(My Story) From 190 to 170 to Plateau to Quitting

destinyger

Yea! I am also stuck at my current weight for a long time. Eating quite healthily but the weight keeps going up and down those 2 pounds. Anyone here knows how long will this last and what should i do to overcome? Thanks

hungergames2015

I really needed to hear this! I have tried so many times to lose, and I don't know if I have it in me again...but I'm going to do it. Add me as a friend, because I would love to follow your SUCCESS story. It's going to happen!

medlaura

IMHO the real reason you quit is you weren't practicing a sustainable way of life that would have kept the weight off over the long term......you used the plateau as an excuse to quit.....keep that in mind as you move forward. If you aren't enjoying the journey you will never stick it out long enough to see the end zone. I say this from my own experience ;-)

At that time, it was natural for me to go out and eat within my calorie range. It wasn't hard for me to stay active and be healthy because it had turned into a habit, and knowing that losing weight was an out come from it just made it even easier for me. But when the weight stopped coming off, even when i was doing everything 100% right, the motivation just went away. I was too focused on the numbers in the scale. But im glad this has happened to me. This time around i will focus less on the numbers and more on the way i feel about myself. I am glad i am not alone and if i helped someone in anyway.:smooched:

medlaura

This is meaningful ya'll because I think lord knows everyone on this site and their mom has got to know I've been stuck in the 180's for SIX MONTHS!

Psssh... But I haven't really given up.

Just started going slightly insane, but in that traditional definition where you repeat the same thing over and over again (diet, exercise) and expect different results.

Things will get better :flowerforyou:

AsaThorsWoman

Thank you so much MedLaura!

I am aware that a portion of it is my fault because I have been lifting, which causes weight gain, and have been experiencing clear body re-comp...

But OH MY GOODNESS I want to see that scale say 179 for my sanity!

nellyett

Congrats for coming back..... One of the reasons I plateaued when I came to MFP originally was after I'd been eating the typical 1200 cal diet for a while. I lost 7 lbs pretty quickly and then NOTHING for weeks! Like you, I was frustrated, starving and angry!

I personally have been up and down with my weight, in fantastic shape, out of shape, and everywhere in between. I gained close to 100 lbs when I got pregnant due to quitting smoking and being lazy, eating crap, etc.

Anyhoo....after being on a ridiculous plateau I educated myself on my BMR and TDEE and UPPED my calories to a NET of 1500 per day....PLUS eating back each and every exercise calorie. I felt better immediately and due to my body "de-stressing", I dropped 2 lbs that week!

By doing this I was losing a steady 0.5-1 lb per week without depriving myself of anything. I kept my protein high and let everything else fall where it may. It didn't matter what time of day I ate either. I was close to getting under 20% bodyfat and then I quit smoking again last year and filled my days with sugar, and wasn't exercising as much as I normally did. The weight gain was totally my fault, and was totally avoidable, but I didn't do the things I knew I was supposed to.

Fast forward to now....I was focusing on building as much muscle as I could since I wasn't willing to eat at a deficit apparently. lol I am currently easing into a cut of 15% from my TDEE which is around 2300 cals per day. This puts me at an intake of just under 2000 cals per day GROSS. I do not eat any exercise calories back.

This gives me a steady loss of 1-2 lbs per week when I stay consistent. Since you were only losing approx 1 lb per week anyway, wouldn't you rather do it without giving up foods you love, and without feeling deprived and starving all the time?

Here are a couple of links that are definitely worth the read! They've changed my life, have broken me from the old school diet mentality, and I no longer feel like I need to suffer to be healthy!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1334832-women-losing-weight-on-1800-calories

SongbirdLandy

Back in 2012 I got down to 230 lbs from 420 lbs. I got stuck in the dreaded plateau for 6 MONTHS. I was running 4 to 5 miles 5 days a week plus eating very clean, low carb, high protein. The scale would NOT move. I, like you, gave up. I just quit. From September 2012 to February 2014 I gained back 107 lbs of the 190 lbs I had lost! From 230 to 337 in 17 months! I am still VERY disappointed in myself, but I have learned a lot during those 17 months and I have gotten back on the wagon and lost 20 lbs since February of this year. It's been a SLOW pace but I know that I have to do this. I am taking things slow this time and not going crazy exercising 5 days a week when I know that is something I cannot do for the rest of my life.

McKenzieLeigh

Thanks for this. I kept losing the same 5 or 6 pounds (195-200) and started to give up. I would spend a few days not caring and then realize I didn't want to hit 200 again and try to be good for a few days. I wanted to stay in Wonderland. Ultimately, I didn't...and today I am at 202, but I have found some renewed spirit and hope to never give up. I am not back at the beginning yet and that means I am still successful.
Keep going. I am going to keep going. Everyone keep going...LOL!

renee6515

Good timing for me to see this post. I lost 10# then an addtl 30# last year but hit a major plateu and at the same time my dad got sick and passed away so I did the same-gave up. Gained back 15#!! So now Ive started again. Im doing really good so far, its only been a couple weeks but I think the first couple are the hardest. I was driving to work today and worrying about "the plateu" hitting again. I so needed to hear that it will get better and to just keep going! Thanks for this post!!!!

Blakkshadow82

Thanks for this post

NS81

I needed to hear this today - Thank you! Good luck to you - we can do it!

systemlayers

You can do it, but may I suggest if you're to obsess on something obsess on healthy lifestyle not weight. Change is long-term and the only way you'll keep it off for 4-5+years is if you focus on the lifestyle bit and not quick weight loss.

trainguy917

One of the surest ways to make sure you plateau and even begin gaining weight is to eat under 1200 calories. That's not enough to sustain your bodily functions even without a daily workout. The minimum safe caloric intake is about 1200 and, especially at that level, you need to eat back your exercise calories. Otherwise, you'll plateau again, be hungry all the time, binge, and give up.

SkinnyGirlCarrie

Thanks for posting!! I am in that evil plateau state at the moment. I know in my head to keep going (and I am!) but it's nice to see it in black and white. I will keep pushing on, maybe do a few small adjustments to my workout and eating routine. I haven't felt this strong and healthy in a long time so I am focusing on that and ignoring the fact that the scale is not moving.

HerbertNenenger

I have run into many in the one year that I've been at this. Currently I am in week 6 of no weight loss. I am training harder and eating smarter but no losses. BUT...... my clothes are looser, I am seeing changes in the mirror, and I am feeling better than I have in ten years. So screw the scale. If you are working at it (honestly), then the changes will happen, and will not always read out on the scale. I cannot stress that enough. So on this second journey of yours, remember not only the plateaus, but improvements happening on the inside and outside of your body that a cheapo stupid scale will not register, and KEEP GOING. How would you rather be spending your time - doing something about it, or regretting that you didn't?

HerbertNenenger

IMHO the real reason you quit is you weren't practicing a sustainable way of life that would have kept the weight off over the long term......you used the plateau as an excuse to quit.....keep that in mind as you move forward. If you aren't enjoying the journey you will never stick it out long enough to see the end zone. I say this from my own experience ;-)

and this, too. this time around, raise your calories up so that you don't actually feel that much of a deprivation while still maintaining a deficit. !!!

Wiltord1982

I mostly did the elliptical because it was easier for me then running and burned 2X the calories.

Sorry to interrupt but... Elliptical burning twice as many calories as running? I don't think so. Elliptical burns twice as many calories as walking, not running. Running and elliptical are more or less comparable in terms of calorie burns, as long as you work equally as hard.

On another topic, keep it up Hitting a plateau is hard, but overcoming it is rewarding

keto_123

That dang 180s!!! I have changed my life around, been feeling great, working out but for some reason the 180s are so rough! Good luck guys, we can get past it!

morristhecat72

I've been working out for the last three months (4 days a week, interval training + weights), and eating clean: no processed foods, no dairy, sugar, etc. 80% of the time for the last month. My husband hid the scale from me. I thought I had lost like 10 pounds. Felt like it with all the sacrifices and effort and everyone is telling me how much my body has changed. I got on a scale yesterday for the first time in a month: down NOTHING. NOTHING. I wanted to cry. I refuse to weigh myself and I don't even have a goal weight anymore. I am not giving up; just only using clothes as my measure of success. I don't want to see a scale again.

vintage_diamond

I think you need to adjust your expectations a little. Loosing one pound a week isn't bad! That's a healthy rate of weight loss. I personally view a plateau as being where you don't loose weight for weeks on end, given that you haven't changed your diet or exercise routine. Weight loss eventually will slow, and you'll find that the beginning pounds shed a bit faster. Then your body catches up and slows down the metabolism. I think being at your weight and starting right at a drastic calorie cut of 1100-1200 is a mistake. When you do hit a true plateau where you aren't loosing any weight for weeks on end, what calories do you have left to cut? You've already started out at the minimum. I applaud you for being ambitious, but you need to be realistic and patient with the process. Lasting change isn't something that happens overnight or happens just because we want it to. Figure out with the online calculators what your TDEE is: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/. This is how many calories you need to maintain weight. Then from there subtract 500 calories and eat that many calories a day. (For example my TDEE is about 2100 a day, so I eat 1600 calories a day) Then when you find yourself at a true plateau down the line, you can cut another 200 calories and see how that works. Imagine if you did loose 1lb a week. In a year you would be 52lb's lighter! That's a lot of weight to loose!

I think the media and the dieting crap we've all been brainwashed to believe has a lot of us thinking it's easy to just drop weight instantly, and it's not for most people. It's a long process that takes dedication, commitment, and education into what it takes to loose weight and keep it off the healthy way. In March I started at 200lbs. The first ten pounds came off easily just choosing to eat healthier and less. Then I gained 3 pounds back. The past 2-3 years is the first time in my life I haven't been thin and have struggled with weight, so I had this idea that I would just loose all this weight and would be loosing 3 to 5 pounds a week, and when I wasn't loosing more than 1-1.5 pounds a week I thought there was something wrong, and was disappointed. But I just had to get over that frame of mind and realize that 1lb a week is good progress. I'm now at 181lbs in almost 4 months, and I feel happy with that now because I have become more realistic and patient in my expectations, and I will eventually reach my goal.

medlaura

I think you need to adjust your expectations a little. Loosing one pound a week isn't bad! That's a healthy rate of weight loss. I personally view a plateau as being where you don't loose weight for weeks on end, given that you haven't changed your diet or exercise routine. Weight loss eventually will slow, and you'll find that the beginning pounds shed a bit faster. Then your body catches up and slows down the metabolism. I think being at your weight and starting right at a drastic calorie cut of 1100-1200 is a mistake. When you do hit a true plateau where you aren't loosing any weight for weeks on end, what calories do you have left to cut? You've already started out at the minimum. I applaud you for being ambitious, but you need to be realistic and patient with the process. Lasting change isn't something that happens overnight or happens just because we want it to. Figure out with the online calculators what your TDEE is: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/. This is how many calories you need to maintain weight. Then from there subtract 500 calories and eat that many calories a day. (For example my TDEE is about 2100 a day, so I eat 1600 calories a day) Then when you find yourself at a true plateau down the line, you can cut another 200 calories and see how that works. Imagine if you did loose 1lb a week. In a year you would be 52lb's lighter! That's a lot of weight to loose!

I think the media and the dieting crap we've all been brainwashed to believe has a lot of us thinking it's easy to just drop weight instantly, and it's not for most people. It's a long process that takes dedication, commitment, and education into what it takes to loose weight and keep it off the healthy way. In March I started at 200lbs. The first ten pounds came off easily just choosing to eat healthier and less. Then I gained 3 pounds back. The past 2-3 years is the first time in my life I haven't been thin and have struggled with weight, so I had this idea that I would just loose all this weight and would be loosing 3 to 5 pounds a week, and when I wasn't loosing more than 1-1.5 pounds a week I thought there was something wrong, and was disappointed. But I just had to get over that frame of mind and realize that 1lb a week is good progress. I'm now at 181lbs in almost 4 months, and I feel happy with that now because I have become more realistic and patient in my expectations, and I will eventually reach my goal.

YES and that was another thing too, i wasnt being realistic. I wanted to loose everything over night and that was just not possible. This is now my second time around and know it will work out because i am not in a rush to lose it all at once. Ane my goal now is too be fit and healthy.. LOSING WEIGHT IS JUST A PLUS :drinker:

Raclex

Congrats for coming back..... One of the reasons I plateaued when I came to MFP originally was after I'd been eating the typical 1200 cal diet for a while. I lost 7 lbs pretty quickly and then NOTHING for weeks! Like you, I was frustrated, starving and angry!

I personally have been up and down with my weight, in fantastic shape, out of shape, and everywhere in between. I gained close to 100 lbs when I got pregnant due to quitting smoking and being lazy, eating crap, etc.

Anyhoo....after being on a ridiculous plateau I educated myself on my BMR and TDEE and UPPED my calories to a NET of 1500 per day....PLUS eating back each and every exercise calorie. I felt better immediately and due to my body "de-stressing", I dropped 2 lbs that week!

By doing this I was losing a steady 0.5-1 lb per week without depriving myself of anything. I kept my protein high and let everything else fall where it may. It didn't matter what time of day I ate either. I was close to getting under 20% bodyfat and then I quit smoking again last year and filled my days with sugar, and wasn't exercising as much as I normally did. The weight gain was totally my fault, and was totally avoidable, but I didn't do the things I knew I was supposed to.

Fast forward to now....I was focusing on building as much muscle as I could since I wasn't willing to eat at a deficit apparently. lol I am currently easing into a cut of 15% from my TDEE which is around 2300 cals per day. This puts me at an intake of just under 2000 cals per day GROSS. I do not eat any exercise calories back.

This gives me a steady loss of 1-2 lbs per week when I stay consistent. Since you were only losing approx 1 lb per week anyway, wouldn't you rather do it without giving up foods you love, and without feeling deprived and starving all the time?

Here are a couple of links that are definitely worth the read! They've changed my life, have broken me from the old school diet mentality, and I no longer feel like I need to suffer to be healthy!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1334832-women-losing-weight-on-1800-calories

^This. 100%!! You have to eat. This has to be sustainable. So aim for .5 lbs a week. It'll take more time but you will lose consistently. I also upped my calories from 1300 to 1510 and it broke me right out of a plateau. I'm 5'7'' and 158 lbs.

keefmac

As someone said earlier, maintaining your weight is still a win!. Can't see the point of going through months/ years at a deficit then throwing that all away and eating the weight back on.

I've hit my original goal, having a month at maintenance and then may decide to go lower still.

noneya2010

I suffer with this mindset as well (not losing quickly - so why bother!). I have a horrible time keeping my thyroid meds in balance and it seems like no matter how hard I work out and eat good -- losing even 1 lb is a LOT of work.

I read a post the other day about the poster saying she had 100 lbs to lose and that was such a huge mental hurdle for her. A respondant stated, "think of it like losing 1 pound 100 times".

Since then, I'm trying to think of it that way and realize the 1 lb loses are ok!

medlaura

I suffer with this mindset as well (not losing quickly - so why bother!). I have a horrible time keeping my thyroid meds in balance and it seems like no matter how hard I work out and eat good -- losing even 1 lb is a LOT of work.

I read a post the other day about the poster saying she had 100 lbs to lose and that was such a huge mental hurdle for her. A respondant stated, "think of it like losing 1 pound 100 times".

Since then, I'm trying to think of it that way and realize the 1 lb loses are ok!

Yes 1 pounds a week is awesome. Too bad the me back then didn't think it was enough :grumble:

medlaura

I posted this in June, 2014 and didn't find the motivation to start working on a healthier lifestyle until May 2015 (almost an year later).

From 215lbs, I am down to 177 pounds. Total of 38 pounds in 7 months !!!!!!! From a tight Jean size 18 to a comfortable size 11. From a 2X in shirts to a Large.

Things i've done diferently:

THEN: I only ate 1000-1200 calories nothing more, even if I worked out. **Even tho it didnt feel like i was starving myself, I pretty much was**

NOW: I eat between 1350-1600 depending if I exercised or not and how many calories I burn.

---

THEN: did the same workout everyday (Only used the elliptical nothing else), never switched it up

NOW: I always switch it up, When i feel like a workout is starting to feel easy I add more weight/resistance.

---

THEN: Scale freak!!!!!!!!!! I was obsessed with the numbers on the scale. And always put myself down when I didn't see the numbers do down

NOW: I still weight myself, BUT I also, measure and check my bodyfat % twice a month.

---

THEN: didn't drink much water
NOW: Can't catch me without a bottle of water next to me.

---

THEN: Mindset: I need to lose weight FAST, Oh My God, I need to be bikini body ready in 3 weeks.
NOW: Mindset: Slow and steady wins the race, As long as I keep it up sooner or later I WILL get there

One thing I did catch myself doing when I was starting all over again was, I was starting to see myself eat 1000-1200 calories a day, but quickly checked myself, If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I'm a great self-motivator Lol



.

trossk2

Nice job. Way to get back on that horse. I really like seeing posts where people come back a year or two later and have had a lot of success. Thanks for updating it.

Also, you're looking great!

soldiergrl_101

medlaura wrote: »

2 years ago this day i joined myfitnesspal. started eating 1000-1200 calories a day (ate clean 80% of the time) and worked out regularly 60-90 minutes a day. I mostly did the elliptical because it was easier for me then running and burned 2X the calories.

June 2012 my start weight was 190, i was obsessed with my scale, weigh in everyday for 3 months, that is what helped me stay focused and pushed me to try a little harder that day.

August 2012 i weighed in at 170 pounds (lowest I've seen my weight since 2010, so i was happy)

THEN, i hit a plateau, I was so frustrated. I was working so hard and only lost 1 pound a week. Where as before I was losing 3-4 pounds a week. So I just quit. Why work hard when i didn't lose weight.

At the time i didn't know what a plateau was (I actually learned what it was this year when a gym trainer mentioned it). Basically, it's when you lose some much weight in such little time that your body is just trying to catch up with the changes, therefore you don't lose as much weight as you once did when you started.

If only i would of known this 2 years ago. I am now weigh in at 215 pounds. It sucks knowing i have to start all over again. But i'm glad that i am aware of that evil Plateau!

Moral of the story: Don't quit, the Plateau is out to get you, don't let it win. don't give up!

medlaura wrote: »

2 years ago this day i joined myfitnesspal. started eating 1000-1200 calories a day (ate clean 80% of the time) and worked out regularly 60-90 minutes a day. I mostly did the elliptical because it was easier for me then running and burned 2X the calories.

June 2012 my start weight was 190, i was obsessed with my scale, weigh in everyday for 3 months, that is what helped me stay focused and pushed me to try a little harder that day.

August 2012 i weighed in at 170 pounds (lowest I've seen my weight since 2010, so i was happy)

THEN, i hit a plateau, I was so frustrated. I was working so hard and only lost 1 pound a week. Where as before I was losing 3-4 pounds a week. So I just quit. Why work hard when i didn't lose weight.

At the time i didn't know what a plateau was (I actually learned what it was this year when a gym trainer mentioned it). Basically, it's when you lose some much weight in such little time that your body is just trying to catch up with the changes, therefore you don't lose as much weight as you once did when you started.

If only i would of known this 2 years ago. I am now weigh in at 215 pounds. It sucks knowing i have to start all over again. But i'm glad that i am aware of that evil Plateau!

Moral of the story: Don't quit, the Plateau is out to get you, don't let it win. don't give up!

Hey girl! So proud of you for not giving up. I lost all this weight before and then my divorce caused me to gain it all back. This time when I had to loose it I lost 26lbs then hit a 2month plateau I wanted to give up so bad but I knew if I did I would never go back....now I'm at 187lbs from 230, so glad I didn't quit and I beat that nasty pleatue. I know you can do it girl just believe in yourself

RodaRose

You look great. Thanks for the update

MommyL2015

Great job! And I hope you realize now that losing 1 pound a week (from your original post) is certainly not a plateau, it's fantastic!