The Plateau From Hell

Shash27

HELP :-( I've been stuck at 158lbs or somewhere close to there for almost a month. I'm getting reallllly frustrated.

I started this site at 174lbs in August so I've made progress..and I hate to see it stop..

I've been good about tracking calories (and even when I don't I make good choices).

I've upped the time on my workouts (workout 6 days a week for at least 35 minutes. On the weekends I do 1-2 hour workouts) and varied my workouts and added strength training and different kinds of cardio.

I'm getting SUPER frustrated. For example..this morning I was up 1/2 a pound and my workout yesteday burned over 900 cals (HRM data). Any help at all is appreciated....WTH????:explode:

Anyone been through anything similar or have any suggestions or advice???

ShellyKay67

I was "stuck" for about 2 1/2 - 3 months, but kept at it and was actually losing inches even tho the weight wasn't changing!
Then I lost 6# in 3 wks (finally), now i'm stuck again for about 3 wks.
I guess it just gets harder to drop when we get closer to our "bottom" weight. Who knows, but just stick with it. Your body is still changing whether you see it reflected on the scale or not.
Maybe try mixing up your calories. (For example, instead of eating 1200 or 1300 calories everyday, try 1200 one day and then like 1400 another or whatever.)
Good luck!

melliebee

Hi Shannon!

When I hit a plateau, I posted the same topic as you. I was told to try switching up my routine. Try a different exercise, take a few rest days (only if you stay within your calories), eat something to shock your body (a little bit of chocolate cake if you haven't had it in a long time) to jump start your metabolism.

Personally, I decided to up my calories and took 3 days off working out. That got the ball rolling again for me. I went back down to 1200 + exercise calories and it has been working for me since..

You just gotta try a few different methods, and see what works for you

DrBorkBork

Relax. Your body will "give up the ghost" so to speak when it's ready. Just keep doing what you're doing. I've been stuck on a plateau, pretty much, since June.

havingitall

Did you do weightlifting at the gym yesterday? I always find when I do weightlifting, my weight is up the next day.

Also, remember, it isn't just how much you eat, but what you eat. Eat your fruits,veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Drink lots of water and keep your sodium down.

Keep your chin up. This is normal in weight loss

nubreeze33

keep going mami........consider this the eye of the storm........DON'T GIVE UP! The success stories all over tell us it will happen...........being patient is sometimes hard because we want what we want when we want it. I relate. But hold fast! In the meantime marvel at your progress and give yourself some serious love. You have earned it. You are doing great!

meggonkgonk

What and how much you are eating is a much bigger contributor to plateau than workouts. Here are some plateau busters I like to throw into my weeks to push through or ward off the flatline;

1) Go OVER - yea going over your calorie goal can be good once in a while. Make a concerted effort to go over and under your calorie goal on alternating days. On the days you go over try to incorporate calorie dense but healthy food- nuts, oils, avacados, etc.

2) Avoid Cheese- maybe its not the same food, but everyone has foods that make them keep weight. For me, its cheeses. They just process really slow and my body def. retains weight when I eat them.

3) Leeks, raisins (or grapes), and generally any dried fruit- these are all natural, mild diuretics. I find incorporating these into 2-3 days in a week really gets my body in gear.

Anyway, the real thing you need to do is stick with it, no matter what the scale says. No matter what you do, if you keep at it, it will break. Good luck!

cutie2b

Hi. I am on a plateau right now too, and have been for a year...yes, one year. So I am restarting and going back to basics. I am evaluating my nutrition, and workouts and calories. So, I am going to throw this out there...maybe you aren't eating enough calories. If you are working out a lot and burning almost 1000 calories per workout, sometimes you need more calories for your body to repair itself and keep going. Maybe your body thinks your starving compared to the amount of activity your doing. Maybe it's also what your eating...are there any better choices you could be making with regards to any foods...increasing your protein or eating more fruits and veggies? Are you measuring things out? Good luck with your plateau. I hope it ends very soon for you.

Dencrossgirl

I have been successful with losing weight over the years, but I have NEVER reached the ultimate goal. Even single time I plateau and get so frustrated and upset I stop watching and gain weight. It almost feels like I am punishing myself for not getting there. But this time will be different because if I plateau for 20 years I am not going to give up. My only advice is no matter what keep on trying.