Does everyone experience a plateau?

SarahCJarrad

Hi Everyone,

I've been cutting calories since Mid May. I've lost a total of 6 pounds. I am hoping to lose a total of 45 more pounds. I am wondering if I am going to eventually plateau out. In other words, in your experiences is there a point where sticking to the recommended calories no longer works? If so, when do you generally begin to see the leveling off?

Thanks Everyone!

BlondeQtTexas

I lost 30 lbs from Feb to around the beginning of May and have been solidly in a plateau since. Nothing I have tried has seemed to break it.

Frustrating.

ElizabethRoad

I never hit a plateau. I only had 16 pounds to lose though.

SarahCJarrad

That would be so frustrating. That's where my concern is... what to do once you get into the plateau...

monty619

yeh im riding a plateau right now... frustrating, but im still fairly lean now so its not as bothersome.

diabolotry

If you believe in Set Point Theory, everyone has a level of body fat (and weight) that they are predisposed to and despite our best efforts, our body will strive to keep us there. This is one potential cause of "plateauing" that as you are losing weight/fat, your body is adjusting and holding on to what it's got because you are below your set point.

Whether or not that is true, you have to remember that as your weight drops, your caloric needs change. If you stop losing weight you need to re-evaluate your calorie needs and adjust your intake to increase your deficit again.

If you are already at a low intake and are uncertain about consuming fewer calories, add more and/or more intense exercise into your regime so that you are burning more calories.

Another suggestion is calorie cycling--eating a different amount of calories every day to keep your body guessing. For example, if you want to lose 1-2lbs/week and your calories limits are 1500-1200calories/day respectively, instead of being consistent at either, cycle between.

dg09

I have yet to hit a plateau. There was one week where I did not lose or gain (I would hardly consider that a plateau), but every week since I've started I have lost.

lilpoindexter

I was stuck at a plateau...I used to allow myself a "cheat day" on Saturdays...I would pig out like there was no tomorrow...for a while it worked, then it stopped working. I scaled back the cheat day to an order of fries with my lunch ( i really like fries), and I try to stick to a nice clean diet. I also jacked up the amount of cardio i do...it seems to be working.

Kitzey

So far I haven't hit a plateau.... Only been at it since mid-March though. I tend to change things up weekly in regards to exercise as I would get bored of same food/same exercise if I didn't.

caraiselite

counting calories doesn't work for me.
fortunately, low carb does, less plateauing.

maybe you need to change things up.

2BeHealthy4Life

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/599949-tired-plateaud-scale-not-moving-found-my-answer

110lbs50kgs

Yes. I had my son last July. I wasn't allowed to workout for six weeks because of my c-section. I weighed 159lbs the day I was discharged from the hospital, and still weighed 159lbs when I started going to the gym.
It took me a little under 3 months to drop to 130lbs even. Then I fluctuated between 125lbs - 130lbs for another three months. I now fluctuate between 119lbs - 122lbs. It's driving me crazy.

I gained a ton of weight with my pregnancy. Prior to that I had an ED, was considered recovered, and had gotten my period back only five months before I got pregnant. I am still stuck at 119lbs at the lowest, and it has been that way no matter how much cardio, clean eating, junk eating, or weight lifting I do. I'm tempted to eat 2,200 calories a day just to see if I can confuse my body enough to start losing weight again. If that makes sense...

llkilgore

I didn't always hit my target for the week, but I always recorded a loss - 58 pounds total.

stupidloser

I hit a plateau every weekend when I chowdown on my weekly pizza and 6-pack. Seriously though, I need to take my fat loss more seriously.

kenmunson333

I hit many plateaus during my weight loss journey. Early on, they would last just 3 or 4 days, As I got closer and closer to what became my final goal weight of 185 lbs, the plateaus lasted longer and longer. Usually during plateaus was when I noticed my clothese would fit get looser. it seemed my body was readjusting the available mass which resulted in a trade of fat for muscle. Once it was set, then the plateau would end and I'd start losing again.