hit a wall

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2

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  • JipsyJudy
    JipsyJudy Posts: 268 Member
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    Well, I hit a wall after a year of dieting (started dieting before I joined MFP). So I upped my calories and went on maintenance for a while. After a month on maintenance I began gaining weight. After two months, I started gaining faster. This morning I hit +5 pounds since going on maintenance, so I really don't buy the theory that you need to eat more to lose more.
  • nichole325
    nichole325 Posts: 244 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I increased from 1200 to 1450 about a month ago and im gaining. its annoying.

    How long have you been eating 1450 calories?

    Over a month.
  • mk9562
    mk9562 Posts: 186
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
  • mk9562
    mk9562 Posts: 186
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    First of all if you've hit a while, it's likely that there is something wrong on the diet end of things. So first of all how many calories are you eating each week? Are you consistently tracking EVERYTHING you put into your mouth, cause that one cookie will make a difference. If you are and have been eating a consistent amount each week and still aren't losing weight, then it's time to drop the calories down a little bit, drop it down 100 for a week and see if you lose weight then. If you are, good. If you're not, then drop it a little more. What I like to do is lower my total calories each week based on the amount of weight loss I achieve (since your body needs less and less energy to maintain that weight). A formula that's been working for me is to take BW x 13 (rough estimate of how many calories your body needs maintain each lbs) x 7 (days in the week) - 3500 (the amount of calories in one lbs) / 7 (days in the week). So for me, it would be

    165x13=2,145
    2,145x7=15,015
    15,015-3,500=11,515
    11,515/7=1645 (calories per day)

    This has worked for me really well and I'm dropping 1-2lbs each week no problems. Make sure you're getting at least 1g of protein per lbs bodyweight. It'll help preserve lean muscle mass, which will help you look better when all the weight is off.

    Thanks... It comes up with 41 calories less per day this way than I'm doing now.
  • TravisBurns
    TravisBurns Posts: 354 Member
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    I am in the same boat. I have plato for the past 3 months.

    plato! what a philosopher :) luckkkyy

    :laugh:
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    bump.. i've hit a wall as well. im going to try eating at my maintenance for a few weeks. i am losing according to the tape measurer, so maybe it's not a real plateau?

    in any case, i figure it cant hurt to try eating at maintenance. i've tried everything else diet wise
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
    Man I am good. P90X alone will require you to eat 1800 calories by following the nutrition guide. It could be more. I know women doing insanity that are 5'2, 119 lbs and doing 2100 calories.

    You can either bump up your calories to 1800 on X days, and 200 on double workout days, or you can post your height, weight and age and we can figure out a more precise number.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    It would be easy to help you guys if your diary was open.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I'm in the same boat. I increased from 1200 to 1450 about a month ago and im gaining. its annoying.

    How long have you been eating 1450 calories?

    Over a month.

    Unless you have a shot metabolism or a problem like hypothyroidism, then eating 1450 calories will not allow a body to gain fat. It's probably water retention by the increase in calories/carbs. Send me a PM, I will hook you up with your CN and we can look at your plan.
  • mk9562
    mk9562 Posts: 186
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
    Man I am good. P90X alone will require you to eat 1800 calories by following the nutrition guide. It could be more. I know women doing insanity that are 5'2, 119 lbs and doing 2100 calories.

    You can either bump up your calories to 1800 on X days, and 200 on double workout days, or you can post your height, weight and age and we can figure out a more precise number.

    I'm 36, 5 ft 4, 142 lbs.
  • mk9562
    mk9562 Posts: 186
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    It would be easy to help you guys if your diary was open.

    It was set for friends only, I just made my diary public.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
    Man I am good. P90X alone will require you to eat 1800 calories by following the nutrition guide. It could be more. I know women doing insanity that are 5'2, 119 lbs and doing 2100 calories.

    You can either bump up your calories to 1800 on X days, and 200 on double workout days, or you can post your height, weight and age and we can figure out a more precise number.

    I'm 36, 5 ft 4, 142 lbs.

    Based on your stats, you should be at 1750 on P90X days only and 2000 on days you do more. Or if it's a typical thing, eat at 1900 and split the different.
  • mk9562
    mk9562 Posts: 186
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
    Man I am good. P90X alone will require you to eat 1800 calories by following the nutrition guide. It could be more. I know women doing insanity that are 5'2, 119 lbs and doing 2100 calories.

    You can either bump up your calories to 1800 on X days, and 200 on double workout days, or you can post your height, weight and age and we can figure out a more precise number.

    I'm 36, 5 ft 4, 142 lbs.

    Based on your stats, you should be at 1750 on P90X days only and 2000 on days you do more. Or if it's a typical thing, eat at 1900 and split the different.

    I'm so afraid I'm going to gain with highter calories. eeekkk
  • celticmuse
    celticmuse Posts: 492 Member
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    Make sure you're getting at least 1g of protein per lbs bodyweight. It'll help preserve lean muscle mass, which will help you look better when all the weight is off.

    Thanks. I get 1,320 cal, instead of 1,400. I will give it a shot.

    Do you mean 1 g of protein per lbs. bodyweight, or lean muscle mass?
  • celticmuse
    celticmuse Posts: 492 Member
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    It would be easy to help you guys if your diary was open.

    I open my diary to friends only. I don't have a strong enough disposition to withstand some of the posters on this website. If you would like to send me a friend request, with a note, I would appreciate any guidance you may offer.
  • sbalile
    sbalile Posts: 5
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    I have been dieting for essentially 6 weeks with the last 25 being with the guidance of myfitnesspal... 99% of the time under my calorie goal and exercising the amount that I committed to. Why have I only lost 2 lbs when I am supposed to lose 1.5 a week? Please help! If anything, I over report calories and under-report exercise. Is it because I'm 35?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I'm so afraid I'm going to gain with highter calories. eeekkk

    Well it's obvious what you are doing isn't working, so why not try something different. You might gain a few pounds initially (water weight) but that will stabilize and you will drop after that. As an example, below is a response from another poster. She is 36 years old, 5'5" and did heavy weight training 4 days a week and NO cardio. She ate 2100 calories on WT days and 1800 on non workout days.


    "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"


    If you want further reason below is another link


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/596340-struggling-any-suggestions?page=2

    It's simple, if you burn 2200 calories a day, you can't gain fat. You would need to eat 2700 calories a day to gain a lb of fat in a week.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I have been dieting for essentially 6 weeks with the last 25 being with the guidance of myfitnesspal... 99% of the time under my calorie goal and exercising the amount that I committed to. Why have I only lost 2 lbs when I am supposed to lose 1.5 a week? Please help! If anything, I over report calories and under-report exercise. Is it because I'm 35?

    Being under your calories isn't always a good thing. How much are you eating?
  • jillz719
    jillz719 Posts: 1
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    I have been eating 1400 calories a day. If it is a day I do double workouts, I will go up to 1500 calories.
    I have myself set up for 45% carb, 25% fat and 30% protein. I usually hit those %'s daily ( give or take some days)
    Man I am good. P90X alone will require you to eat 1800 calories by following the nutrition guide. It could be more. I know women doing insanity that are 5'2, 119 lbs and doing 2100 calories.

    You can either bump up your calories to 1800 on X days, and 200 on double workout days, or you can post your height, weight and age and we can figure out a more precise number.

    I'm 36, 5 ft 4, 142 lbs.

    Based on your stats, you should be at 1750 on P90X days only and 2000 on days you do more. Or if it's a typical thing, eat at 1900 and split the different.

    I'm so afraid I'm going to gain with highter calories. eeekkk

    girl you CANNOT be afraid you're going to gain by increase your calories! Your body NEEDS lots and lots of healthy clean food while doing something like P90X in addition to what else you do. Otherwise you're body is going to eat away at your muscle
  • sbalile
    sbalile Posts: 5
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    I'm supposed to eat 1240 a day and I eat about that. If I exercise, I eat those calories too. That was what was suggested by myfitnesspal.

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