Plateau Help?

mazecraze30
mazecraze30 Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I've been stuck at 144 for the past MONTH. I was 142 during the middle but re-gained to 144. I started the thirty day shred 3 days ago in hopes of breakin it but nothing has happened. i eat about 1200 calories a day, sometimes more. Nothing has changed to cause this plateau. HELP
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Replies

  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    bump?
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    Try the zig zag calorie method. I do that it is where one day you count two hundred cals less than your goal, one day exact amount and one day 200 over. It tricks your metabolism...also make sure you are doing different workouts each day. See if that helps!
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    1200 is probably not enough, I imagine. Be sure it's 1200 NET... not total.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I did try zig-zagging last week with 200 calories which didn't do anything unfortunately =(. I guess that's why im panicking, i've tried everything I can think of. >.<

    And I'm not sure what you guys mean by 'net'. I eat 1200 a day. Ive been doing that since New Years and it has worked up until now?
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    Sounds like you need to eat back your exercise calories. 1200 is really low. MFP set me @ that I tried for a week. I was cranky & starving. Been playing with my #'s ever since. Just started TDEE less 15-20% (giving myself a range to stay in) and I lost 3/4lb last week. My goal is 1/2lb per week. I put the low end of my range in MFP & using this I don't eat my exercise calories back.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    Need more information, how many calories do you eat a day, do you work out and if so how often and how long.
  • DeanneLea
    DeanneLea Posts: 261
    Zig zagging with 200 calories isn't going to do too much. Try having high/low days throughout your week and as someone mentioned above, eat back your exercise calories.
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    I agree with the last post...1200 is low. I am set at 1250 and I could go crazy on that so I work out hard to get exercise cals to consume. I think the zig zagging would work if you are exercising and eating those too. Make sure you are not having a deficit daily because your body will go into starvation mode. Also, try increasing water too.
  • Snotori
    Snotori Posts: 156
    I think she means... and I'm not meaning to presume but what I think they mean is count everything including if you drink alcohol, pop, eat little tid bits here or there, mints, gums, etc. Also what I've seen will plateau someone is the amount of exercise they do. I mean if you are on a strict well one that will build muscle well muscle will take the place of the pound or two you are suppose to be losing. Also if you are eating 1200 but exercising 1000 or whatever basically you are telling your body you are starving and it will go into protection mode which mean no weight loss. It sadly all makes a difference! Hope your plateau ends soon :)
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    Zig zagging with 200 calories isn't going to do too much. Try having high/low days throughout your week and as someone mentioned above, eat back your exercise calories.

    Sorry if I misposted but that is what I meant. I have low days, equal days and high days and it works for me but bodies are different and we respond to diff things differently.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    Need more information, how many calories do you eat a day, do you work out and if so how often and how long.

    I eat 1200 a day. This past month has been hectic, so I only got to work out maybe once or twice a week for 20 minutes playing either just dance or zumba on the wii (just recently started doing 30 day shred, 20 minutes a day).
    However, there was one week where I did not work out because of finals. I was so swarmed with work.

    I'm thinking that the lack of exercise may be causing me to maintain and not loose?
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I think she means... and I'm not meaning to presume but what I think they mean is count everything including if you drink alcohol, pop, eat little tid bits here or there, mints, gums, etc. Also what I've seen will plateau someone is the amount of exercise they do. I mean if you are on a strict well one that will build muscle well muscle will take the place of the pound or two you are suppose to be losing. Also if you are eating 1200 but exercising 1000 or whatever basically you are telling your body you are starving and it will go into protection mode which mean no weight loss. It sadly all makes a difference! Hope your plateau ends soon :)

    Thinking back closely, I haven't been working out as much this month. It may be due to the lack of work-out that my body has just been maintaining?
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    Hi, I've been stuck at 144 for the past MONTH. I was 142 during the middle but re-gained to 144. I started the thirty day shred 3 days ago in hopes of breakin it but nothing has happened. i eat about 1200 calories a day, sometimes more. Nothing has changed to cause this plateau. HELP
    eat more.
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    I think she means... and I'm not meaning to presume but what I think they mean is count everything including if you drink alcohol, pop, eat little tid bits here or there, mints, gums, etc. Also what I've seen will plateau someone is the amount of exercise they do. I mean if you are on a strict well one that will build muscle well muscle will take the place of the pound or two you are suppose to be losing. Also if you are eating 1200 but exercising 1000 or whatever basically you are telling your body you are starving and it will go into protection mode which mean no weight loss. It sadly all makes a difference! Hope your plateau ends soon :)

    Thinking back closely, I haven't been working out as much this month. It may be due to the lack of work-out that my body has just been maintaining?

    Exercise definitely helps weight loss also I have researched that stress can cause lack of weight loss or weight gain. I will say during stressful periods I don't wanna work out and I can go through this but even though I have been horribly stressed I make myself work out and work out hard which makes me feel better after.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I think she means... and I'm not meaning to presume but what I think they mean is count everything including if you drink alcohol, pop, eat little tid bits here or there, mints, gums, etc. Also what I've seen will plateau someone is the amount of exercise they do. I mean if you are on a strict well one that will build muscle well muscle will take the place of the pound or two you are suppose to be losing. Also if you are eating 1200 but exercising 1000 or whatever basically you are telling your body you are starving and it will go into protection mode which mean no weight loss. It sadly all makes a difference! Hope your plateau ends soon :)

    Thinking back closely, I haven't been working out as much this month. It may be due to the lack of work-out that my body has just been maintaining?

    Exercise definitely helps weight loss also I have researched that stress can cause lack of weight loss or weight gain. I will say during stressful periods I don't wanna work out and I can go through this but even though I have been horribly stressed I make myself work out and work out hard which makes me feel better after.

    The problem was during that one week I would leave the house at 7am and get back at 9pm. Repeat for 5 days. That may be what messed me up.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    Hi, I've been stuck at 144 for the past MONTH. I was 142 during the middle but re-gained to 144. I started the thirty day shred 3 days ago in hopes of breakin it but nothing has happened. i eat about 1200 calories a day, sometimes more. Nothing has changed to cause this plateau. HELP
    eat more.

    I agree, I see you are only 18 years old, 1200 is way too low for even me at 46, definitely too low for you.
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    I have those days too. I do not know your personal life situation (i.e. if you have kids) but if I know I am going to have late nights I do early morning exercises (like 5:45 a spin classes) or I do those on days I know I will not workout after work. It is not fun to wake up that early but at least i know my workout is done.
  • 1Kristine1
    1Kristine1 Posts: 697 Member
    Check out the eat more to lose weight group.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I have those days too. I do not know your personal life situation (i.e. if you have kids) but if I know I am going to have late nights I do early morning exercises (like 5:45 a spin classes) or I do those on days I know I will not workout after work. It is not fun to wake up that early but at least i know my workout is done.

    The life of a college kid for me! So glamorous!
    Spin classes huh? I wish we had those around here. I've seen a lot of positive posts on the web about them!
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    I have those days too. I do not know your personal life situation (i.e. if you have kids) but if I know I am going to have late nights I do early morning exercises (like 5:45 a spin classes) or I do those on days I know I will not workout after work. It is not fun to wake up that early but at least i know my workout is done.

    The life of a college kid for me! So glamorous!
    Spin classes huh? I wish we had those around here. I've seen a lot of positive posts on the web about them!

    Oh I had so much more time in college ha ha ha! Does your college have a gym? Even if it is working on the cardio machines any activity is good and oddly enough it makes me feel better. Some days I leave work (school teacher :S ) with splitting headaches and I make myself go and I feel better after. Even if it means you getting up in the a.m. and going for a walk or jog do it.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I guess here is what I am going to do. I am going to get back into the habit of working out again. If I see no results in two weeks ill raise my calorie intake some more or zigzag or try something different.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    I have those days too. I do not know your personal life situation (i.e. if you have kids) but if I know I am going to have late nights I do early morning exercises (like 5:45 a spin classes) or I do those on days I know I will not workout after work. It is not fun to wake up that early but at least i know my workout is done.

    The life of a college kid for me! So glamorous!
    Spin classes huh? I wish we had those around here. I've seen a lot of positive posts on the web about them!

    Oh I had so much more time in college ha ha ha! Does your college have a gym? Even if it is working on the cardio machines any activity is good and oddly enough it makes me feel better. Some days I leave work (school teacher :S ) with splitting headaches and I make myself go and I feel better after. Even if it means you getting up in the a.m. and going for a walk or jog do it.

    We do have a gym, however I don't live on campus, I live out of town. I know the gym here doesn't have too much, so I usually rely on the good ol' wii when I get the chance. My schedule was crazy this year. Full classes from 8-5pm then sometimes work at night.
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    Yeah when I plateaued I looked at other things to try. The zig zag works for me and it may or may not work for you. I also gym it everyday burning at least 800 cals or more (bc I like to eat ha ha) and calorie counting with no carbs or little carbs at night. I also gave up diet sodas and make sure I get my 8 cups of water. Maybe also revisit things you have been eating too??
  • Jspkt2002
    Jspkt2002 Posts: 23
    i hit a plateau myself for a month eating 1200 a day... I increased by cal intake to 1600 and also have been taking magnesium and b 12 vitamins to boost my metabolism again, now I have lost 4 lbs.
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    We do have a gym, however I don't live on campus, I live out of town. I know the gym here doesn't have too much, so I usually rely on the good ol' wii when I get the chance. My schedule was crazy this year. Full classes from 8-5pm then sometimes work at night.
    [/quote]

    I bet...I understand you on the schedule..just fit in fitness even for a half hour. Depending on your financial situation maybe see if there are some cheap gyms you can join in your town...most outside gyms are open from 5a-11p at night
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    Eat more. That's the solution, trust me. Exercising more will only put you at a greater deficit further starving your body.
  • mazecraze30
    mazecraze30 Posts: 30
    We do have a gym, however I don't live on campus, I live out of town. I know the gym here doesn't have too much, so I usually rely on the good ol' wii when I get the chance. My schedule was crazy this year. Full classes from 8-5pm then sometimes work at night.

    I bet...I understand you on the schedule..just fit in fitness even for a half hour. Depending on your financial situation maybe see if there are some cheap gyms you can join in your town...most outside gyms are open from 5a-11p at night
    [/quote]

    I looked at gyms. There is only 1, it is waaay out of price range. (I live in the middle of nowhere, the only thing we have is the University).
    Therefore I use my treadmill which shuts down when shaken too much (so I have to walk and not run).
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Well, I have no idea where you started or how much you weigh, but the closer you get to your ideal weight, the harder it is to lose those pounds. Once you get to be in a healthy weight range you should have a smaller deficit and you should be focusing more on how you look in the mirror and "toning" than just what the number on the scale says. Try upping your calories to have maybe a 200-300 calorie deficit instead of 500 (or whatever it is you have now) ... once I got closer to my goal weight, I upped my calories by a couple hundred and continued to lose weight. Now I am eating a little above maintenance. (trying to bulk a little lol)
  • kparks2
    kparks2 Posts: 121 Member
    Ahhhhhhhhh yeah living in the middle of no where does not help ha ha. Well again try to fit in some fitness and like the last post said maybe up the cals a bit but try to lower your deficit.
  • Jd1360
    Jd1360 Posts: 170 Member
    My favorite method is to eat normally for a day or two. Don't count. Go out to dinner and have some drinks. Then go back on restriction, wait a week and see what happens. If not, rinse and repeat! ;D

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