Was This "My" Fault? Breaking the Plateau.

heroyalslimness · October 2012

I read this from a member of another fitness site that I belong to. :flowerforyou:

I Didn't Give Up

My "Woo Hoo" is simply that I didn't give up during a plateau. In the past, during my many weight loss attempts, I would reach a plateau, start feeling sorry for myself--and give up. This cycle occurred so often that I had nearly convinced myself that I COULDN'T lose weight. My mother died of obesity related issues and I began to think I was genetically programmed to follow her path. But then I decided to give it one more try.

It seemed almost too good to be true. A website to help people get healthy that didn't charge for it? I signed on and began seeing results fairly quickly. I had normal ups and downs. But 5 months in I hit a real plateau--or so I thought. My weight bounced up and down 4 lbs for 4 weeks. As in the past, I started thinking maybe I can't do this. But I didn't give up, and I credit this holistic approach that it addresses negative conditions that contribute to poor health habits and teaches you how to develop healthy mental and physical habits. I probably spend more time in the motivation section than any other because this is my Achilles heel. And it worked. I hung in there.

Gradually I stopped feeling sorry for myself and began reviewing my food diaries. I saw where I had slacked off journaling and had not been eating as many fruits and veggies even though I was increasing exercise. I made some minor dietary adjustments and the scale began moving again. I also need to add that during this plateau my clothes were getting baggier and my energy level was increasing. My hubby told me, "Your body is changing."

Weight issues are not only about the foods we put in our mouths, they are about the thoughts and beliefs we hold about ourselves. By addressing these and encouraging us to set small, concrete and measurable goals, helps us create a recipe for success to replace our old recipes for failure.

I am hitting a plateau after a steady pound-a-week weight loss---but I'm thinking like the person who spoke about her own experience---this is did not happen out of a vacuum. I need to take responsibility.

Here is what brought about the weight loss

>IF five to seven days a week
>Elliptical every day--or at least 400 or more burned calories
>Discarding junk food
>logging in my food and exercise
>Healthy balance of carbs
> No eating after 7pm
>No breads--floured or baked foods
>no dairy

Then I experimented with not logging in---first a weekend --then went over a week
I snuck in some junk things--not binging exactly--but still not good
Meals became EXTREMELY carb heavy
Exercised every two days instead of daily
Still practiced Intermittent Fasting but changed the eating windows to 9pm
Midnight snacking began
Cheese and b.r.e.a.d also found its way into my food plan

Is it any wonder I stopped losing last week? :ohwell:

I am glad I came across the article today! No coincidences
I am doing exactly what she did--she took an inventory of what had worked and what she let go of --and picked it back up again

What did you do during a plateau? Did you ride it out---or deliberately change up some aspects of your program?

heroyalslimness · October 2012

bump!

Antlady69 · October 2012

You (and the other person) have done what a lot of people can't do: take a long, hard and HONEST look at themselves. You've understood what went wrong, and are taking corrective actions. Awesome! *bump*

BernadetteChurch · October 2012

Thanks for sharing this, heroyalslimness.

In just about everything we do we're going to come across bumps in the road. Learning to ride those bumps is just part of the journey.

It's also a useful reminder that for this to work we do have to stay vigilant!

Lisah8969 · October 2012

Yep...this happened to me. I was doing well and then all of a sudden the same 3 or 4 pounds lost and gained over about 6 weeks. Surprised myself that I even put up with it for six weeks since i normally would have thrown in the towel after two. I changed my MFP setting to only losing 1.5 a week, got more calories to eat and made sure to eat back at least half my exercise calories every day. That changed it and I started losing again. I have never been this dedicated before, but it is all b/c I am not on a diet. I still eat what i want and I tweak my food choices when I can. I enjoy working out now. It's a change that I hope stays with me for a long, long time. I do pat myself on the back every now and then for making it through the 6 weeks that I know would have just stopped me totally before.

heroyalslimness · October 2012

You (and the other person) have done what a lot of people can't do: take a long, hard and HONEST look at themselves. You've understood what went wrong, and are taking corrective actions. Awesome! *bump*

Thanks for your answer! I always thought <Plateau-ing> was a mystical body chemistry that happened inexplicably during the weight loss process. That might still be-- which is why I opened it up for discussion to learn of other's experiences!

This will be an interesting experiment --will the scale move back in my favor---upon reverting back to the program I constructed at MFP that seemed beneficial in the last month? :huh:

heroyalslimness · October 2012

Yep...this happened to me. I was doing well and then all of a sudden the same 3 or 4 pounds lost and gained over about 6 weeks. Surprised myself that I even put up with it for six weeks since i normally would have thrown in the towel after two. I changed my MFP setting to only losing 1.5 a week, got more calories to eat and made sure to eat back at least half my exercise calories every day. That changed it and I started losing again. I have never been this dedicated before, but it is all b/c I am not on a diet. I still eat what i want and I tweak my food choices when I can. I enjoy working out now. It's a change that I hope stays with me for a long, long time. I do pat myself on the back every now and then for making it through the 6 weeks that I know would have just stopped me totally before.

Wow---VERY inspiring. Re-reading again. THANK YOU.

I was so discouraged! But while giving up did not seem to be an option--it certainly came close. Avery kind lady in my friend's network actually asked me "if I was still alive"---because I had not been active in the feed and THEN the same person noted I had not logged in my food diary in a week--and that was WHY I had not been as active

Really eye-opening--I thanked her (THAT really WAS a friend! ) and immediately began posting again

veganbaum · October 2012

Am I understanding correctly that you stopped losing last week? That's not a plateau, though I know some people feel like it is. That's just normal for weight loss. The more you have to lose, the more steady it tends to be at the beginning. Then it starts to taper off and you get into the more normal nonlinear weight loss - a pound one week, half a next, nothing the next two, then drop two pounds the next week. It's good you examined what you're doing food and exercise wise, but I think it would also be a good for you to realize that weight loss is not linear and there will be weeks where you lose nothing. Plateauing is more about an extended period of time of no loss, when you may have to really work to find out how to get your weight loss going again (I don't think there's really an agreed upon length of time, but it is about an extended period. I'd probably say that if I hadn't lost in four-five weeks I hit a plateau. I hit a six month plateau last fall.). But recognizing that weight loss is not linear and you're going to see fluctuations will prevent disappointment and frustration.

heroyalslimness · October 2012

Am I understanding correctly that you stopped losing last week? That's not a plateau, though I know some people feel like it is. That's just normal for weight loss. The more you have to lose, the more steady it tends to be at the beginning. Then it starts to taper off and you get into the more normal nonlinear weight loss - a pound one week, half a next, nothing the next two, then drop two pounds the next week. It's good you examined what you're doing food and exercise wise, but I think it would also be a good for you to realize that weight loss is not linear and there will be weeks where you lose nothing. Plateauing is more about an extended period of time of no loss, when you may have to really work to find out how to get your weight loss going again (I don't think there's really an agreed upon length of time, but it is about an extended period. I'd probably say that if I hadn't lost in four-five weeks I hit a plateau. I hit a six month plateau last fall.). But recognizing that weight loss is not linear and you're going to see fluctuations will prevent disappointment and frustration.

That makes sense!

Though as this is my first time --really charting the weight loss with a carefully constructed program--I am still in the process of assessing what my particular "normal" is. It seemed to be a steady pound a week drop---
Hence--this post.

I do think however, the bigger message I learned from the posts and for myself---is in taking inventory of what I can or can not do to affect the scale also goes a long way in mitigating disappointment. If nothing changed in my behaviors and nothing changed on the scale --I might be more noncommittal,

But I DID depart from the program that kept in check the behaviors that put me here to begin with and the fact the weight stalled
--I do not think is coincidence--

I am learning--I probably --for a while --cannot have a cheat day while in weight loss

prbly cannot go without daily logging in
no more skipping execise
no more midnight snackies
etc etc

All of which I did in the last week or so and which contributed to this post!
In my case-- I do not think it was a random case normal weight loss fluctuation--I think it was--like the article I posted
was direct--cause and effect.

So---I lean more towards accepting personal responsibility--in regards to scale numbers--when applicable

veganbaum · October 2012

I hear what you're saying. Of course a person should take responsibility for their choices. My post was more about scales and weight loss. I see so many people getting frustrated because their initial steady losses stopped being so steady. While there certainly are people who may reach goal with steady losses (since there are nearly always exceptions), most people will experience weight loss that is nonlinear and it is *not* their fault, it is simply how the body works. It can be important to recognize this for mental health and motivation, and for understanding your own body. I eat 2xBMR on Saturdays. I know my scale will show at least a three pound "gain" for a few days - but it's not a real gain, my weekly deficit was still the same. I'm also close to goal, so I know I am not going to have steady losses at all. I'm okay with that. As I said, my post was really more about the importance of recognizing that scale losses are often not going to be linear anyway - so aside from changes a person makes in their routine, they may not see consistent weekly losses and that's normal. I get what you're saying about *this* situation, I guess I may have been directing my post to a more general idea (for those who read without commenting) and not necessarily you in this particular situation.

ElementalEscapee · October 2012

Bump!

heroyalslimness · October 2012

I hear what you're saying. Of course a person should take responsibility for their choices. My post was more about scales and weight loss. I see so many people getting frustrated because their initial steady losses stopped being so steady. While there certainly are people who may reach goal with steady losses (since there are nearly always exceptions), most people will experience weight loss that is nonlinear and it is *not* their fault, it is simply how the body works. It can be important to recognize this for mental health and motivation, and for understanding your own body. I eat 2xBMR on Saturdays. I know my scale will show at least a three pound "gain" for a few days - but it's not a real gain, my weekly deficit was still the same. I'm also close to goal, so I know I am not going to have steady losses at all. I'm okay with that. As I said, my post was really more about the importance of recognizing that scale losses are often not going to be linear anyway - so aside from changes a person makes in their routine, they may not see consistent weekly losses and that's normal. I get what you're saying about *this* situation, I guess I may have been directing my post to a more general idea (for those who read without commenting) and not necessarily you in this particular situation.

Yes! I see you are able to know your body--and determine for yourself the scale is not necessarily a true barometer.
I guess I do not know that the scale is as non-linear and random as much as perhaps --a person's relation to the consistency
or lack of it---to their food and exercise program.

I guess I am not sure the scale is all that indiscriminate---and that muscle gain from weight lifting-- factors in --being ill and not able to eat except liquids factors in--- --etc etc

I wonder if there are more variables than we investigate or even think of that attribute to movement or plateau in the scale.
I question the randomness.... I do not know that I accept--yet

that it is an automatic given --the scale will be unstable at any given time ---unless it is tied in to what I do or do not do.

Was This "My" Fault? Breaking the Plateau.

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