I've plateaued! Help!

cnflet2

So I lost 20 pounds last year, and managed to keep it off. This year I'm trying to the same thing. Its been three weeks of eating healthy, working out, etc, but nothing has happened.

What do I do. I'm getting very upset about it. Last year I managed two pounds a week, this time, nothing. I just can't seem to get over this bump.

I need serious help please, I'm in despair

Thanks
xoxo

sippy01

Sorry but I am in the same spot you are in!! Maybe someone can help us out!!!
April

SunshineRowe

if you are trying the same process as last time that might be part of the problem, once I do something one time and stop I find it near impossible to restart with success. Try something totally different and really hard and consider it a challenge....this works best for me...and remember when looking for something to do ask people that have had great sucess, they know how to get it done.

roadbiscuit2000

Some people zig zag calories and see results. You might want to look and see if you are eating enough calories, as you have seen on the forums not eating enough can cause your body to hold onto what it has. I also agree with sunshine that your body gets used to what workouts you are doing and varying it up can boost weight loss. Just keep at it and you will get there.

00trayn

I'm starting to get out of a plateau by doing a few things. I lost the first 65 lbs without too much trouble, ate around 1200 calories, worked out at a decent intensity 5-6 times a week and then once I hit 150 and 10 lbs away from a healthy weight, I got stuck.

- Try eating more. You want to get your net calories (what you eat minus what you burn in exercise) closer to 1200. I was able to lose weight with net calories around 600-800, now that I'm more fit and close to healthy, I need closer to 1200 net calories

- Try a new workout. I just started training for a 5K and I wasn't really running much at all before. Sometimes your body is too used to what you've been doing

- Try to eat more protein, especially after a workout.

CallMeMamaBoo

First, make sure you are drinking enough water.

Second, stress will make you hold on to your weight. So don't stress over it!

Third, try mixing up your workouts and try something new. Sometimes our bodies get used to doing the same thing over and over and needs a challenge.

Forth, Eating back those exercise calories? You should eat AT LEAST half of them back.

Fifth, look up zig zag diet or calorie cycling which basically means having a low-cal day and high-cal day mixed in with your normal days.

G'luck! Keep with it. It happens to everyone and usually it's a simple fix.

Melonmorrow

I just got over my plateau. Very frustrating but don't give up. All I did was lowered my calorie intake from 1400 to 1300 I added some zumba classes and some different weight training to my original work out. I found a lot of info on the message boards about plateau's also, they were very motivating. Don't give up u can do it

cnflet2

why eat half of my workout calories back? i though the point was to burn them off?

First, make sure you are drinking enough water.

Second, stress will make you hold on to your weight. So don't stress over it!

Third, try mixing up your workouts and try something new. Sometimes our bodies get used to doing the same thing over and over and needs a challenge.

Forth, Eating back those exercise calories? You should eat AT LEAST half of them back.

Fifth, look up zig zag diet or calorie cycling which basically means having a low-cal day and high-cal day mixed in with your normal days.

G'luck! Keep with it. It happens to everyone and usually it's a simple fix.

roadbiscuit2000

why eat half of my workout calories back? i though the point was to burn them off?

First, make sure you are drinking enough water.

Second, stress will make you hold on to your weight. So don't stress over it!

Third, try mixing up your workouts and try something new. Sometimes our bodies get used to doing the same thing over and over and needs a challenge.

Forth, Eating back those exercise calories? You should eat AT LEAST half of them back.

Fifth, look up zig zag diet or calorie cycling which basically means having a low-cal day and high-cal day mixed in with your normal days.

G'luck! Keep with it. It happens to everyone and usually it's a simple fix.

If you do not eat back some of your calories then your net calorie intact for the day night be below 1200 which some people say can cause your body to go into starvation mode.

peytjalmom

The calorie goal set for you is already lower that what your body burns a day without exercise. So even without exercise you should lose weight. When you exercise, you make that deficeit even greater, but you eat some of the calories back to fuel your efforts in exercise to build muscle and improve cardio and aerobic abilities. Becoming fit is not only losing weight but also improving your health, and exercise takes fuel. Eating back some or all of your exercise calories gives you that fuel and assures that your metabolism doesn't shut down because you're doing too much on too little fuel.

00trayn

The calorie goal set for you is already lower that what your body burns a day without exercise. So even without exercise you should lose weight. When you exercise, you make that deficeit even greater, but you eat some of the calories back to fuel your efforts in exercise to build muscle and improve cardio and aerobic abilities. Becoming fit is not only losing weight but also improving your health, and exercise takes fuel. Eating back some or all of your exercise calories gives you that fuel and assures that your metabolism doesn't shut down because you're doing too much on too little fuel.

Very well put! That's exactly the situation i've found myself in with too little calories and too much exercise.