Help! I've plateaud - for the longest ever!!

Amandabelanger614

First off, before you give me suggestions on my meal plans...know that i am gluten, soy and egg inotolerant.

Breakfest:
2 rice cakes - 40 calories each (1 gram protein each)
30g of chocolate vegan protein powder - 114 calories (24 grams protein)
16g PB2 - 60 calories (6 grams protein)
1 bananan - 100 calories
calories: 354 (33 grams protein)

Lunch:
Black bean & peas stuffed green pepper
calories: 360 (25 grams protein)

Snack:
1 cup applesuace
calories: 90

Dinner:
4 oz fish 100 calories (21-24 grams of protein)
7 oz sweet potatoes 175 calories (7 grams protein)
1 cup fat free ice cream 160 calories (8 grams protein)
2 tbsp sugar free chocolate syrup 15 calories
calories: 450 (36 grams protein)

Day total: 1254 (94 grams protein)
I have done this since dec 3rd 2013 and lost 20 pounds, but have plateaud the 3 weeks now!
I workout 6 hours a week. 2 days strength the rest cardio.

Thank you for reading!

TavistockToad

3 years may be the longest plateau ever, 3 weeks is not!

zainabeautiful

I went to my doctor because i was doing a pretty strict diet, like you and working out, and I palteaud for about 3-4 weeks. He told me not to worry and continue what I was doing, my body will catch up. Hope this encourages you! Hang in there...i know I will

__freckles__

Open your diary. I'm thinking you probably don't weigh your food and are eating more than you think. Everything shouldn't round off to a nice even number.

StaciMarie1974

You need change. If you do the same routine, then after a while your metabolism readjusts. The body tries to be efficient, you stop losing weight because you're not burning what you should be.

Ideas:

Change workouts:
Different cardio
More intense cardio
More intense strength

Change nutrition:
Reassess goals to aim for 1/2 pound loss slower and add the 250 calories to your nutrition every day
For 1 week eat at maintenance then aim for 1300-1500 6x a week and have a maintenance day once per week
Try calorie cycling, having a low day and a high day each week (but never extremely low)

Going forward change things up on a regular basis.

tapirfrog

I don't think you can even start to call it a plateau until you hit three weeks, so you're not in trouble or anything. Just keep doing what you were doing, and yes, weigh your food carefully if you aren't already.

deksgrl

You are 9 pounds from goal weight now? Weight loss will slow as you get closer to goal. Set your profile to lose half a pound a week.

Make sure you weigh/measure/log foods accurately. If using the MFP method, eat some more for exercise burns (though it is a smart idea to not eat all of the calories MFP allows) or use a Heart Rate Monitor to determine calories burned.

_HeartsOnFire_

You are 9 pounds from goal weight now? Weight loss will slow as you get closer to goal. Set your profile to lose half a pound a week.

Make sure you weigh/measure/log foods accurately. If using the MFP method, eat some more for exercise burns (though it is a smart idea to not eat all of the calories MFP allows) or use a Heart Rate Monitor to determine calories burned.

This!!!

lindsey1979

3 weeks is not an uncommon "plateau" time. Likely water retention is hiding your loss. Give it another two weeks. There are also a few strategies people use to cause the "whoosh" -- like a refeed. That helped me break my 3 week plateau (or coincided with it breaking).

http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-water-retention-part_28.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

DrJenO

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-path-of-success-631437

I just got through a 3 week plateau. I've not only gotten through it, I've made up for all the "lost" ground to average out the 1lb/week I've been plugging away at for the last 6 mos.

Although, as has been mentioned above, you really need to remember that the closer you get to goal, the more your body wants to hold on to those last few pounds. What is your current BMI?