I'm suck in a plateau.. HELP!

kayci5288

So, I started my weight loss journey January 15, 2012. I started at 275 lbs so far I have lost 38 lbs putting me at 237 lbs. I should be grateful and excited about this progress right? WRONG! I have been STUCK at 237 and 238 for the last 3 weeks. As a matter of fact, I actually GAINED a pound since yesterday. I've tried switching up my exercises, and I even bumped up my calorie intake. I work out 4-5 days a week, and even on my "off" days I am still pretty active. I still give myself a "cheat" day once a week, usually on the weekends. I heard it was healthy to do this when on a diet. I am so discouraged, almost to the brink of tears. I still have 60 more pounds to lose and I just feel that it is far too early for this to be happening. I'm a big girl, why is this happening?? You would think with all the extra fat on my body, being this active and eating this healthy, I would see results on my body and on the scale. HELP! I just want this dreaded fat off my body and out of my life...

nichole325

Bump. The same thing has happened to me. I actually started October 2011 (since then there was thanksgiving, christmas, easter, my bday, so there was been quite a few breaks) and I've only lost 30lbs. I should be happy but I DEFINITELY wanted to be under 200 by Miami trip which is tomorrow (I made this goal in March) since then I wasn't losing. I finally lost 1 pound today...ONE!!! I go to the gym 6 days a week for like 1.5hrs at a time. Yesterday I did an intensive stepping class for an hour then ran a 5K. At 211lbs (now 210.4) I should definitely be seeing a larger loss. I'm beyond frustrated and losing motivation very fast.

jeawashko

I think we'd be able to give you a better direction if we could see you food diary!

Based just on what I'm reading my guess is that you're either over or under on your calories. Definitely drink a TON of water, that will help move the weight. And above everything else, don't become frustrated! 30lbs is a lot! Also, are you measuring yourself? The scale doesn't always paint the clearest picture! Keep your head up!

Acliff510

Bump for later!~

& I am right there with you. In April I only lost 1 lb overall!! I'm hoping May will be better!!

I do agree with the taking measurements post. I wrap a ribbon around my waist and label it with the date and my weight ... I've only lost 3 lbs since I last measured but I have lost 3.5 inches so my working out is paying off!!!

chrisb75

How many calories a day are you eating?

Oliviamarie05

I'm with ya on this one. I've lost about 34 pounds over the last two years. Last month I finally dropped 7 pounds and then suddenly, here I am a month later and I'm right back UP. I've been juggling this same weight for almost a year now and I'm an active person, eat within my calories and hardly have 'cheat' days.

It can get really discouraging.

kayci5288

How do I post my food diary so everyone can see it?? I am allowed 1330 calories a day, before I was taking in the minimum of 1200 a day, and I'm trying to get it to 1330. I'm just not hungry like I used to be. The only days I ever go over my calories are usually on my "cheat" days. Even with that, I dont go over by too much. I just finished running laps in my back yard. Does anyone think that if I boost my activity during the day (which are basic house chores) I will see more results?

chrisb75

How do I post my food diary so everyone can see it?? I am allowed 1330 calories a day, before I was taking in the minimum of 1200 a day, and I'm trying to get it to 1330. I'm just not hungry like I used to be. The only days I ever go over my calories are usually on my "cheat" days. Even with that, I dont go over by too much. I just finished running laps in my back yard. Does anyone think that if I boost my activity during the day (which are basic house chores) I will see more results?

You are not going to believe this but I think you need to boost your calories. You aren't hungry on 1200 calories a day?

bradthemedic

You probably want to increase your calories to around 1600-1800. Add in some yoga and ensure that the food you are eating is clean (no processed/packaged stuff)

Just my 2 cents.

kayci5288

No, I usually have to force myself to eat breakfast every morning. I wake up at 6am, eat around 6:30am. I eat lunch around 11-12, then I always eat dinner before 6pm. Very seldomly will I eat a 100 calorie snack, we keep those 100 calorie packs of various snacks in the house. I used to have a major sweet tooth, but I dont even crave sweets anymore. I typically drink about 6 bottles of water (which are at 16.9 fl oz) so I am taking in well over the recommended requirement. I would have to say the only thing I ever do crave are things like Persian food like pita and hummus, or chinese food. I probably could eat that everyday.. But then we would have a whole new set of problems to discuss lol.

chrisb75

No, I usually have to force myself to eat breakfast every morning. I wake up at 6am, eat around 6:30am. I eat lunch around 11-12, then I always eat dinner before 6pm. Very seldomly will I eat a 100 calorie snack, we keep those 100 calorie packs of various snacks in the house. I used to have a major sweet tooth, but I dont even crave sweets anymore. I typically drink about 6 bottles of water (which are at 16.9 fl oz) so I am taking in well over the recommended requirement. I would have to say the only thing I ever do crave are things like Persian food like pita and hummus, or chinese food. I probably could eat that everyday.. But then we would have a whole new set of problems to discuss lol.

I think you need to increase your calories, walk 5 days a week, and start some resistance training. Get rid off 100cal packs of anything. None of them are good for you. Read my thread here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/586298-if-you-are-scared-to-increase-calories

kayci5288

Okay... I'm going to try it.. I'm pretty scared. At this point I'm willing to try anything. What kind of foods do you recommend? I typically eat yogurt, granola, cheerios, or peanut butter toast for breakfast, lean cuisines, sandwiches, salads, left-overs from dinner the night before, or progresso soup for lunch, and dinners are pretty basic, I try to make dinners that are quick and easy. Whether that be hamburger helper, red beans and rice with sausage, skinny chicken parm, baked chicken leg quarters. I also do cook alot of southern style foods, like chicken fried steak fingers or fried chicken, and we like to grill alot. Typically 3 to 4 days a week, hamburgers, ribs, and steak... I use portion control of course. The only kind of sea food I like would be shrimp and snowcrab. Which can get pretty expensive if you're buying them at the store for meals. So, fish will be out of the question unfortunately.

ladyace2078

I recommend buying fresh fruits and veggies (or fresh frozen), lots of chicken breast (don't fry it or put breading on it), quinoa, greek yogurt, eggs, nuts. Get rid of lean cuisines, progresso soups, and hamburger helper. Those are all pretty bad for you.

Calculate your TDEE and BMR. Eat at least your BMR and eat 10-20% less than your TDEE. You can do this by eating more times a day or eating higher caloric foods.

Also check out the group Eat More to Weight Less. Lots of support and good information.

chrisb75

Okay... I'm going to try it.. I'm pretty scared. At this point I'm willing to try anything. What kind of foods do you recommend? I typically eat yogurt, granola, cheerios, or peanut butter toast for breakfast, lean cuisines, sandwiches, salads, left-overs from dinner the night before, or progresso soup for lunch, and dinners are pretty basic, I try to make dinners that are quick and easy. Whether that be hamburger helper, red beans and rice with sausage, skinny chicken parm, baked chicken leg quarters. I also do cook alot of southern style foods, like chicken fried steak fingers or fried chicken, and we like to grill alot. Typically 3 to 4 days a week, hamburgers, ribs, and steak... I use portion control of course. The only kind of sea food I like would be shrimp and snowcrab. Which can get pretty expensive if you're buying them at the store for meals. So, fish will be out of the question unfortunately.

Get rid of as much processed stuff as you can. Try to limit it to 20% of your caloric intake. I see a lot of fried stuff...thats a lot of calories and not a lot of food (Again ok once in a while!). Maybe you can research some baked methods.

kayci5288

Crap... I just ate a can of progresso light... I think my problem is definitely what I'm putting into my body. I am clueless when it comes to what I should and shouldn't be eating. Its hard for me to understand I guess... something that says "light" or has low calories I just automatically assume is good for me to eat...

badgerbadger1

That is my pattern of weight loss. I hold steady for 3-4 weeks, then dump 2-4 lbs overnight. Rinse and repeat. I don't worry about my weight staying the same now because I know that's just how it rolls for me, and the weight is coming off.

Stress less about the scale, focus on how your clothes are fitting, fuel your workouts (eat enough calories), up your protein intake, lift weights.

aj_31

I am right there with you ladies. I've been stuck between 162-169 for a year now. I was at 162 at the beginning of the year and now I'm at 168 lbs. I started lifting heavy in February of 2012. I do weights 3-4x a week. For a while there I was lifting 6 days a week but that became a little much. I also do cardio 3-4x a week. Usually jogging or elliptical intervals.

I took the last 10 days of my food diary yesterday and add them all up and divided it by 10 and came up with an average of 1624 as my net. That doesn't seem to low to me. I don't know why I'm not seeing any losses. I have taken pictures and my measurements. Last pic I took actually looked like my stomach above my belly button had gotten bigger. Ugh...talk about making you want to cry. My measurements seem to be staying the same as well.

What gives??

tabinmaine

So, I started my weight loss journey January 15, 2012. I started at 275 lbs so far I have lost 38 lbs putting me at 237 lbs. I should be grateful and excited about this progress right? WRONG! I have been STUCK at 237 and 238 for the last 3 weeks. As a matter of fact, I actually GAINED a pound since yesterday. I've tried switching up my exercises, and I even bumped up my calorie intake. I work out 4-5 days a week, and even on my "off" days I am still pretty active. I still give myself a "cheat" day once a week, usually on the weekends. I heard it was healthy to do this when on a diet. I am so discouraged, almost to the brink of tears. I still have 60 more pounds to lose and I just feel that it is far too early for this to be happening. I'm a big girl, why is this happening?? You would think with all the extra fat on my body, being this active and eating this healthy, I would see results on my body and on the scale. HELP! I just want this dreaded fat off my body and out of my life...

So from Jan 15-Apr 15 you lost 38 lbs ???? :noway: you should be proud, I honestly think it's just your body taking a breather and adjusting to all of this..... 12lbs would have been reasonable.....38 is incredible

kayci5288

Thank you Don't get me wrong, I am very happy and proud of my progress. I'd rather it be how it is now than be at 0 lbs lost. I guess I just figured since I'm a bigger girl, the weight would shed off of me like it used to when I was in High School.

stormieweather

What has worked pretty well for me is to focus on protein. It is also working well for my obese partner. Change your settings to 30% protein (30% fat and 40% carbs) and make sure you meet that protein goal, every day. Might help, worth a try?

maab_connor

i think you need this - i think that we all need this - originally posted here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/505863-losing-3-5-lbs-a-week by: kapeluza

Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from. "

i have this printed on my fridge.