I need off this plateau!!!

keeponkickin

I know it was going to happen...a plateau....but now, as I am right at a big milestone for myself. I joined MFP on January 11, 2011 and have lost 53 pounds so far. I am happy with how far I've come and I'm about half way there. Now, this plateau is a hurdle I need to get past. Anyone out there experience one? How long did it take to bust past it? I am doing everything right. I am eating correctly, I go to the gym 5 days a week, drink tons of water, take my vitamins...everything right. I need some insight, help and encouragement.

ItsLessOfMe

I go to the gym 5 days a week too. and I exercise about 1.5 hrs. I think that is the problem. They say your suppose to eat those cals back but I wasnt sure about eating that many extra cals. Anyway I was stuck for 1 month. I decided this week to stop eating my exercise cals. GASP! I know I was negative calories but you know what the scale is finally moving.

This is a temporary fix because what I really need is a HRM so I can know exactly what I'm burning and eat those cals. And when I plateau again and I WILL....I can eat the cals to get my body loosing again.

I think you have to play with it to see what works for you.

xraychick77

i've been through one. i just upped the intensity of my workouts..only ate what i was supposed to..1300 cals..didnt eat back, took a 'fat burner'. i broke through very fast actually.

your body adapts..the key to avoid these is to change things up every few months. also taking a week or two break from working out and going back will help decondition your body and break through the stall.

as i said..our bodies adapt...so changing anything can help..even to eating more or eating less..most things on this site are just diet myths..starvation mode, eating only 1200 cals, eating back exercise cals. the reason they may work for some people is simply because they change things up.

keeponkickin

I tend to NOT eat my exercise calories back. I know there are those on both sides of the fence with this. I have talked to the trainers at the gym about this and they feel I am eating correctly. I do have a HRM and I stay at the gym for about an hour and I burn anywhere from 500 to 650 calories at the gym, then I am very active during my day in general and tend to not sit still for long. It is so frustrating to be doing everything right and to see that scale stuck.

plentyoo7

I'm having the same problem and I'm having a hard time trying to pinpoint what I need to change, so perhaps I do need a break or just ramp up my running. We'll see how it goes!

I definitely don't recommend going low as 1200 calories, that was my problem and I suffered.

plentyoo7

I tend to NOT eat my exercise calories back. I know there are those on both sides of the fence with this. I have talked to the trainers at the gym about this and they feel I am eating correctly. I do have a HRM and I stay at the gym for about an hour and I burn anywhere from 500 to 650 calories at the gym, then I am very active during my day in general and tend to not sit still for long. It is so frustrating to be doing everything right and to see that scale stuck.

I'm right there with you. I almost want to give up but I just can't! I've worked so hard for so long that giving up would be an injustice. Now I just need to find out what to do to get the number on the scale to move downwards. I just recently upped my calories by 300 and noticed a difference in just how I feel. I hope my weigh in tomorrow is a success.

l23hornet

I would encourage you to have your body fat percentage checked. I was working out for about a month straight and my scale weight only lowered by .6 lbs. but my body fat percentage had dropped by about 4% and i lost about 10 inches total. weight is not always the best way to measure how successful your workouts are going. I wish you the best. Stay encouraged.