Plateau?

[AhmedAli9620]

Hello guys,
I hope you are all doing well
I've been dieting for 16 weeks right now and I lost 20kg. When I started I didn't calculate my TDEE and just went straight up to 2000 calories a day and I set up my macros from there, Everything was going fine until the 12th week. It was when I stopped dropping weight. I tried dropping my calories but No use, also tried going low/zero carb and still stalled, I upped my Cardio to 5x a week 20 mins each session and still. Also I noticed that my energy levels are down, Also I know this is normal during a cut but my weights and strength also went down so what is this all about lol, And before anyone calls it I've read the stickies about weighing food etc
So I searched and I found that prolonged low calorie diet can "slow down metabolism" people here call it BS and I've no knowledge on that so I just want your opinions on it and some people suggested that to break that plateau I'd have to take a Diet Break, as an Endomorph ( people call it BS too ) but It seems to be real, I'm afraid of carbs because if I went to maintenance I'd have to to pull my Carbs up. So please do not go all out on me lol I'm just a beginner asking for advice
Here are my stats:
Current weight : 100kg
height : 176cm
BF:30%
lifting 3-5x a week
cardio 5x 20 mins each session

Thank you.

[Lucas7F]

So I presume your goals are to lose weight and become fitter.

The most important tip for weight loss is to have a calorie deficit, but not having too much of a deficit. A a range of 200-300 kcals deficit would be considered an optimal amount. Weight loss is about sustainability, not speed. Also, doing the same routine of exercise continuously can force your body to be adapted to it - thus less effective in the long run.

I have attached a few articles on weight loss which may help you, do feel free to check them out:

Can you lose weight by doing the same workout routine everyday?

5 Useful Weight loss Hacks that work

5 Must know Diet Hacks to lose weight

Also, some sample workouts that can help you lose weight (other than cardio):

Effective exercises to lose weight at home

Hope this helps!

[DyingAtheist]

So I presume your goals are to lose weight and become fitter.

The most important tip for weight loss is to have a calorie deficit, but not having too much of a deficit. A a range of 200-300 kcals deficit would be considered an optimal amount. Weight loss is about sustainability, not speed. Also, doing the same routine of exercise continuously can force your body to be adapted to it - thus less effective in the long run.

I have attached a few articles on weight loss which may help you, do feel free to check them out:

Can you lose weight by doing the same workout routine everyday?

5 Useful Weight loss Hacks that work

5 Must know Diet Hacks to lose weight

Also, some sample workouts that can help you lose weight (other than cardio):

Effective exercises to lose weight at home

Hope this helps!

Those links are terrible. One of them doesn't seem to know what intermittent fasting actually is and the other is suggesting a super high calorie snack in almonds seemingly on the basis that it's 'low carb'. I really wish people would stop hawking their personal sites when the information provided is available on THIS site and is substantially better at that.

Anyway, OP. Check the stickies on this forum and you'll find nutrition info you need, if need be.

Endomorph is not a thing, no. If you're tired - drop the cardio, it's not needed and it should be the first thing to go when your lifts start to suffer. You've dropped quite a bit of weight and whilst your metabolism slows TO AN EXTENT it is never enough to offset weight loss assuming you're hitting your calories correctly - but you're 20kg lighter, your TDEE is lower than it was when you started.

I'd take a week off, eat at maintenance, get your lifts back up and then pick a new slightly lower calorie amount and stick to it for a few weeks and see where you end up.

[AhmedAli9620]

Those links are terrible. One of them doesn't seem to know what intermittent fasting actually is and the other is suggesting a super high calorie snack in almonds seemingly on the basis that it's 'low carb'. I really wish people would stop hawking their personal sites when the information provided is available on THIS site and is substantially better at that.

Anyway, OP. Check the stickies on this forum and you'll find nutrition info you need, if need be.

Endomorph is not a thing, no. If you're tired - drop the cardio, it's not needed and it should be the first thing to go when your lifts start to suffer. You've dropped quite a bit of weight and whilst your metabolism slows TO AN EXTENT it is never enough to offset weight loss assuming you're hitting your calories correctly - but you're 20kg lighter, your TDEE is lower than it was when you started.

I'd take a week off, eat at maintenance, get your lifts back up and then pick a new slightly lower calorie amount and stick to it for a few weeks and see where you end up.

I recalculated my TDEE and It is now at 2970, So I should pull my calories up to that for a week ?
Also should I drop calories from the 2790 after the one week break or the calories i used to eat at before the break ( 2000 calories) ?
I hope I'm not annoying you

[DyingAtheist]

I recalculated my TDEE and It is now at 2970, So I should pull my calories up to that for a week ?
Also should I drop calories from the 2790 after the one week break or the calories i used to eat at before the break ( 2000 calories) ?
I hope I'm not annoying you

No calculators are going to be totally accurate, you really just need to play this by ear, but if you weren't losing weight at 2000 calories despite a TDEE of near 3000 there is an error somewhere in your calculations, eating too much or eating to account for exercise calories or...something.

Either way, eat at 2970 for a week then cut off 1000 calories if you want to lose 2 pounds a week - try that for a few weeks and see where you end up. Weight loss isn't linear, plateaus are inevitable, just got to give it time to see if it is one or if it's a mistake somewhere.

[gomil]

The correct answer is always to either eat less or move more. No such thing as a plateau since you wouldn't stall if you ate literally NOTHING for a few days.