Talk me through a weight loss plateau

amother

OP ↓

Today at 3:54 pm

So I have a lot to lose.
I was 88lb overweight. In the last 3 to 4 months I've lost about 13lb
Now I've reached a plateau.

I do intermittent fasting, 16 to 18hrs
I do take breaks usually on Shabbos

I'm exercising a decent amount for my fitness level and have increased recently.

My calories are already reduced to the point if I reduce them anymore I'll be too hungry to function and it will backfire. I'm ok with being mildly hungry but I know myself and I know it won't be good to eat any less.

I'm very focused on high protein.

I'm also cognizant of the fact that my weight loss is slower because I'm building muscle and bone density.

I know plateau is normal and to be expected.

Are there ways to push past it and speed it up though?
For those of you this have, how long does it usually last?

Points to consider, I'm perimenopausal, on HRT and I have awful insomnia

amother

Indigo

Today at 4:00 pm

How much calories are you consuming? When you say you take breaks, what are you eating? Are you making sure to hydrate? The insomnia is definitely contributing. Your body needs rest to properly function. Are you seeing a nutritionist? Certain foods can help you relax and provide natural melatonin.

amother

Lemonchiffon

Today at 4:11 pm

The intermittent fasting and low calories, may be putting your body into starvation mode, which means it will hold onto fat. I’d recommend eating more, maybe try smaller more frequent meals. Sorry, I know this answer might mess with your head, but it’s a real possibility.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 4:13 pm

amother Indigo wrote:

I'm not actually counting calories. It's more that I've reduced how much I eat, cut out snacking (especially at night) and I have a lot of protein. It's really hard to reach the amount of protect that I beg to have per body weight but I just try to make my meals as high protein as I can. I have a lot of shakes with fruit. I think I'll cut back on the bananas and try to use berries more then mangos for example when making my shakes.
Usually our carbs at dinner time is rice and salad. I eat very little of the rice in general and have been cutting it back completely lately. I don't really need it to be full. My issues in the evening which I feel I've mostly overcome was that I used to snack alot especially while watching a movie for example. It wasn't hunger though, it was psychological.
I've cut that out. I can't cut out dinner though.

The insomnia is a constant battle. I take 10mg melatonin, Gabba, magnesium for night. I have a sleep specialist.
But I'm here about the weight loss more then the insomnia.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 4:15 pm

amother Lemonchiffon wrote:

I do that on Shabbos. I know you are meant to take breaks to reset but it's not working. I feel like Shabbos and yomtov sets me back a lot.

amother

Moccasin

Today at 4:32 pm

The only thing that ever helped me was honestly counting calories. It's amazing how for example a bunch of healthy fruits can give you a ton of calories at the same time. Just two bananas or a bunch of grapes and a mango can sometimes make all the difference between losing a bit of weight or keeping/gaining it.

amother

Burgundy

Today at 9:29 pm

amother Moccasin wrote:

I also lost by counting calories...
I had done no carb for a long time but I got lower with counting calories...