Plateau :(

In 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but for the last three: nothing! How long do plateaus last?

Replies

  • I wouldn't worry about 3 days. Try not to weigh yourself every day, maybe once a week or so would be plenty. Make sure you weigh at the same time of day and same day of the week.

    Plateaus can last months, but I wouldn't call it a plateau until it has been a few weeks at the same weight.
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Three days is not a plateau. It's common to lose a lot of water weight when starting a diet. That typically evens out within a few weeks and the rate of loss slows.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Three days isn't a plateau. Weight loss is not linear. You won't see a loss every single day, and you might have some days where you gain, even when you're not expecting it. Look at the overall trend: if that's going down, then you're ok. (Look at it this way: you've lost 6 lbs in 13 days. That's more than plenty. :smile: )
  • Molly_Maguire
    Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
    They can last months. Just be patient, stick with eating well and exercise, and you'll get there. :flowerforyou:
  • Janet9906
    Janet9906 Posts: 546 Member
    That isn't a plateau, my scale has not moved since early July....I'm in a plateau. Keep chugging away, eat right and exercise, your scale will start moving again.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    My plateau has been a month now, sigh. A better yardstick is how you feel rather than what you weigh. I feel amazing but I haven't lost weight for weeks nor has my size changed but something is happening because my clothes are looser.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    In 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but for the last three: nothing! How long do plateaus last?

    17 days
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    My plateau has been a month now, sigh. A better yardstick is how you feel rather than what you weigh. I feel amazing but I haven't lost weight for weeks nor has my size changed but something is happening because my clothes are looser.

    You got it!! :)
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
    I can go a week and have my weight stare me down regardless of how hard I work at getting rid of it.
    I call them mini plateaus, they happen once a month.:grumble:

    A true plateau will last a lot longer, I think. Just stick it out, note what you are eating that could be a
    culprit (salt is mine) and keep on doing what you've been doing!

    Good luck!
  • gerripho
    gerripho Posts: 479 Member
    Well, that's part of what caused my melt down yesterday. I've been stuck for a whole month! Everyone assures me it will pass, but it isn't fun at all when stuck like this. I wouldn't worry about 3 days. It could be nothing more than water retention. You might want to check your sodium levels as compared to a week ago. Also, I've been told that strength training can cause it because proper strength training requires slight damage to some muscle fibers and the muscle then retains water for the repair job. Something like that. But 3 days doth not a plateau make. :flowerforyou:
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    I've been told that strength training can cause it because proper strength training requires slight damage to some muscle fibers and the muscle then retains water for the repair job.
    I shall blame my plateau on that! Good to know.
  • WOW! not even two wks and you've nearly lost half a stone! BRILL! You haven't hit a plateau hun just keep doing what your doing and don't even think about losing weight every day it just won't happen! I lost 3 stone then my body just stopped at 10.7 I could put it on but no way could i lose it! so i chose to maintain. Then 18 month later i put half a stone on at xmas. So needed to lose that. NO WAY would it budge and I was exercising every day nearly sweating like a pig and getting really frustrated. my body shape wasn't even changing! Then woah! 6 months in It's started coming off again ; -} only 1lb a week but at least its shifting. I now know why it wouldn't budge from jan to july . . . I quit smoking! so even though i didn't even put a pound on or crave food to replace them!!!! ( I put 4 stone on in 6 months when i quit before! Hence the weight problems now! dieting began then and weight watching has continued since) Any way I still don't know why MY BODY JUST STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT after comfortably losing 3 stone without exercise!? So that was my plateau. 18 months then 6months! but usually and in general if you are having a true plateau a couple of weeks is probs about right to start calling it that. and all you need to do is shock your body! Do something it is not used to. Even maybe having a good food blowout! can work. but usually you just need to change your exercise routine, up the level, reps , weights or stuff like that, change your pattern. it's just your body saying ok i can do this now. hope that helps chuck. don't worry i'm hoping to lose what you've lost in 6 months!!! so your doing good! but don't forget it's not the losing it thats hard it's the mauntaining it! so bear that in mind. and the quicker it comes off the quicker it can go back on and twice as much! Don't get caught out! God bless ;-}:flowerforyou:
  • In 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but for the last three: nothing! How long do plateaus last?

    Ahh Think i'm getting the hang of this reply and quote thing now ;-] see my reply higher up the page. :-} jlh1411
  • Tdk4685
    Tdk4685 Posts: 293 Member
    I was stuck in a plateau for 6 weeks, so I switched up my exercise routine. I think it is helping so far but I haven't weighed in yet.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    In 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but for the last three: nothing! How long do plateaus last?

    You body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

    Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You can not make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

    The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.