Suggestions for Plateau Busting...

landedmapleleaf

Each of us either will or already has hit a plateau on our weight loss journey and we need to realize this is common. There are several factors that can lead to a plateau and unless you have a personal trainer who can look over your regiment, only you will be able to tell why you hit a plateau and the best plan to break through it.

I lost my first 38 punds on MFP in 7 weeks and have struggled for the last 2 weeks to get over this hump I feel I have landed on. I am still battling, but in the process have discovered somethings that I had not considered previously. Maybe these things apply to you too.

1. I was not accounting for BMR changes.
As I lost weight, every 10 pounds, MFP would prompt me to adjust my goals and BMR. I ignored this and plunged forward thinking I was doing just fine. Unfortunately. I lost so much weight quickly, I bottomed out and hit a spot where I was no longer noticing the loss because my BMR changed significantly. For those that do not know, your BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate - is the estimated rate at which your body burns calories for basic life function if you did nothing all day long. This metric depends heavily on your body mass, so when you lose weight or gain weight, your BMR changes too. Therefore, the calorie goals to lose weight will change as well.

2. I exercise all day, why change anything.
Stop counting the cleaning or walking at the mall (unless you have your sweatsuit on and weights in hand) as exercise. If you do this frequently, then you should change your goals and adjust your starting point to include this. I work a sedentary job, so I marked it as such becuase I sit behind a desk most of the day. I then began to look for times I actually may have exercised such as a walk up the stairs into the office, or delivering items, or going shopping. If you count these, you are cheating yourself. If you begin a big work project that is different from the norm of your day, then add it. Otherwise, stop searching for where you exercised and do it on purpose. Plan it and complete it, and only count plans accomplished.

3. Consider changing it up how you eat and exercise.
If you run daily, take a day or two to rest or do a different exercise. This way you cause fat burning in other muscle groups. If you eat day in and day out with always within a 100 calories of your goal, consider a day where you go short (be careful not to go too short and put your body in starvation mode). Just because you are hungry, does not mean you are starving and your body is not burning fat - especially if only one day. Maybe have one cheat day twice a month where you go over (but not too far overas to create a binge moment), thus jump starting the metabolism.

4. What are you eating or drinking? Do you get rest?
Be weary of condiments, harmless office snacks, and flavored drinks. These can add up quick on you. Ensure you take the time to count everything. Ensure you get your water intake too. If you are exercising intensely, you are likely doing a great job of tearing those muscles so they heal in better shape. As you build muscle, fluid will build up around them and you need to rest to allow this fluid to subside. Drinking water helps flush these fluids through the system along with toxins built up. 8 full glasses baby!!!

5. Check the numbers!
Ensure what you put in your diary on here is right. Too many people take shortcuts and unfortunately the calories may vary from Canada to the US on certain foods. Ensure the one you pick to put on your diary is accurate by comparing to what the manufacturer says on the wrapper or on their site. Taking a shortcut here only hurts you. If the math is fuzzy, the weight loss may be too.

Check out some websites I learned some of this from if you want more information:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/success-stories/makeovers/bust-weight-loss-plateau/,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152,
http://www.oprah.com/health/Weight-Loss-Advice-Fitness-Plateau-Dr-Katz,
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/weight-loss-plateau/.

These are great because they reinforce what we already do, but also give ideas on how to change it up. Check them out for reference. Thanks for letting me share.

Kkmama

Thank you for posting these ideas. I seem to be playing with the same 5 lbs since the beginning of summer and now it is time to jump of this hump in the road.