What do you do to get over a plateau?

bree1609

I haven't lost much weight in the last three weeks. If I do lose, it goes right back to where it last was again. I know I need to step it up a bit. I'm going back to working out at least six days a week (that's a little over three hours a week as opposed to the two hours I'm currently doing), and I'm adding a diet supplement. I haven't used one to lose the first 12 lbs, but I'm adding SlimQuick to see if I can get a boost.

What do the rest of you do?

kimjoan

I mix it up as well. I travel a lot for my job so my workouts the last few weeks have been 4 a week instead of 6. This week I am not travelling so I am going to do 6 workouts and up the cardio to 1 hour vs 30-45 minutes. I am also going to focus on burnout of specific muscle groups on the weights vs an all over upper body/lower body strength training workout. My plateau's have been pretty crazy - I will loose 5-7 pounds in a blink and then it is 5-6 weeks before I loose another ounce. This being said, if what you have been doing has been successful don't deviate too far from success just be patient. : )

millerll

Slim Quick won't help. And 6 days a week might cause burn out. Some things to consider first: Are you eating your exercise calories? If so, how are you measuring calories burned? MFP tends to overstimate, as do many cardio machines at the gym. A heart rate monitor is the most accurate way to measure calories burned. Also, I highly recommend you add strength training to your workout if you're not doing it now. It's a real fat burner.

Second, are you tracking sodium, fat, and sugars? Those things are hidden in many processed and fast foods. If you're eating those, even if you're staying within your calorie limits, you may not lose. It would help if your diary was public so I could see what you're eating.

Third, are you taking measurements? Sometimes, the scale doesn't move much, but the tape measure shows that you are actually slimming down. Same for your clothes. How are they fitting?

Finally, a three week plateau isn't unusual. I had several. If you're doing everything right, just be patient. You will start to lose again if you stick with it. For me, changing my cardio routine to something different (adding jogging, for example) got things moving again. Another time, I cut my carbs for a few weeks and that did the trick. Just be patient and you should have success. Good luck!

You don't have much to lose, so it will be slow process if you're going to do it safely.

rymattsmom

i agree with miller.

check what your doing, re-evaluate your doings. change your exercise routine, maybe change your food around a bit. sometimes you get used to the same ole same ole and your body gets tired of it, it needs a change, mix things up girl!

i had about a 2 month plateau, but i stayed patient and kept plugging away, then when i was ready i really changed things and saw results...........
good luck!

rymattsmom

btw, remember, exercise is like 20% of the battle, the other is 80% food, so take a lookey to see what your really eating!

bree1609

I just got my HRM, so I'm hoping that will help kick my workouts in gear. I already noticed that MFP can be generous in the calorie department. Now I know for sure.

I am going to switch up my food a bit. I tend to eat the same things (breakfast and lunch) because I have a rushed morning and knowing the calories I'm eating for those two meals every day has been easy. But I'm going to try something else. Maybe get a little more fiber in the morning too.

Thanks for the comments!

Holton

MIX it up....calorie intake and exercise options. Zig zag your calorie intake up and down by as much as 200-300 calories per day (as long as you don't every go below 1200 per day) and whatever your exercise of choice may be at this time, look for other options to "confuse" your body. We all have plateaus and for whatever reason, I believe they must serve some purpose that we are just not aware of. You are not alone. DO NOT give up; keep plugging along. I personally would not advocate SLim quick or any other such liquid calorie as I think there are way too many healthy solid foods out there that enable us to fuel our bodies better.

rayfromtx

I was at 203 for 2 1/2 weeks. I took about 300 calories a day off of my allowed intake and boom. One week later I'm at 199. Maybe the weight was just weighting(pun) to come off. Perhaps it's just about mixing it up. I'm going back up to my original allowed daily intake and I'll see what happens. Good to be under 200. I just put on a suit that hasn't fit in a long time and it looks fab. Thanks myfitnesspal.

Tamie_Girl

So true, exercising is the easy part - it's the other 23 hours I have a problem with...the "lure" of food.