At a plateau

[monkpigs]

I started my healthy journey a year ago by putting all types of soda out of my drinking choices and then started with a walking and swimming routine and since then I have lost 80 pounds. Because of this choice my desire for sugar dropped and my eating habits changed but I felt like I wasn't dieting. I still occasionally had a cheeseburger from those places. I do not swim but have continued to do walking and other things such as the elliptical, weights and stationary bicycle. For the past 4 months I have stayed around the same weight. Still working out at least 3 to 4 times a week. Losing a pound here or there or gaining one here or there. I am at this plateau that I seem to not be able to get out of. I am becoming very frustrated. I need to lose at least 50 pounds more. I have started a food journal because I think I am eating more than I realize and I am hoping this will give me some light to what is going on.

Any thoughts or ideas of what else I can do to get past this hump? Anything would be great. Thanks. 

[SunsetRunner]

Have you seen any progress in body measurements or clothes fitting loosely aside from what the scale says?

What are your macros like? If you don’t know, give me an average day’s example of what you eat.

The body fluctuates in weight all day, every day based on other factors that don’t have anything to with fat loss. Weight fluctuations are normal and even being at the same weight or close to the same weight can be normal. Take me for example, in the last month I’ve only lost 3 pounds but have dropped 2 pants sizes.

[Dominique]

See this older related thread ("The Dreaded Plateau") as to why you may not want to lose all your weight at once. Also see Hard Dose of Reality, started by @SunsetRunner a few hours ago. There are physiological reasons why your body will resist further changes, when you have lost a lot of weight in a relatively short period of time. View maintaining your loss so far as a success (no rebound) rather than as a failure. The longer you manage to maintain your new weight, the easier it will be to lose more later on.

[monkpigs]

I have seen a huge difference in my measurements. Clothes are lose and fitting into smaller sizes. I have been keeping a food journal since this past Friday and I am hoping to kind of see if I am just eating like a pig. LOL! 

I usually have a protein smoothie and a cup of coffee for breakfast. A hard boiled egg for a snack or some vanilla yogurt. Cheese and pepperoni or a sandwich meat with a serving size of town house flip sides thins and orange for lunch. Dinner kind of varies...Last night I had baked chicken, stuffing and beans and corn. Then I might have some ice cream once or twice a week. 

That is awesome with you. Keep it up. 

[monkpigs]

This makes a lot of sense and I am trying to be proud of what I already have done. It is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I love the new me. 🙂 I think what I need to do is realize what I have done...lost 80 pounds and have maintained it for the past 6 months and then lower my calorie intake and go from there. Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate it. 

[Daves_Not_Here]

@monkpigs - 80 pounds lost is a HUGE accomplishment!  Congrats!

My guess is that your calorie requirements have dropped very significantly.  And so much that, in order to lose further, you will need to eat what seems like an unreasonably small amount of food.  You could experiment with Intermittent Fasting for a month and see what happens.

[monkpigs]

Thank you so much. 

I think that is going to be what I have to do...reduce my calorie intake. I just read and saw a video about the intermittent fasting. Have you done that before @Daves_Not_Here ? I think that is the direction I am going to go in and see how that works. I just have get myself prepared. 🙂 

[Mukluk4]

Your other option is to up the intensity of your workouts which will give you some flexibility on the meal prep.

[Daves_Not_Here]

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I think that is going to be what I have to do...reduce my calorie intake. I just read and saw a video about the intermittent fasting. Have you done that before @Daves_Not_Here ? I think that is the direction I am going to go in and see how that works. I just have get myself prepared. 🙂 

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@monkpigs -- I'm definitely interested and flirting with the Intermittant Fasting, but challenged by my social eating.  I've been skiing and traveling a lot, and I don't have the willpower to stick to abstain in the presence of beer.

I've done one 36 hour fast, which I think was pretty easy because I'm already in ketosis and adapted to burning fat.  I would think fasting would be much more difficult if I was using glycogen and had to go through a "bonk" every time.  I remember how it used to be hard to skip breakfast for a blood draw, but now it's easy.  

Also, I cook in bulk, and am motivated to eat the food before it spoils so I don't want to stop to fast.  (probably a rationalization).  

I'm very interested in the notion that fasting will increase metabolism -- have you heard or read about that?