Plateau and cannot figure out why

Karri101188
Karri101188 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a heavy girl. I have been told that i should not plateau until I have lost at least 60 lbs. I did do a diet/exercise plan before this time, and I did not plateau until I lost 85 lbs. Now I hit my 2 plateau in 3 1/2 months. The first one hit after I had only lost 15 lbs. I am not understanding why my body stops for 2 weeks every month. I am trying harder than before, and it seems like I am not getting results. I am very very discouraged. Please help!

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    No information. Can't help.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    2 weeks is not a plateau. Weight loss isn't linear. You will have weeks you don't lose despite doing everything 'right'. It'll catch up with you another week. I frequently maintain 2 out of 4 weeks a month (or even gain) and then drop larger amounts of weight the other two weeks. Perfectly normal and not a plateau.

    Being your a woman, your TOM can easily mess up the scale for 2 weeks a month (pre-TOM and TOM).

    Here's my weekly weight loss chart. There are weeks I maintain, gain, and lose. No biggie. I'm in it for the long haul.

    i-Mx4gDpZ-M.jpg
  • fun_b
    fun_b Posts: 199 Member
    I am going through the same thing. This has probably been the slowest I have ever lost weight however on the plus side I am hoping this means I can keep it off.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    What are you stats and workout routine... how many calories are you eating? If you want to break a plateau, set yoru account to maintain for a week (actually eat all those calories; hopefully they are more from protein sources) and do not workout for that week. Then come back, set a more moderate deficit and eat back 50% of your calories.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    And boy, looking at my chart, my WL has become significantly steadier once I started running in March. Similar average monthly losses, but less variability week to week. Interesting!
  • celb500
    celb500 Posts: 76
    This may seem a little bit TMI but i plateau around my TOTM, for women we tend to plateau due to hormones etc.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member


    i-Mx4gDpZ-M.jpg

    ^ This is a really strong visual. OP: Notice the peaks and valleys here but that the general trend is downwards? This is a great representation.
  • lalalyn12
    lalalyn12 Posts: 80 Member
    I agree I am heavy as well and I started this journey in May lost 16 and then i maintained until i got back on the journey with mfp in Sept, and I notcie (since I am losing weight the right way) 2 weeks out of the month I do not count cause I do not lose because of TOM, I never noticed before how much TOM influences our weightloss, but this time around TOM should be here thursday and I was in a mini plateau since Thanksgiving and I lost one pound since then on saturday....which was odd cause usually I dont lose, but ill take it, this whole weightloss/lifestyle change is new to me
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    My weight comes off in chunks. It'll hover around a while (+/- a pound) for a couple weeks and then, bam! I'm down a few pounds. Slow and steady wins the race, this isn't going to happen overnight, but keep at it and you will see results.
  • luoool
    luoool Posts: 9
    I have been eating clean for 5 weeks exercising 6 days a week eating 1200 a day and lost only 2 pounds and I have 50 pounds to lose !!!!

    I got so desperate, I then ate 6 digestive biscuit, 2 bars of TWIX, Bounty, Galaxy , thats 1200 calories worth of chocolate btw

    the next day I ate about 5 pieces of honey cake (750 cal) Plus my meals..... GUESS WHAT I lost weight The next day !!!!!!!!!

    I was so shocked that my body was so clean to the point where it felt something is wrong, thats why it reacted this way.

    So maybe you can give yourself 2 days worth of your maintenance calories, then the scale will budge. maybe this was the case for

    me, I'm not saying that your body will react the same, but you should try it as long as you stayed in your calorie range.

    Happy weight loss
  • thisisiamj
    thisisiamj Posts: 145 Member
    My weight loss stalls 2 weeks a month, once 2 weeks before TOM (ovulation) and once during TOM. It's normal.
  • alexbusnello
    alexbusnello Posts: 1,010 Member
    No information. Can't help.

    Then don't comment.
  • belle_7
    belle_7 Posts: 18
    Im in the same boat! i have been at 174-175 for the past 2 months and I am working out 5 to 6 days a week and eating 1250 cals a day and not eating back my work out cals. Its very depressing but we will get through this.. I am hoping to get out of it this month because i feel like im going crazy! Everybody keeps telling me to step it up and go harder but i am going as far as my body is allowing me and im just maintaining!! =/

    Just stay strong! =)
  • fp64
    fp64 Posts: 128 Member
    I have been told that i should not plateau until I have lost at least 60 lbs = complete bullsh*t
  • athenaheim
    athenaheim Posts: 496 Member
    2 weeks is not a plateau. Weight loss isn't linear. You will have weeks you don't lose despite doing everything 'right'. It'll catch up with you another week. I frequently maintain 2 out of 4 weeks a month (or even gain) and then drop larger amounts of weight the other two weeks. Perfectly normal and not a plateau.

    Being your a woman, your TOM can easily mess up the scale for 2 weeks a month (pre-TOM and TOM).

    Here's my weekly weight loss chart. There are weeks I maintain, gain, and lose. No biggie. I'm in it for the long haul.

    i-Mx4gDpZ-M.jpg

    That is good to know because I have been stuck at the same weight for the last week and it is starting to bug me.
  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
    I haven't been losing 2 weeks out the month since about Aug/Sept. It is related to my period. It's frustrating, but once my body is back to normal I end up dropping about 5 lbs a week for 2 weeks and then back to nothing. Just keep your head up and keep eating right and working out.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    My weight loss stalls 2 weeks a month, once 2 weeks before TOM (ovulation) and once during TOM. It's normal.

    Was getting ready to suggest that this might be it. Hormones and water and all that.
  • keepitcroosh
    keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
    You stop seeing results when you stop challenging your body. Altering your exercise regimen every 4-6 weeks will help prevent plateaus. Mix up your workouts, easiest thing is to join yoga (or hot yoga!) , Zumba, something different! Do that at least once a week to get your muscles workin' on top of your normal routine. Good luck!!!!
  • tnloser1970
    tnloser1970 Posts: 42
    I am a heavy girl. I have been told that i should not plateau until I have lost at least 60 lbs. I did do a diet/exercise plan before this time, and I did not plateau until I lost 85 lbs. Now I hit my 2 plateau in 3 1/2 months. The first one hit after I had only lost 15 lbs. I am not understanding why my body stops for 2 weeks every month. I am trying harder than before, and it seems like I am not getting results. I am very very discouraged. Please help!

    First, I will not say this will work for you or this is even the reason. I am just sharing my personal experience. At the beginning of this year, I lost about 20 pounds and then got stuck. I gained and lost the same 5 pounds over and over. This was with both cardio and strength exercising as well as following a balanced diet. I got frustrated and gave up. I then gained back about 10 pounds. In October, I decided I needed to do this for my health. So, I lost those 10 pounds quickly. Then, it started again. I got down to the same weight and I started gaining and losing the same 5 pounds. I sought help on MFP and I was told that my carbs may need to be lowered because they can stall weight loss. MFP recommended i eat 362 carbs a day and I was 237 a day. So, I thought I was okay.

    But, I did try to cut out quiet a few carbs. It really did help. I am starting to lose weight again. I am not saying this will work for you. But, it is a thought.
  • amytill
    amytill Posts: 3 Member
    For women, hormones and TOM does have an impact on weight loss. I typically only weigh myself once or twice a month because it's frustrating otherwise lol. I will gain a pound or two the week before my TOM then be down 4 pounds the week after. Men have it easier sometimes! Tape measure is definitely a better measure of progress.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Without any stats from the OP, I can only suggest the same stuff that is typical in these situations:

    1. you are not eating enough (calculate your body fat percentage, BMR and TDEE at fitnessfrog or fat2fitradio.com, and eat at a 20% deficit)
    2. weigh less often (once a month is best for me)
    3. take measurements once a month
    4. maybe lower carbs, but I am not sure that makes any difference (it doesn't for me / a calorie is a calorie)
    5. eat .8 - 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass every day
    6. Weight loss is definitely not linear - expect hills and valleys on your loss chart

    If you want to share your food diary and other stats you may get better advice. Best of luck to you!!!!!
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Surprised how often this comes up come on people there is no magic number you should have lost by now... If you are doing things the RIGHT way meaning not eating too few or too many calories eventually you will lose weight. Are you doing and what can you change? Then do it!
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    Your body lost weight because you gave it enough food to function. If you have 50 pounds to lose and only eat 1200 calories, your body is starving and will hang onto every calorie.
    I have been eating clean for 5 weeks exercising 6 days a week eating 1200 a day and lost only 2 pounds and I have 50 pounds to lose !!!!

    I got so desperate, I then ate 6 digestive biscuit, 2 bars of TWIX, Bounty, Galaxy , thats 1200 calories worth of chocolate btw

    the next day I ate about 5 pieces of honey cake (750 cal) Plus my meals..... GUESS WHAT I lost weight The next day !!!!!!!!!

    I was so shocked that my body was so clean to the point where it felt something is wrong, thats why it reacted this way.

    So maybe you can give yourself 2 days worth of your maintenance calories, then the scale will budge. maybe this was the case for

    me, I'm not saying that your body will react the same, but you should try it as long as you stayed in your calorie range.

    Happy weight loss

Categories