5 reasons you may not be losing weight/have hit a plateau.

[sourmash1973]

1.) Not Weighing

I know a few people on these forums think this is unnecessary but I beg to differ. Up until I started weighing my foods I was trusting my judgement and trusting the measuring devises in my home (spoons, cups, etc.). I lost weight in the beginning by doing this because I was so over weight and just about anything positive I did at that point was showing some results. As I got lower in weight, things stalled for me and I just couldn't figure it out. I was measuring everything and following the serving sizes on the labels of the foods I was eating but no more weight was coming off. I then listened to some of the guys/gals on here and bought me a $30 digital food scale. This completely opened my eyes and also got the ball rolling again. Once I started weighing my foods, I realized how far off my measuring devices and guesstimates were. At times, I was easily going 100-200 calories a day over what I thought I was eating and sometimes up to 500 calories over!!! What I thought was 2 tbsp of peanut butter was actual almost 3.5. What I thought was a scoop of protein (using the provided scoop) was actually 1.25. So, weigh everything. It will open your eyes as well.

2.) Eating Back Calories Burned

This is an easy trap to fall into. So, you burned 1000 calories doing 60 minutes of cardio on your favorite machine at the gym. You check your log and your calories are right on for the day. You see that extra 1000 calories and think to yourself, "Wow, I could sure go for a couple slices of pizza and big bowl of ice cream right now. I have an extra 1000 calories from that cardio I did, so why not?". So you have your treats and think you did great for the day. What you don't know though, is you probably wreaked a little havoc on your diet for the day. Most of those machines over exaggerate how many calories you're really burning. Even your favorite diet logs can over exaggerate these numbers. So let's say you actually burned 500 calories in that hour instead of 1000. So, instead of hitting your calorie goals for the day, you actually went 500 calories over! Do that a few times a week and it could easily keep you from losing weight or even make you gain some. A good rule of thumb I always follow is to find my TDEE using a reasonable activity factor and just eat that amount of calories. Any calories I burn through exercise is just a bonus for the day/week. I don't even count calories burned on myfitnesspal anymore. I only count what I eat.

3.) Weekly Cheat Day

So you've spent all week busting your butt in the gym. You lost your 1 Lb for the week and everything is going great. It's Saturday, the family is having a big party with lots of goodies and some alcohol. You've busted your butt all week and you've earned it, right? I agree, I do this all the time. But I do it with some sense and without losing focus on my goals. You can easily wreck an entire week's worth of progress in one day. With a day of BBQ, alcohol and sweets; you can easily get up in the 4000 calorie range and even more. On these days (and now that I'm getting lower in BF and have a harder time losing, they are fewer and farther between) I will usually go to maintenance calories or maybe a "little" more. I plan these days out just like I would anything other day. If I want more alcohol, I will eat less food. If I want to eat some more of the BBQ, I will drink less alcohol. I'm not saying you should have cheat days and I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying that I do here and there and I do them as sensibly as possible.

4.)Not Being Honest With Yourself

I log everything. Period! If I cheat, I log it. If I have that extra little snack during the day, I log it. If you don't log EVERYTHING, you are not being honest with yourself. Those little slips throughout the week that don't go in your log are like little lies, and they work against you. Several little lies on your log throughout the week can add up at the end, and can keep you from losing that 1 Lb a week (or whatever your goal loss might be). If you keep track of every little thing, including the slips, you can adjust for them so everything works out. LOG EVERYTHING!!!

5.) Not Enough Time

I used to be the worst about this. I've been busting my butt in the gym all week long, weighing everything, logging everything and not one single pound lost. Another week goes by doing the same, with no cheating, still nothing lost. I would then get worried, start seeking answers (a lot of it in the wrong places), get all confused and overwhelmed with good and bad information and then get discouraged and go totally off track. I now know that 1-2 weeks is not enough time to determine whether you have hit a plateau or not. I now wait for a month of no losses before I make any adjustments. I know that seems like a long time to some of you, but IMO that's what it takes. I will go several weeks not losing one single pound and then all the sudden I will lose 2-3 in one week. You can shoot for 1 Lb a week but you will never stay consistent at 1 Lb. At least not in my experience. Over the last 10 months, I have lost 54 Lbs. That is an average of 1.35 Lbs a week. I have been shooting for 1 Lb a week the entire time. I would say on average, I have surpassed my goal. You have to look at the big picture. So, if you have gone 1-2 weeks with no loss, give it a coupe more weeks. If you go the entire 4 weeks with no loss, then it's time to make some adjustments.

I hope this helps. There is nothing scientific here, I know, it's just my personal experiences over the last 10 months. I have learned a lot about my body by listening to it and adjusting accordingly. There is no "one perfect formula" for everyone. The basics are all the same, but you have to find the things that work for you and your personal situation. Keep reaching for those goals. Mine are getting closer and nothing is going to stop me. Good luck!

[ZRJacques]

Great post! Many people should read and re read this until it's cemented in the back of their mind.

[blacksage83]

I have been in the 190s for quite some time now. Trying to see 189.9XXX. I have a question. I do not have a scale, but my thought has always been since I live alone it does not matter if I guesstimate half a package here or 1/3 of a package there as long as the total eventually adds up to whatever the package claims is in the bag. For example: a package of raw chicken is 1.25lbs, if I eat over half of it monday and call it .75 and the .5lbs on Tuesday for lunch, no biggie, right? Or dd you find that the packages and/or serving sizes are off as well?

Short version: do I need a scale if everything I eat is already measured on the package?

[MalsorRifleman]

1) 100% agreed. Especially when it comes to peanut butter lol

2) I do this and have to say it has yet to hamper me and I have gone from 14% to 10% BF so far doing it. Granted, I usually do low estimates as opposed to over estimating. The other day, I played basketball for a solid hour (actual playing time) which MFP told me burned about 600 calories but I only ate back 350 just to be sure. I guess in general you are correct though, I just prefer to eat back some of them myself (for my maintenance I also put sedentary/inactive/desk job and then add my workouts in later, so it isn't like I am counting my workouts twice).

3)This is a great point and a trap I used to fall into. Think about it, you are in a 500 calorie deficit a day. After 6 days that's about 3000 calories or close to a pound lost. Then on your break day you eat 1500 over maintenance. Suddenly your (hopefully) fat loss just shrunk by 50% and slows your progress down drastically. That's assuming you only go over 1500, I can go over 3000 if I wanted to and ruin my whole week. This is why for "break days" I would either make them once a month so the extra calories had little effect or I would make them weekly but only allow myself, at most, a 500 calorie surplus. Even then I would usually stick to maintenance and treat it more as a refeed with high carbs and lower fats.

4) Agreed 100%.

5) Time and patience are key when cutting or bulking. Like you said, one month is an ideal period of time to notice changes and make adjustments, one to two weeks is definitely not.

[sourmash1973]

I have been in the 190s for quite some time now. Trying to see 189.9XXX. I have a question. I do not have a scale, but my thought has always been since I live alone it does not matter if I guesstimate half a package here or 1/3 of a package there as long as the total eventually adds up to whatever the package claims is in the bag. For example: a package of raw chicken is 1.25lbs, if I eat over half of it monday and call it .75 and the .5lbs on Tuesday for lunch, no biggie, right? Or dd you find that the packages and/or serving sizes are off as well?

Short version: do I need a scale if everything I eat is already measured on the package?

You make a valid point with the chicken. You may get away with doing things this way, but I could never do it. A scale is a must for me. As cheap as they are, why not have one and KNOW you are being precise?

[mavajo]

Short version: do I need a scale if everything I eat is already measured on the package?

You can get a scale for $10-15 at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target, Amazon, etc. Just buy a scale.

Peanut butter, jelly, olive oil, meat, etc. If you're just relying on the "package" or tablespoons/teaspoons, you're running a risk of miscounting. Some people have the ability to judge and compensate appropriately - but a staggering number of people are apprently incapable of doing so. Remove the doubt, buy a scale and weigh.

[sourmash1973]

You can get a scale for $10-15 at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target, Amazon, etc. Just buy a scale.

Peanut butter, jelly, olive oil, meat, etc. If you're just relying on the "package" or tablespoons/teaspoons, you're running a risk of miscounting. Some people have the ability to judge and compensate appropriately - but a staggering number of people are apprently incapable of doing so. Remove the doubt, buy a scale and weigh.

Great point and exactly my thinking.

[Gunite]

Great list bro!

I'd also like to add that zero-calorie foods are oftentimes not zero calories. The FDA allows companies to post their nutritional data as zero if there is no required serving size for that particular food.

For example, French's yellow mustard lists their serving size as 1/4 tsp, and since there is less than 1 calorie in that serving size, they legally list 0 calories on the label. However, there are about 3 calories per tsp in that mustard. If you use the normal amount of mustard on any given food, you'll probably be using 1-2 tbsp per serving depending on your hankering for mustard that day. Comes out to be 9-18 calories per use. Not much I know, but add that up over a few months and it's a lot.

Same goes for non-stick cooking sprays. They're all fat....there's definitely calories in there.

[mavajo]

Just a personal anecdote in support of weighing.

So I have a scale at home and at work. I tend to only weigh things that I know are calorie dense and/or have lots of room for error. For example, I weigh meat, but I don't weigh vegetables. Anyway, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I figured it was a fairly lean and healthy snack. After all, it's just bread, peanut butter and jelly - how bad can it be? I figured it probably came in around 200 calories.

So I decided to weigh it one day. I slapped on the peanut butter and recorded the change in weight. Then I added the jelly and did the same thing. So then I did the math.

Turns out that my peanut butter and jelly sandwich was over 400 calories. This was intended to be a snack, not a meal. I was grossly underestimating the calories from a PB&J. Needless to say, I don't eat PB&Js very often while cutting anymore - just too many calories and carbs to make it fit my macros. It is, however, one of my staple bulking foods.

Speaking of bulking...can't wait for this freaking cut to be over. Ugh.

[sourmash1973]

Great list bro!

I'd also like to add that zero-calorie foods are oftentimes not zero calories. The FDA allows companies to post their nutritional data as zero if there is no required serving size for that particular food.

For example, French's yellow mustard lists their serving size as 1/4 tsp, and since there is less than 1 calorie in that serving size, they legally list 0 calories on the label. However, there are about 3 calories per tsp in that mustard. If you use the normal amount of mustard on any given food, you'll probably be using 1-2 tbsp per serving depending on your hankering for mustard that day. Comes out to be 9-18 calories per use. Not much I know, but add that up over a few months and it's a lot.

Same goes for non-stick cooking sprays. They're all fat....there's definitely calories in there.

Good point! A lot will argue that the small amount of calories don't matter, but that is just another lie.

[sourmash1973]

Just a personal anecdote in support of weighing.

So I have a scale at home and at work. I tend to only weigh things that I know are calorie dense and/or have lots of room for error. For example, I weigh meat, but I don't weigh vegetables. Anyway, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I figured it was a fairly lean and healthy snack. After all, it's just bread, peanut butter and jelly - how bad can it be? I figured it probably came in around 200 calories.

So I decided to weigh it one day. I slapped on the peanut butter and recorded the change in weight. Then I added the jelly and did the same thing. So then I did the math.

Turns out that my peanut butter and jelly sandwich was over 400 calories. This was intended to be a snack, not a meal. I was grossly underestimating the calories from a PB&J. Needless to say, I don't eat PB&Js very often while cutting anymore - just too many calories and carbs to make it fit my macros. It is, however, one of my staple bulking foods.

Speaking of bulking...can't wait for this freaking cut to be over. Ugh.

Yep, my point exactly, again...LOL.

I feel ya on the cut. Been doin it for 10 months now. I'm ready for a sensible bulk. Not doing it until I reach 12% though.

Would rep ya but already have recently. :-/

[AvsFreak]

Good stuff!

#2 is one of my pet-peeves about My Fitness Pal and their expectation that you eat back your calories burned. I just don't see the point of doing extra cardio and wasting it by eating it back. Might as well not do cardio...

[sourmash1973]

Good stuff!

#2 is one of my pet-peeves about My Fitness Pal and their expectation that you eat back your calories burned. I just don't see the point of doing extra cardio and wasting it by eating it back. Might as well not do cardio...

Exactly

[mavajo]

Not doing it until I reach 12% though.

Same here. I'm figuring another ~10 lbs and I should be done. Hopefully.

[MrM27]

Young man, there is no room around here for your logic. Reported for speaking the truth and telling it how it is.
Your attempts at trying to eliminate the "excuses" from people lives will not go unnoticed.

[sourmash1973]

Young man, there is no room around here for your logic. Reported for speaking the truth and telling it how it is.
Your attempts at trying to eliminate the "excuses" from people lives will not go unnoticed.

Hey, at least you called a 40 yr old a young man. Report me all you want but that made me feel good...LOL.

[illiniStrive]

I expected this to be terrible since subjects headings like this usually lead to a Yahoo! News or Dr. Oz.com article. But these are great.

I have been in the 190s for quite some time now. Trying to see 189.9XXX. I have a question. I do not have a scale, but my thought has always been since I live alone it does not matter if I guesstimate half a package here or 1/3 of a package there as long as the total eventually adds up to whatever the package claims is in the bag. For example: a package of raw chicken is 1.25lbs, if I eat over half of it monday and call it .75 and the .5lbs on Tuesday for lunch, no biggie, right? Or dd you find that the packages and/or serving sizes are off as well?

Short version: do I need a scale if everything I eat is already measured on the package?

I would still get a scale. I make a lot of meals in a crock pot, so I follow this logic. I add up the total ingredients and split it up in equal portions to track since I'm the only one who will be eating it, it won't matter if I eat a little more of it this day and little less of it the next. But what about food that doesn't come from a package? Or something that you'll be taking servings from over the course of weeks/months? How are you tracking dressings and condiments, oats, whey powder, shredded cheese, nuts, chips whatever?

Some people are really great at portion control and can cut weight eating intuitively, but if the scale isn't moving the way you need it to, you're eating more than you think and should evaluate your tracking methods.

Just get a scale.

[Bastiat]

I stopped weighing a little while ago because I am pretty habitual about eating. but I will have to start up again sometime soon as its been 15-20 lbs since I stopped.

[andrewlef]

Lots of great information here. #1 and #2 are super important. Trying to accurately estimate one serving of pasta is impossible!

[Bastiat]

Lots of great information here. #1 and #2 are super important. Trying to accurately estimate one serving of pasta is impossible!

The pasta I use has the serving size in grams labeled on the box. So I weigh out dry pasta to grams. If its someone else's cooked pasta, then, yea, that just about impossible

[cmrock207]

Repped for this thread. #4 is especially true and can heavily influence 1,2,3 and 5.

For anyone looking for a decent kitchen scale, I have this one and love it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E7AZQA/...ter_B009O0TW1A

[AncientYouth]

Generally good if somewhat generic information

I don't agree with point 2 though, what's the point of doing more if you can't eat more ?

I think people should build in a buffer of a hundred calories or so to take into account inaccuracy but why not enjoy more food

I actually think not eating back the calories will be counter productive particularly at lower bf levels where high deficits are harder to maintain and will affect metabolism more. The lower you get the smaller the deficit

[sourmash1973]

generally good if somewhat generic information

i don't agree with point 2 though, what's the point of doing more if you can't eat more ?

I think people should build in a buffer of a hundred calories or so to take into account inaccuracy but why not enjoy more food

i actually think not eating back the calories will be counter productive particularly at lower bf levels where high deficits are harder to maintain and will affect metabolism more. The lower you get the smaller the deficit

You missed my point. I already figure in my workouts (within reason) in my TDEE figures, so counting what I burn and then eating it back is pointless and counterproductive.

Generic (easy to interpret) information is what most people are seeking here.

[CarlosMucho]

Good stuff!

#2 is one of my pet-peeves about My Fitness Pal and their expectation that you eat back your calories burned. I just don't see the point of doing extra cardio and wasting it by eating it back. Might as well not do cardio...

First, I don't "eat back" exercise calories.

Second, the point could be to improve/maintain cardiovascular health. I know this is the fat loss sections, but there's more to health and fitness than being lean.

[AncientYouth]

You missed my point. I already figure in my workouts (within reason) in my TDEE figures, so counting what I burn and then eating it back is pointless and counterproductive.

Generic (easy to interpret) information is what most people are seeking here.

No I didn't miss your point I just disagree I set my TDEE as sedentary and then account for all activity

In the myfatsecret app which I find to be far more accurate than MFP you add in all activity you do based on a sedentary activity level for your basic day and go from there

So for me a day of sleeping and sitting is around 2000 calories, I then exchange sitting for any activity I do which increases my caloric burn depending how active I am today I have been very active and will have burnt about 3000+ ,calories, Damn straight I'm gonna eat a whole chunk of them back.

Days I'm not so active I eat less because I didn't earn them so I maintain the same deficit of around 500 calories a day

Generic is in the stickies

[sourmash1973]

No I didn't miss your point I just disagree I set my TDEE as sedentary and then account for all activity

In the myfatsecret app which I find to be far more accurate than MFP you add in all activity you do based on a sedentary activity level for your basic day and go from there

So for me a day of sleeping and sitting is around 2000 calories, I then exchange sitting for any activity I do which increases my caloric burn depending how active I am today I have been very active and will have burnt about 3000+ ,calories, Damn straight I'm gonna eat a whole chunk of them back.

Days I'm not so active I eat less because I didn't earn them so I maintain the same deficit of around 500 calories a day

Generic is in the stickies

I'm not going to extend this thread to 100 pages of arguing, as you tend to like to do. I said, these are MY experiences and what has worked for ME, and hopefully it helps others.

How many times do we tell people to "read the stickies"? Most don't, so I wanted to post a thread with a title that might grab some attention and help some new people out. Who gives a f**k if it's "generic" information? If it helps someone, it's GOOD information.

[Bhigs23]

1.) Not Weighing

I know a few people on these forums think this is unnecessary but I beg to differ. Up until I started weighing my foods I was trusting my judgement and trusting the measuring devises in my home (spoons, cups, etc.). I lost weight in the beginning by doing this because I was so over weight and just about anything positive I did at that point was showing some results. As I got lower in weight, things stalled for me and I just couldn't figure it out. I was measuring everything and following the serving sizes on the labels of the foods I was eating but no more weight was coming off. I then listened to some of the guys/gals on here and bought me a $30 digital food scale. This completely opened my eyes and also got the ball rolling again. Once I started weighing my foods, I realized how far off my measuring devices and guesstimates were. At times, I was easily going 100-200 calories a day over what I thought I was eating and sometimes up to 500 calories over!!! What I thought was 2 tbsp of peanut butter was actual almost 3.5. What I thought was a scoop of protein (using the provided scoop) was actually 1.25. So, weigh everything. It will open your eyes as well.

2.) Eating Back Calories Burned

This is an easy trap to fall into. So, you burned 1000 calories doing 60 minutes of cardio on your favorite machine at the gym. You check your log and your calories are right on for the day. You see that extra 1000 calories and think to yourself, "Wow, I could sure go for a couple slices of pizza and big bowl of ice cream right now. I have an extra 1000 calories from that cardio I did, so why not?". So you have your treats and think you did great for the day. What you don't know though, is you probably wreaked a little havoc on your diet for the day. Most of those machines over exaggerate how many calories you're really burning. Even your favorite diet logs can over exaggerate these numbers. So let's say you actually burned 500 calories in that hour instead of 1000. So, instead of hitting your calorie goals for the day, you actually went 500 calories over! Do that a few times a week and it could easily keep you from losing weight or even make you gain some. A good rule of thumb I always follow is to find my TDEE using a reasonable activity factor and just eat that amount of calories. Any calories I burn through exercise is just a bonus for the day/week. I don't even count calories burned on myfitnesspal anymore. I only count what I eat.

3.) Weekly Cheat Day

So you've spent all week busting your butt in the gym. You lost your 1 Lb for the week and everything is going great. It's Saturday, the family is having a big party with lots of goodies and some alcohol. You've busted your butt all week and you've earned it, right? I agree, I do this all the time. But I do it with some sense and without losing focus on my goals. You can easily wreck an entire week's worth of progress in one day. With a day of BBQ, alcohol and sweets; you can easily get up in the 4000 calorie range and even more. On these days (and now that I'm getting lower in BF and have a harder time losing, they are fewer and farther between) I will usually go to maintenance calories or maybe a "little" more. I plan these days out just like I would anything other day. If I want more alcohol, I will eat less food. If I want to eat some more of the BBQ, I will drink less alcohol. I'm not saying you should have cheat days and I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying that I do here and there and I do them as sensibly as possible.

4.)Not Being Honest With Yourself

I log everything. Period! If I cheat, I log it. If I have that extra little snack during the day, I log it. If you don't log EVERYTHING, you are not being honest with yourself. Those little slips throughout the week that don't go in your log are like little lies, and they work against you. Several little lies on your log throughout the week can add up at the end, and can keep you from losing that 1 Lb a week (or whatever your goal loss might be). If you keep track of every little thing, including the slips, you can adjust for them so everything works out. LOG EVERYTHING!!!

5.) Not Enough Time

I used to be the worst about this. I've been busting my butt in the gym all week long, weighing everything, logging everything and not one single pound lost. Another week goes by doing the same, with no cheating, still nothing lost. I would then get worried, start seeking answers (a lot of it in the wrong places), get all confused and overwhelmed with good and bad information and then get discouraged and go totally off track. I now know that 1-2 weeks is not enough time to determine whether you have hit a plateau or not. I now wait for a month of no losses before I make any adjustments. I know that seems like a long time to some of you, but IMO that's what it takes. I will go several weeks not losing one single pound and then all the sudden I will lose 2-3 in one week. You can shoot for 1 Lb a week but you will never stay consistent at 1 Lb. At least not in my experience. Over the last 10 months, I have lost 54 Lbs. That is an average of 1.35 Lbs a week. I have been shooting for 1 Lb a week the entire time. I would say on average, I have surpassed my goal. You have to look at the big picture. So, if you have gone 1-2 weeks with no loss, give it a coupe more weeks. If you go the entire 4 weeks with no loss, then it's time to make some adjustments.

I hope this helps. There is nothing scientific here, I know, it's just my personal experiences over the last 10 months. I have learned a lot about my body by listening to it and adjusting accordingly. There is no "one perfect formula" for everyone. The basics are all the same, but you have to find the things that work for you and your personal situation. Keep reaching for those goals. Mine are getting closer and nothing is going to stop me. Good luck!

I'd be willing to bet that it's reason #5 almost 90% of the time. People don't have patience. I used to be the same way.

[AncientYouth]

Isn't this a forum..I'm not shouting or swearing I'm just pointing out another point of view

I'm commenting on a post what's the big deal

The best post of this type was the January beginners thread and that's long gone

[FinTheFox]

I have been in the 190s for quite some time now. Trying to see 189.9XXX. I have a question. I do not have a scale, but my thought has always been since I live alone it does not matter if I guesstimate half a package here or 1/3 of a package there as long as the total eventually adds up to whatever the package claims is in the bag. For example: a package of raw chicken is 1.25lbs, if I eat over half of it monday and call it .75 and the .5lbs on Tuesday for lunch, no biggie, right? Or dd you find that the packages and/or serving sizes are off as well?

Short version: do I need a scale if everything I eat is already measured on the package?

I would suggest a scale, I got mine at Walmart for $20 bucks. After using the scale for a while I have learned there is a little variance at times between packing and actual weight. While it usually isn't a lot, it can add up over time. I've found out that I was eating more calories than I thought just relying in packing labels. And sometimes things are simply more calories than you expect. I ran into that after weighing some bananas and realizing I was taking in way more calories from them than I expected.

[illiniStrive]

You missed my point. I already figure in my workouts (within reason) in my TDEE figures, so counting what I burn and then eating it back is pointless and counterproductive.

Generic (easy to interpret) information is what most people are seeking here.

Exactly this; net calories has people spinning and going around in circles more often than not. People also suck at estimating the calories burned during cardiovascular activities and trying to "eat back" those calories often cancels out their deficit and even then some. Hence why you have people who start training for marathons thinking they'll lose so much weight, but not only don't lose weight, oftentimes they actually gain some. Not to mention the better you get at an activity, the more efficient your body becomes and the less calories you burn during said activity. So that elliptical workout you've been doing every other day for 1 year that you think burns 400 calories probably isn't burning 400 calories anymore. Women also tend to burn less calories due to something in the way our body metabolizes idk the specifics; but most treadmills or online calculators will give you about say 100 cals/mile and for women it's more like 70-90% of that I believe.

MFP sucks at accurately estimating calories burned during workouts, just as a heads up.

And when you're already lean, eating consistently to track changes is even more important, so playing the net calories game can actually be more detrimental to fat loss.