Not ready to embrace another stall!

[newmebithebypass 713]

sajijoma how tall are you im only 5'3 but even at my height my doc wants me on a minimum of 80 grams of Protein maybe you could bump that up

[IncredibleShrinkingMan 437]

Well, every diet tweak is going to result in a stall eventually, because X number of calories is going to equal maintenance intake for a given weight. You break this one just like you broke the last one...making another cut...however, I don't know where you are or how long you can do that before you reach a point where you have cut too much for it to be sustainable. I speak from prior experience...DO NOT let yourself reach that point!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Well, every diet tweak is going to result in a stall eventually, because X number of calories is going to equal maintenance intake for a given weight. You break this one just like you broke the last one...making another cut...however, I don't know where you are or how long you can do that before you reach a point where you have cut too much for it to be sustainable. I speak from prior experience...DO NOT let yourself reach that point!

Cutting calories arbitrarily is not the solution for "breaking a stall". Restricting can be very counterproductive. We need to keep our metabolism burning, not keep dousing the fire.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

sajijoma how tall are you im only 5'3 but even at my height my doc wants me on a minimum of 80 grams of Protein maybe you could bump that up

I'm 5'9. It probably would be a good idea, but I have a hard time just getting it in. I have to rely on Protein Drinks to get me as high as I am.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

Well, every diet tweak is going to result in a stall eventually, because X number of calories is going to equal maintenance intake for a given weight. You break this one just like you broke the last one...making another cut...however, I don't know where you are or how long you can do that before you reach a point where you have cut too much for it to be sustainable. I speak from prior experience...DO NOT let yourself reach that point!

I'm not sure I have anything else to cut. I literally have nothing left that I could cut unless it's the salad which isn't providing much, because I need the Protein.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I'm probably going to have a lot of people disagree with me on this, but you're what, five months out? I'd actually just try increasing your calories before your next NUT appt. and see what happens. It isn't as though you're advancing to different foods, you're just (potentially) increasing your calories.

I'm a very by the book kind of person, but I'll call my NUT and see if she'll let me try it. I honestly don't know HOW I'll be able to increase it though since getting to 800 is a chore in and of itself in the outline of the program, but maybe?

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Well, every diet tweak is going to result in a stall eventually, because X number of calories is going to equal maintenance intake for a given weight. You break this one just like you broke the last one...making another cut...however, I don't know where you are or how long you can do that before you reach a point where you have cut too much for it to be sustainable. I speak from prior experience...DO NOT let yourself reach that point!

I'm not sure I have anything else to cut. I literally have nothing left that I could cut unless it's the salad which isn't providing much, because I need the Protein.

You DO NOT NEED TO CUT anything. You need to be eating more Protein and good carbs.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Sajijoma

I would definitely challenge your nut. You are likely in starvation mode. I went through the same thing at 7 months out. I was at 800 calories, 70 grams of Protein. I was doing an hour of cardio everyday.

I stalled for 28 days, I was beyond frustrated. Both my trainer and nut told me to eat more and exercise less. They took me from an hour down to 30 minutes and had me add healthy Snacks. I was required to get at least 1000 calories but could go as high as 1200.

I rarely got to 1200 but consistently got to 1000 by adding high Protein and good carbs like fruit. I added a half cup cottage cheese with some fresh strawberries or peaches.

It did the trick. After a 28 day stall I knew something was not right. I began loosing at a nice pace. About 2lbs per week.

That was the longest stall I ever had.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

@@Djmohr Did you have extreme headaches almost like Migraines or fatigue then too? Because I have really been struggling with these headaches that come on the same time every afternoon and the fatigue where I just fall asleep wherever I am. I had my Vitamins all checked tecently because of it and they were all fine except my B 12 was high and my Iron was borderline low-which is an improvement from where I normally am with iron. I sent a message to my NUT asking for help again, but if i don't get some kind of answers soon, I may just go rogue because I feel like crap and everyone is telling me I need more calories and carbs and she hasn't suggested I do anything except cut all carbs, which I did, but I actually feel worse!

[KristenLe 5,979]

Go rogue! You need Protein and healthy carbs!!!

[katesuccess 990]

Sorry not to answer you sooner @Sajijoma - I've been swamped with work lately, and a family event too. So today I knew I had a lunch meeting, so I previewed the menu and called to ask how much meat was on the steak salad (3oz) so I started logging with that, and then added foods to get to my targets.

- Breakfast I had 1/3 of an ounce of "Just Strawberries" (crunchy dried ones with no junk added, and 1/3 ounce is quite a bit really) and a "peppermint mocha" version of my Protein drink; 1 scoop Isopure low carb chocolate flavor made hot with a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and two shots of espresso and peppermint extract .

- Morning snack was 4 ounces lean Board's Head sliced deli chicken and 3/4 of an ounce of home-roasted cashews I make (less fat/salt/sugar) and half an ounce of aged Gouda.

- lunch at the restaurant was lettuce, a few grape tomatoes, a few toasted pecans and the rare steak - and light on the dressing!

- Afternoon snack is 3 ounces non-fat Fage yogurt mixed with another scoop of Isopure Protein powder (Combat is good too!), 1/3 ounce dried Just Peaches, and a Mediterranean chicken breast skewer from costco. Also 2 tablespoons cream in my iced coffee with some stevia - yum!

- dinner will be 4 ounces scrambled egg-whites , one slice of bacon, 3 more ounces of nonfat Fage yogurt topped with a bit of SF Torani vanilla Syrup and 2 ounces of frozen blueberries.

- My evening snack (which I finally realized helps me avoid late night foraging!) is half a chocolate chunk Quest bar with half a tablespoon of Justin's Peanut Butter on it.

This is fairly typical, though I don't usually have that much fruit. a couple times a week I get my carbs from mug cakes or other things like Halo Top ice cream, maybe skim milk in a small Cappuccino, or Combat Protein Powder has 5 carbs to a scoop, but 25 grams of protein! My Isopure I get at the Vitamin Shoppe has no carbs or fat, but also 25 grams of Protein.< /p>

It's a LOT of food, and not right for everyone, but after a terminally long stall I finally accepted that it could be my body was needing me to eat more and be really stable in my intakes so it could stabilize enough to begin losing again.

I lift weights at the gym four days a week (two upper body days, two lower body) for about 25 minutes including stretching, and do some form of cardio on three of those days for about 20 minutes -- HIIT on the treadmill usually or by swimming laps the same way. Some days I use the torture machine (i.e. stairclimber!) but only rarely.

I've consistently lost 2 pounds per week, this week 2.5 (yay!) and I can finally say I'm never hungry or deprived feeling.

I have bread or a treat if I want to factor it in, and if it's REALLY good, but decided there's no point in eating mediocre stuff. Hope this is helpful. I aim for 60 ounces of Water each day too.

Kate

Wow - sorry for such a long answer just now!

[Sajijoma 1,324]

@@katesuccess thanks! This is really helpful. After not really getting the answers I need, I am going to go rogue and looking at what you do does help.

[katesuccess 990]

I will warn you that the first two or three weeks on this plan I didn't lose, I guess because my body was needing to stabilize. My trainer said to think of it as the body trusting there would be enough food coming every day consistently to start burning fuel better, instead of hanging on to everything. Seems like she was right thankfully. Good luck - don't give up!

[Sajijoma 1,324]

So far, going rogue has netted me a HUGE loss! Stall broken-although I hate to say it less I jinx myself into another one! About day 3 of bumping my Protein to 90 grams or so, calories around 1000, and carbs to about 30 for the day and I lost 4lbs! In one day! Then over the next few days I've lost a few more! Seems like everyone was right(except my NUT). My headaches are gone and I'm no longer passing out exhausted! Yay!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Not passing out is a good thing!

I am so glad you are feeling better.