Any Tips for Breaking a Plateau??? Please Help!!

twilightfan20

I started my weight loss journey about 3 weeks ago and started in at 270. Today I am currently at 258, but for some reason, in the last few days I have been staggering between 258 and 260. I was eating about 1200 to 1500 calories a day, and I never eat back my exercise calories. I spend 1 - 2 hours a day in the gym 4-5 days a week, sometimes more. I don't eat anything after 7 o'clock and I am eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. My legs and arms have been sore for days from the constant vigorous work outs I have been getting in, but it just feels like 257 is completely out of my grasp. I logged in my food today, and I only have 994 calories in place, because I'm afraid if I continue eating the recommended 1200 minimum, I will only continue to maintain my current weight, which is not ideal at all. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!



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eates

My first suggestions would be to eat more!! If you're only eating 1200ish calories and spending 2 hours at the gym then you're not eating enough to sustain your body so it's going to hold on to every ounce of fat that it can.

felicia8604

Ur body needs at least 1200 calories a day otherwise it will go in starvation mode. So if u go below 1200 even after exercise u need to eat back enough calories to hit 1200... everyday u need 1200 calories.

OliveJuice821

Perhaps you're not getting enough calories for the amount of exercise you're doing. You have to eat some of those calories you burn off, around half, or you'll put your body in starvation mode. When you're body gets to that point, you end up storing any bit of fat you eat and holding onto it. You're lucky you're not gaining weight!

So, from now on, just eat half of the calories you burn, and see how that helps you out for the next few weeks.

And what do you do at the gym? Perhaps increasing cardio to burn through fat, rather than exercises that keep you still, like weights and what not. Hop on the treadmill and just plow through that for a half hour or so before a strength training workout, to get the body moving and pumping.

skylar1907

eat back your exercise calories and don't freak unless you maintain the same weight for 14+ days in the first 3 months or 21+ days in the rest of your weight loss journey.

your body has adjusted to the # of calories you're putting in it - now change again. force your body to keep adapting. change up (eat back exercise calories) then change down a few weeks later - keep it moving. change what you eat, but stay healthy. keep forcing your body to adapt.

Melbel85

You need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories. How is your water intake? As soon as I upped my water I started losing weight easier.

kerjavec83

You need to eat more! Your body is holding onto the weight for survival. I would recommend eating the suggested calories (but good food - lien protein, complex carbs, veggies, etc.).

Tereztaylor07

I started at 240 and ate between 1400-1600. I don't think you are eating enough. You have to feed your body for it to lose weight, I know it sounds silly, but everytime I get stuck I up my food intake by 200 calories and I start losing again and bring my calories back down. I am now at 185 and still eating around 1500 calories and still losing 1-1.5 lbs a week. Don't be afraid to eat!

ukhennin

A "few days" is not a plateau. I was stuck at the same weight for over 3 weeks even while dieting and working out religiously. My suggestion is to be patient. This journey is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Just keep working at it.

noogie98

My first suggestions would be to eat more!! If you're only eating 1200ish calories and spending 2 hours at the gym then you're not eating enough to sustain your body so it's going to hold on to every ounce of fat that it can.

Totally agree; I was in the same boat last week. I increased my calories & lost 2 lbs in 3 days. Your body will 'hoard' every ounce it gets because it is afraid there is no more coming in. Sounds crazy, but it does work!!

JodiS75

Eat more. Go to the forums and read about eating exercise calories. You are just hurting your progress :flowerforyou:

bstamps12

Many people on a plateau have found that eating their exercise calories will allow them to drop the weight. They stay at 1200 calories for a couple of weeks...go up to 1400-1500 and they lose the weight. I would also recommend only weighing in one time per week. Most MFPers have their weekly weigh-in day, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. That keeps it consistent and gives your body enough time to show you a result on the scale. And if your body is sore, you definitely need to eat more because your muscles need to repair themselves. Otherwise, your body will start to eat at your muscle instead of fat. You want the loss to be fat, not muscle. Good luck!

myshell67

i just read a very intersting article that somebody else on here had posted on this exact topic. here's the link if you're interested: http://www.activepassivediet.com/files/active_passive_chapter_1.pdf good luck & keep at it. the weight will come off eventually, you just have to stick to it!

eates

A "few days" is not a plateau. I was stuck at the same weight for over 3 weeks even while dieting and working out religiously. My suggestion is to be patient. This journey is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Just keep working at it.

That too...a few days is nothing to freak out about. I've lost 2 lbs in the last 3.5 months and that was all at once about 6 weeks ago.

innerfashionista

You're not eating enough.

I had the same issue when I was eating only 1200 calories and not eating back my workout calories. I work out 1-2 hours 5-6 times a week and if I don't NET 1200-1400 calories (total eaten - calories burned = net calories consumed) I won't lose weight. Don't go off what MFP or the machines say you burn. Invest in a good heart rate monitor and put in the settings to get a more accurate burn. If you're working out THAT much and your muscles are sore, you're probably retaining water. Your muscles need time to heal.

Everyone plateaus. I was between 200-204 for 4 weeks before I broke through. Take a hard look at HOW you eat, as well as WHAT you eat. Are you only eating 3 times a day? You may need to eat more often to boost your metabolism. What are you tracking in your food diary? Calories alone won't cut it.

nlsalvatore

I am wondering are you drinking enough water, and are you eating back your exercise calories?

twilightfan20

I've definitely been logging in 1200-1500 calories up until today, so I will add some of my exercise calories into my diary and see how that goes. I think I was very confused by the fact that apparently you are supposed to burn more than you consume. So I didn't really understand why I was supposed to eat back my exercise calories. But looking at it now, with all the exercise that I'm doing (ellipitcal, cycling, treadmill, strength training), it's almost like I haven't really eaten anything for the day. Thank you all for the helpful information. I am such a newbie when it comes to weight loss, so I still don't have a grasp on this yet, but it's nice to have such great support here.

twilightfan20

I thought I was drinking enough water. I have a 23.7 ounce bottle that I hold it in, and I drink about 5 to 6 of those a day, about half my body weight in ounces.

ptheders

If I had to guess, I would say that you are still losing fat, but are gaining muscle! It sounds like you are doing an incredible job with your workouts.

There is an odd period when you begin to build muscle where things kind of stay even for a while, but it will break. I think you should be eating more in the 1300-1400 range daily and don't feel guilty eating back some of your exercise calories.

Keep up the good work!

twilightfan20

I do eat breakfast lunch and dinner, and since I work during the day, I add in afternoon snacks and mid-day snacks as well. I'm beginning to think though that my overall problem is not eating back my exercise calories.

ninerbuff

You're in a stall not a plateau. A weight loss plateau is usually about 6-8 weeks of no weight loss.

Tereztaylor07

Also, about two weeks before my TOM, I hold the same weight, then get back to losing once it's over. Hormones cause me to hold water. I just patiently wait out those two weeks, and all is good again.

Jennfur2610

Eat more! Between your everyday movement and your workouts at the gym you areburning your calories with no problem. My calorie range is 1400-1500 a day, I can't imagine being below the 1200.

SueInAz

I've definitely been logging in 1200-1500 calories up until today, so I will add some of my exercise calories into my diary and see how that goes. I think I was very confused by the fact that apparently you are supposed to burn more than you consume. So I didn't really understand why I was supposed to eat back my exercise calories. But looking at it now, with all the exercise that I'm doing (ellipitcal, cycling, treadmill, strength training), it's almost like I haven't really eaten anything for the day. Thank you all for the helpful information. I am such a newbie when it comes to weight loss, so I still don't have a grasp on this yet, but it's nice to have such great support here.

MFP already figures the deficit for your weight loss goal into your calories for the day. For example, if by your BMR you should be eating 2000 to maintain, and want a 1 pound per week loss, MFP will give you a calorie goal of 1500 (500 x 7 = 3500 = 1 pound per week). You should be eating back your exercise calories to maintain that same deficit or thereabouts.

Angela_MA

Here are some tips I gathered from this site over the last few months that I have been on here (hope it helps)
1. eat more, 1200 usually is not enough especially if you are working out. Your body needs fuel to actually burn the fat!
2. invest in a HR to calculate actual calorie loss, this way you can eat exercise calories back
3. Zig Zag dieting see site http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
4. have a day or two of free eating; no not hog wild or anything but guilt and stress free eating to help rev your metabolism
5. exercise more or change up your routine
6. stop stressing, stress can actually lead to more weight gain or retention on weight
7. drink more water (could be water retention)
8. add strength training building muscle helps in producing a higher metabolism and shrinking fat cells

PalmettoparkGuy

kgepp posted this earlier, it's really interesting.

http://www.activepassivediet.com/files/active_passive_chapter_1.pdf

kimberg75

Here are some tips I gathered from this site over the last few months that I have been on here (hope it helps)
1. eat more, 1200 usually is not enough especially if you are working out. Your body needs fuel to actually burn the fat!
2. invest in a HR to calculate actual calorie loss, this way you can eat exercise calories back
3. Zig Zag dieting see site http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
4. have a day or two of free eating; no not hog wild or anything but guilt and stress free eating to help rev your metabolism
5. exercise more or change up your routine
6. stop stressing, stress can actually lead to more weight gain or retention on weight
7. drink more water (could be water retention)
8. add strength training building muscle helps in producing a higher metabolism and shrinking fat cells

Excellent tips!! Thank you! I have found all this info. very useful....not sure if I'm at a plateau or not, sounds like a "stall" now after reading all the above posts. I have lost only 1 pound in the last 3 wks., but weigh in day is tomorrow so HOPING for a loss!!

crisanderson27

Ok...I'm going to put this out there, not because it's the way you SHOULD break your plateau, but because it's the way I broke MY plateau that lasted 6 weeks.

First, I fasted for two days straight. I didn't choose this, I was violently ill with a stomach virus lol. The third day, I ate a crapload of junk food in order to get some calories in (I was under a possibly false assumption regarding maintenance of muscle...I needed calories!), and hadn't been to the grocery store in a week (had been taking care of my sick children for the week prior). I had been eating clean for over 3 months straight...I mean, clean. No junk food, nothing to drink but water. This broke THAT streak. Next...because of the enforced breakage of my clean eating 7 day zig zag plan...I started a 3 day zig zag...2 days low (1300-1500), 1 day high (2100+). I ate like crap for two weeks...mostly Taco Bell...drank soft drinks...the whole deal. I also didn't exercise a day for over two weeks.

I lost 8lbs, 4" on my waist, and gained 1/4" on my biceps, in that time.

I was honestly SCARED to start working out again lol...because I knew I'd put back on 3-5lbs of water weight (which I did). I still haven't got my diet completely back on track...partly because I changed to another form of intake (Eat, Stop, Eat) which closely matched what happened to make me break through my plateau in the first place. It's working perfectly...total, in three weeks since being sick...I've lost 11lbs, and my workouts are more intense than ever.

Cris

poesch77

kgepp posted this earlier, it's really interesting.

http://www.activepassivediet.com/files/active_passive_chapter_1.pdf

I read this also.. seems to make sense...check it out! But seriously I think upping calories would greatly help you....

updowngirl

If I had to guess, I would say that you are still losing fat, but are gaining muscle! It sounds like you are doing an incredible job with your workouts.

There is an odd period when you begin to build muscle where things kind of stay even for a while, but it will break. I think you should be eating more in the 1300-1400 range daily and don't feel guilty eating back some of your exercise calories.

Keep up the good work!

twilightfan20

Thanks for the tips and help you guys! I've definitely been making sure to net at least 1200 calories a day. I gained back some of the weight during the weekend to give my muscles a break and to take some time to rest. But after starting up again, I got it right back off and am actually back right at 258.0. So hopefully by next week, I'll be around 255 at least.