How to break a plateau when you've tried everything?

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Hi. I've been doing MFP since about June 2012. I lost about 25 lbs. between May and September of 2012. Since then I've lost about another 6 lbs. I have decreased my calorie intake as follows:

Beginning in June I was eating 1440 net calories, and would eat as much as MFP allowed for the calories I exercised off.
Beginning around November I stopped eating back most of the calories I exercised off, would only (generally) eat about 1600, and that was only if I had "earned" it.
Beginning in January I haven't really been eating back many calories at all.
Beginning in mid-February, I increased my workouts from 3-5 days/week to nearly every day. I have decreased my calorie allowance to 1330, and I rarely eat more than 1100.

I have tried having "cheat" days to keep my metabolism on its toes.
I have tried increasing my work outs
I weigh and/or measure ALL of my food (except occasionally lettuce/spinach) to make sure I'm not eating more than I think.
I have tried decreasing my calories
I have tried slightly increasing my calories (for fear of "starvation mode)
I have tried between-meal snacks (for fear of "starvation mode) even if I'm not hungry
I have tried low-carbing to the best of my ability (I'm a vegetarian, so all my protein also has carbs)


I still weigh over 200 lbs (5'8" female)
My BMI is 31.6
What else can I do? I am frustrated beyond belief. I have 7 months until my wedding, and I am completely clueless. Everything I look up tells me to do all the things I have done a million times.
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Replies

  • lobo_a_gogo
    lobo_a_gogo Posts: 265 Member
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    bumping for HELP!
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    at 5'8, it sounds like you are eating far too little.

    I'm 5'9 and net 1800. If you slightly increased, its likely that you just didn't give it enough time. Try upping your calories, and give it a while.

    read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    not sure why you have been decreasing your cals? have you tried upping them instead? maybe your just not eating enough? i had that problem, i upped mine and my loss started again..
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
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    Agreed. You are reducing calories to break a plateau when in fact, you need to increase them.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I would go back and re-enter info you plugged into MFP eat the calories suggested and also eat back the exercise cals like you are suppose to.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
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    You went too low and your body shut down, this happened to me. To break my plateau and get my metabolism working again I ate at maintance for a month most days over 2,000. Then went back down a bit first 1,500 for 4 weeks lost 6 pounds Figured my actual TDEE and then moved up to 1,650 and am contiuning to lose.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    You haven't tried everything. You've only tried one thing; reducing calories by too much, over and over. Let's try eating enough food that so that your body can respond properly.

    If it was me, I'd eat maintenance* for two weeks and then start with a small deficit in the 300-500 Cal range. And I'd eat my exercise calories if you don't already have them figured in. After a couple weeks, check the scale. If it's moving the right way, stay the course. If not, lower calories by 200 and check again in 2-3 weeks.

    *side note: maintenence, is not 1300 or whatever you've been living on for the last few months. It's like 2000-2200 or so.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    You haven't tried everything. You've only tried one thing; reducing calories by too much, over and over. Let's try eating enough food that so that your body can respond properly.

    If it was me, I'd eat maintenance* for two weeks and then start with a small deficit in the 300-500 Cal range. And I'd eat my exercise calories if you don't already have them figured in. After a couple weeks, check the scale. If it's moving the right way, stay the course. If not, lower calories by 200 and check again in 2-3 weeks.

    *side note: maintenence, is not 1300 or whatever you've been living on for the last few months. It's like 2000-2200 or so.

    This man is more than just a pretty face (or nice back). I'd listen to him.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
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    You haven't tried everything. You've only tried one thing; reducing calories by too much, over and over. Let's try eating enough food that so that your body can respond properly.

    If it was me, I'd eat maintenance* for two weeks and then start with a small deficit in the 300-500 Cal range. And I'd eat my exercise calories if you don't already have them figured in. After a couple weeks, check the scale. If it's moving the right way, stay the course. If not, lower calories by 200 and check again in 2-3 weeks.

    *side note: maintenence, is not 1300 or whatever you've been living on for the last few months. It's like 2000-2200 or so.

    Dave is the man...listen to him!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Everyone has their own methods for breaking plateaus, but I've found to be most effective is lower carbs, increasing protein, making sure your fat intake is adequate (at least .35g per pound of body weight), and varying your workouts (if you normally run, start lifting and vice versa). Give it at least a few weeks, but if it still doesn't work try eating clean for a while. Sometimes this helps. If there's still no change, eat less/move more.
  • karlalband
    karlalband Posts: 196 Member
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    BUMP!
  • jemanji
    jemanji Posts: 8
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    Google INTERMITTENT FASTING. :- )

    I was stuck for 6 weeks+ without the scale moving. Started IF eight days ago and have lost 11.5 pounds. It isn't water weight; I can see the difference in the mirror every morning.

    Leangains.com starts you off with the idea of an 8-hour eating window, but you can reduce the window to 2-4 hours if you want to turbo things up even more.

    ... give it 3-4 days to get used to not eating outside the window and you stop getting hungry outside the window. Eat plenty of clean food during the window. Give yourself 3-5 hours between the close of your window and bedtime.

    This "5 small meals" thing is a media invention, as contrary to the truth as is the USDA food pyramid. I mean it in a good way. ;- )
  • ashleab37
    ashleab37 Posts: 575 Member
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    Everyone is right, up your calories. Do it slowly (200 cals a week over the next 4-5 weeks) and remember to expect the number On the scales to go up a few lb at first. IT'S NOT FAT, DONT WORRY

    I'm your height and eat 1800-2300 cal a day to lose weight,
  • rpilon21
    rpilon21 Posts: 32 Member
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    I had plateaued for about 2 months, and a friend loaned me her copy of a book called Shred by Ian K. Smith. I have done the first two weeks and have lost weight each week. I highly recommend it!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    strength training
  • lucyricky2
    lucyricky2 Posts: 441 Member
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    bump for later
  • Tiffers1759
    Tiffers1759 Posts: 102 Member
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    TDEE works every time!!! Try it!!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    You haven't tried everything. You've only tried one thing; reducing calories by too much, over and over. Let's try eating enough food that so that your body can respond properly.

    If it was me, I'd eat maintenance* for two weeks and then start with a small deficit in the 300-500 Cal range. And I'd eat my exercise calories if you don't already have them figured in. After a couple weeks, check the scale. If it's moving the right way, stay the course. If not, lower calories by 200 and check again in 2-3 weeks.

    *side note: maintenence, is not 1300 or whatever you've been living on for the last few months. It's like 2000-2200 or so.

    Do what he says, he looks dangerous.

    My wife is trying this very plan right now in fact.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    I've lost 10 lbs in the past month. I'm 46 years old, I don't exercise and I work a desk job. I am 5'7" and currently weigh 207. Here are my calories eaten starting with yesterday:

    1640
    1320
    1640
    1100
    1586
    436
    1164
    1514
    2330
    3548
    1222
    1473
    1125
    1675
    969
    954
    1339
    1498
    1334
    1473
    1367
    1165
    1250
    1221
    1622
    1686
    1150
    1488
    2066
    1377

    Average: 1,458 calories per day.

    This came after 3 weeks of eating 1200 calories a day religiously and the scale not moving at all. My body seems thoroughly confused by the variations in calories and happy with the overall increase, so it's finally letting some fat go. I'm also finding it much easier to only be hungry on some days instead of every day.
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
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    have decreased my calorie allowance to 1330, and I rarely eat more than 1100.
    .

    You need to eat more than 1100... try eating about 1500 for 3 weeks, see what happens. :wink: