Weight won't budge after 6-7 weeks of cutting calories

[Anonymous]

My endocrinologist prescribed Zepbound which I had to get from a compounding pharmacy because my insurance won't cover it.
I have very little appetite.

I am 5"4" and was 163lbs in mid March.
After 6-7 weeks I am 154 lbs. Losing 9 pounds in 6 weeks ins't bad of course but I lost all of that the first 3-4 weeks and now it has just stopped.
One day I gained a pound but I lost it a day later and the scale hasn't budged in over 2 weeks.

I expected a plateau after a few months but not after one month!
I am definitely in a calorie deficit. My exercise has not been great. I walk a little and have done some work with bands but not enough to say I'm gaining muscle and that's why the scale isn't moving. I'm going to walk more and add weights. 7,000-10,000 steps a day.

Some days I worried I wasn't eating enough.
Breakfast is one slice of Sourdough with 1/2 avocado or 2 eggs.
Lunch is salad with chick peas, OR low fat greek yogurt with flax seed, chia seeds and berries OR overnight oats with flax seed, chia seeds, 1/3 banana and one teaspoon of peanut butter.
Dinner is usually what we have for family dinner but a smaller portion. Salmon with broccoli and rice or chicken stir fry. Easily about 1/2 to 1/3 of my previous portion and I'm full enough.
I drink a cup of tea with collagen powder for added protein and to help with some arthritis. Usually fruit like an apple or blueberries while I make dinner.

I wonder if maybe I'm eating too little and metabolism is slowing so that this small amount of food is what my body sees as normal.
Is that possible in a month? I'm not starving myself.

No I do not sleep well and I don't know how to fix that.
I take allergy meds and nasal spray which can cause weight gain but if I haven't eaten much I thought that wouldn't be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Your diet is fine. You probably feel deprived tbh but if you add a strong workout 4x a week, it will suppress your appetite. Walking is fine but it is a time suck to get to 10,000 steps every day. Start weight training. Start with 3 and 5 pound weights. 20 minutes 4x a week. Get up to 30 minutes. Then next month do 5 pound weights solidly. A month later you should be at 8 pound weights and well on your way. If you aren’t sleeping well, your cortisol will be high, and your weight will not budget. Figure it out. Melatonin, Herbal Tea, Relaxation Tecnnique, Audio books, as a last resort a sleeping pill.

[Anonymous]

Eat a huge piece of pecan pie and start over. Seriously. Sometimes we have to shock our body a bit.

[Anonymous]

Calories are a terrible proxy for energy. Your body's energy model is also a feedback loop.

[Anonymous]

Are you weighing your food on a scale? If not you can’t say you are definitely in a deficit, either that or your daily caloric requirement is even lower than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you weighing your food on a scale? If not you can’t say you are definitely in a deficit, either that or your daily caloric requirement is even lower than you think.

All of this. You aren't in a calorie deficit. At your height and weight your BMR (calories to just stay alive) is probably around 1,100. Sounds like you aren't very active outside of that so I'd add in 200-300 max for daily activities. You're probably eating more that that. Start weighing your food and making sure your calorie count is correct. And move more so you burn more calories.

[Anonymous]

Cabbage soup diet for 7 days. You will lose 5-7 pounds if you don't cheat. It's a kick-start, not a way of life. I make really yummy soups and I do it 4x per year -- at the start of each season. Sometimes 2x in winter as that is when i gain. No meat or carby veggies in the soup.

[Anonymous]

Cabbage soup? 1100 calories? Dear god.

It's barely a plateau. If you have been at it for a month, who knows where you are in your cycle and normal, temporary weight gain.

Add in some more activity because it is good for you, but be patient.

It will keep coming off.

[Anonymous]

You need to start moving your body and lift weights. Curbing your hunger is only part of the battle. Use this opportunity to start moving and improve your overall health. Also, weigh your food to see what portions and calorie intake really is. I guarantee you’re eating more than you think.

[Anonymous]

Exercise more, it will help with your sleep. And be patient. That’s a lot to weight by you lost quickly, you don’t want to keep up at that pace.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the advice.
I am weighing/measuring my food.

I hear about women my age (49) just getting stuck and weight not coming off. I thought the weight was coming off fast the first month. Would have been happy with 1-2 lbs a week at this point.
I did walk more yesterday and lift my 8 lb weights.
Ate very little yesterday and scale is still stuck. Would be fine if it was muscle - the weight is just a mark of my progress right now.
It’s so discouraging. I will add more exercise but I feel like I’m never going to get that weight off.
I might try a day with more calories but feel like I’ll be so sad if weight goes up and I have to fight to get it back down!

[Anonymous]

Similar OP. I tried intermittent fasting (only eating 12-8), lost 2-3 lbs, and that's it. I'm surprised that eliminating breakfast and late night snacks made SO little difference, but I guess I did it in response to weight gain so I was eating way too much before and maybe this is actually my stable point.

It's frustrating though, because I gained about 10 lbs over a year or so without really noticing, and intermittent fasting PLUS serious calorie restriction to lose the other 10 is more than I feel like I can stick to.

[Anonymous]

Allergy meds and Flonase can cause weight gain.

I found layering in intermittent fasting really helpful and effective. Beginners Guide to Intermittent Fasting | Jason Fung https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqZsS03dlPk

I lose better with little to no fruit. Can you add more whole food protein (collagen does not count toward protein goals)? Eggs, chicken, fish, beef, greek yogurt, hard cheese? This book also helped me a great deal https://www.amazon.com/End-Your-Carb-Confusion-Customize/dp/1628604298

[Anonymous]

Flax and chia and bananas are all super energy dense. Have precooked hardboiled eggs on hand, cooked chicken, etc. to add to salads or to snack on. Way more high quality protein for less calories. I'd aim for 30g of protein per meal (try 3 eggs or add some chicken sausage or turkey bacon to the 2) and collagen doesn't count. Try eating 2 full meals a day, no snacks and just drinking water, black coffee or tea between meals.

Agree with a PP that 10k steps can be a time suck. Can you just incorporate more movement into your day, take stairs, park farther, go for short walks more frequently? If you watch tv can you get an exercise bike, treadmill or elliptical for part of that time, or a walking pad with incline?

[Anonymous]

OP, if you have an endo are you diabetic, prediabetic or do you have thyroid issues?