't eat all of them usually. If I'm hungry, I eat. If i'm not hungry, i don't eat them back.
  • jodycoady
    jodycoady Posts: 598 Member
    Not eating the way you have been as it wAY too little calories. But lets gather some data. First use the link below to figure out your estimated BMR and post that. Also, what do you do for a living and what do you do for exercise?



    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    ps- based on your current stats, you should be closer to 1 lb per week and eating at least 50-75% of your exercise calories but we can adjust things once you post results.

    I just did mine and it's 1392, but on this site I am at a 1200. So what do I do??? p.s 35, f, 138 lbs, 64 inches in height

    Whats your lifestyle and exercise routine?

    I'm a stay at home mom, but I go to the gym 3-4 times a weeks, for an hour, weights and cardio.....very dedicated to cardio....I also don't eat back what I exercise, and on the weekends I do tend to go over my cals...but it's all business during the week :D
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Not eating the way you have been as it wAY too little calories. But lets gather some data. First use the link below to figure out your estimated BMR and post that. Also, what do you do for a living and what do you do for exercise?



    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    ps- based on your current stats, you should be closer to 1 lb per week and eating at least 50-75% of your exercise calories but we can adjust things once you post results.

    I just did mine and it's 1392, but on this site I am at a 1200. So what do I do??? p.s 35, f, 138 lbs, 64 inches in height

    Whats your lifestyle and exercise routine?

    I'm a stay at home mom, but I go to the gym 3-4 times a weeks, for an hour, weights and cardio.....very dedicated to cardio....I also don't eat back what I exercise, and on the weekends I do tend to go over my cals...but it's all business during the week :D

    You should be eating 1800 calories a day. Also i would recommend you start becoming dedicated to strength training and lesa on cardio. ST will provide you greater fat loss and help maintain your metabolism.

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