Plateau anyone???

Schaff
Schaff Posts: 83
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
So I am on my last 10 pounds and I feel like I have hit a plateau, I have been at the same weight, or hovering around it for the past three weeks. I was thinking about increasing my calories 150-200, I am on 1200 cals per day and I am very good about eating my exercise calories. Anyone have any success with this idea with their last 10 pounds? Any ideas for getting the last 10 off would be really helpful!

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Replies

  • Schaff
    Schaff Posts: 83
    So I am on my last 10 pounds and I feel like I have hit a plateau, I have been at the same weight, or hovering around it for the past three weeks. I was thinking about increasing my calories 150-200, I am on 1200 cals per day and I am very good about eating my exercise calories. Anyone have any success with this idea with their last 10 pounds? Any ideas for getting the last 10 off would be really helpful!

    118936.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Easy Calorie Counting
  • Well I am stuck on my last 20 pounds. I increased my calories to 1450, changed my macros (45% carbs, 35% protein, and 20% fat), and stated an actual weight lifting program. I don't know if we are allowed to post other websites on here, but I found a great one that really breaks it down for you.
  • Schaff
    Schaff Posts: 83
    I think its ok to do that, please send it along! I think that maybe my body is hitting "storage zone" now, I find that I am more hungry than ever even though I have been on the same plan for the past 20 pounds. The weekends are definitely tough, I live in New Orleans, and Mardi Gras is upon me, which means a lot of alcohol and food consumption with not a lot of time to get exercise!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    MARCH to MAY 2008
    I'd lost around 20 lbs with MFP, with mini plateaus here and there, but nothing more than a week.

    JUNE to AUGUST 2008
    The last 10 lbs after that were BRUTAL (3 months brutal). I did break the plateau though! I upped my calories (by changing my setting to "lose 1 lb a week" and worked out every morning with a combination of cardio and strength, and on days when I had time (I have two babies at home) I did a second workout of a DVD, yoga, or a class at the gym. The weight came off.

    Then I thought I wanted to lose a few more lbs, but I decided to live life at that weight, and just maintain. I EASILY maintained this weight with balanced eating, and exercise a few times a week (not every day anymore).

    I personally approached plateaus as either (1) the need to push harder and changes things up, or (2) the time to take things slower, maintain that weight, lighten up on the workouts a bit, and then you can shock your system again a few weeks or months later.

    Good luck!
    :flowerforyou:
  • I know how you feel schaff!

    Those first 6 piunds came off so easy and now it seems like I am going down hill. This last week I actually gained 1/2 a pound and I'm pretty sure this week is going to be the same!

    I think 1200 is pretty low if we're working out regularly so I am going to try to eat 100 more calories a day. Plus I think this website tells you to eat to many carbs and not enough protein. I would love that website too!
  • Schaff
    Schaff Posts: 83
    That's what I'm thinking! I think I might change my settings for carbs to about 100-125 per day and up my protein. I have a habit of getting into carbs just because they're easy! I'm in my second year of law school so I don't have time for a lot of cooking. Anyone have any idea of what to up my protein to? I think its at 45 right now.
  • One of my friends who has an exercise science degree (or something like that) said that serious body builders eat one gram of protein for every pound they weigh. Now I am not trying to body build but I think protein is important. I think I am going to cut carbs down to 100 as well and then increase protein to about 100 (or as close as I can get). I think the fat # is actually an ok #, though I stay below it.
  • Here's the website I was talking about.

    http://www.hotnfit.com/

    I also talk on the womens bodybuilders.com forum and try to follow some of their advice too b/c those girls are not only trying to lose pounds but also body fat percentage. Right now I am trying to lose to more body fat b/c what the scale says doesn't really bother me it's that I jiggle too much! :laugh:
  • Here's the website I was talking about.

    http://www.hotnfit.com/

    I also talk on the womens bodybuilders.com forum and try to follow some of their advice too b/c those girls are not only trying to lose pounds but also body fat percentage. Right now I am trying to lose to more body fat b/c what the scale says doesn't really bother me it's that I jiggle too much! :laugh:

    I'm with ya sista!!! :tongue:
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Just a thought but I plan to test it out "if" or when I hit a so-called plateau:wink: But, do you eat right at your calorie goal each day? I mean, if your goal is 1200, do you come real close every single day? If you do, you might try the variation. That way of eating is really working great for me. I am somedays over 300 or under, and that 300 changes as well. Can be 100 or 200. No pattern at all really. My "gut" instinct tells me not to get my body adapted to one certain way because to me, it would be like building up a "tolerance" or immunity? Hope this makes sense. Someone told me a long time ago to "mix up" my exercise, do different things. They were right. I need to do that along with the way I eat. My food diary here is my guide. It tells me if I am wayyyyyyyyy too low or wayyyyyyyyyy too high, although I pretty much know now that I 've gotten much better eating habits. Congrats by the way darlin!!!:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: Im almost to the double digits of lbs lost:wink::laugh: denise!!! Im looking forward to my last 10 lbs to go:wink::bigsmile:
    So I am on my last 10 pounds and I feel like I have hit a plateau, I have been at the same weight, or hovering around it for the past three weeks. I was thinking about increasing my calories 150-200, I am on 1200 cals per day and I am very good about eating my exercise calories. Anyone have any success with this idea with their last 10 pounds? Any ideas for getting the last 10 off would be really helpful!

    118936.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Easy Calorie Counting
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Just an idea, I know this is true for me. I think that especially in the beginning, I made this all too hard and it isn't, not for me now. I stressed, I walked so much I hurt my knee, I worried over the scale, I worried over being "exactly perfect" every day. I don't do that anymore and the weight is coming off, just about 1 lb per week which is enough for me. Also, my muscles(lower)really are toning up. I lost another inch in my waist and what I call my "belly button waist". I have 2 waists depending on what style or what Im wearing, :laugh: :flowerforyou: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • joonieB
    joonieB Posts: 101
    I have been in a plateau slump for a few weeks (either not losing or only losing 1/2 pound per week) and so I dropped 3 of my workouts a week. Now I'm just MWF and in a week and a 1/2 I am down 2 1/2 pounds. Crazy, huh? I was doing everything "right" before, I guess my body just didn't like how much I was asking it to do. When I hit another plateau, I plan on adding back in the workouts.

    **Just a thought**

    Some of you are mentioning easing back on the carbs and going heavier on the protein. Just my two cents--
    2 1/2 years ago I lost 34 lbs in 12 weeks on South Beach. Low carbs, high protein. My body dropped the weight (4" off each thigh!!) but apparently didn't like the carb/protein ratio, because at the end of 12 weeks I lost 1/3 of my hair, my nails were like paper, and I got what I will delicately refer to as "lower intestine digestive difficulties". I know a lot of people have great success with lo carb/hi protein diets, but for me my body HATED IT. I have found the ratios on MFP to be much better for me. Personally, I would rather have slower weight loss and no negative side effects than be losing both my fat and my hair!
  • I agree with what you are saying with low carbs. Normally low carb diets are when you actaully take in more protein then carbs which unless you are a professional bodybuilder a normal should not do that. (at least the research I've done shows me that) I have done a lot of research and playing around with my calories and macros to get me where I am at now which works for me.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    I see it as a "blessing" that you could "see" the effects of not getting all the nutrition you need. I don't believe in cutting out any food that is nutritious and that the body needs. Lots of people do but "if" it is depleting something "hidden", well, I don't want to think about it. It's a different thing if a person is allergic to something but there's my 2 cents to go with yours:wink:

    denise:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    I have been in a plateau slump for a few weeks (either not losing or only losing 1/2 pound per week) and so I dropped 3 of my workouts a week. Now I'm just MWF and in a week and a 1/2 I am down 2 1/2 pounds. Crazy, huh? I was doing everything "right" before, I guess my body just didn't like how much I was asking it to do. When I hit another plateau, I plan on adding back in the workouts.

    **Just a thought**

    Some of you are mentioning easing back on the carbs and going heavier on the protein. Just my two cents--
    2 1/2 years ago I lost 34 lbs in 12 weeks on South Beach. Low carbs, high protein. My body dropped the weight (4" off each thigh!!) but apparently didn't like the carb/protein ratio, because at the end of 12 weeks I lost 1/3 of my hair, my nails were like paper, and I got what I will delicately refer to as "lower intestine digestive difficulties". I know a lot of people have great success with lo carb/hi protein diets, but for me my body HATED IT. I have found the ratios on MFP to be much better for me. Personally, I would rather have slower weight loss and no negative side effects than be losing both my fat and my hair!
  • I'm not saying cut out carbs at all but needs to balance more with protein. Right now my goals say I need 165g carbs every day and only 45g protein. No way is that going to get me where I need to be :explode: .

    I have been doing this for a month already and I know it's not working. I was thinking 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat. Trust me, I know all too well about how important carbs are.
  • Schaff
    Schaff Posts: 83
    I also did the (really) high protein/low carb diet a while back via Atkins. That is something I definitely will not do again, I also saw things nutritionally and physically that I did not like. I do not cut out carbs, but I am thinking a little bit of tweaking with it might work out for me. A little bit less carbs and a little bit more protein, not really an extreme fix but enough to get me back on track.

    And I am sure everyone can agree that slow weight loss is WAY better than fast weight loss any day! My friends have been asking me what I have been doing, and I told them if they are really committed to this, if they want to do this, they need to be prepared to spend about a year doing it. It should take me a little over a year to reach my goal I think, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

    I am intrigued by the cutting some of my workouts thing. That's interesting to me. I might try that if tweaking my eating doesn't go so well because I absolutely LOVE to work out! (I know, I'm weird). it is my stress relief and I don't really want to cut back to much.
  • I'm not saying cut out carbs at all but needs to balance more with protein. Right now my goals say I need 165g carbs every day and only 45g protein. No way is that going to get me where I need to be :explode: .

    I have been doing this for a month already and I know it's not working. I was thinking 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat. Trust me, I know all too well about how important carbs are.

    You might want to up your carbs a little at first b/c it is going to be hard for you to do the 40/40/20 from where you are at now. When I started cutting back on carbs I did it pretty slow....about 5% every week or so. Right now I am sitting at 45/35/30 which works good for my body. I did try to go lower on the carbs....a bodybuilding friend of mine suggested 30/50/20 so I tried it for a week, but could not do it. It just made me way too discouraged and my craving were way up. So my advice (take it for whatever it's worth) everyone's body is different so if you are going to play with your macros/cals go slow and adjust it to what works well for your body. Ohh and if you do a lower carb diet make sure you up your calories alittle.....it does work better in the long run
  • Thanks for the info!! :flowerforyou:
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