How do I get out of a plateau?

fit_librarian

I've been losing weight since January 2012, and I've lost 25lb, which is roughly a pound a week. But for the past month, I've been stuck at 150lbs. No change. I haven't really encountered a plateau before and I don't know how to get out of it. I eat approximately 1350-1600 calories a day, and I work out 4-5 times a week for at least an hour. Any advice, suggestions?

LeellenMack

Everyone is different. I was in a plateau for close to 6 months and just recently broke it (fingers crossed) by going over my calories by a couple hundred for 4 days, but never over TDEE, and taking a one week break from exercise. I was on vacation so I didn't actually plan this but when I got home I had lost 2lbs and am still losing. Go figure... Good luck!

srpm

Mainly replying to bump the post but a few things I have seen recommended in the past:

Change up your diet (if you mainly eat chicken and veggies try subbing in some steak and fruit)
Up your calories & exercise level
Just keep with it and eventually you will break through
Change up your exercises, if you do mainly cardio add some weights and vice-versa

sdtjwp

Thanks for some of these tips. I am also plateauing and it is driving me nuts!! I noticed though that I ate "worse" yesterday and I lost 1.6 lbs. Go figure. Keep those tips coming!!! :-)

erickirb

I would suggest eating more, since you seem to not eat a lot considering how much you workout. What is your weekly weight loss goal on MFP set to? With the amount you have to lose the goal should be 1lb/week, and you should eat back the cals bunred from exercise.

carriempls

First thing is to go back to basics. Make sure you're not underestimating food calories by weighing and measuring EVERYthing you're eating very carefully and make sure you're not overestimating exercise calories burned.

If you don't find any issues there, I have always heard the suggestion to eat at TDEE or "maintenance" for a week or 2. Show your body you're not starving. Then go back to a reduced calorie intake, but not as severe as your last. So if you were doing a 1000 calorie deficit, try for 500. If you were doing 500, try for 250.

CommandaPanda

Or you could go completely Keto and all of your problems will be solved =]

TourThePast

When my weight loss slowed, it was because I was getting careless about measuring food. Soon as I started weighing everything again, my weight loss got straight back on track, so I suggest a cold hard look at that aspect of things.

jjplato

Not sure if this has any scientific basis whatsoever, but what works for me is changing up both my diet and my exercise routines, making sure I'm eating 5-6 times during the day to keep my metabolism going, and avoiding alcohol. For instance, on the diet part - I had been doing low-carb, which worked great for dropping the first 20 lbs, but I couldn't get rid of the last 10. I switched to low-calorie, and the weight came off immediately.

Captain_Tightpants

The general rules for plateau...

1) make sure it's really a plateau and not just that you've lost enough body mass to have lowered your TDEE to maintenance level. Recalculate your calorie allowance for your new body weight and recommit to measuring food and exercise burns accurately.

2) switch up your intake calories. Some people experience success by zig zagging - low cal one day, higher the next. Some experience success by intermittent fasting etc.

3) switch up the types of food you are eating. If you were at 50/25/25 carb/fat/prot before, try something like 40/30/30 and see what happens.

4) switch up your exercise routine. Your body gets very efficient at doing one activity after a while, and thus uses less calories to perform it.

5) head down and carry on. Put away the scale for a while and use difference metrics as success measures (photos, tape measure etc.)

6) if all else fails and you stay in plateau for months, consider seeing your doc for routine metabolic tests - thyroid function, blood glucose etc.

Hope that helps

reggie2run

BUMP

callikia

Everyone is different. I was in a plateau for close to 6 months and just recently broke it (fingers crossed) by going over my calories by a couple hundred for 4 days, but never over TDEE, and taking a one week break from exercise. I was on vacation so I didn't actually plan this but when I got home I had lost 2lbs and am still losing. Go figure... Good luck!

Yep...that's how I broke mine of 7 months (also crossing fingers here). I actually ate at maintenance and tried to back off a LOT (almost completely, but not quite) from exercise for 2 weeks. When I went back to eating at deficit, I started losing again. It was brutal, and yes, I gained a couple pounds in those 2 weeks...but after NOTHING for 7 months - I'll take it!

cllovesdw4eva

Im about to blog on a strategy from a cardiologist I spoke with over 5 years ago, that I have largely ignored. As difficult as this is to abide by, it is practically guaranteed to work.


http://heartmdphd.com/wtloss.asp

mhoward685

What is TDEE?

cwe1229a

that's true, everyone's different, but some things others do might help!

when i got stuck, i hadn't lost anything in a month. so, i drank more water, i zig-zagged my calories for a week and went off of exercise for a week and a half. i managed to break it and lost two pounds in the process : ) i slept more too, i made sure to go to sleep one hour earlier than i normally do.

gatorginger

I suggest upping your calories by 100 more a day and see how that works as it will jump start your metabolism again trust me it really does work to eat more.

gatorginger

Thanks for some of these tips. I am also plateauing and it is driving me nuts!! I noticed though that I ate "worse" yesterday and I lost 1.6 lbs. Go figure. Keep those tips coming!!! :-)

Try upping your calories by 100 more a day and I bet you will start losing again :}

g0tr00t

The general rules for plateau...

1) make sure it's really a plateau and not just that you've lost enough body mass to have lowered your TDEE to maintenance level. Recalculate your calorie allowance for your new body weight and recommit to measuring food and exercise burns accurately.

How do you do this? I am trying one thing now. I needed to take some time off and run some Dr appts. So I crammed them into 3 weeks and took off from the gym and biking for 3 weeks while maintaining my weight. Now I am back into the working out and biking along with the same diet.

I am hoping it jump starts my weight loss.

SweetiePieHolly

deff going to bump this thread for later and when i get upset about not losing..Thanks for posting and everyone has put some helpful tips on here thanks in advance!!!!!:drinker:

jackpotclown

What is TDEE?

Total Daily Energy Expenditure....it's your BMR (cal burn for your body to function) plus your exercise burn for one day. \m/

mrsjacksn

bump

fit_librarian

I have it set to 1lb a week, and it says I should be eating 1230 calories a day.

1holegrouper

Two things for me; 1) increasing my daily calories by 250 cal/day (isn't that ironic?!) and 2) making sure I get more sleep

BitteOrca

First thing is to go back to basics. Make sure you're not underestimating food calories by weighing and measuring EVERYthing you're eating very carefully and make sure you're not overestimating exercise calories burned.

If you don't find any issues there, I have always heard the suggestion to eat at TDEE or "maintenance" for a week or 2. Show your body you're not starving. Then go back to a reduced calorie intake, but not as severe as your last. So if you were doing a 1000 calorie deficit, try for 500. If you were doing 500, try for 250.

ok--so i'm encountering the same problem as OP and i'm considering upping my calories too.

my question is--upping my calories means going back to my prior eating habits--i.e. WAY more carbs and less protein then i'm eating now.

if i want to up my calories to be closer to TDEE, does that mean eating basically all protein and veg? that's...difficult! how many eggs or grams of cottage cheese can a girl eat in one day?? i know the easy answer is avocado and nuts, but honestly, it's not easy to eat 500 cals of nuts!

your advice is appreciated.

mgobluetx12

http://www.fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

This is a great article.

wedjul05

I found that what broke my plateau was completely changing my exercise programme. My diet was/is roughly the same with only a few minor tweeks.

I was stuck for 4-5months. Saw a PT and changed my cardio/weights. I also started running outside too. I've lost 4 lbs in 3 weeks and it's going great.

carriempls

First thing is to go back to basics. Make sure you're not underestimating food calories by weighing and measuring EVERYthing you're eating very carefully and make sure you're not overestimating exercise calories burned.

If you don't find any issues there, I have always heard the suggestion to eat at TDEE or "maintenance" for a week or 2. Show your body you're not starving. Then go back to a reduced calorie intake, but not as severe as your last. So if you were doing a 1000 calorie deficit, try for 500. If you were doing 500, try for 250.

ok--so i'm encountering the same problem as OP and i'm considering upping my calories too.

my question is--upping my calories means going back to my prior eating habits--i.e. WAY more carbs and less protein then i'm eating now.

if i want to up my calories to be closer to TDEE, does that mean eating basically all protein and veg? that's...difficult! how many eggs or grams of cottage cheese can a girl eat in one day?? i know the easy answer is avocado and nuts, but honestly, it's not easy to eat 500 cals of nuts!

your advice is appreciated.

You can increase calories without changing your macros. Just add in some healthy snacks throughout the day. Nuts and fruit and veggies. Greek yogurt with fruit. An apple and some peanut butter. You're going to increase your calories when you reach goal, so this is just practice.

Also - I'm not in the "carbs are bad" camp. So if lower carb is working for you, then great, but I don't see any reason to cut them out personally. Add in brown rice with a meal, quinoa, etc.

Captain_Tightpants

ok--so i'm encountering the same problem as OP and i'm considering upping my calories too.

my question is--upping my calories means going back to my prior eating habits--i.e. WAY more carbs and less protein then i'm eating now.

if i want to up my calories to be closer to TDEE, does that mean eating basically all protein and veg? that's...difficult! how many eggs or grams of cottage cheese can a girl eat in one day?? i know the easy answer is avocado and nuts, but honestly, it's not easy to eat 500 cals of nuts!

your advice is appreciated.

Carbs and protein contain the same amount of caloric density (approx 4 cals per gram), so switching out equal weights of protein for carbs or vice versa will do nothing to your total daily calorie intake.

Fat, on the other hand is over twice as calorically dense (9cals per gram). So if you want to up your cals without stuffing yourself, just add some olive oil to your cooking process, some nuts to your salads or stir frys, or a scoop of peanut butter to your breakfast.