Plateau

nanceroo922
nanceroo922 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The first couple of months of this year I lost 12lbs easily. Now it seems like it's been much harder to lose any.
I eat 1200-1600 calories a day. Exercise 3-5x/week (running and zumba mostly)
Any suggestions for when you plateau?

Replies

  • jsiricos
    jsiricos Posts: 340 Member
    Just keep doing what you did, don't give up. (thats what I'm doing)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I take a diet break every few months for a couple of weeks. That doesn't mean I go out and go crazy...I just eat to right around my maintenance level of calories for a couple of weeks and then cut the calories again. Your body is very smart and makes every effort to maintain. When you eat at a deficit, your body adjusts to that over time and makes efforts to conserve more energy to maintain at a lower calorie level. The bigger the deficit and the less you have to lose, the faster this happens.

    When you take a break every once in awhile, you're essentially telling your body that it's ok...there's more food, and this deficit level of calories isn't permanent and you reset. I can reset in a week or two, but I eat at a pretty modest deficit. Your mileage will vary.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Just keep plugging away at it.

    Some things to try, in the meantime, if you like to feel like you are doing something.

    Make sure that your final goal is reasonable for your body: it looks like you are close to the end, if you are already at a healthy weight, vanity pounds can be very stubborn.

    Are you weighing and measuring your foods and tracking everything? If not, start. If so, loosen the reigns for a weekend, or even a whole week. Don't eat ALL THE THINGS, but eat 2000-2500 calories for a couple of days, to remind your body that you aren't in danger.

    Consider upping your calories overall. Calculate your BMR and TDEE-10% and eat between that every day.

    Are you eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables?

    Add strength training to your workouts at least twice a week. 30 Day Shred, available on you tube, seems to be a popular place to start. I use resistance bands. This will help you be happier with the body you have.

    Try something new with cardio. If you do the same workouts all the time, your body gets used to it and figures out how to do it without burning as any calories.

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