How long is too long for a weight loss stall?

[FairyLightFiend]

I started on the MM 800 low carb diet at the start of the month and lost about 10 lbs within a couple of weeks. The weight loss then stalled completely and I started to feel incredibly weak (I have a fatigue health condition and it was triggering that). After a week of my weight not moving I went up to c 1000 calories a day and included more carbs, which made my energy levels shoot up.

What I can’t work out is why I’ve not lost any more weight?! I’m weighing and counting all of my calories (MFP) and have only gone above the 1000 on two days (and then it was only to about 1700). I’m 5’9” and 13 stone, so definitely have a couple of stone still to loose and couldn’t argue that I need less than 1000 just to exist. Logic dictates that I should have kept loosing? It’s been about two weeks now and all that’s happened is a 2lb loss and then a 1lb gain. Help!

[FATEdestiny]

Are you an active person? What's your average daily step count? Do you do any exercise?

The bottom line is to lose weight you need to consume fewer calories than you use. If you are not losing weight you need to consume fewer calories (and/or use more calories each day, but most weight loss comes from what you eat rather than exercise).

There's no point worrying about how could you possibly eat less - if you aren't losing weight, you need to regardless. Your body is telling you that.

It might be that you're not making your calories "worth it". For example wasting empty calories on things which have little nutritional value will mean you end up feeling hungry. Using the same number of calories on filling and nutritionally dense food means it's fairly easy to feel full in 800-1000 daily calories. You just have to make every calorie "worth it" so it has value in filling you up and curling your body.

On 800 calories you cannot afford any empty calories. Cook from scratch using lots of above ground vegetables, lean protein and wholegrain - and very little else.

[FATEdestiny]

Fueling (not curling)

[FairyLightFiend]

Thanks for the reply.

I’m sporadically active. My health condition means that I need a huge amount of rest to compensate for any activity.

The issue wasn’t that I was especially hungry on 800 calories, but that it was leaving me so weak that I had to spend all day in bed and my DH was even having to brush my hair for me. Obviously this wouldn’t be the case for most people, but it triggered a huge reaction in my body.

I’m a vegetarian and a decent cook and was cooking everything myself. No sugar or refined carbs and whole grains where possible. My only vice is diet drinks (one can a day).

I thought that understanding of metabolism had moved on from simply calories in / calories out? Although even if it was down to that I don’t understand how I’m not loosing when I’m eating at least 600 calories under my BMR every day. I was also fairly easily able to loose weight two years ago on 1200 -1400 calories a day. Can your metabolism change that quickly?

I might come across as defensive, which I’m really not, just bloody frustrated that I feel like I’m doing everything “right” (weighing and counting everything, good whole foods etc) and getting nowhere!

[budgetneeded]

If you’re that sedentary due to illness, then the 1700 days is what causes the problem.
Do you plot/graph your weight, are you trending down at all?
I only tolerate a two week stall before reviewing my plan.

[OwlinaTree]

800 cals is too low. You need to eat more or you will damage your metabolism. Look it up, those people on greatest looser have damaged their metabolism by cutting down too much.