how did you get through a plateau?

elv1ra
elv1ra Posts: 146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been here on and off for over 2 years now (though i was off for 6-12 months) and ive lost 84lbs and now weigh 186lbs. Before it was easy to stay motivated because if i was "being good" the scale would always go down. but now ive been stuck bouncing between 192 and 186 for a while and im getting frustrated. I'm not perfect but ive definitely been hitting a calorie deficit, and aim for a 1000 cal deficit a day based on my bodymedia fit device. how did you get through a stall?

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    1. Most plateaus are a result of inaccurate logging which you got away with for a while because your deficit was large enough that is didnt show up.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    2. Since you are closer to goal weight you should probably not be trying to create a 1000 cal a day deficit anymore.

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • KCMission
    KCMission Posts: 43 Member
    changed your workout routine at all? How's your water consumption? Are you eating "enough"?

    I know where you're at - I'm was in the same boat a month ago. I added 200 cals, another liter of water, and an extra 20mins of cardio a day to my diet and I started to lose again
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I only had one stall...I went back and took a good look at what was going on with my diary and my diet and quickly realized I had gotten a bit sloppy not weighing out this or that and just eyeballing...picking things off my kids plate...consuming something and neglecting to log it, etc....I was also missing workouts here and there with more frequency than I was admitting to myself...and when I was working out, I wasn't doing my thing as long or with the same kind of intensity that I had been.

    Basically, I got sloppy...I got my **** back together and started kicking *kitten* again.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    And if you find that your logging IS accurate and you are eating the proper amount, then maybe start tracking measurements rather than just going by the scale. During what looked like a six month plateau for me, I lost inches and dropped a full size without any movement on the scale. A tape measure and some progress photos for your own comparison can be very helpful. You may be making progress without realizing it.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I'm sitting right in the middle of it and its frustrating as hell! More so when you KNOW you're logging correctly and that its most likely water retention due to workout change. Also, in my particular case, I quit smoking four weeks ago (right when this plateau started), which causes me to sleep only 3-4 hours a night AND I'm told due to the stress adds to retention. The good news is, even though I've upped my calories by 300 a day (just in case I wasn't eating enough), I haven't gained either. Be patient, I'm told the whoosh will follow!
  • zman1313
    zman1313 Posts: 70 Member
    I'm not on a true "plateau" per se, but my weight loss has really slowed down lately and it's been bothering me. I know for sure that I'm logging right so it's definitely not that.

    I've chalked it up to me starting to work out again. I've been lifting for about 5 weeks now so I think I've been hanging on to some excess water. I've also been drinking a TON of water, so maybe that has something to do with it. Just dropped my calorie goal back down to 2100, we'll see how my body responds.
  • rileyleigh
    rileyleigh Posts: 106 Member
    I have found that taking a week or two off of the "diet" and eating a maintenance helps me get through the stalls. After eating at my maintenance level for a few weeks, i drop the calories off again and the weight loss resumes as before. No science, no proof, just personal experience.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    I've never hit a plateau, even when I wasn't counting calories. For exercise I just made sure I was thoroughly pushing myself every time and was consistent with my activity, and only ate when hungry. Of course I disliked my skinny-fat results....

    Now with tracking macros, I just make sure I recalculate my caloric needs as needed to make sure my deficit is still at a decent amount. Drinking lots of water helps with water weight (have not been drinking water much lately and I can tell that I am holding onto more water weight), I am consistent with my activity levels and if I plan on taking time off I recalculate my maintenance and set a new caloric limit if needed.

    ETA: as the post above me points out, I'm also implementing maintenance days for myself. Instead of weeks at maintenance though (unnecessary imo) it is every other week or weekly if needed for 1-2 days, then resume deficit

    Also your deficit is way too large, which is probably why you are stalling. Unless you are burning 5000 calories a day, there is no way you are eating within a 20% or less deficit from your maintenance needs.
  • 89Madeline
    89Madeline Posts: 205 Member
    changed your workout routine at all? How's your water consumption? Are you eating "enough"?

    I know where you're at - I'm was in the same boat a month ago. I added 200 cals, another liter of water, and an extra 20mins of cardio a day to my diet and I started to lose again

    I had the same thing! I got to the dreadful '1200' (and luckily found the posts on time telling me that probably was too little). I used a different website to calculate the right amount of calories, manually added that here up until 1340 or something, and here I am, losing again :)

    I found in the past that taking a 1-2 day diet break also works, oddly enough. I'm not saying you should eat full on fast food those two days, but eat more fattier foods and a bit less veggie, something like that, change up your routine and then go back to the clean, healthy diet you were following before. This is in no way 'scientific evidence', but just what seemed to work for me :)
  • 89Madeline
    89Madeline Posts: 205 Member
    Ha, we posted exactly the same thing, lol. I read yours after posting mine. So funny :)
  • Snapshotgirl
    Snapshotgirl Posts: 57 Member
    Plateaus are a nasty part of dieting but they can be defeated. Just stay the course, up your exercise a tiny bit, cut down on food a tiny bit and be prepared to be patient. I was stuck for 10 days and thought I'd lose my mind! Then voila! 3 pounds gone, poof!
  • elv1ra
    elv1ra Posts: 146 Member
    I have started being more active actually, and thats when it started. i burn about 2500 calories a day including light excercise and im eating 1200-1500 calories.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I have started being more active actually, and thats when it started. i burn about 2500 calories a day including light excercise and im eating 1200-1500 calories.

    Probably need to just wait it out then. How long has this been going on? Usually it takes about 6 weeks to really see how any changes are affecting your progress.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    I'm not on a true "plateau" per se, but my weight loss has really slowed down lately and it's been bothering me. I know for sure that I'm logging right so it's definitely not that.

    I've chalked it up to me starting to work out again. I've been lifting for about 5 weeks now so I think I've been hanging on to some excess water. I've also been drinking a TON of water, so maybe that has something to do with it. Just dropped my calorie goal back down to 2100, we'll see how my body responds.

    have you continued to recalculate your goal as you lose? You have to decrease your goal as you lose to maintain the same deficit, however, you should also slow your weight loss as you get closer to goal.
  • CariJean64
    CariJean64 Posts: 297 Member

    I found in the past that taking a 1-2 day diet break also works, oddly enough. I'm not saying you should eat full on fast food those two days, but eat more fattier foods and a bit less veggie, something like that, change up your routine and then go back to the clean, healthy diet you were following before. This is in no way 'scientific evidence', but just what seemed to work for me :)

    This has worked for me, as well. One day where I eat about 2500 calories or so, then back on track the next day, and the weight loss starts happening again. Maybe this is why I don't mind plateaus! LOL And knowing that this works, I do it as soon as I go a week or two without losing anything.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    I had this same thing happen to me. I've found two things to be helpful -- I take a week off both exercise and constant calorie deficit. A recovery week for both where I just walk or yoga for exercise and eat at maintenance. I can't tell why this works for me, just that it does. I think there is some theory about calorie/carb cycling in there -- that it helps you reset your hormones that get off kilter from the consistent calorie deficit (as that certainly is a stress). But, I didn't run into this until the last 15-20 lbs I had to lose and it went on for about 6 weeks.

    At that same time, I tried some new eating habits. I started intermittent fasting (a 5:2 plan) to create my calorie deficit. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a much easier way for me to create that weekly calorie deficit. I haven't run into any more stalls with the IFing and perhaps it was just coincidental timing, but the IFing also has some of the theory of cycling to avoiding prolong elevated stress hormones from a consistent daily deficit.

    Good luck!

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