Stuck and cant lose. HELP PLEASE!

[mrj1988]

Started my first full week and didn't lose at all after losing 23lbs in a month. Roughly 4lbs a week.
I would just like to know other peoples sweet spots. I do 10k steps, 5miles, 3k calories, 30 active minutes.
I wasn't working out this hard before fitbit and was losing like crazy, then I bump up my activity and nothing happens 😕
Just frustrated and wandering if this happens to others and how to bust through it.

[gerrymcd]

Yup.....it seems most people hit a weight that sticks for a while on the way down.   Losing 23lbs in a month is a lot,  you're body is probably readjusting to a significant weight loss plus an increase in diet.  Might be you need to increase your calorie intake a bit. 

[Inga]

Welcome!

your body needs to adjust. just bump up your steps without also increasing your caloric intake and you will lose.

[rjwobin]

Hi, what I have read recently, is it helps to vary your caloric intake daily.  I just did a fast, for a week and I feel pretty good.  Some do a fast for one day a week.  cheers

[JenniLacey]

When you first clean up your diet (ie: cut down sodium/sugar) you tend to lose a lot of fluid weight in the beginning. If you continue this fast of a loss you are probably eating far too little. The safe amount is 1-2 lbs/week or approximately 1% of your total body weight. If you are losing more than this, you should be eating more. Eating too little can actually lead to slow or stagnant weight loss and hinder your weight loss goals.

Anytime you increase the duration, type or intensity of your exercise program, you may experience fluid gain in your muscles (glycogen stores) that can mask any fat loss on the scale. It can take up to 4-6 weeks before you see the scale moving again. Remember to not rely so heavily on the scale as indication of your progress. Take body measurements as well.

It's normal to have weeks where you lose, stay the same or even gain while losing weight. This is largely due to the fact that your body is largely composed of fluid weight which fluctuates.

[ClareB]

Hi, In my first four weeks I didnt loose any weight, as you can imagine I was really fed up. After a bit of research, I adjusted my calories to 40% from carbs and 30% each from protein/fats. Reducing the carbs down, though this meant increasing fat seems to work for me. I have a meal a day without carbs - normally lunch, a big bowl of salad & protein. I've also reduced my carbs with my evening meal and increased veg & protein.

I agree that you need to watch your weight loss. Too much too quick isnt good for you. If you get chance, listen to Cut the Fat Weight Loss podcast -I've only listened to the first few but it will explain what happens if you dont eat enough. Good luck.

[gerrymcd]

If you've cut down on simple carbs - fruit juice, cereal, cookies - your kidneys won't be hoarding so much salt, in which case your body doesn't need so much water (to counterbalance the salt) and you might shed several lbs of water weight.   

[julid]

With such a big loss initially it's not surprising you stalled out. One of the big reason people fail to lose weight is that they are overeating.

Do you track your food and use a food scale? How do you measure you physical exertion from exercise (HRM?)

How many calories are you consuming a day.. if you know how did you calculate your numbers.

If you aren't already using it I highly recommend My Fitness Pal to track your food intake. It has helped me and many other people to accurately track what we are consuming as most of weight loss is found in the kitchen.

[Jabrat]

how much do u need to lose

[mrj1988]

About another 96lbs

[mrj1988]

I do fruit and veggie smoothies for breakfast and lunch then about a 1500 calorie dinner. About 2000 calories a day. I do have my bad days obviously 🙂

[ShrinkingNinja]

Have you tried eating more of your calories in the day time when you need the fuel for activity and having a light dinner? Also, try not eating anything 3 to 5 hours before bed. Going to bed hungry is a good thing for weight loss.

[KJScarp]

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@ShrinkingNinja wrote:

Have you tried eating more of your calories in the day time when you need the fuel for activity and having a light dinner? Also, try not eating anything 3 to 5 hours before bed. Going to bed hungry is a good thing for weight loss.

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That's a total myth.  Eating before bedtime has absolutely no bearing on weight loss. 

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/dietmyths.htm

[ShrinkingNinja]

That "total myth" as you call it, with your one website link about it is part of how I lost 100lbs. So, to me... it was not a total myth at all.

[gerrymcd]

In absolute calorimetric terms I agree...... it doesn't really matter what time of the day you eat a box of donuts.  But, I think the effect is more indirect that that...... in fact, the article you quote mentions the reason why its best to aim do most of your eating early rather than late in the day.

'It is true that people who skip meals during the day, then eat loads in the evening are more likely to be overweight than those who eat regularly throughout the day.This may be because eating regular meals helps people regulate their appetite and overall food intake.'

In my experience if I don't each much during the day I am ravenous at night and can end up eating way more than I should.  Conversely, if I have a good breakfast, and a filling lunch I just eat a little at night.  So, in a sense by eating at night I gain weight, not because it is more fattening, but because it ends up being 'overeating at night'. 

[ShrinkingNinja]

^ Wonderful post. Not to mention. Food is fuel. Makes more sense to eat it throughout the day when you need it most, and save the light meal for when you are not in need of as many calories.

[KJScarp]

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@ShrinkingNinja wrote:
That "total myth" as you call it, with your one website link about it is part of how I lost 100lbs. So, to me... it was not a total myth at all.

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You lost weight because you burned more calories than you ate.  Period.

During my weight loss period (75 lbs. gone), I worked until 7:00.  An hour commute home, and then cooking dinner and doing other evening chores, and dinner was between 9:00 and 10:00 at night.

If you're not happy with the one site I've linked, just do a google search for "debunk eating before bed".  There are 174,000 results that support the fact that it's just a myth.

[ShrinkingNinja]

And there are plenty that support it. Weight loss isn't always a one size fits all solution. When I ate a late dinner... I gained. When I didn't.... I lost. I'm glad your way worked for you and you lost 75lbs. My way worked for me.

[KJScarp]

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@ShrinkingNinja wrote:
And there are plenty that support it. Weight loss isn't always a one size fits all solution. When I ate a late dinner... I gained. When I didn't.... I lost. I'm glad your way worked for you and you lost 75lbs. My way worked for me.

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To each their own.  I've always relied on science over anecdote.

I lived in Europe for some time.  The normal dinner time over there was about 10:00.  Europeans have historically been much leaner than Americans.  If your assertion were true, then Europeans should be as big as houses.

[ShrinkingNinja]

Well. With science supporting my way. And science supporting you way. Guess you just got to pick the science that makes the most sense to you.