HELP!!! I'M STUCK!!!

roseslate75

I've been doing so well, losing over 40 pounds since April. But now I am at a complete standstill. Haven't lost in three weeks and have actually gained a pound back. I also feel like I'm in a rut as far as food goes. I eat the same things and I can't seem to find anything that sparks my interest. I LOVE spicy, but my search for recipes has come up empty. How do you get over your plateaus? What are some good recipes for me to at to my food rotation? Thank so much in advance!

CoffeeInTheMtns

When I get into a rut I always go to pinterest or my go to blogs that post new recipes often. Also IG has loads of people andmpages to follow that post inspiring recipes with links. I also think of what I've been craving lately and how I can make it healthier. If you love spicy foods try a new ethnic group! I love indian and thai foods and they are really fun to cook!

JayFromThatOnePlace

Keep in mind that if you are nearing your ideal weight (or maybe I should say healthy weight) you might need to change your metrics. For example stop relying only on weight and maybe start taping. You may be losing fat but gaining muscle at roughly the same rate which is affecting weight loss. That's a good thing not bad.

AnvilHead

JayFromThatOnePlace wrote: »

Keep in mind that if you are nearing your ideal weight (or maybe I should say healthy weight) you might need to change your metrics. For example stop relying only on weight and maybe start taping. You may be losing fat but gaining muscle at roughly the same rate which is affecting weight loss. That's a good thing not bad.

L1zardQueen

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

nutmegoreo

roseslate75 wrote: »

I've been doing so well, losing over 40 pounds since April. But now I am at a complete standstill. Haven't lost in three weeks and have actually gained a pound back. I also feel like I'm in a rut as far as food goes. I eat the same things and I can't seem to find anything that sparks my interest. I LOVE spicy, but my search for recipes has come up empty. How do you get over your plateaus? What are some good recipes for me to at to my food rotation? Thank so much in advance!

Have you taken a diet break during that time? It might be worth it for a few reasons, including diet fatigue, re-balancing of hormones, and just giving you a few extra calories for two weeks to change up the diet a little bit. For a better explanation:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

nutmegoreo

JayFromThatOnePlace wrote: »

Keep in mind that if you are nearing your ideal weight (or maybe I should say healthy weight) you might need to change your metrics. For example stop relying only on weight and maybe start taping. You may be losing fat but gaining muscle at roughly the same rate which is affecting weight loss. That's a good thing not bad.

Women have a harder time building muscle than men do, and while eating in a calorie deficit, there are limited circumstances under which women will build muscle. I can't imagine there is likelihood of having that gain match pound for pound fat loss.

roseslate75

Thank you all so much! I haven't taken a diet break because I'm not close to my goal weight.....still have about 25 pounds to go. Not sure if this could be it, but I'm under a tremendous deal of stress. Going through a divorce is probably the worst thing to do on a diet! Lol. Things are finally calming down and I'm hoping that I can get back into my groove. And thank you so much for the tip about trying the new ethnic groups of food to switch things up! Pinterest is going to be my new best friend! 😊

KatAdele

Stress can definitely affect weight loss. I’ve plateaued a few times when I was under stress but eventually things start moving again if I’m consistent.

kimny72

roseslate75 wrote: »

Thank you all so much! I haven't taken a diet break because I'm not close to my goal weight.....still have about 25 pounds to go. Not sure if this could be it, but I'm under a tremendous deal of stress. Going through a divorce is probably the worst thing to do on a diet! Lol. Things are finally calming down and I'm hoping that I can get back into my groove. And thank you so much for the tip about trying the new ethnic groups of food to switch things up! Pinterest is going to be my new best friend! 😊

Diet breaks aren't just for when you're close to goal! Losing weight does mess with your hormones, plus most people just need a little bit of a psychological break too. It's actually not a bad idea to take a diet break every 3-4 months while losing weight. Definitely check out that link, and hang in there

ljrlose

I’m right there with you. I haven’t lost any significant weight in about two months. I’ve fluctuated up and down a bit. I took a break from calorie restriction and ate more at maintenance levels over the last couple of weeks which has helped mentally. I’m also trying to use the mirror as a source of encouragement as well as the way my clothing fits. The tape measure hasn’t helped either. We’ll see if the break was enough! Not that this probably helps you much but, know you aren’t alone on the plateau!

thisPGHlife

roseslate75 wrote: »

Thank you all so much! I haven't taken a diet break because I'm not close to my goal weight.....still have about 25 pounds to go. Not sure if this could be it, but I'm under a tremendous deal of stress. Going through a divorce is probably the worst thing to do on a diet! Lol. Things are finally calming down and I'm hoping that I can get back into my groove. And thank you so much for the tip about trying the new ethnic groups of food to switch things up! Pinterest is going to be my new best friend! 😊

Just for some perspective:

I know that it may not feel like you're that closer to goal with 20 pounds left to lose. I know 20 pounds will still take a while because your rate of loss slows down. It's very easy to look at how far you still have to go. But you have already lost over 40. That means that you are already over 2/3 of the way to goal. You've already lost 67% of the weight you set out to lose. At this point you've probably developed some good habits that work for you. Enjoy the diet break. You've earned it!