Who else has hit a plateau?

I've lost like a total of 43 lbs since I started my journey in August 2011 but in February I hit a plateau and have been on it since, no matter what I do. I have tried to eat more to lose it, that didn't work. I tried to eat less, but that put me in starvation mode. I cut out soda and drinking nothing but water. I go to the gym plus I have a second job that I walk/stand for the entire time. I get enough sleep so that my body gets rests. Yet, I can't manage to get the scale below 700. Who else has hit that wall?

Replies

  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    WHAT are you eating?
  • micervera
    micervera Posts: 114 Member
    bump
  • Bunnehface
    Bunnehface Posts: 129 Member
    I'm 25lb down and I've been stuck for about a month now. I've upped my calories to 1500-1600 from 1200-1300, started drinking 6-8 tall glasses of water a day, I'm tracking my sodium levels and have changed from 90 mins of moderate weights/cardio twice a week to 40-60 mins of high intensity interval training/heavier weights four times a week. Scales still won't budge!
  • sl1ngsh0t
    sl1ngsh0t Posts: 326 Member
    *raises hand*

    I have lost half a pound in the past month. I'm trying to eat more, now. I feel that I have some ideas as to what I am doing wrong-I just don't know how they apply to me, really. I'm eating clean, I avoid alcohol & processed foods, exercise (cardio & strength) daily...I just hover between 135-138 and just can't crack below that range. #frustratingtobeme
  • micervera
    micervera Posts: 114 Member
    I cut back on my take out drastically. 2 days out of the week I eat take out since I don't have time to cook in between jobs. Otherwise I cook at home, chicken breast w/ no bone & not cooked in oil. A lot of fruits & veggies. Light yogurts & egg substitute for protein. A lot of fat free foods. I don't eat anything that has been deep fried, a little cooking oil is not bad but deep fried is not so good. Like I said I cut out any kind of soda to keep off the carbonated drinks.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    WHAT are you eating?

    And what sort of exercise?
  • phatycake
    phatycake Posts: 216
    WHAT are you eating?

    And what sort of exercise?

    x2
  • skirtlongjacket
    skirtlongjacket Posts: 41 Member
    I appear to have started on a plateau! I've been at 148 for two weeks, grumble grumble.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    Found out yesterday that i hit a plateau back in January. didn't know until I looked in my reports on MFP. Don't fret too much, just keep doing what you know is right.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I've lost like a total of 43 lbs since I started my journey in August 2011 but in February I hit a plateau and have been on it since, no matter what I do. I have tried to eat more to lose it, that didn't work. I tried to eat less, but that put me in starvation mode. I cut out soda and drinking nothing but water. I go to the gym plus I have a second job that I walk/stand for the entire time. I get enough sleep so that my body gets rests. Yet, I can't manage to get the scale below 700. Who else has hit that wall?

    How long did you eat more, and were you honest about the level of activity to take the deficit off of?
    If it took from Aug to Feb for metabolism to slow down, I hope you didn't think it might take a week to speed up again.

    Otherwise you can eat a little more, and body just resets the balance point there, but still no loss.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I appear to have started on a plateau! I've been at 148 for two weeks, grumble grumble.

    3 weeks of NO measurement changes at all is a plateau or stall.
    And you needs lots of measurements all over, because fat may be coming off were you are not measuring.
  • DoubleE615312
    DoubleE615312 Posts: 173 Member
    see if eating at maintenance for a couple of weeks helps.
  • rschmmidt
    rschmmidt Posts: 296
    bump
  • Springer007
    Springer007 Posts: 84 Member
    I tried to eat less, but that put me in starvation mode.

    How do you know this? Starvation mode is a myth. If you are consuming at least 1200 calories a day AND excersising, then you are fine. People love to play the "starvation mode" card as an excuse not to cut back calories. Its a simple equation,.... eat less than you burn and you will lose weight.
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
    Exercise more!
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    I cut back on my take out drastically. 2 days out of the week I eat take out since I don't have time to cook in between jobs. Otherwise I cook at home, chicken breast w/ no bone & not cooked in oil. A lot of fruits & veggies. Light yogurts & egg substitute for protein. A lot of fat free foods. I don't eat anything that has been deep fried, a little cooking oil is not bad but deep fried is not so good. Like I said I cut out any kind of soda to keep off the carbonated drinks.

    You need more fat. There is a reason foods are made up of the three macro-nutrients (fat, carbs, protein) you need a lot of all of them to function properly. Eat more nuts, avocados, olives, fish... and make real eggs, there's no reason to eat anything with the word substitute in it. :wink:
  • Norinella
    Norinella Posts: 31
    If you have already lost 43 pounds, then I think you know what you're doing. You already have so much success. My body occasionally seems to take a break from losing to just kind of rest where it is. Then I start losing again. It's like it just says, "Hold on a minute! Let me hit my reset button!"

    If you really are perplexed and this continues, you might consider seeing a nutritionist. Sometimes they have very good suggestions about changing up/paring down your diet. Maybe your body is just used to the things you eat and needs a little shock. Some people switch their meals around so the big one of the day is breakfast, not dinner, and everything else is small bites. I haven't tried it myself.
  • Norinella
    Norinella Posts: 31
    I think this is a good point. Low-fat seems like a good choice when you are dieting, but you do need some healthy fats in your diet.
  • Norinella
    Norinella Posts: 31
    Sorry, was trying to quote PhilyPhresh.
  • micervera
    micervera Posts: 114 Member
    I do strength training to warm up (15 minutes) and then 30 minutes of cardio like, jogging, eliptical & biking. On the weekends I am able to do more cardio since I am not in a time crunch so I do it for like an hour. I do have admit that I in the past I did cardio for like an hour and was loosing it.
  • micervera
    micervera Posts: 114 Member
    I cut back on my take out drastically. 2 days out of the week I eat take out since I don't have time to cook in between jobs. Otherwise I cook at home, chicken breast w/ no bone & not cooked in oil. A lot of fruits & veggies. Light yogurts & egg substitute for protein. A lot of fat free foods. I don't eat anything that has been deep fried, a little cooking oil is not bad but deep fried is not so good. Like I said I cut out any kind of soda to keep off the carbonated drinks.

    You need more fat. There is a reason foods are made up of the three macro-nutrients (fat, carbs, protein) you need a lot of all of them to function properly. Eat more nuts, avocados, olives, fish... and make real eggs, there's no reason to eat anything with the word substitute in it. :wink:

    This is a good recommendation that I didn't think about. I can't eat fish since I'm allergic to them but I will try the natural oils and see if that works. Thanks.
  • PHATmommy68
    PHATmommy68 Posts: 112
    ME TOO but hit that plateau 6 pounds away from goal!!! ARGH!!!!