Could Someone Help With A Never-Ending Plateau?

bonkers5975
bonkers5975 Posts: 1,015 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I embedded this ? in another thread, but thought I'd expand my horizons! :flowerforyou:

Ok, so I'm getting really fed up. I've been hovering around this weight for like 3 months (not counting the holidays!), and it's like my body just doesn't want to go lower. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I have a goal to meet for another 50 lbs by May, and when I set that, I had like 8 months! But no movement. So I'm wondering if the changing it up I always do has caused my body to catch on? Does it anticipate that I'm going to do that, so it's hanging on to those stupid little fat cells? Maybe it'd relax if I did automate everything and keep everything kind of even for a month or so. Even taking in the same calories every day. Anyone???

I don't care if I lose a lot, I just want to see some movement downwards. Is it unusual to hit a 3 month plateau? Will I start losing again, at close to the rate I lost the first 48? I'm still 296! I'm huge. So why am I not having any success?

Ok, I'm done whining. If anyone has any insight, I'd be hugely appreciative!

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    You aren't whining. We've all been there - if we have reached goal!

    Try reading these:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20343-how-i-have-avoided-plateauing-length-warning

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6159-this-1200-calorie-thing-is-driving-me-up-a-wall

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/12250-1000-calorie-deficit-not-for-people-with-healthy-bmi

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20035-just-because-you-can-have-a-2-pound-per-week-goal


    You'll figure it out. Keep changing things up, eventually you WILL start to lose again.


    You've probably read these, but here are a couple of the "Originals"


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations
  • wonderwoman22886
    wonderwoman22886 Posts: 29
    Plateaus are the worst! The best advice I ever got was to radically change the way you eat for a week. I.E. - I tend to eat the same things a lot, because I like them and I know their nutritional value. So for me, I would eat none of "the usual" for a week or two, and then I could go back once I started loosing again. Or if you eat a lot of variety, try eating the same things (as much as you can tolerate) for a couple of weeks. If you eat meat, eat like a vegetarian, if you're a vegetarian, eat like a vegan. Sometimes feeding your body things it doesn't expect is enough to jump start the process.

    Good luck!!
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
    Hi
    I just bumped a thread called 700 calories and not losing. It may not help but I find it helps me!

    Good luck x
  • badbradclark
    badbradclark Posts: 47 Member
    What are you doing for exercise, and are you getting your heart rate up high enough to burn calories? I'm not referring to anaerobic, but aerobic heart rate. A heart rate monitor is a really good tool to ensure that you are working hard enough. Sometimes the body simply needs a kick start to get the metabolism going. Or, are you taking enough days off from exercising (if you are consistently working out)? The body does need to rest in order to recuperate and rejuvinate muscle.

    Good luck and remember that you're in this for long haul....
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
    Have you gone back into the goals and entered your current weight and target weight? Calories keep going down as you lose weight -maybe you're eating calories for your old weight and not your current weight?

    If your data is entered correctly then you could always try giving in to your body -Try eating your maintenance calories for a week or so. You might put on a pound or two but you will likely break the log jam of plateau. Try it for one week, then go back to the MFP calorie recommendations. You have plenty to lose so you shouldn't be hitting your "Almost there" plateau yet!

    Good luck!
  • ActSingMom
    ActSingMom Posts: 32 Member
    What is your exercise routine? do you have one? If so, change it up. Try a class that really gets your body moving, something different than you are used to.

    Lifetime Fitness does cardio-point assessments that tell you exactly at what point your specific body switches from burning fat to burning carbs. I'm 53. My optimal heart rate for improving fitness is between 160 -175 beats per minute, a range I never would have touched if I relied on the charts on the machines. Everyone is different: you might benefit in finding out how to burn fat more efficiently from such an assessment and fitness plan based on it.
  • ActSingMom
    ActSingMom Posts: 32 Member
    What does "bumped a thread" mean? 700 calories is enough to shut down your metabolism and damage your adrenals forever, by the way.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    What does "bumped a thread" mean? 700 calories is enough to shut down your metabolism and damage your adrenals forever, by the way.

    when you post to a thread it pops to the top of the "Recent Posts" therefore you have "bumped" it to the top,.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    What does "bumped a thread" mean? 700 calories is enough to shut down your metabolism and damage your adrenals forever, by the way.

    Exactly.
    "bumping" a thread means replying so that it moves to the top of the forum for more exposure. It's a story about a person eating 700 calories and not losing weight. The whole point of it is to bring about the realization that eating so little is a bad idea in terms of being healthy & weight loss.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    When you find the secret recipe,, let me know. Other than some goofing up over the holidays my weight has been hanging tight for a while too.
  • bonkers5975
    bonkers5975 Posts: 1,015 Member
    Thanks, guys! Yes, Vicky, it's such a bummer! :ohwell:

    MFP has me set at 1690 cals, and the past week, I have been eating almost all of my exercise cals, so usually anywhere from 2000 to 2400 a day. I've cleaned up my eating, as well, eating lots of fruits, oatmeal for breakfast, no more special k or granola bars! I take in about 30-45 g of fiber every day. Always way under on carbs and fat and usually over on protein. No red meat. (Can't afford it!) :laugh:

    As for exercise, I'm doing circuit training 30-40 minutes 3 times a week, and 30-60 minutes of good cardio 6 days a week. I work until I think I'm going to die. Get my heart rate up to about 140, resting is about 65. I recover quickly when I do workout.

    I've read all the posts about such things, and I just don't see people hitting this kind of plateau so early. That's what's bugging me. It's not that I want if off NOW. Well, I do, but I'm realistic. And I've stuck it out much longer than I ever have before, and plan to keep at it. I know I feel better. I just would like to know I'm doing something right!

    Thanks again, guys! :flowerforyou:
  • makeitallsue
    makeitallsue Posts: 3,086 Member
    Bonkers, same problem here, I went from last May thru November, not losing a pound and I was doing about the same workout as you, I was also running and did a couple 5k's. I started eating more of my exercise calories in Novemeber and the scale did start moving again, but goodness, 1 pound every 10-15 days is hard for the motivation. On the flip side, I do feel better and I have lost inches, so I am hanging in there..but I was just talking this morning to a MFP friend and I think I might reduce the calories by just 100 calories and see if that makes a difference. Hang in there, your not alone....lets just keep tweaking and hopefully we'll hit the magic combo. Good luck
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    I cut out the sugar and lost. Then stalled. Then I did a crazy day of 30,000 aerobic steps and started losing. Then stalled. I'm trying a plan from Lyle McDonald, 8 calories per pound of body weight, 120 g minimum of protein, 120g max of net carbs and 1 hour of moderate cardio every day. It hasn't been thirty days yet so I will let you know if the weight comes off. But my back fat is decreasing so I'm thinking this is a winner.

    Good Luck
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