27M, 220lbs, 6'3", 22-25% BF depending on weight, 1hr workout 4-5x a week (running, lifting, or both), hypothyroid & hypogonadism (both treated by TRT & levothyroxine), loads and loads of weird weight loss and gain patterns for years, meticulous MyFitnessPal logger with food scale - 5-10% margin of error max - rarely cook with butter or oil.
Where did I start?
At 215lbs about a year and half ago I believed bulking was the key to me gaining muscle mass, and bulked hard up to 250lbs intentionally - fairly cleanly too. I had very low testosterone at the time and saw some gains, but not as much as I expected, which made sense when I got bloodwork after. Been on TRT for about a year now & levothyroxine for about 6 months, and feel much much better. My cut began about a year ago, with the goal of hitting 210 in 3 months (lol).
My bulk was 3300 calories, maintenance for me was roughly 3000 then, and is closer to 2750 now. I was cutting for awhile at 2500, and got down to 240 by last June. I plateaued hard, and going down to 2200 didn't really move the needle either. I was going to the gym 5x a week at the time, very little cardio mainly lifting. High protein intake, around 200-220g even at cut calories. Had an unexpected surgery that left me out of commission for about 6 weeks - during this time, eating 2000 calories & with added inconsistencies in logging - I lost an additional 20lbs, dropping to 220lbs. I hardly moved at all the first week, and lost the first 8 in that week alone. Lots of water weight I assume.
Anywho, fast forward to about 2 months ago, and I cut some more, did maintenance for a little while, and then resumed cutting at 2300 calories in the interim. Maintenance didn't cause me to gain much weight, but cutting didn't lose any. I was sitting at 232lbs, frustrated, and just decided that even if it was "unhealthy", I was going to go into an extreme deficit. 1500 calories, still going hard at the gym 5x a week, subbing out 1 day a week for a 10 mile run for some extra burn. Little bit less emphasis on protein at only 120-150g. 200-500 extra calories on the long run day for recovery.
I dropped about 12lbs in a short 3 weeks, and have been stuck at 220lbs for the past 3 weeks. I did a maintenance week at 2750 a week ago to try and jump start my metabolism and didn't gain any weight from that, but am still not losing any either.
I am sure inflammation is a factor here as I have had a few knee & foot issues with the increased mileage running & some pre-existing issues - but I do not fathom what I can possibly do more to lose weight. I PROMISE I am logging correctly...and even if there was a small margin for error, it wouldn't be anywhere near enough to bridge a 1250 deficit. I don't eat out, and everything I eat is predictable and loggable. No oils, butter, sauces, or other calorie dense foods.
That being said...I am still not at my goal weight of 205lbs nor the appearance I am looking for, so there's still more work to do. Should I try changing up my macros? Try more or less cardio? Try a deloading week? Fasting? I am stumped and frustrated, I will do whatever it takes to break this plateau.
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