Plateau :(

rueyaroo
rueyaroo Posts: 35
in Food and Nutrition
Hey Guys,

I've been a myfitnesspal member for a while now, but I recently just discovered the discussion boards!

So I began my weightloss around May 16th, and I just hit a plateau the last couple weeks. I began with 1200-1300 calories, strength training 5 times a week, 2 off days (which I do cardio), which resulted in a 12 pound loss. The last 2-3 weeks I've been stuck (not the best eating, I spent a week out of town and the last week it's been about 1300-1400 calories a day). I was thinking maybe my metabolism slowed after I lost 12 pounds, but with the higher caloric intake the last couple weeks, perhaps my metabolism is closer to normal? I really don't know what to do! I've been thinking about calorie cycling, changing my macros..

Please help! :(

Replies

  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    so you train 7 days a week and only eat 1200-1300 calories per day.............? Can I ask where you got this figure from, did you work out your calorie needs manually yourself of just grab this number from somewhere?

    Calorie cycling is totally unnecessary for the 99% of people (plus as you never have a day off it would be pointless anyway).

    Go back to the start

    Calculate BMR
    Calculate TDEE
    Take 20% away from TDEE and set a sensible macro split (personally I use 35% carb/35% protein/30% fat)
    Run this for 2 weeks hitting your macros EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL
    Adjust cals by 100 if you need to
    repeat

    this should get you started

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    For good, steady and healthy weight loss, metabolism is key. We need to keep it rev'd up to burn fat.
    Sometimes, we seem to be doing everything right, then hit the dreaded "plateau" where the body has reached a state of equilibrium. So, how do we punch through?
    You change up your whole program to keep your body guessing. That works as a proactive measure, yet in most cases people experiencing a plateau have overreached and are not eating enough.
    Here is a great article on breaking through.
    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

    Good Luck :flowerforyou:

    All Is Possible!
  • tracyhall63
    tracyhall63 Posts: 84 Member
    for later :)
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    a couple of weeks is not a plateu, your body does not have a calendar....But I do agree that you need to figure out your tdee and bmr and eat more to fuel your body....
  • OnTheWayToPerfection
    OnTheWayToPerfection Posts: 115 Member
    First things first, every body reacts differently.

    When I hit a plateau, I didn't change anything. I continued to do what I had been doing (1,200 calories a day and exercising 6 days a week) and started losing again. My plateau hit for about 3 weeks. I'm not losing weight AS fast as I was, but it is still gradual.

    Upping your calories and all of that stuff may help too. Never know until you try!
  • Marillian
    Marillian Posts: 3,892 Member
    A plateau is where you don't lose either weight or inches for at least 6-8 weeks or more. Some say 8-12 weeks. Two weeks is not a plateau, it's an adjustment period.
  • rueyaroo
    rueyaroo Posts: 35
    Thank you guys for the advice!!
    I calculated my BMR and it says 1635.75 and my TDEE is 2020.8? Am I supposed to calculate based on my current weight or my goal weight?

    The 1200-1300 calories is what I read I shouldn't go below so my metabolism 'doesn't go into starvation mode'.. sounds like a lie, I feel my metabolism may already be there.. If it helps any, I eat 5-6 meals a day, 125 g. protein, and I try to stick under 100g of carbohydrates a day.. How important are macros?

    I'm also kind of a petite person, I'm 5'4 and I'm an hourglass figure..
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
    Weight loss is not linear. Sometimes I would go 3 weeks with no losses and suddenly I would see a big drop.

    It is true that most slow down after the first intial loss. That is part water weight in the beginning.

    Don't forget to take other measurements such as measuring your body and taking pictures. I also look at my body fat percentage. None of these are completely accurate, including the scale, but all give you a picture of your overall loss.
  • Erisad
    Erisad Posts: 1,580
    I'm not sure, I've been on a plateau since the end of April when I joined my local gym, regaining the same 2 pounds over and over again. It's like working out is keeping me from losing weight. :/
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    It sounds like too much strength training.

    I made this mistake, too. I was doing Jillian Michaels DVDs every single day and sticking to 1200 calories per day. The scale did not move for 2 weeks after losing 22lbs. I switched to more cardio (5 days) and less strength training (2 days) and I broke the plateau immediately.
  • rueyaroo
    rueyaroo Posts: 35
    Do you know if the weightloss from cardio was cause you might have loss some muscle mass?? Thanks for the advice!
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Hey Guys,

    I've been a myfitnesspal member for a while now, but I recently just discovered the discussion boards!

    So I began my weightloss around May 16th, and I just hit a plateau the last couple weeks. I began with 1200-1300 calories, strength training 5 times a week, 2 off days (which I do cardio), which resulted in a 12 pound loss. The last 2-3 weeks I've been stuck (not the best eating, I spent a week out of town and the last week it's been about 1300-1400 calories a day). I was thinking maybe my metabolism slowed after I lost 12 pounds, but with the higher caloric intake the last couple weeks, perhaps my metabolism is closer to normal? I really don't know what to do! I've been thinking about calorie cycling, changing my macros..

    Please help! :(

    12 pounds in 6 weeks is not a plateau. 2 weeks of not losing can be perfectly normal or it can be because you admittedly are eating more.

    Calc your TDEE off your current weight. I think you can subtract 30% off it or 1000 calories (but don't eat below 1200), if you want to be aggressive about weight loss. That would put you at 1200-1400. 1600 would be a more conservative 20% off. The higher values will be more sustainable for the long haul.

    Your metabolism is fine.

    Good luck! Be patient!
  • rueyaroo
    rueyaroo Posts: 35
    Ah thank you, so I guess maybe my plateau is my eating.. But I've noticed my legs have gotten smaller, maybe partially I'm gaining some muscle at the same time.

    I'm curious about cheat meals, are women really allowed to do it? Since my calories are so low, I do it once a week. However, I've gotten contradictory opinions... so I'm curious as to what other women do? Also, how do you guys calculate maintenance? I noticed generally the calories are way higher than what people eat while dieting.. But I consider what I'm doing a lifestyle change, so should my calorie intake be similar to what I'm eating now, forever?
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    I eat whatever I want. But right now I want to lose weight more than I want to eat to excess so I don't have 'cheat meals'. If I wanted a big meal, I would work it into my deficit plan. So it wouldn't really be a cheat. It's really just math. You can call it cheating but if you blow your deficit, all you've cheated is your weight loss. It's just in how you look at it, I guess. A lot of people find zigzagging their intake helps.

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