The 8 month plateau.

wellbert
wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
First,
I had a 1000 daily calorie deficit. (TDEE 2800)
Combined with some strength training, and 3 days of intense cardio (boxing) and about 12 miles walking per week.
(Always ate back exercise calories.)
Stopped losing weight, so I ratcheted back to 500 calorie deficit. Same exercise. Lost about a pound, then stalled.
Tried 250, gained a litlte weight. Cycled calories up and down a few times with no effect.

Since then, reduced cardio exercise dramatically and started doing real strength training. Ate at maintenance on training days, and a ~500 deficit on rest days. Gained 15lbs since then. - but measurements stayed largely the same.

Now I have a back injury and can't lift heavy for a long time.

I'm giving myself 3 months to lose 20lbs. I have no idea what the f*** to do, or how many calories to eat, or how much to exercise. I'm sure I can get back down to 233 again - but I know I'll hit the brick wall and won't be able to get to my goal weight: 222.

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    ideas? i did have recent bloodwork, no unusual thyroid. just awful cholesterol.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    The only thing I can think is maybe you're calculating calories inaccurately. Do you weigh food? That's someplace I went very wrong before getting my food scale.

    Other than that... I can't think of a thing. How frustrating for you!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I weigh food when I cook. Not so much when I have restaurant food.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
    If you ate back exercise calories you are probably eating maintenance instead of at a deficit. Your TDEE already includes your exercise. If you eat 2300 calories instead of netting 2300 calories, you should be at a 500 calorie deficit a day which will translate into weight loss. Make sure you drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep. Both of those seem to affect my weight loss greatly.
  • gypsybug
    gypsybug Posts: 106 Member
    It sounds like your overall workout routine has been curtailed by your back injury and the last time you calculated your TDEE you were "strength training, and 3 days of intense cardio (boxing) and about 12 miles walking per week."

    If this has significantly changed now, you need to recalculate your TDEE to reflect your current workout schedule and intensity. I suspect with a back injury that will have you taking it easy for a bit, it may not be at 2800 any more.

    Evaluate your current program realistically and go plug in the numbers. Whatever your new TDEE comes out to be, determine your deficit from there, whether it's 15% or 20% and eat that as your daily goal. Do not eat exercise calories back as this is already factored in. And stick with if for a time.

    Any time your daily activity is impacted by an injury or a change in routine or venue that affects time and intensity, especially over an extended period of time, you need to recalculate your TDEE. You should also recalculate BMR and TDEE when you have lost weight as this will impact your numbers as well.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I've always set my TDEE to 'sedentary' and ate most of my calories back. Do you think it's still high from there?

    You're right though - I'm not lifting nearly as fast or heavy, and I'm moving WAYYYY slower in boxing. (Though not as slow as I should be.)

    I suppose then that my current plan will be to eat 1800-2000 per day regardless of exercise and see what happens....
  • gypsybug
    gypsybug Posts: 106 Member
    I think you may be lower than you think, yes. Let's consider that TDEE is made up of three main components - your BMR, your deliberate exercise calories and your normal day to day activities. And by the way, those day to day activities like walking around your office, getting your groceries, doing your dishes, those typically add up to a hefty amount every day and many, many people forget they exist when they are figuring out their equations.

    So you know you have dialed back your exercise that that will impact your TDEE....but if you are hurting, I bet you aren't doing as much day to day activity either. Are you trying to take it a little easier? Taking a bit more time to do the chores? Resting a bit more? You may have been impacted here as well.

    Go to fat2fitradio.com and redo your calculation. IF you use a heart rate monitor to track your calories burned in a workout, then go ahead and use the sedentary number and eat back your exercise calories accordingly. But if you have been using the MFP database for your workout numbers, then I would use the "lightly active" number it gives you instead.

    Make sense?
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I'm a stubborn mule... I'm just lifting less weight and doing a little less core work in boxing. (which is why I will never heal :P)


    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 2690
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 3083
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 3475
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 3867
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 4260

    The Sedentary is close to MFP (MFP says 2770) which is what I base everything around.

    BMR: 2275 calories

    I don't use MFP's exercise database, or a HRM... I made my own exercises based on the MFP values, and reduced by 25-50%.
    I know that sounds insane, but this way i DONT overestimate exercise.


    From what I know:
    *Eating around 2500-2800 on average, has made me gain weight.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    2 words: Diet break. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    Seriously, I wasted a whole year, when all I had to do was take a month off.
  • fitniknik
    fitniknik Posts: 713 Member
    I have been stuck for a year. Upped my calories, lowered my calories, back to up thinking about upping them more.
    Went from just cardio, to just strenght, to strenght with light cardio.
    Im still stuck...
    I feel your pain. If you find answers let me know!!
  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
    Bump...interesting
  • gypsybug
    gypsybug Posts: 106 Member
    From what I know:
    *Eating around 2500-2800 on average, has made me gain weight.

    Hahaha....let your body heal! Then it might give you an inch! :P

    Question ... for how long exactly did you give those intakes a go? And how consistently?

    And WOW - Your BMR is really high! I find myself somewhat jealous....in a weird not terribly common sense sorta way ...
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I'm a stubborn mule... I'm just lifting less weight and doing a little less core work in boxing. (which is why I will never heal :P)

    Not a doctor, but it seems to me that any lifting with a back injury is a bad idea. You might just keep your cardio strictly to long walks until you feel a bit stronger. Work back into lifting gradually. Are you seeing a physical therapist? You really should talk to your doctor and PT if you have one before restructuring your current fitness plan. Maybe consult with a nutritionist about your calorie intake. Given your history and your back injury, I really don't believe anyone on this site is qualified to give you the right advice.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    2 words: Diet break. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    Seriously, I wasted a whole year, when all I had to do was take a month off.

    That's the answer to several posts stating same problem.

    This will then tell you your true TDEE, because whatever you are eating, and no weight or measurement movement, is true TDEE.

    Then you can drop 500-1000 calories a day from that figure, if enough range to Katch-McArdle BMR estimate to allow that safely, and start again with full metabolism burning.

    Now take your true TDEE you discovered, divided by better BMR figure - there is your personal multiplier for your avg routine.

    Then every month, redo body fat % measurement, redo Katch BMR calc.

    Take new BMR figure times personal multiplier (if routine is the same) - there is your new TDEE for new weight, take 500 off again.
  • Yori1
    Yori1 Posts: 142
    Bump
  • cmurray234
    cmurray234 Posts: 112 Member
    2 words: Diet break. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    Seriously, I wasted a whole year, when all I had to do was take a month off.

    That was very interesting...and psychologically makes a great deal of sense. Thanks for the link.
  • gypsybug
    gypsybug Posts: 106 Member
    2 words: Diet break. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    Seriously, I wasted a whole year, when all I had to do was take a month off.

    This would certainly give your body what it needs to heal up and give it a break. Might be a good way to go. Lot's of people will do a reset then after a bit reintroduce a cut when they are ready to get back into it.
  • saulmfp
    saulmfp Posts: 3
    It seems that you need to give your body a chance to heal first. I cant see any benefit from punishing your body with workouts while injured when ultimatel goal is to have good health. Seems counterproductive

    I'm in a simiular situation with a 2 month plateau. Here are a couple of things I am trying. 1. Increased my calories, in increments (250, then another 250. (I was at 1200 daily and eating back all workout calories, but am very near my goal; about 5 lbs). 2. Take a week off from intense weight and cardio (body needs to recover) every fourth week. 3. Will change workout routine ( I have a suspicion that my body has acclimated to my workout, so less benefit to same workout occurs over time). I will add interval training to cardio and will focus on adding weight to lifts on weekly basis, while also changin my weight training routine to focus on large and multiple muscle lifts.

    I am also changing the method I am measuring progress and focusing on lean body mass and inches rather than stricly weight. If you are eating well and fueling your body, you should expect increased muscle mass and increased weight, so simply using a weight metric is not sufficient to monitor progress.

    Hope you get healthy soon
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    No PT. My doctor wasn't concerned much because there was no radiating pain. He sent some paperwork over and that's it.

    Anyhow, since I've been gaining weight, maybe that counts as a dieting break. I'll start a real deficit again today... and see.

    Thanks for all the inputs.
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 232 Member
    First,
    I had a 1000 daily calorie deficit. (TDEE 2800)
    Combined with some strength training, and 3 days of intense cardio (boxing) and about 12 miles walking per week.
    (Always ate back exercise calories.)
    Stopped losing weight, so I ratcheted back to 500 calorie deficit. Same exercise. Lost about a pound, then stalled.
    Tried 250, gained a litlte weight. Cycled calories up and down a few times with no effect.

    Since then, reduced cardio exercise dramatically and started doing real strength training. Ate at maintenance on training days, and a ~500 deficit on rest days. Gained 15lbs since then. - but measurements stayed largely the same.

    Now I have a back injury and can't lift heavy for a long time.

    I'm giving myself 3 months to lose 20lbs. I have no idea what the f*** to do, or how many calories to eat, or how much to exercise. I'm sure I can get back down to 233 again - but I know I'll hit the brick wall and won't be able to get to my goal weight: 222.

    I would say focus on your body comp progress more than weight - do you know your BF%?

    I'm in a similar situation where I feel like I've completely trained myself with my current (and pretty active) routine, so I don't burn near the amount of cals I used to. I realized this week after a personal training consultation I have to completely rework my entire routine. Not to mention I need to rework my calorie intake and plan more (like you did for this weekend!).

    20lbs in 3 months is certainly doable but I'd hate for you to get bummed about a number when in reality you are going in the right direction!! Keep me posted!
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    I have been stuck for a year. Upped my calories, lowered my calories, back to up thinking about upping them more.
    Went from just cardio, to just strenght, to strenght with light cardio.
    Im still stuck...
    I feel your pain. If you find answers let me know!!

    Ugh! That's almost exactly my sitch! I am looking high and low for something else to try.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    I'm betting dollars to donuts that it's your intensity and rest time when you work out that's the issue.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ColleenRoss50
    ColleenRoss50 Posts: 199 Member
    I took a really quick look at your diary and the first thing that leaped out at me was that most days your sodium intake is extremely high. This would not account for persistently not losing weight but I would guess you are likely retaining many lbs. of water weight.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    So, I think that since this has been going on for so long, the correct answer is to lower calories. Could also look into getting our body fat tested. My boyfriend stalled out pretty much exactly at the top end of his BMI and then had health issues and gained weight, then got body fat tested and was 9%, so back calculating I figure he was close to the 5% essential bodyfat. He has some excess skin, so he didn't realize it was so low. If that isn't a possibility, then I would eat just the sedentary value every day and then have a natural zig zag not eating back exercise calories. This would only work though of you burn a somewhat significant amount of calories over sedentary. If you are really cutting back on training, try in between sedentary and bmr
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Have someone else run your numbers.

    PM me and i'll help.

    I'll need:

    Age
    Height
    Weight
    Body Fat% <---most important part BTW
    How often you work out.
    =D
  • Healthy_4_Life2
    Healthy_4_Life2 Posts: 595 Member
    bump---interesting
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    bump

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