Plateau is over--I'm finally in the 120s!

remotebutterfly

I'm 25. Four years ago, I was my heaviest--5'4 and around or over 167 lbs. I lost 14 lbs and stayed at 153 for a few years, occasionally losing a little weight, but never able to keep it off.

In September, I decided to make a change for real. I started working out five days a week and eating well, and slowly but surely the weight has come off. Sometime in late January, I hit a plateau, and hovered in the low 130s, losing and gaining the same two pounds. I was ready to give up and just accept that I'd always be 132 lbs.

Instead of giving up, I changed my routine. Fears of the virus have kept me from my usual gym routine, so I've taken up running and strength training. The change paid off--over the past two weeks, I finally, slowly, started losing again! Today I weighed myself and I'm 129 lbs.

I can hardly believe it--I can't remember ever weighing in the 120s, not since I was a kid. Just seeing that "2" on the scale almost made me cry. My ultimate goal is 125, and I can't believe how close I am to finally achieving it.

emmaprocopiou

Congratulations on getting to the 120’s and well done on persevering and not giving up

go52182

That's awesome!! I too hope to be in the 120's some day. Good job!

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Utterly fabulous--super YAY YOU!

LAT1963

Wow! sustained effort paid off!

guil0095

congrats

SheilaCali

Thanks for the inspo! I'm also 5'4" and stuck at a 142.5 plateau. I hovered at 133 for a year myself. I just kicked my cardio up a notch today, so we'll see how long it takes to start losing again. You showed me it CAN be done!

acooperm

Congrats on your awesome achievement! I've lost 14.5 lbs since January and have been hovering between 134 and 133 for last 2 weeks! I'd like to be 125 by summer. I've stepped up my at home workouts doing kettleball tapes. I'm knew to kettlebell and absolutely love it!

missyelainious

Thanks for this. I have lost 22 and just saw 140 on the scale today and am really looking to break into the 130’s as I don’t remember ever weighing that little. I’ve been kind of lax with myself the past couple weeks with birthdays and anniversary, but dialing it in this week!

Cerizez

I’m aiming for 125 also. I’m 5’5.

Was down to 127 in dec, before some family stuff went wild. So I’m on the way back down from 134.

I’ve taken inspiration from your persistence and particularly from the changes you made to your exercise and diet. So this week I’ve totally changed things up. Fingers crossed I can more back down towards goal and stay there regardless of outside factors.

beckygreene86

Congrats!!! Setting realistic goals, reaching them and setting the next and getting there again is an awesome feeling.

Cerizez

Didn't work: scales still moving upwards. I don't know why. I'm under calories, I have a deficit every day, exercising every day, macros good, eating clean, drinking lots of water: yet, the scales is moving upwards. The measuring tape is staying the same, but since I have a calorie deficit, I don't know why this isn't reducing. This is MADDENING.

MauiCinnamon

Cerizez wrote: »

Didn't work: scales still moving upwards. I don't know why. I'm under calories, I have a deficit every day, exercising every day, macros good, eating clean, drinking lots of water: yet, the scales is moving upwards. The measuring tape is staying the same, but since I have a calorie deficit, I don't know why this isn't reducing. This is MADDENING.

First, I don't mean to sound like an expert as I am not. Could this be a quick hormone shift that will shift again? Carrying extra water for a few days? But what struck me was you eating under calories. The weight loss philosophy of eating back your calories is the way the MFP food diary is set up -- so we don't mess up our metabolism. You and your body might be at cross purposes now -- it thinks you're starving and it's saving your life and you are rewarding it by giving it even less. This could have long term impact of setting what you can eat too low and weight loss even harder. I am almost 60 and weight is a lot more work to lose anything now. I'm finding the way to beat a plateau is to do something radically different. I broke through a barrier by going on vacation, eating really well but probably a couple more hundred calories than usual w/ one splurge meal and lost weight! I just moved the dial again by switching from hot yoga to aerobics classes. Took about three weeks (again, age), but now the weight is moving again. Intermittent fasting (not lower calories but fewer eating hours) helped me break through again.

Cerizez

@MauiCinnamon - thanks for your advice. I think you're right: I've started being less strict. I've also cut out the high calorie foods such as peanut butter in favour of bulkier foods. Fingers crossed. : )

By the way - great name.

Notreadytoquit

Hold tight to your success. Your story is my story weight wise, only it took me 7 years to get to 120's. I am 65 and just this winter dipped below 120. Cannot believe it. My exercise, once extreme and intense like you, now has shifted to real life exercise. Mostly farming and gardening. MFP and daily logging definitely a big part of my reeducation. Kudos for your hards work.