Weight Plateau - Please Help!!

cmaggies · October 2012

Have been using My Fitness Pal for 7 1/2 weeks and have lost 5.6kg (12lb). But I have reached a plateau with my weight - have been the same for about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. What do I need to do to move past this and keep losing weight? Currently my main forms of exercise are walking and stationary bike riding. Is it as simple as adding some strength training to my routine? All ideas gratefully received!

IbiH · October 2012

I've been hovering for the past 3 months....... time to reassess. Re checked my BMR on another website, so I'm upping my calories by 300 should be a little more but not sure if I can increase by a further 500 cals as I work out 4/5 times a week.

Hope this helps.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html

nexangelus · October 2012

Take a diet break for a couple of weeks and then go back to it. Break does not mean binge or all you can eat, just eat higher calories than in diet mode.

Or take a couple of days out to eat more calories per week...

SorchaRavenlock · October 2012

It's hard to tell without seeing your diary to be honest.

Personally I started eating more and doing the 30 day shred on top of my daily walks and that broke my plateau. It feels a bit backward to eat more to start losing again, but my body just seems happier to let go of those extra pounds when it's sure it will won't starve

cmaggies · October 2012

:happy: Thanks for your reply! The web link you provided is most interesting.

cmaggies · October 2012

Thank you! I will read and research further on your idea.

thriftycupl · October 2012

There is a ton of great information on this site. Click on search in the message boards and type in plateau. Read it all and remember what works for one person, may or may not work for you. Try what you think you can sustain and if that doesn't work (it might take a few weeks for your body to adjust), try something new. Depending on what you are eating now and your current level of activity, I would definitely try upping your calories a bit.

Good luck with your plateau. Stay strong and you'll break it.

cmaggies · October 2012

It's hard to tell without seeing your diary to be honest.

Personally I started eating more and doing the 30 day shred on top of my daily walks and that broke my plateau. It feels a bit backward to eat more to start losing again, but my body just seems happier to let go of those extra pounds when it's sure it will won't starve

Thanks for your input! I have some research and reading to do!:happy:

witchy_wife · October 2012

Honestly I would say 2 weeks isn't really a plateau. Weight loss doesn't always happen week after week and it may be that if you continue doing exactly what you have been then next week you might drop 2-3lbs.

I wouldn't worry too much if I didn't lose for 2 weeks. If it was 8 weeks I would try shaking things up a bit. But what you have been doing obviously works for you.

cleanandlean2012 · October 2012

I recently hit a plateau too - I have been at MFP since 1st August and about 4 weeks ago I stuck at the same weight for around 3 weeks (irrespective of what I did.) and even managed to gain a couple of pounds. I then began drinking a lot more water and all of a sudden things began to move, now I have lost the couple of pounds and a couple more on top.

Other things to check:
1. Make sure not too many refined carbs / sugar
2. Mix up the exercise
3. Minimise coffee
4. lots of fresh leafy green veg
5. Omit alcohol

Hope that helps

bodyrollin · October 2012

Have been using My Fitness Pal for 7 1/2 weeks and have lost 5.6kg (12lb). But I have reached a plateau with my weight - have been the same for about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. What do I need to do to move past this and keep losing weight? Currently my main forms of exercise are walking and stationary bike riding. Is it as simple as adding some strength training to my routine? All ideas gratefully received!

Try a 10 day juice fast...sounds drastic, but with the right things it has tremendous health effects, and is over before you know it.

forwesgar13 · October 2012

When I hit a plateau I found a site called nowloss.com that had alot of great tips. I also listened to the advice on this site. I was not eating back my exercise calories not on purpose just didnt know to. So I stayed at the calorie count that I was doing and ate back my exercise calories. I've also tried to eat three meals and two snacks to keep my metabolism going.Started walking five days a week sometimes with a exercise vest. You have to out smart your body and change it up a bit its getting used to what your doing

psuLemon · October 2012

What has worked for me as well as many others i have helped. Set your account to maintain for 2 weeks. Try to eat lots higher protein foods (to help your body to repair) and concentrate on eating whole natural foods and try to stay away from fast foods. Once you come off the break, set your account to a more moderate "per weight loss" goal (if it was at 2 lbs per week, set it at 1.5 or even 1). Also, if you are exercising and have not been eating exercise calories, start eating 50% of them. This will help fuel your body.

Additionally, alter your macro's. Do around 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats. This site is low on protein as it's based on the US standard.

fraya1 · October 2012

Strength training will boost your metabolism for sure! Cut carbs?

painauxraisin · October 2012

I think you've done really well in seven weeks! I wish I'd lost as much as that!!!

mulderpf · October 2012

But I have reached a plateau with my weight - have been the same for about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.

To be fair - 1 1/2 to 2 weeks isn't really enough time to determine whether or not you have hit a plateau. You've been losing 1.6 lbs on average per week, but the scale can vary by more than that just based on time of day, nevermind other factors. Just stick to it and keep on - two weeks of the same weight in a row isn't necessarily a plateau.

onyxgirl17 · October 2012

I recently hit a plateau too - I have been at MFP since 1st August and about 4 weeks ago I stuck at the same weight for around 3 weeks (irrespective of what I did.) and even managed to gain a couple of pounds. I then began drinking a lot more water and all of a sudden things began to move, now I have lost the couple of pounds and a couple more on top.

Other things to check:
1. Make sure not too many refined carbs / sugar
2. Mix up the exercise
3. Minimise coffee
4. lots of fresh leafy green veg
5. Omit alcohol

Hope that helps

Minimize coffee? minimize coffee? Where did you get that from?

onyxgirl17 · October 2012

I've been at this since May. In August my weight loss appeared to stall but then picked back up again in September. I think of it as an evenning out because I lost more than I thought I should in June/July and then I guess I picked back up any extra water weight I lost in August and then in September things started moving again. I've lost an additional 10 pounds since that initial plateau.

Fat loss depends on exercise combined with a caloric deficit. If you have those two things in check you should see the scale move again soon. 1.5 weeks is not long enough to have a plateau, given that water weight can shift by up to 5 pounds in a single day.

cebreisch · October 2012

Sometimes it's time to "change it up" - add something different to the exercise routine, do something different with your menu's, whatever. If you always walk a path that's pretty level, then change your route to add a few hills. (Part of the premise for things like P90X and Insanity is to not let your body get used to the routine....or get in a rut.)

One thing that I've noticed with my weight loss (I've lost 103.6 pounds) is that it goes in waves....I'll go for 3 weeks with 1.5 pound losses, then go for about 3-4 weeks with 0-1 pound losses. I just hit 1.4 pounds this week after a few weeks of .2 or .4 pound losses a week. I just knew I was in that mode, and that if I kept doing what I was supposed to do, the scale would eventually catch up with me.

The other thing to do would be to get a Fitbit. It monitors your activity, and syncs with MFP. (They're coming out with a new one in a couple of weeks that'll sync with your iPhone/iPad.) It'll give you a chart of "calories burned" vs. "calorie intake" - as long as you make sure you burn more than you take in, you're going to lose weight. That part I've found definitely to be true.

It doesn't matter how much a week I lose, as long as it's going in that direction!

psuLemon · October 2012

I recently hit a plateau too - I have been at MFP since 1st August and about 4 weeks ago I stuck at the same weight for around 3 weeks (irrespective of what I did.) and even managed to gain a couple of pounds. I then began drinking a lot more water and all of a sudden things began to move, now I have lost the couple of pounds and a couple more on top.

Other things to check:
1. Make sure not too many refined carbs / sugar
2. Mix up the exercise
3. Minimise coffee
4. lots of fresh leafy green veg
5. Omit alcohol

Hope that helps

Minimize coffee? minimize coffee? Where did you get that from?

you also don't have to omit alcohol (well Wine & spirits at least).

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

cmaggies · October 2012

Thank you to all who contributed ideas to my question. I was really excited to see so many responses to my first question! I have read all with great interest and done some research myself. Interesting reading on Weight Watcher's web site (http://www.weightwatchers.com.au) - search for "plateaus and physical activity". Their article talks about breaking a plateau by increasing your exercise time, increasing the intensity of your exercise and varying your exercise type.
Thanks also to those who thought I wasn't really experiencing a plateau after 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. After further thought you are probably right.
Here's to us all successfully continuing on our weight loss journey:happy:

cmaggies · October 2012

I think you've done really well in seven weeks! I wish I'd lost as much as that!!!

Thanks for your kind words - if I can do it, you can too! Keep positive - we can both reach our goal.

droberts3311 · October 2012

Glad to here it is only weeks, try months!! I have changed everything I know and still in search. Will not give up, if I die with the extra 10-15 pounds I will then quit. Not until. Just so you know you are not alone.:flowerforyou:

szonjakun · October 2012

I'm having the same problem (after losing 23 lbs in 4 months), but for 4 months now. I can't give you any advice, since I can't even overcome my own plateau, but don't give up!

kimmianne89 · October 2012

I have hovered around the same weight since June! Then my birthday came and I thought forget it, ate LOADS and afterwards thought right im going back on it and now I'm losing again

so maybe take a break, or mix things up. Cheese can stall some peoples weight loss too, I know about 5 people that as soon as they limited cheese their weight loss started again and when they started having it again their losses stalled again (not sure why but just a thought, no harm trying!).

Strength training would be a great idea to incorporate. Also take a closer look at you macros, make sure you are getting enough protein, make sure your calorie intake isn't too low/high. Maybe invest in a HRM if you don't already, to log more accurate burns, and food scales to calculate more accurately in your diary. Just a few things to look into, Good luck!

cmaggies · October 2012

I have hovered around the same weight since June! Then my birthday came and I thought forget it, ate LOADS and afterwards thought right im going back on it and now I'm losing again so maybe take a break, or mix things up. Cheese can stall some peoples weight loss too, I know about 5 people that as soon as they limited cheese their weight loss started again and when they started having it again their losses stalled again (not sure why but just a thought, no harm trying!).

Strength training would be a great idea to incorporate. Also take a closer look at you macros, make sure you are getting enough protein, make sure your calorie intake isn't too low/high. Maybe invest in a HRM if you don't already, to log more accurate burns, and food scales to calculate more accurately in your diary. Just a few things to look into, Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I started some beginners strength training earlier this week. I have read that the development of lean muscle helps with raising the metabolism and therefore, weight loss.

psuLemon · October 2012

Thank you to all who contributed ideas to my question. I was really excited to see so many responses to my first question! I have read all with great interest and done some research myself. Interesting reading on Weight Watcher's web site (http://www.weightwatchers.com.au) - search for "plateaus and physical activity". Their article talks about breaking a plateau by increasing your exercise time, increasing the intensity of your exercise and varying your exercise type.
Thanks also to those who thought I wasn't really experiencing a plateau after 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. After further thought you are probably right.
Here's to us all successfully continuing on our weight loss journey:happy:

My main issue with this is, WW doesn't care if you lose fat or muscle, their success is fully based on what the scale says. If you care about your lean body mass (that little that try drives your metabolic rate and provides so many benefits) then I wouldn't suggest what WW is saying. Beside, IMO, you should always be striving to push harder as you lose weight so you can get stronger and more fit. That is also why I suggested taking a break so your body can repair.

MrsNANSEE · October 2012

I recently hit a plateau too - I have been at MFP since 1st August and about 4 weeks ago I stuck at the same weight for around 3 weeks (irrespective of what I did.) and even managed to gain a couple of pounds. I then began drinking a lot more water and all of a sudden things began to move, now I have lost the couple of pounds and a couple more on top.

Other things to check:
1. Make sure not too many refined carbs / sugar
2. Mix up the exercise
3. Minimise coffee
4. lots of fresh leafy green veg
5. Omit alcohol

Hope that helps

This is good advice,lots of water and lots of fibre will get things moving again.And try doing different exercises.No alcohol and try decaff coffee and tea.Caffeine is in my experience bad.I hold onto water when i have a lot of it x

psuLemon · October 2012

I recently hit a plateau too - I have been at MFP since 1st August and about 4 weeks ago I stuck at the same weight for around 3 weeks (irrespective of what I did.) and even managed to gain a couple of pounds. I then began drinking a lot more water and all of a sudden things began to move, now I have lost the couple of pounds and a couple more on top.

Other things to check:
1. Make sure not too many refined carbs / sugar
2. Mix up the exercise
3. Minimise coffee
4. lots of fresh leafy green veg
5. Omit alcohol

Hope that helps

This is good advice,lots of water and lots of fibre will get things moving again.And try doing different exercises.No alcohol and try decaff coffee and tea.Caffeine is in my experience bad.I hold onto water when i have a lot of it x

Look at the first page... There is no issue with alcohol or caffeine. In fact, caffeine is a stimulant which can help you push harder during a workout. And some alcohols (like wine and spirits) can lead to lower body fat as demonstrated by a link on the first page I wrote.

NJL13500 · October 2012

I had the same question a couple of weeks ago. I was down 54 pounds in 7 months, but stuck at the same weight (136) for 4 weeks. I listened to what people said and although it was hard at first, I upped my net calories from 1200 to 1500, added strength training (30-45 minutes), cut back on cardio minutes (from 60 to 30-45 minutes), upped my protein...and bam! 1 pound lost last week and down 1 pound this week. My weight loss has always gone in cycles, but never a 4 week stall until a couple of weeks ago. It was mentally tough to eat more calories at first, but I'm a convert now. I told myself that I would try it for 4 weeks (the same length of my plateau) and see what happened. If it didn't work, then I'd try something else. Now I'm 2 pounds away from my ultimate goal (132) and happily eating more every day.

Good luck to you!

cmaggies · October 2012

Thank you to all who contributed ideas to my question. I was really excited to see so many responses to my first question! I have read all with great interest and done some research myself. Interesting reading on Weight Watcher's web site (http://www.weightwatchers.com.au) - search for "plateaus and physical activity". Their article talks about breaking a plateau by increasing your exercise time, increasing the intensity of your exercise and varying your exercise type.
Thanks also to those who thought I wasn't really experiencing a plateau after 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. After further thought you are probably right.
Here's to us all successfully continuing on our weight loss journey:happy:

My main issue with this is, WW doesn't care if you lose fat or muscle, their success is fully based on what the scale says. If you care about your lean body mass (that little that try drives your metabolic rate and provides so many benefits) then I wouldn't suggest what WW is saying. Beside, IMO, you should always be striving to push harder as you lose weight so you can get stronger and more fit. That is also why I suggested taking a break so your body can repair.

You make a good point about WW. I hadn't really thought about it from that perspective. Since your reply I have pushed harder to lose weight and also built in some rest days to allow my body to repair. These things plus the addition of some strength exercises have got the weight moving again! Thank you for your input!

Weight Plateau - Please Help!!

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