Hit the weight loss Wall

[Rich22]

Sorry for the length, just easier to explain now then answer questions later.

Basic Stats


40 Years Old, 5'8, 184 lbs approx 25%Bodyfat, I'm averaging 1900 cal / Day 150g protein


So I have gone from 264 to the low tomid 180s over the course of about a year. I seem to have hit a wallin regards to weight loss. According to my spreadsheet I have beenbetween 181 and 186 for the last eight weeks, weighed on same scale,all immediately after waking up, every other day.


My TDEE calculations are saying Ishould be burning just below 2400 cal / Day


I lift on a 3 day on 1 day offschedule, each body part twice per week and about 18 working sets permuscle group per week. I get in about 3 hours per week on theelliptical and walk for just under 1 hour a day at a slow pace (Dogs)


My goal has been .5-1% weight loss perweek which I think is realistic and until recently has generallyhappened.


I am attempting to get this fat off asquickly as reasonably possible since honestly this diet is notsustainable for me long term. The lady and I are serious foodies somaintaining this level of calories has me eating 1 “normal” meala day and the rest is pretty much chicken,egg whites, and proteinpowder. So getting to where I can up the calories some and not haveto try to lose fat is important. This plus the fact that I have been500 under for weeks and not lost anything is discouraging.


I had to stop training due to injurysome years ago and have started again in the last eight months soperhaps I have put on a tiny bit of muscle in the last two months butnot enough to replace what I thought would be a solid 8 pound fatloss. My lifts have increased a small amount over this time, chestand shoulders have small visual improvement, I would say waist is thesame.


Any ideas

 

[CJ]

You've been dieting for a year, your metabolism adapted. It's what it does. You're now at a maintenance calories of 1900. You think it's a 500 Cal deficit, but it's not. You haven't lost anything in weeks, the exact definition of maintenance.

You're at 1900, so where do you go from here, to 1500? I think not, that's much too low of a level.

You need to build your metabolism back up slowly, and start adding lean muscle tissue. You're 5'8" at 184lbs at 25% bf.

After a long period of this, you'll actually look better and more than likely have a lower bf% because of the added muscle. When your metabolism is revved back up after this, then go on a fat loss period again, this time you'll be starting from a much higher calorie point and have room to work with.

I'd add 100 extra Cals per week, every week going forward. Don't stop unless you're gaining more than a couple of pounds per month. You'll probably quickly gain a few lbs right off the bat though, but it's just glycogen and water. No worries, it's not fat.

 

[Bro Bundy]

Keep chopping man!

 

[snake]

Something wrong some place because you're doing all the basic things right. Something has to be off on your calorie counting because with those numbers and your activity level, it's just not adding up. Anyone that does a spreadsheet is typically into details so I doubt you're being lazy, maybe something is not accounted for correctly and you don't know it? Big picture, you have done a good job so you know what you're doing.

I hate to tell you to get blood work because that's the typical response but something could be off there. Get you total test checked with your E2, CBC and CMP. Possibly a Test level problem but with your weight loss, I am wondering if there could be a thyroid issue?

This is a tough one, no doubt.

 

[Rich22]

I did forget to add, both Thyroid and Test are normal, those were checked in Jan

 

[CJ]

It's completely normal. Your body was willing to lose weight on the calorie restriction before because you had 80 more pounds of bodyfat than you do now.

As that dwindled down, your body is trying harder to hold onto it, it's our built in survival bias from 1,000's of years of evolution. Your body thinks food is scarce, starvation used to be a very real threat, so it's conserving resources. You fidget less, your hair and nails grow more slowly, women lose their periods, your hunger builds, lots of body functions slow down.

You have to build it back up slowly.

 

[Trump]

What he said

 

[Rich22]

Thanks. I’ll read up on what to do now. Eating less isn’t much of an option. Maybe more exercise. For an idea. Chest is 40. Arms 16. Waist 34. I am guessing on the body fat levels since I have no ab definition. Then again. When I have surgery to remove the excess skin. They better have a dumpster and not a bin.

 

[RobertEmerson]

Thanks. I’ll read up on what to do now. Eating less isn’t much of an option. Maybe more exercise. For an idea. Chest is 40. Arms 16. Waist 34. I am guessing on the body fat levels since I have no ab definition. Then again. When I have surgery to remove the excess skin. They better have a dumpster and not a bin.

What do you do for weight loss? Eating less foods isn't a good idea to lose weight I think. I recently started using weight loss pills by Flat Belly Tonic. It looks better and helpful.

 

[CJ]

What do you do for weight loss? Eating less foods isn't a good idea to lose weight I think. I recently started using weight loss pills by Flat Belly Tonic. It looks better and helpful.

Please don't anybody follow this poor advice.

 

[Adrenolin]

You've been dieting for a year, your metabolism adapted. It's what it does. You're now at a maintenance calories of 1900. You think it's a 500 Cal deficit, but it's not. You haven't lost anything in weeks, the exact definition of maintenance.

You're at 1900, so where do you go from here, to 1500? I think not, that's much too low of a level.

You need to build your metabolism back up slowly, and start adding lean muscle tissue. You're 5'8" at 184lbs at 25% bf.

After a long period of this, you'll actually look better and more than likely have a lower bf% because of the added muscle. When your metabolism is revved back up after this, then go on a fat loss period again, this time you'll be starting from a much higher calorie point and have room to work with.

I'd add 100 extra Cals per week, every week going forward. Don't stop unless you're gaining more than a couple of pounds per month. You'll probably quickly gain a few lbs right off the bat though, but it's just glycogen and water. No worries, it's not fat.

Was gonna mention metabolic adaptation as well. You summed it up perfectly

 

[Dadbod103]

I did forget to add, both Thyroid and Test are normal, those were checked in Jan

What is considered nromal test for a 40 year old man is a rather large range what was your total and free? Also if you have lost 100lbs and need surgery to remove excess skin then yeah guessing your bodyfat with the mirror isnt going to be super accurate

 

[BrotherIron]

I was going to say his protein content is low... 150gr total and he weighs 180lbs. He should be taking in much more.

I would agree and say he needs to slowly increase his Kcal.

His body has gotten efficient at what he's doing and has adapted. Time to change it up. LISS cardio is what you've done for a year. Time to start doing some HIT cardio. You train 6x week? Overkill. It's not just quantity, it's quality. 4 days of solid, intense training is better than 6 days of mediocre lifting. You didn't specify what you're training looks like? machine, free weights, a combination of the 2?

The fact you state that this "diet" isn't something sustainable long term should be an indicator that somethings wrong. You don't diet, you eat a certain way forever to maintain a particular look, to maintain a certain degree of performance, etc... You may change the Kcal total but that's it. It has to be something you can follow long term if you want lasting effects.