How do you break a Plateau

mburns51

Hey guys,
I have been dieting for a couple months now I'm losing weight i eat around 1800-2000 calories a day and I work out 3-5 days a week. I run 2miles per day and I also strength train, for the past 2 weeks I have been stuck at this plateau and I just want to get over it!! Can any one give me a couple tips to try?

mudonthetires856

The #1 tip is to just wait and be patient. Keep doing what you're doing.
2 weeks isn't really a plateau since weight loss isn't linear. Any time I start a new lifting routine, I stay at the same weight for about 4 weeks and then BOOM...3 or 4 pounds down.

now_or_never13

It doesn't sound like a plateau right now as normally those are when you don't lose for weeks at a time.

Switch things up. Eat more, calorie cycle, or give your body a break by eating at maintance for a week or two.

Switch up your exercise. Go longer, do a different exercise, increase your intensity, etc.

mburns51

Thanks guys I appreciate your insight.

Scarlett_S

Like the other person said, usually for me I can go two to three weeks without losing then drop 4-5 pounds the fourth week.

Another way to break a plateau is just switch things up. If you've been eating a certain way, switch to higher protein vs. moderate, or up your calories a little bit at a time. Switch up your exercise from your normal routine. Whatever your body is used to, make it something different.

AmyW125

I have been stuck on the last 10 pounds for a year...that is a PLATEAU :explode: !!!!!!
Hang in there..don't give up!!!

dez_yaoichan

I went 2 months or something without the scale moving, because I had gotten into a rut with my food. I ate a food I didn't normally eat (spinach salads) at least once a day, everyday, for 1 week.

not saying this is right, or healthy, but it helped my motivation- mentally.

really, all I did was switch it up, played around with food.

take their advice, do something different.

ckmama

Make sure you are being TOTALLY honest about everything you eat or drink

Change your workout routine up after 8-12 weeks your body becomes accustomed. Lift heavier, workout faster or try intervals instead if you aren't

I've always found those 2 things would fix a plateau. I'm not sure how much you are working out, but maybe you need to eat a 2-300 calories more.

AlongCame_Molly

By being patient and waiting it out.

Have you measured yourself, though? How are your clothes fitting? A lot of times people don't lose weight, but drop inches like crazy.

never124get

That happens to me sometimes. I weigh myself daily though so I know when I'm at a plateau...it doesn't discourage me because I'm at least maintaining my weight. And I measure myself weekly so I know I'm at least losing inches. Like others said, be patient weight is not perfect...it seems like a science once you figure things out but weight doesn't like to do what it's supposed to sometimes. Don't focus on the scale focus on other goals, like your workouts, try to run under a certain time or look at the fastest you've ever done it and try to beat it, or something like that. I know goals always keep me motivated because I don't like to leave them unfinished.

themedalist

This short, 3 minute video is worth checking out. It might be part of the problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

(But weight loss isn't linear and two weeks isn't a plateau)

trogalicious

Just wait. 2 weeks isn't a plateau. Weight loss isn't linear.

Monetslily

the easiest way to break a plateau is the change your routine. your body has become accustomed to the weights and running. Run faster, do speed training, swim two days a week instead of running, change your weight routine to circuits. you've trained your body to function this way so there is no need in being peeved at it for doing well.....change its way of thinking. drop some sugar from your diet (15 grams or so) and add 6 grams of protein. try a whey protein shake in the afternoon with soy milk after a workout. this will jolt your system back into fighting mode and the reduction of sugar is fabulous.

mdh185

Looks like your wt loss is tracking mine. I have lost 17 lbs in 15 weeks, I hit a plateau every 3 lbs. Just stick with it, take solace it better fitting clothes.

STrooper

Be patient. Not all losses show up on the scale... I spent almost all of 2011 at 190 pounds. I lost 4 inches around my waist, mind you, but there was very little weight change. To drop the final 20 pounds required upping my energy output and being very precise in my calorie monitoring 9and staying below my target at least 99% of the time.

I ate back much of my energy expenditure but almost always left several hundred calories on the table from the added value for cardio exercises (can't run a starving body).

Now that I'm at a maintenance level, my weight continues to drift downward, albeit very slowly.

barebon

I got on a slump for a week with no changes and i googled for plateau advice what i received that helped me over the hurtle was change up your work out routine. Your body gets adjusted to the same work out over and over again and it doesn't need to put as much energy into it as it used to. Instead I started doing intervals on the treadmill or on cardio. Also I started doing circuits rotation between weight lifting, body weight exercises like crunches, push ups, ab holds, etc. and the third thing in the circuit is something fast paced to keep your heart rate up for 1 min like sprints, jumping jacks, jump ropes, jump squats, mountain climbers, etc. I rotate about 5-6 circuits with this pattern. It has definitely helped. I also had to readjust my goals because i didn't need to lose the drastic weight that I had needed before and my body had gone into starvation mode. I just ate normal for a couple days no deficit at all and then went back to dieting. I think it kind of reassures your body that you are not starving. The other advice I received was drink lots of water, eat cleaner foods (fewer to none processed) and realize that if you are doing the last few vanity pounds it is good to not lose real quickly. You more than likely don't want to lose all your hard worked for muscle and retain the fat that you were trying to lose in the first place, unless you want to look like a stick... which is usually not desired.