When does a plateau become a plateau?

threechins
threechins Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm curious what experiences others have had of plateaus, and, specifically, when they feel they begin.

I managed to spend about nine months basically yo-yoing around the same weight range. That was broken when I bought a Fitbit and realised I was getting far more exercise than I thought; so ate more and the weight started coming off again.

After losing quite a bit of weight after that I've now hit a stage where I've had about the same weight for four weeks (every weekly weigh-in has been within a 0.6lb range). This is despite being consistent with diet and exercise, eating back the calories and maintaining - over the week - a 500 calorie deficit.

My instinct is that I need to change something and that it's gone past just being one or two of 'those weeks'; should I trust my instinct or should I bear it out a little longer?

Replies

  • sgarrard01
    sgarrard01 Posts: 213 Member
    2-3 weeks is a good judge of a plateu, especially if you are 100% diligent with your logging so know your getting that -500kcal defacit! I'd say change it up, maybe change your work out to do something different (i.e swap from running to swimming) or change your diet ratios (i.e more protein, less carbs or the other way round) or go up to maintainance for a week and then back down to -500kcal....

    These should help you break that plateu!

    Simon x
  • threechins
    threechins Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks. Was feeling I needed to do something, just wanted a bit of external confirmation that I wasn't being premature.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    Try weighing yourself daily for eight weeks. Record your weight every day and make note of the high and low each week. You can also calculate an average weight, if you are so inclined, but you don't have to. You will start to see a pattern with the highs and lows and you will also see a trend (up, down or the same). Sorry, I did not look at your picture or profile, so I don't know if you are a woman, but your weight will fluctuate with your cycle if you are.

    With weekly only weighings you may be catching yourself at a high water retention point each time you weigh yourself. This will trick you into thinking that you have not progressed.

    My weight fluctuates by as much as three pounds in one week, but my average weight is trending downward. See the graph that is my profile picture.

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