How to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau

djones195

Hello Everyone,

Up until about a week ago, I've been doing really well at losing weight (lost 33 pounds in a little over a month). However, I've since leveled off and could use some advice. So far, I've been eating around 2,000 calories per day and have done an average of 2 hours of indoor cycling per day but the effects have disappeared. Should I change my diet (I'm bad about eating fruits and veggies) or is it exercise-related or both? I still have plenty of energy to exercise but it doesn't seem to be doing much and I'd like to mix things up to maintain my weight loss. Any input?

honkytonks85

Weight loss is not linear. A week is not long enough to see results. 33 pounds in a month is insane. You will find you will stall for a while before things move again.

SLLRunner

djones195 wrote: »

Hello Everyone,

Up until about a week ago, I've been doing really well at losing weight (lost 33 pounds in a little over a month). However, I've since leveled off and could use some advice. So far, I've been eating around 2,000 calories per day and have done an average of 2 hours of indoor cycling per day but the effects have disappeared. Should I change my diet (I'm bad about eating fruits and veggies) or is it exercise-related or both? I still have plenty of energy to exercise but it doesn't seem to be doing much and I'd like to mix things up to maintain my weight loss. Any input?

Holy batman, you lost 33 pounds in a little over a month? I think that must be a typo.

djones195

Thank you very much honkytonks85! I pray that things will pick up again! Yep SLLRunner, 33 pounds in a little over a month (42 days to be precise)!

djones195

Does anyone else have any direct ideas about how I can overcome this plateau though? Any advice would be unbelievably appreciated!

Sued0nim

If you stick like this for the next 6 weeks, whilst accurately logging your calories, then ..and only then ...can you complain of plateau

What you are experiencing is the fact that weight loss is not linear and your body is now catching up

And also 5.5 pounds per week, even if you are morbidly obese, is an unhealthy rate of loss

999tigger

The first poster has given you the answer tbh. When most people talk about a plateau it tends to be 6-8 weeks+.

earlnabby

djones195 wrote: »

Does anyone else have any direct ideas about how I can overcome this plateau though? Any advice would be unbelievably appreciated!

First of all, a week is NOT a plateau. A plateau is 3 or more weeks with no change in weight OR measurements

Second, there is a good chance your body lost too much water with that 33 lb loss and it is starting to regain the fluids it needs to function properly. This is very common when there is a fast, major loss. It does not mean that you are still not losing fat.

Third, double check your weighing, measuring, and logging and make sure you are doing it correctly

Fourth, and most important. Keep doing what you are doing and be patient. Plateaus and stalls happen. If you are doing everything right, the losses will start up again on their own. You DO NOT need to do anything different.

I have lost 91 lb in 13 and 1/2 months. In that time, I have had 3 stalls. 2 were for 3 weeks and one was 4 weeks. I did nothing different and the losses started up again. They happen.

Blueseraphchaos

A week isn't a plateau...mfp should readjust your calories as you lose weight, or you can adjust them yourself. I think it does that every ten lbs. If you still haven't lost any weight after about a month and a half, then you have truly hit a plateau. That's when you should start tightening up logging (buy a digital food scale and use it, make sure the entries you're choosing from the database are correct, etc.)

After losing 33 lbs in 42 days, it's definitely going to slow down. If you're doing everything right, it'll start up again very soon, although slower than before.

drbcru

I feel for you. When you've been loosing and then don't it can be a disappointment. I also agree w/everyone that much weight loss in a month is hard on your body and it needs to adjust. You didn't put it on that fast. But try changing up your exercise if you feel you have to do something.