Plateau

fletchbaby

Hi I started mfp about a year and a half ago, did really great for the first few months then I plateaued and I gave up I lost almost 30 lbs to begin with, I have gained a little back. Has anyone had experience with a plateau that did not seem to end even after changing diet and exercise regimes? Were you sucessful? I'm also a vegetarian if that makes any difference?

gsager

No, oh I just saw the vegetarian thing. I don't know about protein and vegetarians. But if you don't restrict your calories too much but eat less that you burn you will lose. People usually plateau because they cut there calories to much.

lizard053

Plateaus are pretty miserable! I've walked away from a weight loss plan for a few weeks, then came back to it and started losing again. Other times I gain all the weight back. It doesn't seem fair, but they can happen to anyone!
Plateau busting tips:
1. Drink more water. Work towards 1/2 your weight in pounds as ounces of water.
2. Change up your exercise routine - Higher intensity, intervals, new class, etc.
3. Eat more calories. Counter-intuitive, yes, but it really does work!

cmriverside

Of course! Everyone hits plateaus. I had one for seven weeks about halfway through my loss. It wasn't an option (to me) to give up. I just had to read, learn, change, keep at it.

Don't give up! Every day is a new opportunity to change.

cmriverside

Eat more. Set your loss-goal less restrictively. Go for one pound a week or even 1/2 pound. Buy a Food Scale, and an HRM.


Did I say eat more? Yes. That.

jenirobinson

Hi, I started mfp just a few months ago with a loss of 42 pounds. I have since hit my plateau and have gained 4 pounds back.
I consulted a doctor and he suggested adding 500 addition calories to my diet for the next 2 weeks and changing up my workout routine. He really seems to think that muscle confusion is the way to go. I am going to start this new routine tonight. I will have to
get back to you with the success...Good Luck!!

Art63

I came online just now to write almost exactly the same type note. I've been sitting around the same weight for a while and feel...I don't know how I feel. I've not tried that hard lately. I've eaten way too many crackers and chips lately so no wonder I've not lost weight. But still, after losing so much (for me 35 pounds is a lot) I sort of got in the habit that every day I weigh a little less.

Now that it's gone up a bit it bugs me. My first inclination is to give up, get depressed, and eat some more. Isn't that crazy? Yet that's exactly how I feel. The other day I was about 100 calories over by 6 o'clock at night. Around 8 o'clock I said screw this...since I've already gone over I may as well go WAY over. So I did. Dumb of course. But that's what I did.

So, to the person who started this thread and the others going through this...I hear you. I know somewhat how you feel. Good for you for coming back here and writing. You can do it. Just climb back up on the horse and do the right things again. Sometimes we just have to go round and round the barn before we get things right. And then we have to do it again once in a while because let's face it. We just aren't perfect.

fletchbaby

Thanks everyone for such great advice!!!!!! It's nice to know other understand!!!!

fletchbaby

Thanks for the support!!!

KarateGoddess

UGG! Totally! I've plateaued at 150 (again). I've been 150-151 for nearly a month now so yeah, I can relate and is SUCKS!!! It definately kills the motivation not to mention I don't get jack for encouragement from my 'friends' when they see I've weighted the same for a month. It really does make a difference.

rebeccap13

When I first started on here I was eating the MFP recommended 1200 cals, lost for about 3 months (~15 lbs) then hit a plateau, only fluctuating 1 or 2lbs, for 3 months. In the last three weeks I have increased my calories to 1500 per day and have started losing again. I will keep increasing my cals every so often as I start to run more and build more muscle.

Try upping your cals for a few weeks and see if that helps. I recommend googling a TDEE calculator and then figuring out a deficit from there. Important Note: 3500 cals deficit ~ 1lb loss.