Weight loss plateau

[shred2215]

I’m 24 years old and started at 256 lbs at the beginning. I’ve always been more on the heavier side and I’m trying to completely reconstruct my body. I want to get cut. Like I said I started at 256 lbs and am now down to 206 lbs. I started by doing an intense fasting by only eating once a day when I get home from work and keeping it low carb. Most of the time salmon broccoli and mushrooms. I then started to do cardio at night and have just now added strength training into the mix as well with light weight but high reps. I am stuck at 206 lbs and cannot seem to get below it. Any and all recommendations or tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks

[xsquid99]

How long have you been cutting weight?

If its been 3 weeks with no loss = Plateau = eating at maintenance.

[shred2215]

How long have you been cutting weight?

If its been 3 weeks with no loss = Plateau = eating at maintenance.

Right at 3 months.

[Tommy W.]

Right at 3 months.

then you are at maintenance. A 50 LB loss means your maintenance is now around 500 calories a day lower than it was.

[tadpole25]

It doesn't matter whether you fast or not.
It doesn't matter whether you eat low carbs or not.

If you enjoy doing those things for pleasure, do them. But they're not necessary.

The only thing that's mandatory for weight loss is having a calorie deficit. Track your calories precisely.

[shred2215]

Years ago I attempted calorie deficit diets and never got results like I did eating low carb.

[tadpole25]

If you're not seeing results with a calorie deficit, you're not tracking them accurately (or you're eating too much on cheat days).

Though it may be possible that you find low-carbs more satiating and enjoyable, and hence, eat less calories as a result; if it works for you, do it.

I mean this in a constructive way, not as an insult, but from the things you wrote, it seems like you're the type of person to hops on and off of different diets. You need to make tracking calories/macros a long-term lifestyle and do it consistently. You don't need the answer. You already have the answer. You just need to be consistent.

[Tommy W.]

Years ago I attempted calorie deficit diets and never got results like I did eating low carb.

lol, you realize lowering carbs just lowers calories, right?

[xsquid99]

Years ago I attempted calorie deficit diets and never got results like I did eating low carb.

Low carb diet = lower calorie diet

If you didn't get the same results on a "calorie deficit" diet its because you weren't in a big enough calorie deficit.

[shred2215]

lol, you realize lowering carbs just lowers calories, right?

How do you figure? You can still eat low carb and take it a ton of calories.

[Tommy W.]

how do you figure? You can still eat low carb and take it a ton of calories.

jfc

[SuffolkPunch]

If you just added weight training, it can cause a slowdown in weight loss because
1. you aren't losing muscle any more - which gives up its mass more cheaply than fat does
2. your muscles take up glycogen, water and there is some inflammation from the unaccustomed training. This effect has a ceiling though.

Aside from that, if you aren't losing weight it's either because you are retaining water (this can last a couple of weeks at a time) or you don't have a calorie deficit.

The posters above are correct in saying that IF a low carb diet works for you, it's because it made you eat less calories than you burn, not specifically because it was carbs you reduced.

[Sineda]

If your weight isn't moving then, as already advised above, you're not in a calorie deficit mode and you're probably hitting your maintenance calories.

What I've learned is that it doesn't matter how often you eat, how often you exercise and what cardio you do. If you want to lose fat, calories in vs. calories out - simple as that. I can eat McDonalds for 6 months straight and will lose weight so long as I'm below my maintenance range by at least 500 calories.

Start with TTDE to give you a rough idea and then experiment with calories by tracking everything.