stuck at a plateau only after a month

Hi all ive been on mfp for 3 weeks, but actually started dieting and exercising at the start of May, so just over 5 weeks. In the first 2 weeks i lost 4kg and since then NOTHING. Ive been consistent with my dieting every day, for example i only eat brown bread in the morning or porridge, then lunch tuna and salad and dinner chicken and veg. I have cut out pasta, rice, fizzy drinks, alcohol etc. I exercise 6 days a week and almost every day I have a calorie deficit of at least 300 sometimes even 700 or 800. Im really dissapointed I havent dropped ANY weight in the last 3 weeks or so, i feel like giving up. My starting weight weight was 77.5kg now 73.5kg and im 5"5. I had a baby 4 months ago and really want to loose this jelly belly. I dont know what to change, I was thinking to do cardio on maybe on an empty stomach before breakfast (i usually do it an hour after breakfast) or to start a more strich diet like South Beach...help

Replies

  • suemorgan1969
    suemorgan1969 Posts: 132 Member
    hi
    I started 5 weeks ago too, lost 7lbs, then 2 and now nothing for 3 weeks!!! But at least its not going back on, i wont give up as i feel so much better for eating healthy xx
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
    Did you just start exercising or start exercising intensely? It could very well be water weight. Honestly, it's really still too early to tell whether you are actually at a plateau or if it's your body adjusting, water weight, TOM, etc. Keep doing what you're doing and wait it out a bit longer. You can do it!
  • lauraniculita
    lauraniculita Posts: 15 Member
    ive started going to the gym a month before that but wasnt eating that healthy, but since May i am eating really healthy, its been almost 3 weeks and the scales havent moved...surely its a plateau?also taking measurements and they are the same too
  • suemorgan1969
    suemorgan1969 Posts: 132 Member
    keep with it laura, we can do this!!!!
  • I agree with the water weight,. I stayed the same for 2 weeks and then started taking water tablets and i lost 5.5lb in 1 week. Also look at weather your eating enough calories to surport the exercise you do. you should be eating more when you exercise.I find that on the days my calories are up and i have exercised i loose more than when i don't. t seems we need to eat more but the right things
  • I would try taking measurements.. you might be losing inches ( losing fat and building muscle).
  • well for one you're probably not eating enough for your body to want to lose weight. you should not have a deficit thats for sure. if you have 300 calories left, eat them especailly if you have 700 that is waaay to little food to be taking in. You gotta remember that you're daily requirements just to survive is probably like 2000 calories, that means that if you were to sit and do nothing for 24 hours that's how many calories your body would burn just by living. So add in exercise and daily living you're probably burning much more, so If you're taking in less than 1000 a day plus your exercising then your body has no energy to take except from the best source in your body YOUR MUSCLE. The best way to burn fat is to build muscle, but with that also come that fact that volume for volume muscle weighs more than fat, so when you get on track with your eating you still may not see any realy weight changes because you will be gaining muscle and losing fat. my suggestion is to get a fat percentage scale so you can track how much fat you are losing.

    On another note your inital weight loss is mostly water weight from the lack of salt intake from the extra calories you were taking in. I did weight watchers for 4 months and lost 55 pounds, the weeks that I didn't eat all my points I barely lost half a pound but the weeks I ate my points plus the extra for that day I would lose 2.5 pounds. I also never did any real exercise, I walked everyday for like 5 miles. You just gotta figure out what your body needs.
  • cookiefluff
    cookiefluff Posts: 115
    NEVER eat less than 1200!!!!! or your body will go on survival/emergency mode and you will not lose any weight at all!
    Calculate your BMR and don't go under your recommended daily cal intake! Trust me, I didn't believe it at first as instead of being hungry I was full each day and thought NO WAY am I going to lose weight if I am eating this much, I'd normally eat around 1000cal a day, and viola, the kilos just started disappearing, slowly, like 0.5/1kg per week but they deff did not come back on!
  • Bub1971
    Bub1971 Posts: 106 Member
    Also make sure you are drinking at least 8 8 ounce cups of straight water with out it you kidneys and liver can not perform the task they are designed to do filter waste.