Three-month plateau. Suggestions?

ImKindOfABigDeal40

in my opinion, your calories are fine. The big question is what are you eating? Your exercise is fine too. The big question for exercise is, have you been doing the same routine for the last 3 months? Sounds like Your body has become "adjusted" to what you consume and the exercise that you do. So you have to change it up. Whether it's modifying what you are eating ie reducing "refined carbs", increasing protein to help decrease hunger. Increase intensity, resistance or changing the routine completely... ie P90x, insanity, kickboxing,. something intense that you do not already do.. just a sample of good plateau busters.

Previous posts say you have to eat more but missing one key point. If you eat more, then you have to exercise more.
i hope this helps.

Umm, you only have to eat more if you're eating above maintenance. At 1500 calories a day plus exercising that is highly unlikely. In a day when I'm doing just my normal stuff, no exercising, I burn about 2000 calories and I'm 5'4".

If she's eating 1500 calories and burning 300-500 of those off exercising her body is starving. It's slowing her metabolism down to have the energy it needs to function.

I would try to slowly increase your calories...maybe by 50-100 extra a day for a week or two, then up it again. This should help.

How are you burning 2000 calories a day if you aren't exercising?

Use this tool: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

ChristyP0303

Plateau for months and months and months. Tried the whole eat more to weigh less. I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks. Now I am working off that 6 pounds gonna try something else. So I am looking for suggestions too!

This is EXACTLY my predicament. Would love to get some answers.

I was on a 4 month plateau and did the same thing. Gained a couple pounds. Then decided I wasnt going to worry with the weight loss for a little while. I changed to eating maintainence. I gained a total of 7 pounds. I've did maintainence for the last 3 months. So it has been 7 months since I have lost any weight. Last week, I started the weight loss process again and I've lost 2 pounds. Sometimes you just have to give your body a break, let it readjust and then shock it again by dropping the calories.

JoniBologna

I was on a 4 month plateau and did the same thing. Gained a couple pounds. Then decided I wasnt going to worry with the weight loss for a little while. I changed to eating maintainence. I gained a total of 7 pounds. I've did maintainence for the last 3 months. So it has been 7 months since I have lost any weight. Last week, I started the weight loss process again and I've lost 2 pounds. Sometimes you just have to give your body a break, let it readjust and then shock it again by dropping the calories.

Amen, sister. Good for you for ditching the scale and properly fueling yourself.

TinaDay1114

BUMP...!

I've been on a plateau for 6 months already (gaining/losing the same 5-6 lbs. over and over again), and can't figure out if I really should be eating more, or NOT. My base calories are 1,500, I always eat back my exercise calories, and I workout 5x/week alternating between running, spin class, and a hard core circuit training class w/heavier weights. I've gained lots of strength and endurance, but I'm tired of the zig-zag.

The only time I was at my goal weight was when I didn't work out for a month (because of surgery) -- as soon as I started working out again, my weight has gone up, down, up down, up...

I did try upping my base calories to 1,700 - 1,800 after reading the EMTWL threads...but after a month, I had steadily gained until was at the top of that 6 lb. zig-zag again.

I've entertained a couple of theories, but none of them seem right:
1. Because I'm older (41), don't I need less calories than the folks who are 20-30? Maybe I just need to eat less than I think...?
2. Maybe because I work out hard, my body is staying at this 135 - 139 range to fuel that...? And maybe I should just give up my original goal of 133...

Any ideas guys?

Carolyn_79

If you're eating healthy foods and you're still hungry then try eating more. If you're feeling hungry all the time then it's your body's way of telling you it needs more fuel.

As for your plateau, try changing up your workout if you haven't already.

Twomirrors

Wow. I went off to work for a few hours and you guys gave me so much advice. Thank you!! I should have taken the chance on asking for help earlier.

I think I'm going to try eating more for a week or three and see if that makes a difference. I was hesitant to try that, because I'm terrified of gaining any weight back. I've been chunky my whole life, and don't want to gain and have to lose it back again. That's such hard work!

But if I'm not eating enough, that would explain why I'm sleeping a lot and my muscles feel tired.

In response to some of the questions, I'm blessed to live in a place where I don't need a gym. My workouts vary: mountain biking, windsurfing in 30+mph, road biking, running, hardcore intervals on a road bike. I ride at least an hour every time I go out, and on days when I have time, I ride 2.5 hours or more. Mostly I'm riding up big hills. I like suffering. I don't do strength training, other than ab stuff and pushups, as I'm really muscular (think Xena or an Amazon) and don't want more muscle. I give myself 8-10 calories per minute of cardio, which is less than MFP gives for the same activities.

I try to eat under 150g of carbs per day. If I drop under 125g, I'm starving, even if I'm eating plenty of calories. Under 100g, and I can't think straight, so I'm not sure a super-low carb diet will work for me.

It's possible I've traded a few lbs of fat for muscle. People do keep telling me I look skinny, but I can't tell the difference in the mirror. Too many years of body image issues, I guess! Anyway, I just want that dang needle to drop below 160!

Thank you again for all your help!

jaquelynny

BUMP...!

I've been on a plateau for 6 months already (gaining/losing the same 5-6 lbs. over and over again), and can't figure out if I really should be eating more, or NOT. My base calories are 1,500, I always eat back my exercise calories, and I workout 5x/week alternating between running, spin class, and a hard core circuit training class w/heavier weights. I've gained lots of strength and endurance, but I'm tired of the zig-zag.

The only time I was at my goal weight was when I didn't work out for a month (because of surgery) -- as soon as I started working out again, my weight has gone up, down, up down, up...

I did try upping my base calories to 1,700 - 1,800 after reading the EMTWL threads...but after a month, I had steadily gained until was at the top of that 6 lb. zig-zag again.

I've entertained a couple of theories, but none of them seem right:
1. Because I'm older (41), don't I need less calories than the folks who are 20-30? Maybe I just need to eat less than I think...?
2. Maybe because I work out hard, my body is staying at this 135 - 139 range to fuel that...? And maybe I should just give up my original goal of 133...

Any ideas guys?

i have been here too losing and regaining and plateauing
i think a lot of it comes from not being honest low carb low cal macros etc. are you being naughty? drinking beer/wine etc?
how hard are your workouts and heavy are your lifts? maybe you need a change
recently i ditched diet pills stopped worrying about carbs upped my calories from 1200 to 1500 which does not count Sunday and Mondays binge and added more cardio at least 20 mins daily. i lift heavy, i squat 130 on a rack and bench about 90-100(this is subjective) this week happily i didn't gain but lost a few ounces. which is good news for me becausei think a few simple changes and i can lose.

stupidloser

Want to lose weight? Cut off your arm.

ndavis80

Heya,

I am doing Paleo Diet and it gets awesome results, maybe it will help you if you are open to it: http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/. You don't eat grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, processed foods, or alcohol.

If you don't want to go the Paleo option to stop your hunger it may be what you are eating. You should focus on higher protein than the RDA's and also lots of complex carbs and high fiber . These foods will keep you fuller longer because they take your body longer to digest and break down. They are also very filling by nature. I eat 35% protein a day.

Look at the foods you are eating and you may see that you are eating foods that are leading you to being hungry, lots of carbs and sugars or foods that are a combination of both do not keep you full very long and mess with your insulin levels so they make you hungry quickly and often.

I have been reading up about Chia seeds and Maca powder, still not done researching but Chia is supposed to curb your appetite and keep you full longer since it forms a gel like substance when it absorbs liquids...check it out.

You also may want to consider that you may not be losing pounds but you may be gaining lean muscle mass so you will not see pounds off on the scale but your body is changing. You can measure periodically to see this or judge by how your clothes fit.

Hope this helps!