How do I break a plateau?

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  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
    I haven't seen a pound loss in over 20 days...I have seen my stomach get smaller, my legs are leaner, my hands now show veins, my arms are starting to show definition. I know I'm losing even if the scale doesn't show it. I know I feel better and look thinner even if I look down and that same number shows. I gave up starches per doctors orders, I have a hard time hitting my numbers because the calories aren't there...but I don't care about any of that as long as I still lose inches.
  • Logsv
    Logsv Posts: 36
    Put in the extra time the day before you go to work the next day to make your own lunch. Not only will it keep your hands busy but you will appreciate you lunch and the way your food tastes so much more if you make it yourself.
  • Logsv
    Logsv Posts: 36
    Just a note - today was a bit of a fluke day. I didn't actually have ice cream for breakfast - I had it at midnight, so it counted for today, and I just put it in the breakfast section. On days I workout, I always have a banana prior to work out and an 8 oz organic chocolate milk box after.

    A lot of the stuff I try to eat is recommended by the Eat This, Not That series.

    The pizza was also unusual. I panicked the day I got it because, after working out, I had a net calorie intake of 410 and I felt like I needed to get more quickly.

    Every day counts though. Try not to make excuses and just push yourself harder in your workout. When I have a cheat day I use it to motivate me and it makes me work that much harder to burn the calories. Think of the food a fuel not as a reward.
  • Logsv
    Logsv Posts: 36
    I currently weigh 256 pounds and I'm 5'2". If my diary is open now, are you able to see my food?

    I looked at 2 days I would cut out sugar and ice mocha lattes stuff like that ... Food is 80% of your weight loss (personally I think it's 90%) so I would work on cleaner eating. I saw ice cream sandwiches and stuff ... that would be gone as well.

    That's exactly what I was thinking too. I agree 100% :D
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
    Lower your carbs by 5-10%, it may make a difference.
  • leahalissa
    leahalissa Posts: 88 Member
    Cook more fresh foods, eat cleaner, take time to prepare things beforehand so your sodium intake isn't out of control.
    Eat less sugar.
    Make less excuses.
    Your hard work at the gym will be for nothing if you don't put the right fuel in.
    Good luck! :)
  • sushiforbrains
    sushiforbrains Posts: 60
    I make enough oatmeal to last me a few days at a time, and then when it's time to eat it I will put whatever fruit, nuts, cinnamon, etc into it that I want. Most days I have that or a protein shake.
    Cook dinners that reheat well, make extra and take the leftovers for lunch.
    When I do eat out, like yesterday my husband took me to Unos, I got the deep-dish macaroni and cheese. It is going to last me three days. I just had a little for dinner with a chicken and apple sausage.
    I've been sort of plateauing for a bit, and then I added sugar tracking to my food monitoring and wow! So I am working on taking that down a notch or two and we will see if that helps me. I think it will.
  • LovePBandJ
    LovePBandJ Posts: 288 Member
    First off, I love all of the support, encouragement, and genuine advice all of the MFPs are giving. What a wonderful community!

    Secondly, try to focus on the benefits your efforts have already presented: increased strength, decreased inches, a bit more stamina. Focussing on the scale gets us all in trouble. I sought MFP friends last week because for days my scale wouldn't budge. I wanted to sulk with a bag of chips, but I chose to seek support and inspiration here, on this site. I found it and not two days later my scale dropped three pounds. I would never have enjoyed that reduction had I let those numbers get the best of me. I, too, have to remind myself to appreciate the healthier me I am already enjoying today and not simply focus on the end goal.

    Thirdly, hire a personal trainer. Hiring a personal trainer does not mean that you have to pay that person to work out with you each and every time (costly!) You can hire a trainer once and have him or her evaluate your diet and exercise program and set you up with a new one. I like hiring one once a quarter to get a new set of full body workouts. Do what works for you. But professional advice will always benefit you. Every dollar you spend on better health is a dollar well spent.

    Finally, I read in your profile you are looking to make life changes. Frozen meals and Ice cream for breakfast and those types of food choices, even if it is Lean Cuisine and Skinny Cow, are simply crutches. Learning to like or enjoy whole foods and natural sugars is a positive change you can make for a lifetime. The more you break away from the processed food and highly sweetened things the less you enjoy them and the more you prefer natural flavors. I read on one person's post about how flavored yogurt now is too sweet. So, think about your choices and if they are life choices or crutches. Find substitutes that satisfy you. For example, instead of Skinny Cow ice cream for breakfast, come up with a healthy treat that satisfies that morning sweet tooth. This site offers some suggestions: http://thehealthyapron.com/2011/05/31/is-it-healthy-skinny-cow-ice-cream/.

    And a final finally, baby steps. Doing everything at once sets you up for frustrations and failure. These are wonderful life changes on which you are embarking. Be thoughtful of your needs and desires at each step.

    "Relax. Breathe. Don't hurry. Don't worry. Trust the process. Enjoy the journey."
  • miss_grad
    miss_grad Posts: 102
    If you have been hitting the gym -- you may also be gaining muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat, and won't show on the scale.
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