How I Broke My 5 Month Plateau

toddb72

This is what I'm learning right now. I was reluctant to count calories. I felt that simply watching what I eat and exercising more was enough since I was very much out of shape. This time last year I weight 265 and had a year end goal to get under 200. I started P90X last September finished by Christmas and then moved into Insanity. At the end of P90X (Christmas) I weighed 215 and felt pretty discouraged about not making my goal. Started Insanity a week later and remained at 215 until this last week.

A friend showed me their myfitnesspal app and how easy it was to enter your meals and most of the data is already out there. I got myself a body wellness monitor to track my calories burned, a scale for measure food, and some new measuring cups. If you're going to do it, then do it.

I found that the meals I had been preparing were right in the ball park of portion size and that my calorie intake wasn't too far off from what I was estimating and what this program suggested to meet my goals. Where I was failing was not replacing the calories I was burning through my workout programs and you burn a lot on Insanity and P90X. I added a mid afternoon snack and another snack in the evening that amounts to an extra 400 to 500 calories for the day. This week alone have seen a 3 lb drop and and a reduction in body fat%. I've been stuck in the same place on the scale since Christmas so it's nice to see the change.

Thanks a lot for your post. Your experience helped me confirm what my own problem was and know that I need to replace those burned calories.

Congratulations and good luck!

lorierin22

Congratulations and thanks for posting this! I was in a plateau, not sure if you can call it that, I was actually going UP on the scale when I started the 30DS. I had been eating 1200 calories, then up to 1350, but nothing was working. So I took some advice from someone on one of these posts and did some math (I HATE MATH!). I figured out my TDEE and my BMR and came up with a total of 1670 calories per day. I try to eat them all! And I don't eat any of my exercise calories back (that is calcuated in my TDEE for moderately active 3-5 workout days per week). It's only been about a week, but I have already lost the 2-3 pounds I gained when I started the 30DS, so I was happy. I will take your advice and give it at least a month before I start tinkering with my numbers again

dnnmccloud

That's amazing..thanks so much for sharing!

thatsnumberwang

Fabulous job, lady! I'm becoming more and more convinced that many people who are eating close to 1200 calories and still struggling to lose actually need to try eating *more* calories. It's clearly working for you - way to go!

Lizzy_Sunflower

Proud of you! Thank you for sharing your story.

:flowerforyou:

HerBravado

Ah !
This might actually help me!
Plateau for 3 months & counting. :c
I was scared to add more calories, but...
I'm going to be brave & try it.
Thanks for sharing your story !

getfitdiva

Yes thanks for sharing. I'm in a 7 month plateau and umm I just upped my calories officially this week. I'm working on eating more and more and more nutritious foods and I'm reading NROLFW. I'm also trying to just lift heavy now in my regular routine. I sure hope this shakes up something!

Jme2012

i also am eating more this week!! scale has gone down a few ounces.. Ill take it!! Thanks for posting this

thamre

Just what I needed to read this morning...I too have been in a plateau for months. Thank you!

StrasseLäufer_DKL

Great info! Thanks for sharing! I have been trying to eat a little more too and have been a little miffed with the scale, but this will motivate me to stay on course.

witrixie2011

Great story!! Wasn't on a plateau but upped my calories a couple weeks ago so that I eat at least my BMR. Took a couple weeks for my body to adjust, but I definitely have more energy now. Plus I've started heavy lifting and I can already see changes!!

Thanks for sharing!!

FitMama2013

I'm so excited about the responses so far!! Thank you all for your support and encouraging words - and for those who are struggling and are willing to give this a try, I think it's wonderful I don't know a person yet who says they regretted giving their bodies what it needed!!

Tandi_S

I so needed this. Thanks for posting this morning. I'm struggling to lose more than the 10 that I've already lost, and I have 20 more to go. I can't imagine that I'm eating too little, especially with my mostly desk job. Maybe it's time to switch things up!

msmonique09191

So awesome EM! You know that I am SOOOO proud of you!

TOXUTHAT

Way to go,

It is not a good idea so starve your body. I pick one day a week when I eat what ever I want. Don't get me wrong. I don't stuff my face with chips and cheese cake, but if I want pizza or hot chicken wings, I will have them. Today I reached the 50 pound mark. I started in October. I am happy with my progress.

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

mem1086

Hmm that is really interesting that you burn that much at your desk job. I also sit at a desk all day. Now i'm tempted to wear my HRM to work. So are you changing your activity level from sedentary to the next level up??

RainbowBrite86

congrats!! That is awesome

Hoegers

Congratulations! I have been mostly plateaued for a couple of months now. As I am within 9 pounds of my goal it seems a struggle to drop it off. I can't complain about my successes as I started off weighing 337# the end of June and am now at 213#. I was walking 6 miles every day until it got cold and I couldn't drag myself out of bed at 3:15 to go walking anymore. In January I bought an elliptical and use it daily. That has helped drop about another 10# but now I'm not moving much. I limit myself to about 1200 calories and exercise between 600-800 per day and then normal daily burn too. I haven't been able to convince myself to up the calories but this may be enough to encourage me to try it, at least for awhile. Thanks for the post! Keep up the good work.

FitMama2013

I have the biggest smile on my face Yayy food and fueling our bodies!!!

As for the desk job thing - I sit in front of a computer all day...I do take the stairs to the 4th floor whenever I leave the building, and I do my P90X on my lunch break - but otherwise, mostly chained to my desk and I get up to walk to the printer. I'm just really active outside of work I guess - but I never realized it was that much either! I don't worry about activity levels since I use my body media fit - but, I find that my burn is actually in line with the highest activity, for what it's worth!

Hoegers - congrats on your weight loss so far!! That is wonderful and such an accomplishment - our bodies are machines and constantly changing, so I think a plateau is it's way of saying "do something different." I think you should give it a try

morningrunner

Hmm that is really interesting that you burn that much at your desk job. I also sit at a desk all day. Now i'm tempted to wear my HRM to work. So are you changing your activity level from sedentary to the next level up??

Just to give a little more perspective - I have a BMF and also work a desk job. I'm not burning nearly as much as the OP. Mind you, It's more than I thought, but no where close to 3000. My burn on a day where I work, but don't exercise is closer to 2100. When I exercise it's closer to 2700.