Fighting through the plateau

aqcannon

Hi all,
I've hit a rough patch. I seem to have plateaued despite all my best efforts. I am well below my recommended calorie count (by all the machinations I can figure out and find)--staying under 2000 every day. I am not exercising as much as I'd like because some foot issues have sidelined me. The food I put into my body is overall pretty healthy. For a long time I was losing weight pretty steadily and then for the past month I've just flatlined. Even MFP calculators (the "in 5 weeks you should weigh..." thingy) says I should be losing.

I'm getting discouraged and frustrated. I know I should keep pressing forward and not worry about it, but how do I stay motivated at a plateau?

Also, it doesn't help that I can't see a noticeable difference. I still look like a gummy lump. I look at all these before and after pictures on here and I"m amazed. I have lost over 100 lbs and can't see a difference. HELP!!!

stfuriada

I'm getting discouraged and frustrated. I know I should keep pressing forward and not worry about it, but how do I stay motivated at a plateau?

When I start getting down, I ask myself "if you're going to give up, then what? Go back to being a lazy *kitten*? Start eating indiscriminately?? YEAH, that's REAAAAALLY gonna help you get over this plateau" - yes my inner voice is a sarcastic bish. :laugh:

But it works for me, because really, there's only one good option and that's to keep at it.

PhilyPhresh

Hi all,
I've hit a rough patch. I seem to have plateaued despite all my best efforts. I am well below my recommended calorie count (by all the machinations I can figure out and find)--staying under 2000 every day. I am not exercising as much as I'd like because some foot issues have sidelined me. The food I put into my body is overall pretty healthy. For a long time I was losing weight pretty steadily and then for the past month I've just flatlined. Even MFP calculators (the "in 5 weeks you should weigh..." thingy) says I should be losing.

I'm getting discouraged and frustrated. I know I should keep pressing forward and not worry about it, but how do I stay motivated at a plateau?

Also, it doesn't help that I can't see a noticeable difference. I still look like a gummy lump. I look at all these before and after pictures on here and I"m amazed. I have lost over 100 lbs and can't see a difference. HELP!!!

Dude, you have lost over 100 lbs! Thats an entire small person! First and foremost, be proud man!!!! Second, we plateau, it happens. Have you tried changing things up a bit? I see that you say you have had trouble doing much exercising due to your foot. Is it bad enough that you cane use a rowing machine? Rowing is an excellent full body workout to burn calories.

aqcannon

Rowing machine puts a bunch of pressure on the wrong parts of my foot. Not to mention that I'm 6'7" tall and don't fit really well in the rowing machines. I'm going to try the hand bike, the rowing machine and maybe some swimming too. I love the advice and encouragement, thank you so much.

cbeutler

I would suggest two things

First buckle down looking for calorie creep. Make sure your portion sizes haven't changed subtly getting bigger over time.
Second shake things up for a week eat over 200 one day under one day, jack up your protein one day, carbs another see what you can play with. Even with the exercise (I know the foot is acting up again) go harder and shorter one day longer and slower one day. Change up your strength training add weight cut reps or do pyramids instead of straight sets, or supersets just confuse the hell out of the body and see if that breaks it loose.

Otherwise just be patient (that sucks I know) and carry on the plateau will break.