Plateaus STINK

ohmariposa

ARGH Things were going quite nicely these past few months and now my weight hasn't buged in 2 weeks! SOOOO frustrated :-( Everyone says just keep on doing what you were doing but I am really getting discouraged. Maybe I need to put the scale away for a few weeks??

robinaddison

Keep doing what you're doing - obviously it has been working and it will again. I think your body just occasionally needs a break and holds onto those pounds. You can try switching up your exercise regime - now is the time to try something new. Some people also advocate eating more, or eating less or alternating higher/lower calorie days. I found for me, eventually the scale just started moving again and nothing I do or didn't do really made any difference - I just had to wait til my body was ready for the next level!

fitniknik

I was stuck for 6 months. I added weight training after I got sick enough of gaining and losing the same 5 lbs (right about where you are). Dont quit!

jagar07

I'm in the same boat, was losing every week, and now, stopped altogether for the last 3 weeks. As has my loss in inches The good news, is there are people who have gotten past these, so I know it's possible

tigertchr23

Definitely put the scale away for a couple of weeks . . . even a month. Take some time to go through your food diary and see where thing started going wrong. Are you eating more carbs or sugars than before? Are you drinking less water? Are you doing the same exact exercise every day? etc.

Focus on fine tuning your diet and exercise and then worry about the scale later.

Best wises :flowerforyou:

H_Factor

your food diary isn't public so we can't take a peek and offer suggestions....but I would say you're not at doomsday by any means. 2 weeks for a plateau....no big deal. you have done GREAT so far and continuing with the healthy eating and exercise are doing continued good things for you. the scale will comply in time. however, here are some things that might help jolt the metabolism:

1. if you're eating processed foods, limit them or eliminate them. aim for more fresh food...lean protein, healthy fats and carbs with lower glycemic index value.

2. if you're exercising, you may be exercising too much. some folks try to break a plateau by exercising more. that's usually the wrong approach. sometimes your muscles/body just need a break and taking a few days off helps. working out 4-5 times per week is plenty...and you can accomplish a lot in 30 minutes. I'm not sure if you do any interval training, but a few 15-20 minute sessions of interval training each week could really fire up the furnace.

3. sometimes a binge day followed by a 24 hour fast can really help....and after the fast, return to normal, healthy eating.

good luck and don't fret a 2 week hold on the scale.

Ephena

That's what I did, it has really helped my head space. I am doing strength training too so I can see the toning in my reflection in the mirror which helps.

Alexabarocas

Totally know how you feel, except mine lasted for FOUR WEEKS. At first I was happy to maintain, but man, I started to get really discouraged. Plateaus happen for a lot of reasons, but what I did that may help you is watch your sodium intake! The week after I started to pick out lower sodium Jenny Craig foods and doubled up on water, I lost 4.3 pounds. Drink as much water as you can and of course, continue to do what you've been doing! Good luck!

Maryfullofgrace

Keep your scale out... keep weighing in! I don't know how your scale measures, (full pounds, half pounds, tenth of pounds, etc) but you might just be on the cusp of it pushing over the pound. I've been losing weight slowly... but in the grand scheme of things 2 weeks is just a fraction of time. I'm giving myself a whole year to lose my last 15 pounds...

ohmariposa

wow-thx all! I knew you would all make me feel better. I am going to try upping my water again and starting strength training. I know 2 weeks isn't forever but sometimes it feels like it LOL

mrsvatitagain

Yes they do, I was there for about a month...you have to try new things to shake up your body. Are you eating the right amount of calories, add another 5-10 mintues of cardio to your routine, add more fresh items like fruit and veggies to the eating plan. All things that will help push you through it. They are normal easy to say when you arent the one stuck in them, but they really are normal and part of the process. My Zumba instructor told me when I was down about it as well that she was stuck for 4 months, so keep pressing!

Artemis_Acorn

I had the same thing happen. I was cruising along for the first three months, dropping weight really fast, but then I hit a plateau. After a couple of weeks I tried some suggestions from MFP friends. I increased my water, exercised more (targeted 500 calories a day burned) and only ate half of those back. I also tracked my sugar and controlled it very tightly, and increased my potassium. That pushed me off the plateau within a couple of days, but two weeks later, I had stalled again. This time, I decided to try riding it out without taking any big changes and sure enough, after the scale not budging for nearly three weeks, I dropped 5 pounds in seven days. I just came off of a third plateau that had much the same pattern. I'm beginning to recognize that this is a pattern for me, and I can fight it, or I can accept it.

So you can either keep doing what you're doing, or you can try changing things up - I think both work, although making some changes made me feel like I was being more proactive and I dropped a few more pounds that way.

Good luck!

crudd12

I was on a plateau from last February until 2 weeks ago! I quit exercising for a week and ate more! I've lost the last 2 weeks now! Good luck to you!

JimieLou

Totally know how you feel...I was stuck for 2 months bouncing back and forth between the same 5 pounds....Finally, I said enough was enough....I did the whole zigzagging cals and whatnot with no results. Finally, I started my second round of 30DS. That circuit training (combo of cardio, strength, abs) was enough to bust through the plateau.

Keep doing what you're doing and/or mix it up if you want....but whatever you do, do NOT get discouraged...You can do this....your body may just need some time to adjust.

Best of luck!