This plateau is killing me!

Options
sarahanncarson
sarahanncarson Posts: 50 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi all, my name is Sarah. I'm sort of new to the site. I signed up quite a while ago but I never used it. I'm almost 34 years old, weigh 150 (started at 178), and can't seem to break out of the 150 zone. I have decided to change my diet and kick up my exercise routine, but wow this is really hard! I live in New Hampshire so I am also dreading the cold weather that is coming since I don't belong to a gym and my exercise is outside. Anyone having struggles with a plateau? Anyone noticing the difficulties in losing weight in your 30's versus your 20's? Just looking for support :)
«13

Replies

  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    Options
    I can totally understand! I've been hovering between 160-170 for a year. Feel free to add me for support.
  • missy0936
    missy0936 Posts: 1,507 Member
    Options
    hi sarah i also live in NH and am dreading the cold weather. this is not my first go around wiht trying ot lose weight. my 2nd son is now 8 months old and i would really like to get back to prepreganacy weight (which is still 20 lbs or more over weight but i feel like its a good starting point) but I cant break the 180 mark. i was 188 for ever and then really stepped up and lost 8 pounds. thursday after busting my butt and staying at 1200 calories I acutally hit 179.5 but then again this am i am 180... i have been eating 1200 calories and 45 minutes of exercise daily... what gives right? just letting you know i feel your pain
  • B1gH0g
    B1gH0g Posts: 361
    Options
    Can you invest in any indoor equipment, such as a treadmill? I would be concerned with a couple of bad days of weather and not being able to exercise. I find it far too easy to fall off the exercise wagon, but that's me. If you don't have a lot of money, try your local craigslist. So many people buy new equipment and don't use it. then sell it dirt cheap there.

    As far as losing weight in your 30's, it only seems to get worse as you get older. I also hear it's much worse for a woman than a man. So i feel for you. What are your goals as far as daily caloric intake and how much do you try and burn via exercise? May need to shake that up a bit to get over the plateau.
  • dcain2
    dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
    Options
    I am "almost" 45 years old and I have been stuck at 150 for 9 very long months!! I do cross fit three times a week and run once a week. I tried doing "2-a-days" for several weeks and actually gained weight. I am so bummed that I can't break out of the 150's. I spoke to my doctor last week and they are running tests on my thyroid but somehow I don't think they will find anything. I wish I had already found the answer and could share it with you but thought I would at least let you know that you are not alone!
  • samblanken
    samblanken Posts: 369 Member
    Options
    I hear ya - I can't seem to get below 150 to save my life. Check out some home DVDs. I just restarted P90X, there's all kinds of other programs out there.
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
    Options
    You may want to consider changing out some of the foods you eat. I see people complaining about being stuck all the time and then see they are eating bad foods. I'm not saying you are but it's something to look into. A lot of people save calories so they can have fattening desserts and treats every day and wonder why they don't lose. They always blame it on starvation mode. lol. I always get slammed when I say stuff like that but I am going off what I see. Change out some of your foods and I be you see a difference.



    I'm in my early 40's....so yes it does become a little more difficult with age. I haven't had to lose weight in over 20 years. The main difference I see is just adding in more fresh foods and cutting out the processed stuff.

    Outdoor workouts are difficult where I live due to heat. People in different climates have to figure out what works for them. It may be buying home equipment, joining a gym or changing the time of day.

    I'm sure you will be fine and get it all worked out.
  • roxedy
    roxedy Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    I've been following DVDs indoors as of late. I like to try to take a long brisk walk everyday but I could never motivate myself to get out in the snow (I live in Massachusetts) during the winter months and this summer has been so hot/humid I think I'd pass out on the side of the road somewhere. Hopefully in the fall I'll have some chances to get outdoors since I do love seeing the scenery vs staring at my living room wall while doing exercises.

    I'm just into my 30's but I've already noticed that things seem to have slowed down. More in the way that if I eat too badly for a long period of time I tend to quickly lose the energy to be active and if I'm not active enough, that "bad" eating will catch up with me and bring friends. In my 20's I could have a "bad" week and I could keep going as if nothing happened. :tongue:

    Feel free to add me!
  • mlscott96
    mlscott96 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    When I hit a plateau I watch my sodium intake. My body retains alot of water.
  • LindaDab
    LindaDab Posts: 5
    Options
    Hi Sarah, My sympathies on the plateau. I was stuck for about 6 months but seem to have finally overcome that by ditching my former diet plan and just using my fitness pal instead. I believe the extra activity (biking and walking) this summer has helped
    and the change in diet. So far as winter goes, I just figure out a routine and exercise in front of the TV for 1/2 hour (aerobics) and
    1/2 hour stretching and weights during bad weather. There are also some really good, sensible videos that will help during bad weather. I prefer being outside but it just isn't always possible.
  • sarahanncarson
    sarahanncarson Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    I am keeping my eye out for a treadmill on craigslist or something. I can't afford anything brand new but definitely need something for winter!
  • sarahanncarson
    sarahanncarson Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    Oh and I just ditched my previous diet plan I've been using for the last 6 months and decided to go in another direction. I feel like it's necessary because my body just got used to what I was doing before. Which of course wouldn't be a big deal if I was in a maintenance mode, but I'm 15 pounds from there. I feel like I've come so far and there's not much left, but it's so hard sometimes. And I certainly see a difference in the ease of weight loss now that I am over 30 :(
  • BriarCarwell
    BriarCarwell Posts: 2
    Options
    Our bodies will work very hard to keep us from losing weight. This is known as the "set point" theory. In most cases, after we lose 10% of our total weight, our body goes into preserve mode. At the same time, your body also becomes used to your eating and exercise patterns. Despite even your greatest efforts, your body will do all it can to maintain and you will plateau.

    After researching, I've found two really great ways to break through: high intensity interval training (HIIT) and weight lifting.

    In "normal" cardio workouts, you probably warm up to a target heart rate, then go at that same speed for 20-30 minutes, coll down and be done. In this kind of low-intensity workout, you only burn calories during your workout.

    In HIIT, the workout is intense, short, and varied. For example, you may sprint for 15 seconds, then walk for 45 and repeat this 15 times. HIT targets fast-twitch muscle fibers that require more energy, thus burning more calories, but the real benefit to HIIT is that you don't just burn more calories during your workout, but you continue burning calories for up to 24 hours after as well.

    Something else to keep in mind is that if you have been counting calories and doing low-intensity cardio (which is certainly great!) but not strength training, your body may actually be losing muscle. Losing muscle is problematic for weight loss because the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is. In fact, if you replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle and you'll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories a day without even trying!

    My recommendation for breaking through plateaus is to add a few sessions of HIIT and weight lifting to your routine. I stopped at 16 pounds for a while and after adding HIIT and lifting heavy weights, I've lost another 7 pounds over the past month (even with a totally crap diet).
  • sequintana1
    sequintana1 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    Hi Sarah! I TOTALLY get where you are at. i've been at a plateau now for 12 weeks. i have had much shorter plateaus adn have gotten thru ok..but this one OMG. there are days that i just become a bit obsessive. :cry: :explode: I have lost 35 so far but want to lose another 35 and boy that is seeming so so far away.

    with that being said...these are the things i am trying. i have switched up diet plans as well. i think that once we get to a point where our bodies are more fit..we need a different type of diet plan to get to our goals. I have also changed up my exercise a little. I've workout pretty hard for quite a while now but i am just now starting the Insanity program so i hope it helps get me over that hump.

    Today i will be taking a fitness test here at work and talking to a trainer to see if he has any ideas. I also took a resting metabolic rate test...this was hugely informative! Turns out that my metabolism is higher than i thought...and so i'm thinking that i might not be getting quite enough food. or at least that is what im thinking.

    if i get any other ideas from the trainer I will certainly pass them along.

    Hang in there and certainly dont give up...you have done great so far and can get past this!!!!
  • sarahanncarson
    sarahanncarson Posts: 50 Member
    Options
    You may want to consider changing out some of the foods you eat. I see people complaining about being stuck all the time and then see they are eating bad foods. I'm not saying you are but it's something to look into. A lot of people save calories so they can have fattening desserts and treats every day and wonder why they don't lose. They always blame it on starvation mode. lol. I always get slammed when I say stuff like that but I am going off what I see. Change out some of your foods and I be you see a difference.

    Yesterday I changed my diet. I had been doing a low carb diet and I did lose 30 pounds so I can't complain. But I think my body got used to it. I'm dong low cal/low fat now and seeing how that plays out. I have increased my activity and am now running. So maybe I am gaining a little muscle mass in my legs? I'm trying so hard not to frustrated when I have accomplished so much so far. Thanks for the advice!
  • nangel4u
    nangel4u Posts: 119
    Options
    yes I have gone through about 2 this past year and I knew I wasnt losing weight and I hated it lol....what I did different is that the first time I brought Insanity to help break through my light cardio workouts and went full blown to shred this fat....7 weeks into Insanity I hit another plateau and now I am walking everyday and doing light weight training.....I AM DOING JUST THE OPPOSITE!!!!! This has helped and I upped my calories a bit to change my metabolism and it worked!!!! Maybe try doing something different!
  • heyitsadam
    heyitsadam Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    Hi all, my name is Sarah. I'm sort of new to the site. I signed up quite a while ago but I never used it. I'm almost 34 years old, weigh 150 (started at 178), and can't seem to break out of the 150 zone. I have decided to change my diet and kick up my exercise routine, but wow this is really hard! I live in New Hampshire so I am also dreading the cold weather that is coming since I don't belong to a gym and my exercise is outside. Anyone having struggles with a plateau? Anyone noticing the difficulties in losing weight in your 30's versus your 20's? Just looking for support :)


    If you're looking to just cut weight, go 72 hours of lean protein and NO carbs. Load up on fish, chicken, turkey, etc. The lack of carbs will turn your body into a cannibal and you'll start feasting on your stores. That's what I do. It worked at 250 for me... and again at 242.
  • achampionsheart
    achampionsheart Posts: 1,020 Member
    Options
    hi there...i started out at 232 and am now down to 193...i have been at 193 for about 3 months now....i know i can maintain, but i have lots more to lose.....i have also stepped up my exercise and am trying to clean up my diet as well.....all you can do is keep pushing and doing healthy things and eventually your body will kickstart itself into losing again...dont give up.....
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Options
    I'm a New Englander as well. :)

    See my profile pic? That's me doing one of my favorite cold weather activities (snowshoeing). That activity alone burns 500 calories/hour on average.

    As the saying goes: there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices.

    I've also heard that doing fun things outside makes winter suck a lot less. :)

    Try new things--keep that body confused. Also make sure to *meet* your calorie goals that MFP provides to lose the 1lb/week. If you fall below them you're eating a deficit to an already built-in deficit. Your body is trying to tell you something. It's unlikely that it will let go of extra weight and keep it off for good. Typically if someone eats below their goals on a regular basis they lose weight quick but the minute they stop they gain it back plus extra.

    Meet those goals. Eat clean. Log every bite. Yes, even a taste while cooking counts.
  • thelandofwin
    thelandofwin Posts: 79
    Options
    Just a quick peek at your diary shows that you are undereating which could be sabbotaging your progress. Look into "BMR" (basal metabolic rate) and the "eat more to weigh less" group. Even if you don't follow the philosophy of the eat more to weigh less group, you should never eat below your BMR. My BMR is 1395 calories a day, which means at a minimum I have to eat that. Really my goal for losing fat and keeping muscle is to eat around 1700 calories a day.
  • jazzedorange
    jazzedorange Posts: 184 Member
    Options
    I know how you feel! I only have 15lbs or so to loss and this is the most difficult thing ever. I haven't lost any weight for 2 1/2 weeks and the only thing I can figure out is water weight gain. In the past I lived off of 900 calories a day for years. Being a retail manager you just don't have time to eat but now that I'm at home and not moving as much.... 1200/1300 calories and 20-40 minutes of workout a day just isn't cutting it. I'm at a loss for ideas. It's discouraging but I will keep going :) Being in my 30's sucks some days!

Categories