What exactly constitutes a "plateau"?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Can someone tell me how you define "a plateau" and how long one normally lasts? How long do you wait for changes to take effect before you declare yourself plateaued? Just curious, because people seem to have a lot of different definitions.

Pandorian

4 weeks with no change in weight is when I start to think I might be plateaued. That's no up, no down, just same weight for 4 weeks.

Each time I have stalled in my journey I increased my calories so I'm eating 2000 calories a day to lose now.

sarajmitch79

I've been stuck for a couple weeks now. I'm trying to change things up some as far as what I eat and the workouts I do in hopes that it knocks me off this plateau....I hit one WAY to early

t_rog

i don't think there really is one definition. the only sure thing across the board is that you aren't losing any weight. but, how long that goes on for before declaring an actual "plateau" is variable between people. for me, i'm impatient. so if i haven't lost any weight in a week, i get nervous and feel like i need to change something.

tigersword

It's at least 6 weeks with no change.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

see that's why I wonder. Is two weeks a plateau? It doesn't seem long enough to consider a plateau.

vzucco

To me its just a period of time when you're doing everything the way you have been but have stopped seeing the scale move. I'm not sure if there is an official definition, but varies the same way that everyone's weight loss journey varies. The best thing to do is just push through it and know that eventually you'll start losing again if you're doing everything right.

redheadmommy

I think anything more then 2 weeks can be consider a plateau IF and only if you have been losing weight steadily with the exact same eating/exercise habit.


I am just coming out from an almost 7 weeks plateau. My weight did not drop a single pounds during this time. After a 2 weeks I got anxious and tried all the things people suggesting to get rid of plateau: reduce calories even more, zig-zagging , exercise every day ( I did 3DS every day), not exercise at all, increase the calories to prevent starvation. I tried each of these options for 1 week, and none of them worked. Since 30DS was super hard on my knees, I started to have a hard time to do cardio. Finally I stopped all cardio , and eating back the calories and started strength training, and the scale is moving again

kutterba

I'm 63yrs old and for me a plateau would have to be AT LEAST 4 weeks since I lose only about every 10 days or so. What I'd like is to step on the scale once a week and see 1/2 lb gone, but it just odesn't work that way for me. For too many years I starved myself to be "thin enough" and now my body just doesn't trust me. Be sure you're eating enough! Don't go into your new life thinking that you can starve yourself now and it'll all be better in the future. Your life is today. Eat and live today.
Wish I'd learned that a long time ago - but hey! I know it now!
+God bless+
:laugh:

neanderthin

It's when you eat more than you thought and didn't burn the calories you thought. :devil:

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

It's when you eat more than you thought and didn't burn the calories you thought. :devil:

lol fair enough

kellzroxs

try switching up what your eating and your workout routine its good to switch it up every 4 to 6 weeks it keeps your body guessing if you dont your body gets used to the routine and doesnt burn as many calories as it did in the beginning.