That dreaded plateau and numb toes!!!

halagr

Over the past year I've lost around 40lb through working out (4 hours cardio/ 2 strength a week) and cutting food down to a strict 1200 calories of lean meat and veg a day. At 22 I've gone from 218lb - 177lb.
At 5'9" I'm looking to get to around 165lb but mostly to be happy with the way my body looks. For the last 3/4 months I've stayed in the same place, I've not noticed any change in shape and the scales Arnt moving. How has everyone else overcome any plateau they might have experienced?

On another note when I run my toes get pins and needles and/or numb - any ideas?

leilanibarrett13

Anytime I go through a plateau, I switch up my workout routine. I feel like my body gets used to a certain routine, and needs a switch up for muscle confusion, which will allow myself to have more results.
My feet fall asleep when I run sometimes too. I think it is a circulation problem I have just increased my water intake a lot, and that has helped. It could be the way you are running too. There is a specific way your feet are supposed to land, or pain will ensue.

Great job on your weight loss and way to ask questions whenever you find a stumbling block. Keep it up!

HWeatherholt

As far as the toes, i would look I to new shoes. Average life span of a good athletic is 300 - 500 miles, before it is broken down and not providing the support it is designed to.

SLLRunner

Congratulations on your weight loss! 12 pounds left to lose is not much. Plateau is just another word for eating at maintenance. Also, make sure your goals are set to lose .5 pounds per week until you reach your goal, but make sure your logging of calories in/calories out is accurate.

Are you weighing all food you eat?

Are you entering the correct entries into your diary?

Where do you get your calorie estimations from?

Have you been allowing MFP to adjust your caloric intake with each ten pounds you lose?

Have you changed anything in your dietary plan (eating more?) or your exercise (exercising less or less intensely?) that might affect your caloric intake?

ETA: I forgot to address the running. Have you been fitted for correct running shoes? The wrong shoes can really affect how our feet feel during running and after.

healthygreek

Also in regard to your shoes-it may be as simple as you are tying the laces too tightly perhaps?
I was and after I loosened them a bit, it got much better. And make sure the shoes themselves aren't too tight-feet swell during a workout or run. Fit is everything.

DianeinCA

Over the past year I've lost around 40lb through working out (4 hours cardio/ 2 strength a week) and cutting food down to a strict 1200 calories of lean meat and veg a day. At 22 I've gone from 218lb - 177lb.
At 5'9" I'm looking to get to around 165lb but mostly to be happy with the way my body looks. For the last 3/4 months I've stayed in the same place, I've not noticed any change in shape and the scales Arnt moving. How has everyone else overcome any plateau they might have experienced?

Whenever I see someone who's over about 5'1" in height or 110 in weight post they're eating 1200 calories per day, I go over to Scooby and get some actual numbers. I put in that you're "active" (even though at that level of exercise you're probably "very active" or "extremely active") and got a BMR of 1630 and a TDEE of 2527.

So my guess would be you've suppressed your metabolism and your body has said, "Yeah, I'm tired." Especially as you have 8 pounds to go. I've seen lots of recs on MFP that at 10 lbs or less aim for 1/2 pound loss per week. 2527 - 250 = 2300 calories per day, or almost twice what you're currently eating.

I would recommend that over the next couple of weeks upping your calories (slowly, because your body can't handle it right now) from 1200 a day to 1750 and see how things are going. This week do 1300 a day, next week 1400, etc. At the very least, your body will thank you for not starving it any more. (Have you been eating back exercise calories by the way? That will also affect what happens.)

On another note when I run my toes get pins and needles and/or numb - any ideas?

See a podiatrist. I had to get inserts for my regular shoes (I don't wear them when I run, because of the pounding, but I wear them the rest of the time. You may have some (minor) nerve damage. It's very common.

lastusernameever

I can't comment on the weight loss as I've only just begun my journey. However I'd agree with the new shoes thing, my shoes felt fine when they were first put on but it turned out I was wearing a half size too small which was causing pressure across the top of my feet and causing them to go numb about 30 minutes into exercise.