Plateau Anxiety

t_rog

So i'm a huge message board lurker, and have read post after post of people hitting plateaus. And while I know that at some point it's probably going to happen to me too, i'm TERRIFIED of it! I've been having an amazing time with my weight loss journey, and STILL love going to the gym, but the reason for all that is because i've seen the scale drop every single week. I really feel like i'd lose all motivation if the scale didn't budge for weeks(months??).

Do plateaus happen to everyone? What are the best methods to deal with it/conquer it?

brndygrl98

I have hit two plateaus so far. I find that they actually make me that much more obsessive to get that scale down. It's a little disheartening when it doesn't move, but when it finally does, it feels that much better!

B2BB

If u feel your exercise routine becomes easy or boring change it. If you don't feel the burn change the routine so u do. If you are going to low in calories you will hit a plateu faster because going to low causes the body to take from muscle as energy instead if fat. When that happens the metabolism slows the less muscle less calorie burn. Don't be terrified its life and its full of challenges it depends on you:)

raezach

I know I have hit one now, the scale hasn't moved in a couple of weeks, but my measurements are going down so that helps. I know if I keep at it, the scale will show the work eventually and everyone on these boards give such great support.

suzooz

I would start to track your other measurements, too, since the scale can be pretty frustrating. Do this before you hit the plateau -- I wish I had.

The scale has been bouncing up and down on me for the last 3 weeks. I had a scale that would measure body fat % -- I just didn't remember how to use it. Well, after several weeks of getting frustrated, I finally sat down and figured it out, and measured myself last week. i wanted to know if I was truly building muscle, as my jeans were now tighter than they had been 10 pounds ago. (different places, maybe).

Today, I stepped on the scale, and I was 1 1/2 pounds HEAVIER. But I am ecstatic! I actually lost 2% bodyfat. So I am building muscle, and it's just a matter of time before that metabolism kicks in, and the scale starts moving again.

rileysowner

I have not had any, but I chose during certain times to simply eat like family events, a week of vacation in November last year and most of December. I didn't go crazy, but I certainly didn't count calories. I put on some weight during those times, but it came off easily. I am thinking that might be why I never had a plateau. Through all that I kept exercising and tried to eat as healthy as I could even when not counting my calories.

iamhealingmyself

MFP is designed to help you lose weight by tracking your food. If you do not exercise at all, and you have a sedentary life, but you eat the limit MFP gives you, you will lose weight. You won't be very fit or healthy, but you'll be lighter. Adding exercise gives you the benefit of building lean muscle which burns more calories at rest and also keeps you toned so you look and feel good too.

You can avoid plateaus by changing up your routine and staggering (even increasing) your calories as you near your goal (I hear like the last 10lbs but I guess it can happen anytime). If you do/eat the same things everyday, your body will adapt and learn to exist peacefully at that level. If however, your body never knows if you'll be burning 100 or 1000 calories, lifting weights or doing cardio (or heck, even all of it) then it can't adapt and you'll continue losing without stopping.

Make sure you're feeding your body enough. MFP reduces your calories below your NECESSARY limit to maintain your CURRENT weight. You do not need to exercise more or eat less to lose weight. This can hurt you in the long run especially when you get close to your goal. MFP gives us a goal to lose (let's say) 1lb a week. If we exercise we increase this deficit meaning the food you eat for normal living to lose 1 lb now has to fuel more functions. It's like trying to drive your car 50 miles on 1 gallon of gas. This is why it's recommended to eat back your exercise calories. You are fueling the added work you do, without taking from your bodies daily needs allotment. It really seems pointless and counter productive but if the idea is to give up 3500 calories in a week to lose one pound and you're giving up 7000 a week, yeah you'll lose an extra pound, initially, but eventually that won't be enough to sustain your body over the long run and it will start to reserve the energy you are giving it rather than burning it up as it's fed.

In the beginning, we're inactive beyond sedentary, out of shape, have extra 'fuel' stores and basically have no idea how many calories we're really eating over our necessary limit. Most of us could eat maintenance and lose weight - initially. Some people want to lose too much too fast and they end up with a 1200 calorie goal and wonder why they're hungry all the time. It's better to set your goal to 1/2 or 1 lb a week and have more calories per day (especially if you are used to eating a lot of food in a day) and feel full and happy than to starve yourself and be unhappy and unmotivated and likely give up or find yourself "falling off the wagon" a lot more than you can ride it out.

Keep it simple and keep it changing. Change your foods, change your calorie levels (read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly) and change your activities (intensity and types). If you keep this in mind, you should have little to no problem. If you do notice you are starting to stall out (don't wait a month, I think 2 weigh ins should be enough to show a trend) try zig zagging or simply adding 1-200 calories to your meals and see if that gets your scale moving again.

Worrying about something that might not happen to you will only make it harder for you to focus on each day's goals. Plus the added stress will trigger cortisol in your system which will mess with your blood sugar which can mess with your cravings etc.

mkennedym

So i'm a huge message board lurker, and have read post after post of people hitting plateaus. And while I know that at some point it's probably going to happen to me too, i'm TERRIFIED of it! I've been having an amazing time with my weight loss journey, and STILL love going to the gym, but the reason for all that is because i've seen the scale drop every single week. I really feel like i'd lose all motivation if the scale didn't budge for weeks(months??).

Do plateaus happen to everyone? What are the best methods to deal with it/conquer it?

i've never hit a plateau. make sure you are adjusting your necessary net calories when you lose weight and stick with your diet and exercise and you probably won't hit a plateau either. if you consistently have a calorie deficit of 500 or 1000 calories, then you will consistently lose 1 or 2 lbs a week.