Inexplicable plateau? Perhaps not.

HeidiCooksSupper

I'm skating in circles on a plateau. Too hot to go walking; too lazy to exercise indoors. Eating too close to my max calories; going over some nights after the diary is "closed. Oh, dear! How do I ever end this plateau? First one to say "Eat less, move more" gets a kick in the teeth -- as soon as I get a horse and train it to do so

Terytha

I did the same thing for the last 7 weeks.

I broke it by forcing one perfect day. Slightly under max calories, extremely limited sugar, no after-close snacking, minimum 3000 steps. Just one day, was the agreement I had with myself.

But of course it felt good so I kept going.

Sometimes you just need that reminder.

Nbaker0909

Can you try logging your food the night before? Once you’ve made your preloaded dinner, get as far away from the kitchen as possible. If that means going for a walk/drive or locking yourself in your bedroom to watch a show and get past the cravings give it a try. You got this!

SCoil123

#1 - first things first...it isn’t a weight loss plateau if you already know you are eating around maintenance and not as active. It’s just maintaining at that point.

I struggle with night time snacking that had me in a similar position for awhile. Over time I actually ended up gaining some back too. What has worked for me is that I log those nightly splurges on the following day. They are already deducted from my calories then when I wake up and I can adjust for them.

Example: last night I ate some gourmet smashmallow marshmallows (whole bag 400 cals) and since I was already near calorie goal I logged them to today’s. Now today I need to adjust my intake since I have 400 less calories available to stay on plan.

bmeadows380

if you've been at it a while, you might want to consider a diet break. Though that's technically what you've been doing, perhaps try giving yourself mental permission to do so. Eat at maintenance for a few weeks, then slowly work your way back down to a deficit.

NovusDies

You are not really in a plateau. You are in a period of diminished discipline. You are "calorie creeping" which could just be some diet fatigue. @bmeadows380 suggestion of a diet break is usually what helps me.

The other thing I used to do more often is challenge myself to cook in different ways or with ingredients I either have never used or seldom use.

FibroHiker

I was doing the same during the month of June. Almost no progress that month.

I was able to cut back on my overall calories from 1500-1600 daily to 1300-1400 by cutting back on carbs from grain products and filling it in with vegetables and fruit. Doing this I still feel satiated with what I'm eating. I have not changed up my exercise at all. This month I have begun dropping pounds again.

HeidiCooksSupper

You are all dears for trying to help. LOL

I broke it by forcing one perfect day.

But isn't perfection overrated?

get as far away from the kitchen as possible.

I'm an ancient pandemic shut-in in a small apartment.

You are not really in a plateau. You are in a period of diminished discipline.

Eek! That certainly harshes my mellow!

Thanx y'all!

hipari

Maybe time for some ”unconventional” techniques: if you brush your teeth immediately after closing your diary, do you still feel like snacking?

In the past I have broken out of that kind of funk by, unconventionally, planning a pig-out fest that I knew would make my stomach turn. Not necessarily a literal binge in terms of amounts, but enough fat, salt, carbs and computer games to make me a fluid-retaining, irritated-bowel-having, eyes-crossed, sore-from-bad-posture mess that starts craving lettuce, cucumber and fresh outdoor air just to feel like human again. Maybe not something I’d recommend to anyone, but has worked for me.

BTW, if the recent evolution of your profile pics is any indication of your actual progress, damn girl. I don’t know if you’re personally happy with the changes, but based on your picture evolution I dare congratulate you.

springlering62

^^^ agree!!! Keep hanging in there. You’ve got this!

And can the “ancient” stuff. You’re only as old as you tell yourself you are.

Hanibanani2020

If you want to get out of maintenance mode maybe remove those temptation foods for a while until you are in a new routine and have some control back. It’s hard at the moment. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Keeping a horse in a small apartment may be pushing it though 😂

cmriverside

As a retired lockdown member myself, in a small apartment with a stuffed refrigerator and pantry and even though it's hot - I get up super early (4AM) and get my walk in as soon as the sun is up. It's the only way I'll do it and it's also the only way I've personally found to keep my calories in line.

Then - I don't buy and don't bring home ANY treat food. I've only done it once since lockdown, and that was because it was my birthday.

Unless you count bananas on peanut butter toast "treat food." Because that ish has ended up on my "oops" list more than once.

kshama2001

cmriverside wrote: »

As a retired lockdown member myself, in a small apartment with a stuffed refrigerator and pantry and even though it's hot - I get up super early (4AM) and get my walk in as soon as the sun is up. It's the only way I'll do it and it's also the only way I've personally found to keep my calories in line.

Then - I don't buy and don't bring home ANY treat food. I've only done it once since lockdown, and that was because it was my birthday.

Unless you count bananas on peanut butter toast "treat food." Because that ish has ended up on my "oops" list more than once.

I used to live in South Florida with a husky. We both hated the summers. I forced myself to walk him before sunrise and after sunset.

These days I have no dog and a different sleep schedule. On hot days I try to do a little gardening after dinner but before full dark, or exercise indoors.

I'm perimenopausal and while I don't have hot flashes, I feel always hot, and the heat outdoors really saps me.

I have been swimming twice this summer on a private pond and that was really nice. I'm having some health issues that prevents me from doing this as much as I'd like.

If you added honey to your PB, banana, and toast that would 100% be treat food for me

AnnPT77

HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »

I'm skating in circles on a plateau. Too hot to go walking; too lazy to exercise indoors. Eating too close to my max calories; going over some nights after the diary is "closed. Oh, dear! How do I ever end this plateau? First one to say "Eat less, move more" gets a kick in the teeth -- as soon as I get a horse and train it to do so

All I know, is that you darn well better make this thing work, not give up. You write fun (and sensible) posts, so we can't have you leaving the building, OK?

As a fairly ancient pandemic sort-of shut-in in a house (with a yard, so not 100% shut in), I empathize.

No good advice though, unless a new hobby, or a revived old one, would be a good distraction?

Wishing you the best at galumphing through the sloggy bit . . . betting you can/will.

HeidiCooksSupper

Thank you, @AnnPT77. I'm sticking around and am finding more ways to keep active in the hot sticky season. Our fitness center and pool have opened and now I can use them some more. Every morning the scale refuses to dip I just keep remembering that my t-shirt/tunics are hanging down my front even fresh from the dryer. Life is good!

L1zardQueen

Just keep going! Hugs