Weight loss plateau, what is going on?

[SunsetRunner]

Hello, I started a weight loss challenge with several friends starting on the 1st of January. In the past with a better diet and more cardio I could drop weight quickly. I am 34, Male, 5'9", started at 210 lb. I dropped 8 pounds in the first week, but now the last week I have been stuck at 202. Starting on the first I changed my diet to either 2 eggs or protein oatmeal for breakfast, salad of mixed greens, turkey, peppers, carrots for lunch and a lighter dinner, still high protein low carb. I started running again and am up to 3.5 miles at least 5 days a week. With at least 3 days of weight workout in the gym. My weight workouts changed from medium/high weight with 10 reps, to low/medium weight with 15 to 20 reps. So why is there is a plateau in my weight? Does changing weight workout to higher rep increase muscle mass? Does running increase leg muscle mass? I injured my back several years ago and haven't been able to run consistently for many years. I just started running again for this challenge and have not had any pain so far!

[Dominique]

Sorry, but you don’t "plateau" after a mere two weeks. So you lost 8 pounds during week 1, did you expect to lose another 8 during week 2? Trying to lose "biggest loser" style usually isn’t a good idea. Slow and steady wins the race.

Same with adding muscle mass, btw: there’s only so much muscle you can add in a few weeks, and being in a large deficit only makes things harder and slower.

[SunsetRunner]

I was not expecting to lose another 8 lbs in week 2, I was expecting to lose at least 1 pound.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[litlepick]

Much of the weight loss experienced the first week of a new diet is water loss, it is normal to have a large initial drop and then slow down to a sustainable loss by week 2 or 3

gaining muscle is a very slow process and total gains are only a few pounds over a year for the majority of the population

startling a new fitness program can cause weight loss to stall because most people compensate for the extra calories burned by eating more unintentionally

it is normal to hit a weight loss plateau after losing 50-100lbs, at this point the diet should be re-evaluated and calories further restricted so weight reaches a sustainable weekly decline. (Smaller bodies use less calories then larger bodies)  

[Dominique]

Even if you lose nothing on weeks 3 and 4, a cumulative loss of 8 pounds over 4 weeks would still be 2 pounds per week in average. This would be a very decent loss rate and it would probably be a good idea not to lose faster than that (for sustainability of your weight loss over the longer term).

[Glenda]

@SunsetRunner @Dominique  Ryan,  This is just my opinion but if you are more interested in losing weight than in body building I think you would be way ahead of your friends in the challenge if you concentrate on diet and less on body building.  Dominique mentioned the Biggest loser TV show.  Most of those people put the weight back on and sued that show. (Thats why the show was discontinued)    An amount of exercise that isn't sustainable & might make you feel you should eat more may not be the best idea.  Maybe you could figure out the number of calories it would take for you to maintain the amount you want to weigh and be sure you are eating a little less than that in nutritious food.???

[SunsetRunner]

Great info here, very insightful! I will continue with my current workouts of 3 days in the gym and at least 5 days running. I have always had a good workout routine (though poor diet) of 2 to 4 days a week in the gym, no cardio due to a low back injury several years ago so running, biking, even elliptical caused a lot of pain to return. I don't think I would be losing 50 lbs, looking to get closer to 175 so a total loss of 35 lbs.

Thank you!

[Glenda]

@SunsetRunner  Ryan,  Bikes use lots more thigh muscle than walking and probably running.  I'm surprised that hurts your back as much as elliptical.  Maybe try a recumbent bike?  You wouldn't be leaning forward as you probably did on the other kind.  I wonder what rowing would do.