A 6 month plateau?!?!

secretsof2113

This is just getting ridiculous. I've been stuck at and fighting the same 10 pounds since January. I eat between 1400-1600 calories a day. I've even gone as low as 1200 for a period of time, but nothing has been working for me. I've gotten as low at 206 for a couple days, and as high as 215 during this time period. I've been making adjustments little by little, by lowering calories and upping my cardio (I've just started a jogging routine, and this is coming from someone who's never been a runner.)

I'm beginning to lose the motivation because I'm not seeing this damn scale move. What could I be doing wrong that is making a plateau last me THAT long?

sweebum

I had a 9 month one and gained back 15 llbs while eating 1300-1500 calories a day. I took a 2 week diet break finally, and started losing again.

bmw4deb

I have been there as well about 7 -8 months gained back 18lbs
I finally quit obsessing and fighting and just relaxed im back in the
gama now and starting to slowly drop again

led6777

bump

MB_Positif

I've been on a bit of a weight plateau since January. I've been toggling between 138 and 140 since then. That said, since then I have gone from wearing mostly size 10 pants to buying new summer capris and shorts in size 6. Is your body changing at all? Check measurements!

Mindmovesbody

Check out the group Eat More to Weigh less. There is an excellent read on plateau there. My best guess, your not eating enough! My stats are all on my profile but I'm small framed with 13 lbs to go to get to goal and I eat approx. 1900 cals a day! Figure out your BMR and TDEE if you have not already. Eat at a 15% deficit of your TDEE and never below your BMR! Good luck!

kimberg75

I bet the new jogging routine will help shake things up a bit and get the scale moving. I've heard to try new workouts to break a plateau. You don't want to do the same type of exercise every day or the body gets too used to it. I've also heard to try new types of healthy foods...if you always eat chicken, then try eating fish or ground turkey for a change. The body is a strange thing. It wants so badly to hold on to the weight and to stay the same but I am betting you will show your body who is boss!! Good luck!!

hedgiie

interesting, i'm in my 2 months plateau also

korsicash

3 month plateau here! Annoying huh

scrang37

I hit a 3 week plateau and started freaking out so I can just imagine how you feel. I decided to have a spike day and eat basically double my calories. I still logged everything I ate. After that I was sure to drink my 8 glasses of water and day and watch my sugar intake as well as my calories. Too much sugar and me just don't agree:( This seemed to work for me and I dropped 3 pounds that week and having been losing ever since.

theartichoke

Please, go to Groups and search for Eat More to Weigh Less. Join and read the stickies, please. Even if you don't want to follow that particular plan learn about what you're doing to your body and why, when giving it so little to function on to begin with, pushing it even further isn't the answer.

glittersoul

You probably need to eat more or take a break. That is a pretty low amount of calories.

This helped me a lot http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3088-eating-for-future-you ... Read the sticky's and then use the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E

Make a copy of it, then you can edit and input your own data

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/557201-how-to-lose-weight-correctly?hl=lose+weight+correctly

noogie98

right there with you ~ long term plateaus stink big time! I am curious to see the responses & advice you receive!

:flowerforyou:

In the meantime, feel free to add me ~ misery does love company!!

entropy83

Well, I will stop whining about my two month plateau :embarassed: I am going to say this and others may freak out on me but I am doing a colon cleanse and focusing on water right now. I am taking psyllium husks 1 tbsp morning and night with crap load of water. I also am doing a barley grass drink to get some extra enzymes in the body and support my liver in detoxing. That's right I said I am drinking a green food drink to detox which people constantly mock but whateva.:devil:. I am also working on getting the junk out of my diet because in reality it is crappy with sporadic healthy choices. I have tried upping the calories and still holding. I have to admit that I can't keep eating fried stuff even within the range and be really surprised I'm not losing:grumble: . I have metabolic issues and severe food allergies so the cleaner diet is not optional even though I've been trying to hop on the calories in and calories out bandwagon. Everyone does not have the same system. Good luck

Iamkim73

I stalked your diary for a few days back I don't think it's the number of calories you are eating but the types of foods you are eating.

Try this for 2 weeks.

Eat 1 geam of lean protein for every 10 calories you eat. Also eat plenty of veggies with it. For example chicken breast with broccoli. Keep eating carbs but focus on whole grains. Drink lots of water.

I'm no expert but this is some advice that was given to me a while back and it helped.

I don't eat prefect but I do aim for the protein number. I often fall short but it sure does help with the hunger when I hit it. feel free to stalk my diary

Good luck

chicpeach

I see a lot of processed foods in your diary. Processed foods tend to be high in sodium which makes you retain water. I would suggest tracking your sodium, take a look back thru your diary to see just how much you've been consuming and then try cutting it down. If you're routinely over 2500, start by getting it down to 2500. Be mindful that when you do quick adds (something I saw a lot of) you don't get accurate sodium levels - they gonna actually be higher than what you're seeing.

Anyway, try it for a week or two and drink lots of water to flush the excess sodium out. The scale should move. You may even decide at that point you feel better and want to keep eating at a lower sodium level.

glittersoul

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less ... link to the eat more group people are referring to

monicamk1975

I was on a 3 month plateau at the same 172-180 and it was driving me insane. I added calories, I dropped calories and nothing.

Then I started to eat the same amount of calories as normal 1300-1600, but I cut out bread and sugar, aside from fruits and yogurts, and dropped 5 pounds in 6 days with no exercise. I just started exercising again, but eating cleaner and consuming less sugar has really helped me. I was staying within calories and working out and not losing a thing. I'm at 168 now and looking to hit 150 by the end of July.

Good luck to you with on your journey.

devonette

I'm no expert, and I don't eat the most healthy foods, but I just looked at your food diary for the past few months, and I'm not seeing much in the way of fruits or veggies, and seeing quite a bit of starchy carbs that are very high in sodium, loads of fast foods and meals out, and loads of meals that just say quick added calories. I think that could be a big part of the problem if you've been eating like that for the past 6 months. It's very possible that on the quick added ones you've underestimated just how many calories you've really eaten. If eating like this has kept you at a plateau for 6 months, I would really suggest trying to give your meals a complete overhaul and add fresh fruit and veggies, lean meat, and stay away from the highly processed, high sodium meals. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference.

Byrdsong1920

Hey,

Thanks for posting this...I've been there and met w/ a nutritionist to see what I was doing wrong once I hit my plateau.....

What I learned was 1. Vary your workouts and include light weight trainining. If you do the same workouts 24/7, your body learns it and doesnt have to work as hard to burn calories; So maybe do Zumba one day, then elliptical another and maybe interval training on treadmill for 30 mins(mix of run/walk/sprints/hills/decline) etc.

2.I went thru your food journal. Seems like you are eating a lot of processed foods/fast food and high sodium foods. I would add 'sodium' to your food journal so you can see the #s. This will make you hold water and bloat you. Also, log your water too. I try to pack my lunch w/me (cooler) and eat what I bring.This way you can control what you eat, save money and make sure you are making healthy choices. Incorporate more greens like lettuce, broccoli etc to help flush you out and have regular bowel movements.

3.Just saw this post, but checkout this spreadsheet to help figure out your caloric intake: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE#gid=2

Also, there are some great forums and groups on MFP - http://www.youtube.com/user/EatMore2WeighLess?feature=mhee 'EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS'. But I would just caution 'what you eat' is key. We want our insides to look as good as the outside -so try to eat foods w/higher nutrients. I have tried low carb, lower cal plans, etc But we want this to be a liftstyle and not a 'diet' -for us to simply gain it all back later. We want healthy hearts, colons, kidneys and more.

This is my 2 cents, Im no doctor, but finding what has worked for me. Do your research for yourself and log and stick to your plan.

But I think your plateau will break once you lose the sodium, drink more water and add some fresh fruits and veggies. Fruits have high sugar too-so try to stick to them during the day while active. Incorporate cardio for heart conditioning and weight training to tone and lose fat. Make sure you measure your inches and also take your body fat; because as you add weight training, you will see the scale go up some, but you may be losing inches and body fat!

happy journey; bless u

devonette

I just noticed that I'm not seeing any water recorded, or for that matter, any beverages at all. What are you drinking, and does it have calories, sweeteners, etc.? If you are drinking tea, coffee, soda, alcohol etc. all that has an effect, too. Besides added calories, sodium, etc., different beverages can affect the way your body behaves.