How do YOU get over a plateau?

ItzShoTime
ItzShoTime Posts: 50 Member
edited December 4 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been stuck at a plateau for the last couple of weeks. I switched up my workout to more cardio & boxing. I try to stay within calorie range. And I work out 5 days a week for around 45 mins. What do YOU do to get over a plateau? In need of some ideas
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Replies

  • janekana
    janekana Posts: 151 Member
    A food scale will help with your plateau. Also, it might be that you're gaining muscle if you're working out as well. Have you taken your measurements before your plateau? You might want to take it again, the scale is not everything! :)
  • crystalmorrison378
    crystalmorrison378 Posts: 180 Member
    Have you been doing measurements? I have found that measurements give you a better idea of your progress. You may not be losing pounds but still losing inches.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    I did intremittent fasting for about a week and broke through a plateau. I ate during a window of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and did not eat outside the window. I think waiting until 11 a.m. is what did it -- it was hard the first couple of days, but made my overall appetite go down. Overall, I think the "plateau" in my case is I was just eating too much.
  • Sophiareed218
    Sophiareed218 Posts: 145 Member
    I second what most others have said. Also, I know how frustrating it is when the scale refuses to budge, but only 2 weeks isn't that long to plateau. It could be your body holding onto water weight, or your logging has been inaccurate and you've been maintaining. A food scale is absolutely a good investment.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    ShohanaABencomo wrote: »
    So I've been stuck at a plateau for the last couple of weeks. I switched up my workout to more cardio & boxing. I try to stay within calorie range. And I work out 5 days a week for around 45 mins. What do YOU do to get over a plateau? In need of some ideas

    I tighten up on logging, and use a food scale. Don't just 'try' to hit your calories, hit them with precision.

    A plateau lasts much longer than 2 weeks, so it can just be a normal stall.

    It's got nothing to do with exercise.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I haven't hit a plateau (I've been reading and I'm beginning to wonder if there really is a plateau) but should I hit one I will eat maintenance for several days.
  • pageohana6
    pageohana6 Posts: 49 Member
    Just got off my plateau that lasted 5 weeks. I didn't up my excercise as I have a bad knee. I did my usual treadmill walk for 30 mins. I read up on plateaus and decided to do a refeed. I ate over my daily given calories for 3 days. Lost half a pound but the following week I was up 2 pds. I've been fluctuating between 1-2.5 pds these past 5 weeks. I kept logging my food and staying within my calorie range most days. Other days I'd eat 200 calories over. So diet didn't really change. Even on my refeed I'd eat healthy. I didn't pig out on junk. I'm set at losing .5 pds a week, so I wasn't calorie deprived. I was getting discouraged but kept on. Read somewhere where a girl was saying to "trust the process". Eating right and excercising something's gotta give. Last week when I weighed in (weigh in weekly). I dropped 4 pds. Am still losing, so I'm back on track for now. Be patient, keep on going; your body will catch up.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    ShohanaABencomo wrote: »
    I just got a food scale!!! I'm hoping that'll help

    I'd bet money it will. I've lost 115lbs so far without a single plateau and I've been using a food scale since day one.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Came in expecting someone to not be using a food-scale, I leave happy.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited October 2016
    I take a break for a day or two, eat whatever I want. Then come back to it fresh. Lyle MacDonald recommends this type of break. Has worked well for me breaking out of stalls.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    85Cardinals wrote: »
    I take a break for a day or two, eat whatever I want. Then come back to it fresh. Lyle MacDonald recommends this type of break. Has worked well for me breaking out of stalls.

    Good point. After 115lbs with no breaks, it would be advised to take a week or 2 at maintenance then get going again!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Monday, after all dinner and snacks were complete, I did 30 minutes of vigorous cardio. Specifically, I used my treadmill at 15 degrees incline and 3 mph. Tuesday morning, I weighed 1.2 lb less than Monday morning.
    Tuesday, after all dinner and snacks were complete, I did 30 minutes of the same vigorous cardio.
    Wednesday morning, I weighed 1.2 lb less than Tuesday morning.
    Wednesday, I accidentally went slightly over my calorie target of 1699 and did no exercise other than standing at my desk.
    Thursday morning, I weighed exactly the same as on Wednesday morning.

    My hypothesis is that my exercise burned off nearly 400 calories of glycogen and released the water associated with holding the glycogen. I'm going to do the hard cardio exercise again tonight after dinner to see if I can repeat the loss.

    I am tracking my net calories and diligently accounting for food and exercise. According to my tracking spreadsheet, the difference between my actual weight and my expected weight based on my accumulated calorie deficit on Monday morning was 1.29%, which is a large difference. Tuesday morning the differential had fallen to 0.81% and Wednesday morning it had fallen to 0.29%. Today it is 0.54%. I expect to be able to repeat the results of Monday and Tuesday today because I have the data to indicate that I should be able to. When the differential is negative, and and it has been a few times, my weight promptly snaps back toward a differential of 0%.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I've been using a digital scale and never had a plateau. I'm really glad you bought one! Your problems are over :smile:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Typically, if you're 100% sure that you're eating at a deficit, you don't have to change anything and the weight will eventually come down. Most 'plateaus' of a couple weeks are just really your body retaining water (especially for women before their period).

    But yeah.. you have to be 100% sure that you're eating at a deficit.
  • Spook_Skywalker
    Spook_Skywalker Posts: 180 Member
    I've seen some good answers on here. Definitely use a food scale - there is a great thread on here called "Counting Calories 101" I think. We can be very inaccurate in our measurements and so can manufacturers.

    As far as when I hit a plateaus (which I've had a few during my journey), I've usually done an intermittent 24 hour fast with my last meal being a bad one and then done low carb for a week. Every time I've done that I started losing again like normal. That's just what worked for me.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    I "Plateau" all the time. "Plateau'd" for a couple weeks straight just last week.

    But I would caution to say you've"plateau'd" when, it's only been a few weeks. A month? Maybe. Two months? Probably.

    That said, it's going to be what works for you, which is going to take some time. Some people keep on keepin' on. And it works. Some people increase calories and it works.
  • JennieMaeK
    JennieMaeK Posts: 474 Member
    To be honest, I haven't had a plateau, if by plateau you mean no weight loss without knowing why. Any time I've not lost, or even gained, I was well aware of the reason why. Has there been times that my results don't seem to match my effort, sure, but it usually catches up in a week or two.

    Being diligent helps. For me that means a food scare and being accurate with my diary. Although some of my entries may not look like it, I weigh almost all my solid food with a scale and measure liquids with measuring cups.

    I think you'll see some results now that you have an accurate picture of what you're consuming.

    Good luck.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    85Cardinals wrote: »
    I take a break for a day or two, eat whatever I want. Then come back to it fresh. Lyle MacDonald recommends this type of break. Has worked well for me breaking out of stalls.

    Good point. After 115lbs with no breaks, it would be advised to take a week or 2 at maintenance then get going again!

    Why should I take a break? Mentally, I'm still doing just fine with the diet and I've had zero plateaus or stalls. There is no reason for me to take a break. I think you're getting me confused with the OP. The OP was asking for plateau advise. I just mentioned the amount I've lost without a stall to demonstrate using a scale can be helpful. Why would you tell me to take a break when there is no current problem?

    Apologies for confusing you with the OP. That being said, if you have been dieting for a prolonged period of time with no breaks, no matter whether you have stalled or not, it is beneficial and in fact recommended to take a diet break.

    I highly advise reading the following;

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
  • Lindaendall
    Lindaendall Posts: 177 Member
    Perhaps your body thinks it has lost enough - by looking at your profile picture you look pretty good and have lost a significant amount of body weight. I know you can't judge by looking at one photo but perhaps you just need to accept what your body is telling you and start working on maintenance.........which I have actually found harder than losing the weight in the first place!!!
  • Lindaendall
    Lindaendall Posts: 177 Member
    Ooops - me again - sorry, I looked at the wrong profile pic, I looked at the poster below your original post. Sorry for the confusion.
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