What has worked for you? Smacked into a wall called plateau?

Hoping4change5
Hoping4change5 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I have been on MFP for quite awhile. I had my goal at 70-80 pounds. I have lost 58 pounds and am about 15-20 pounds away and I think I have hit a plateau or a stall. I had steadily been at the gym 6 days a week mixing cardio and weight training in my workouts and eating clean. I don't eat my exercise calories back due to the fact I usually eat alot of fruits and vegetables which don't account for a lot of calories. Just this past week I seem to be stuck at the same weight . I have heard of how everyone breaks a plateau and I am just trying to figure out what works best for people. I am so close to my goal i am frustrated to see things slow down when I was 3 pounds away from the home stretch! I have been told some people try to eat more calories than usual. (Eating exercise calories plus their max calories allowed) Some try to "shock" their body and eat a meal that is high in calories that they haven't in a long time (burger/fries) and that seems to trick the body into losing the weight again and I have been told some fast for 24 hours and that works. Anyone have some ideas what really worked for them? I could really use some help to get back on track.

Thanks!

Replies

  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
    I would not give yourself more deficit than 250-500 calories MAX.

    I plateaued for 8 long months...and the only way I broke out of it was by increasing my calories (while exercising still the same) so the deficit was closer to 500 calories, instead of 1000. I realized after close monitoring and using Bodymedia/fitbit, that I was not eating enough.

    Two weeks later, Dropped 4lbs. I have now been consistently losing weight ever since.
  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
    My story is very similar to yours, trying to lose 85 pounds, down 52, hit a plateau this month with the same weight +/- 2 pounds for over three weeks. Don't eat back exercise calories because I'm unsure how accurate the estimate is. Weigh/measure all foods. I just held on and kept doing what I was doing, and finally a few days ago I reached the back edge of the plateau and have dropped sharply, as if I were losing 3 weeks of weight in a week. I know that this rapid loss will end soon, but I'm enjoying it for now. Hopefully it will not end in another 3 week plateau. :noway:
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    I hit a plateau and I think it was just a phase where my body was adjusting. My appearance changed and I lost inches despite a static scale reading, it then broke loose later. Stick to your plan and calorie deficit, I am not a fan of eating more to lose weight.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    One week does not a plateau make. Keep going for a few more weeks. If there still is no change, you may want to consider weighing your food to get a much more accurate picture of your intake. You may be eating more calories than you think you are.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1 - one week is not a plateau; weight loss isn't linear. I had weeks where I lost a couple Lbs, weeks where I lost very little, weeks where I lost nothing and weeks that actually showed gains on the scale due to water weight, etc.

    2 - as you lean out, it's going to slow down and become even less of a linear process

    3- as you get nearer your goal and things start slowing down...and believe me, they slow way down when you get to around 10 - 15 Lbs...once you're at a healthy BF%, the body is pretty reluctant to give up those fat stores...but anyway, this is a really good time to start putting way more focus on the process and your nutrition and fitness and start thinking about goals that are going to take you into and help you further in maintenance. A lot of people neglect that part and then they get to goal and do a happy dance and then don't have a clue as to what to do next or how to actually maintain a healthy weight.
  • Hoping4change5
    Hoping4change5 Posts: 11
    Thank you for the replies. I am hoping i'm not at a plateau and just a stall or even a slow down process. But Cwolf, you are right in the sense that I really have no idea how to maintain the healthy weight either after the fact. I have not been down to 160 lbs since after the birth of my first child so even being this size is completely new to me again and it's just frustrating to see the weight fly off then all of a sudden it slows to a halt.. trying to nip it in the beginning if it was a plateau.. Maybe a little overeager on my part lol

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