Plateau frustrations

Hey,

I’ve been on here for a couple of months now to try and break through this weight loss plateau. I’ve lost 40lbs over the past 2 years. Still working out (even harder), but not really losing anymore. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • terril18
    terril18 Posts: 13 Member
    Congrats on the weight loss! Great job! In the same boat as you, lost 32 pounds last 2 months and now I keep hitting that plateau more often. I changed my exercise a bit and starting doing a walk in the evening and lil to no carbs at night. (very hard for me to not eat carbs) I lost 1.2 pounds after 4 days. Keep at it, don't give up and it your body will react. You got this!!!
  • oceangirl99
    oceangirl99 Posts: 161 Member
    It was suggested to me to use Happy Scale so I could see on average my weight was going down. Since you've lost 40 lbs, you already know that if you are truly consistently eating fewer calories than you burn, the scale will move eventually. I have to go in to my goal settings and basically just re-save them for my calorie goal to keep up with my weight loss. If you haven't done that you may aiming for too many calories. I also figured I had hit a bit of a plateau but I didn't really, my weight loss has just slowed a bit. To get it moving a bit faster, I have decided to go back to my low carb eating for November (I find that a pretty restrictive diet works for me because I'm usually an all or nothing kind of gal and low carb keeps me away from a lot of my cheat foods). I expect December to be a really difficult month for me to lose anything.
    I'm also finding that my MFP friends are keeping motivated and that I'm addicted to this site. Feel free to add me.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    krich0502 wrote: »
    Hey,

    I’ve been on here for a couple of months now to try and break through this weight loss plateau. I’ve lost 40lbs over the past 2 years. Still working out (even harder), but not really losing anymore. Any suggestions?

    How long has it been since you've lost any weight? How much do you have left to lose?

    How accurate and consistent is your food logging?
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    It was suggested to me to use Happy Scale so I could see on average my weight was going down. Since you've lost 40 lbs, you already know that if you are truly consistently eating fewer calories than you burn, the scale will move eventually. I have to go in to my goal settings and basically just re-save them for my calorie goal to keep up with my weight loss. If you haven't done that you may aiming for too many calories. I also figured I had hit a bit of a plateau but I didn't really, my weight loss has just slowed a bit. To get it moving a bit faster, I have decided to go back to my low carb eating for November (I find that a pretty restrictive diet works for me because I'm usually an all or nothing kind of gal and low carb keeps me away from a lot of my cheat foods). I expect December to be a really difficult month for me to lose anything.
    I'm also finding that my MFP friends are keeping motivated and that I'm addicted to this site. Feel free to add me.

  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    I have not tried resetting my goals. That’s a good idea. And I am just venturing out to the MFP community, so I’m hoping I will find motivating friends too. Thanks
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    krich0502 wrote: »
    Hey,

    I’ve been on here for a couple of months now to try and break through this weight loss plateau. I’ve lost 40lbs over the past 2 years. Still working out (even harder), but not really losing anymore. Any suggestions?

    How long has it been since you've lost any weight? How much do you have left to lose?

    How accurate and consistent is your food logging?

  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    I lost my vacation weight gain of 5lbs over the past 2 weeks. That just put me back at break even.

    Don’t even remember my goal. I think it’s just 10lbs away.

    I am a bit ocd with the food log. I figure It’s just not helpful if it’s not accurate.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    I was told when you his a plateau change things up. So if you are usually doing more cardio switch it to more weighted exercise or vice versa. This always worked for me.
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    I’ve increased my cardio only. Since MFP strength exercise doesn’t help with calories.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    edited November 2018
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I’ve increased my cardio only. Since MFP strength exercise doesn’t help with calories.

    but all exercise helps burn calories. Just because MFP doesn't "give" you calories for it doesn't mean it's not burning them
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I lost my vacation weight gain of 5lbs over the past 2 weeks. That just put me back at break even.

    Don’t even remember my goal. I think it’s just 10lbs away.

    I am a bit ocd with the food log. I figure It’s just not helpful if it’s not accurate.

    If you only have @ 10 lbs left and are in the healthy weight range for your height, you should only be expecting to lose @ 0.5lbs per week, which can really easily hide behind water weight fluctuations on the scale for weeks at a time. When I lost my last 5 lbs, I saw the scale move around 1 lb per month.

    My best advice would be to focus on other goals than the scale, and just keep on keeping on. Do a gut check and make sure you aren't losing track of calories anywhere and try to be patient. Good luck!
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I lost my vacation weight gain of 5lbs over the past 2 weeks. That just put me back at break even.

    Don’t even remember my goal. I think it’s just 10lbs away.

    I am a bit ocd with the food log. I figure It’s just not helpful if it’s not accurate.

    So you actually are not at a plateau if you are still loosing.

    with 10lbs to go you need to tighten up logging. do you use a food scale for everything and double check entires you use in MFP? I have done a ton of that lately and found lots of errors that didn't matter at the beginning but now did.

    also for the last 10lbs they recommend going down to a 0.5lb/week rate of loss.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I’ve increased my cardio only. Since MFP strength exercise doesn’t help with calories.

    Strength training may not give you many extra cals to play with, but it can make you look better. Honestly, once you get into the healthy weight range, a progressive strength training program can sometimes do more to reshape your body than losing lbs can. Don't necessarily discount it!
  • MarvinsFitLife
    MarvinsFitLife Posts: 874 Member
    Sleep! Make sure you’re sleeping matter of fact resting
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    Good idea, thanks!
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I’ve increased my cardio only. Since MFP strength exercise doesn’t help with calories.

    Strength training may not give you many extra cals to play with, but it can make you look better. Honestly, once you get into the healthy weight range, a progressive strength training program can sometimes do more to reshape your body than losing lbs can. Don't necessarily discount it!

    Right! I’ll have to remember that.
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    Sleep! Make sure you’re sleeping matter of fact resting

    Good idea, thanks!
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    krich0502 wrote: »
    I lost my vacation weight gain of 5lbs over the past 2 weeks. That just put me back at break even.

    Don’t even remember my goal. I think it’s just 10lbs away.

    I am a bit ocd with the food log. I figure It’s just not helpful if it’s not accurate.

    So you actually are not at a plateau if you are still loosing.

    with 10lbs to go you need to tighten up logging. do you use a food scale for everything and double check entires you use in MFP? I have done a ton of that lately and found lots of errors that didn't matter at the beginning but now did.

    also for the last 10lbs they recommend going down to a 0.5lb/week rate of loss.

    Since I gained first, it didn’t feel like a loss. I am going to have to buckle down to make this happen.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    but loosing is loosing even if it's stuff you put back on. a plateau would be zero change in weight over over 3 weeks.

    even if you are unhappy that it is weight you put BACK on, weight loss is weight loss and it is progress and means you are now on the right track and to keep doing what you are doing!

    also, weight loss isn't linear. i weigh myself daily (same time) and log my weight in a trending app (Happy Scale). my weight goes up and down daily. sometimes it goes up 3pds. once 4-5lbs. not so much FAT i put on just normal fluctuations (maybe i retained more water that day). but the TREND is downward and that's what I look at and now that i've logged enough months in the app I feel a little less bad on the days my weight is stubbornly up for a stretch. And often a week or two later i see a decent drop.
  • krich0502
    krich0502 Posts: 63 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    but loosing is loosing even if it's stuff you put back on. a plateau would be zero change in weight over over 3 weeks.

    even if you are unhappy that it is weight you put BACK on, weight loss is weight loss and it is progress and means you are now on the right track and to keep doing what you are doing!

    also, weight loss isn't linear. i weigh myself daily (same time) and log my weight in a trending app (Happy Scale). my weight goes up and down daily. sometimes it goes up 3pds. once 4-5lbs. not so much FAT i put on just normal fluctuations (maybe i retained more water that day). but the TREND is downward and that's what I look at and now that i've logged enough months in the app I feel a little less bad on the days my weight is stubbornly up for a stretch. And often a week or two later i see a decent drop.

    I see. I may try this happy scale app. I’ve heard it mentioned a few times.