Breaking Through A Plateau: How Long Did It Take?

_Khaleesi_

Well most of us have hit a plateau and know how crappy they are. I have gotten loads of suggestions and tried just about everything I can think of to get through mine. I am drinking a lot of water, have a low sodium intake, I have upped my calories to BMR level, I have changed up my exercise routine. I don't know what else to do but keep at it and hop things change. Is time sometimes the factor? Do you just need to be patient sometimes?

How long was your plateau? What ended it? What did you try?

Am I grasping at straws here? Or is patience the key?

bms34b

Patience. I hit a plateau and really felt like I was not getting anywhere with calories set almost at maintenance and really not keeping that good of track for a while. I still lost about a pound, and on monday I started to do the 1200 again. I won't weigh in officially until Friday and I guess it's too soon to really say if it's working or not, but I've lost three pounds since Friday!

Keep up doing what is healthy and it will come off.

Edit: I was there for about a month, too.

_Khaleesi_

Thanks!

BUMP

Jxnsmma

Watch out for bad carbs and stop eating in the evenings...

melsinct

None of the usual suggestions helped me (zig zag, change up exercise, limit carbs, etc.). I plateaued for 2 months and I think I plateaued because I was eating way too little for me at 1200. I upped my calories to 1400, and still no change. Once I set MFP to lose 0.5 lbs/week, everything started moving again! My BMR is currently about 1400 and I eat 1700/day.

sweebum

Mine was 6 months. It changed when I took a week off eating at maintenance, then I upped my protein and ate my exercise calories. And I eat my BMR (1600)

getfitdiva

My longest plateau was about 6 wks. It seems when I get closer to my goal it's slow slow slow.

-I took 2 rest days in a row after 5 days of intense kick your butt workouts.
-I did a 3-day attack phase on the Dukan diet (low carb + high lean protein)
-I change up my workouts almost daily with real burns (interval running/cycle class/Insanity/30-day shred)
-I started eating cleaner.
-I eat a lot one day then back down to calorie counting.

Hope this helps!

_Khaleesi_

Thanks guys.

I am going to wait another week before I change something again, but hopefully soon this wall will get torn down.