weight loss stalling??

MartyneC

Hi all -

I'm look for any suggestions/tips as to how to jump start losing lbs again. I've been using myfitnesspal since feb and lost 17 lbs. It's been a few weeks and my weight hasn't changed, yet I've been eating and exercising the same.

Anyone out there had a similar issue? What did you do to effectively break this null and get to losing the lbs again?

Thanks!

Qarol

I wish I knew. Some of my plateaus have lasted as long as 3 weeks. I think, for me, just doing what I've been doing and not letting myself give in and give up, and the plateau will eventually end. Way to go on 17 lbs in such a relatively short amount of time!

AmberLiscous

Try changing up your exercise routine and also what i have found that works is zig zagging your calories...i eat 1200 on one day then maybe 1500 on another day and so on.....i also eat at least half of my exercise calories....hope this helps

Fat2FitChick

I am where you are right now. I have lost 28 lbs but can't break this plateau I have had for almost 3 weeks. I keep fluctuating between 191-189 and it won't stop. I have stuck to my plan to a T, eat back my exercise calories, upped my caloric count, changed my workout regimen cut down on my carbs, and increased my protein intake, drink over 64oz of water a day stay below my sodium & sugar intake and still have stopped losing.

So tomorrow I am doing a 3 day cleanse to hopefully break out of this plateau. Raw fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, good oils, and a few protein shakes. It worked for me before so I am hoping it will work again this time.

WifeMomDVM

I did two things. First I ate MORE calories. I increased mine from 1200 to 1400. Then, I began to exercise more. Instead of 3 days a week, 6 days a week. And lifting HEAVY weights 3 days a week also.

I was stuck for a month and then wah-lah! This week I dropped 2 lbs... finally!!!

donicagalek

Are you eating back the exercise calories?

There's a reason why I ask - and it's not to preach eating them back or not to eat them back because that's a personal preference that I'm not touching with a ten foot pole. It has to do with how many exercise calories you're logging.

You said you've been doing the same exercise for a while. Your body has become a conditioned machine. Those same 20 minutes (as an example) of eliptical or interval or running or whatever is likely going to burn significantly *less* calories than when you started.

Either switch up what you're doing, do it harder, or do it longer. You should be challenged by your cardio and sweating. The *real* danger is when someone's using their beloved eliptical for over an hour and thinking that they have a thousand calories to eat when they really only have an extra 500. If they're at a 500 calorie deficit...well, they wind up where you are and that's just frustrating.

shimmergal

Not sure if I can help. But, I know what you are going through.

I am stuck at my current weight for 5 weeks. This week I started with the calorie zigzag thing (Day 6). I am eating 1240 some cals most days and couple of days I eat 1500 cals (my diary is public). I don't see my scale going anywhere. Sometimes, I wonder if the scale is broken. LOL! Will wait and see :-)

I have been doing a variety of excersice routines from TurboFire, Zumba, Kickboxing, etc..and burn anywhere from 200 to 500 cals/session as per my HRM. I do cardio 3-4 times/week. and ST 2 times/week.

Anyways, if this does not work, I will have to try something drastic like Detox, etc.
Hopefully, I will get some help from this post. Thanks for posting.

Cheers!

bizco

I hit a plateau that lasted around 6 weeks. Since I was near my goal weight (<10lbs. to go) I changed my settings from losing 1lb. per week to losing 0.5lbs. per week. Eating those additional calories helped me break the plateau and the weight started coming off again.

melsinct

I'm look for any suggestions/tips as to how to jump start losing lbs again. I've been using myfitnesspal since feb and lost 17 lbs. It's been a few weeks and my weight hasn't changed, yet I've been eating and exercising the same.

Anyone out there had a similar issue? What did you do to effectively break this null and get to losing the lbs again?

Thanks!

Are we the same person? :bigsmile: I started MFP in February, lost 15 pounds and then nothing for 2.5 weeks. I decided to start eating my exercise calories last week and GAINED a pound this week. SO FRUSTRATING. I am unsure if I should just stick with what I was originally doing with reduced calories and hope the weight starts coming off again, or if I should keep eating more and risk gaining more...I am so confused!

MartyneC

You are all amazing - thank you so much for all your tips, suggestions, and inspiration!!

I'm going to really consider all your help...especially the eating back of exercise calories. I did much research on that idea when I first joined myfitnesspal. I found that it wasn't for me, given that I wanted to eat fewer calories to begin with so it felt like I was dieting! I am allowed 1550 calories per day and if I exercise or not, I never consume more than 1300. It's been working for me but now that I'm plateauing, it's worth a shot to eat the calories and just see what happens. As for the exercise routine, Zumba is my card of choice! The routine changes constantly so I'm not worries about my body going into machine mode. Also, I try to incorporate the routine once and awhile with some treadmill or yoga beforehand to get the blood pumping!

The only upside of this is that instead of lbs, I'm definitely losing inches! This month long stall has actually allowed people to see first hand my weight loss and notice my changing. Still, I'm stubborn, persistent, and have a goal on the scale that I intend to reach! .

Thanks again everyone and if there's anything else you can think of, send the help my way!!!

MartyneC

I actually just changed my goals and now at 1200 calories per day. Maybe this way I'll be my prone to eating back my exercise calories. We shall see...worth a shot!