Plateau... suggestions please!!!!

I posted what follows just four days ago. I hope it is helpful for you:



According to Wikipedia, "the Doldrums" is a colloquial expression derived from historical maritime usage for those parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure area around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm. The Doldrums are noted for calm periods when the winds disappear altogether, trapping sail-powered boats for periods of days or weeks.

The great seafaring explorers of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries would time the beginning of their voyages to coincide with favorable winds. However, due to meterological limitations of the day, no one could predict when or whether those winds would "die down" and leave great sailing ships foundering for days and weeks at a time. Sometimes, the Doldrums would provoke a crew to mutiny, or even group madness.

We, who are trying to improve our health through weight loss and fitness, know our very own version of the Doldrums. At the beginning of our weight loss journey, we have great determination, drive and enthusiasm. Most times, this is met with extraordinary results on the scale. For those of us with 100, 200 or even 300 pounds to lose, first week(s) losses of 5, 10, 15 or even 20 pounds are common. The first month or two of the journey tends to bring consistent rewards in the form of weight loss in the 3-5 pound per week range. Our spirits are buoyed by these successes, and the rapid descent of numbers on our respective scales.

And then, for "no reason," it happens. Days, weeks and even months pass when the scale barely budges a smidgy. This happens even though we know that we are eating within our calories and exercising faithfully. We look to the message boards for inspiration... to "jump start" our weight loss toward regular 3, 4 or even 5 pound per week losses once more. The drive to receive validation from the scale becomes just as maddening to us as the days and weeks trapped in the Doldrums did to sailors of yesteryear.

The trick is to remember that FAT loss is NOT the same as WEIGHT loss. The scale only measures weight loss. Not fat loss. Thus, in a week when your body has lost 3 pounds of fat, but gained 4 pounds of water or other non-fat substances due to sodium intake, fiber intake, exercise muscle repair, muscle gain, bowel habits, or time of the month, the scale will mask our 3 pound fat loss by revealing a 1 pound weight gain. Repeat this over 3-4 weeks or 3-4 months and you have a perfect recipe for Doldrums-inflicted madness and the potential for a junk food mutiny.

The purpose of this post is NOT to provide answers to the weight loss Doldrums. There are literally hundreds of posts spread out throughout MFP that perform that function. Some are grounded in sound science. Others are total nonsense and rubbish. Your task, on here, as in real life, is to sort out the information from the misinformation and do what is right for you.

In conclusion, I leave you with the words of Albert Einstein, who said, "You never fail until you stop trying." Sailors trapped in the Doldrums who tired of being patient often ended up dying in mutinies or committing suicide due to madness. The patient ones waited until atmospheric conditions changed and the winds once again filled their sails.

My wish for all of you is the patience and wisdom to wait out those times when the scale is unkind to you. I wish you the knowledge that if you are doing what you need to do to help yourselves, eventually, your fat loss sails will billow from a delightful and refreshing wind at your back once more.

Have a wonderful rest of your Monday.

Scott R. in Houston, Tx.

Instead of more exercises, add more weight! Strength training is a good way to drop fat - but you may not see it on the scale. Plateau as in how? Not losing weight? Not getting stronger?

Seems a lot of times it's because people are not eating enough. Search in the forums for "in place of a road map" Dan has a lot of good information.

I've also been stuck for almost 10 weeks and I share your frustration, but hey, at least we aren't gaining weight!!! Just keep going and eventually you'll break it.

HAHA!! It probably wasn't. I had to edit a couple of times to get to the start of his thread

So the first thing I see when I open your diary is something which points to you having butter, but not having measured it exactly.

Sorry if it seems like I'm picking apart your diary, but you were asking for suggestions, so let me criticize what I see first:

What's 1 serving of Horsey Sauce - is it an exact amount? Side - onion rings - 1 ring - how do you know the size of the onion ring of the person who put it in the database? Generic lamb chop - 1 chop - lamb chops vary wildly in size, again not an accurate measurement. Ham and pasta salad - 1.5 cup - did you squash it into the cup or put in loosely into the cup or think it's the amount that would fit in a cup? Grapes - 1.5 cup. Breaded chicken cutlet - 0.4 of a cutlet? Cinnamin toast crunch serial - 1 cup ("about 31 grams!!!").

And then my favourite - 1/3 cup of cheese!!!

I went on a bit of a rant yesterday about people weighing vs measuring their food: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/766769-weighing-vs-measuring-food

This amazing video was posted which proves my point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY


As I say in that post - your approach of measuring a 1/3 of a cup of cheese may have brought you this far, but as you progress in losing weight, you also start needing less and less calories to lose weight. So the extra 100 calories from the 20g of incorrectly estimated cheese may not have meant too much when you were burning a lot more weight from the weight you were carrying around before, it now starts making a big different.

Be more accurate in your measurements by weighing food rather than using cup measurements (unless it's a liquid!)

Peanut Butter! Good fats can help kickstart you again.

I am new to the network an I am working hard to lose weight an tone up! I am stuck at a plateau an it sucks!
Any suggestions are welcomed...

You calories are all over the place.... some days you don't eat enough and others you eat too much. Most days you didn't log water.... are you drinking water or not? Your sodium is crazy, there are many treats (cut these back, not necessarily out), eat enough every day, skipping breakfast won't help you either or having a cookie as your only breakfast.

Thank you all.. I will try the advice i also read Dan's Roadmap so I am on it once again!!