what is a plateau, and does it really exist?

are you weighing your food? like... all of it?

yup. got myself a new food scale for x-mas, but was weighing before that too.

are you weighing your food? like... all of it?

yup. got myself a new food scale for x-mas, but was weighing before that too.

not to be difficult, but after looking at your diary, I HIGHLY doubt this. For one, you eat out a lot, so unless you are taking your scale in with you, that is estimated. Secondly, everything in your diary is listed as a whole number (1 oz, 1 tbsp, etc.) that just doesn't happen when you are weighing things.

My diary isn't uncommon to have 183 grams of an apple... In the week I looked at, I never saw anything that wasn't a whole number or just a restaurant quantity.

You probably don't want to hear this, but if you cut back some more, you will lose weight because you aren't REALLY eating 1200 calories a day right now (even though your log says you are)

Maybe your right that its not really a plateau that I've been on for the past 4 months, maybe weight loss has just slowed to the point that it can't be measured.

I think that's exactly right and that it is very, very common. This is especially true for women where water retention and the menstrual cycle can easily mask fat loss on the scale. If you are truly at a deficit some fat loss is inevitable although the rate may be painfully slow.

Now, it is likely that your metabolic rate has slowed significantly if you are seeing little improvement at 1,200 calories.

Personally, I think a very deliberate and slow approach is needed to get it back up to where it should be and from which you can cut calories again. Cutting from 1,200 is not going to lead you very far.

I would suggest adding 50 - 75 calories per week systematically every week until you get to a calorie level where your weight stays the same for 4 weeks (do not worry about a temporary spike or less here or there - it is the consistent trend which is important.)

You might be surprised how far you get. I tried reverse dieting from the beginning of this year and I got up to 3000 calories with only two short weights workouts per week to maintain which almost made me fall off my chair. Unfortunately, life stuck its oar in recently so I haven't managed to follow it right through.

Anyway, once you get to a high level of calories to maintain then re establish a 500 calorie deficit from there. What do you think will be better in the long term? Having to cut from 1,200 or say 1,800 to lose weight?

I know this sounds a bit counter intuitive but sometimes gaining is the very best thing you can do to lose weight in the long term.

However, it should be done methodically, slowly and deliberately.

ETA: this all presumes you have been accurately calculating intake as has been mentioned above If not, then you really need to get that under control first....

Maybe your right that its not really a plateau that I've been on for the past 4 months, maybe weight loss has just slowed to the point that it can't be measured.

I think that's exactly right and that it is very, very common. This is especially true for women where water retention and the menstrual cycle can easily mask fat loss on the scale. If you are truly at a deficit some fat loss is inevitable although the rate may be painfully slow.

Now, it is likely that your metabolic rate has slowed significantly if you are seeing little improvement at 1,200 calories.

Personally, I think a very deliberate and slow approach is needed to get it back up to where it should be and from which you can cut calories again. Cutting from 1,200 is not going to lead you very far.

I would suggest adding 50 - 75 calories per week systematically every week until you get to a calorie level where your weight stays the same for 4 weeks (do not worry about a temporary spike or less here or there - it is the consistent trend which is important.)

You might be surprised how far you get. I tried reverse dieting from the beginning of this year and I got up to 3000 calories with only two short weights workouts per week to maintain which almost made me fall off my chair. Unfortunately, life stuck its oar in recently so I haven't managed to follow it right through.

Anyway, once you get to a high level of calories to maintain then re establish a 500 calorie deficit from there. What do you think will be better in the long term? Having to cut from 1,200 or say 1,800 to lose weight?

I know this sounds a bit counter intuitive but sometimes gaining is the very best thing you can do to lose weight in the long term.

However, it should be done methodically, slowly and deliberately.

ETA: this all presumes you have been accurately calculating intake as has been mentioned above If not, then you really need to get that under control first....

Ok thanks - gonna check my calories first, and then try this after.

my take on plateaus:

1) If you are really eating at a deficit, they don't STOP weight loss, they slow it. It is your body's way of conserving energy to make the most of your intake, but your body can't overcome thermodynamics and magically produce energy.

2) Most people on here think they are plateaued because they aren't taking good enough measurements over a long enough period of time to tell the difference.

3) If you are eating at a small deficit and manage to slow your metabolism enough, you CAN stop weight loss, but only because you aren't eating at a deficit anymore. IE - typical TDEE = 2000 cal; losing weight at a 125 calorie deficit; manage to slow metabolism by 125 calories; new deficit = 0 = maintaining weight.

4) People tend to no recalculate their BMR often enough, which can cause a perceived plateau because you don't need as many calories now.

5) No plateau can't be broken by reducing calories again.

6) eating more to lose weight works in some cases, but is abused considerably on this site.

Agree ^^

You really weigh apples? How much calorie difference is there between the MFP default for apple and precise measurement of one? 25 calories? Correction - I weigh meat and complex carbs. Never weighed vegetables and fruit. And when I eat out, I use the old deck of cards = 4 ounces. But in your response there is a glimmer of hope - I will measure everything single thing I eat (I can't weigh a subway sandwich - Jared didn't either - but I will try to eat out less) and see if it makes a difference.

Yes, if I happen to be in my kitchen, I even weigh apples. I agree that an apple is probably OK to just log because the consequences of being wrong are not that terrible.

However, consider this - an apple that I log as 100 calories actually has 125 had I weighed it. That is a 25% error. That little squirt of katsup wasn't even a tablespoon, so I won't log that. That hamburger was a littler greasier than usual, but the website says it is 470 calories, so there ya go.

If I consistently neglect to log things because they are "insignificant", at the end of the day the combination suddenly becomes significant. That 1500 calories in my log is actually somewhere around 1875 with 25% error.

The devil is in the details...

I don't believe in plateaus. There is always a reason that change stops.

I was told by my doctor/surgeon that throughout my weight loss to expect a few stalls/plateaus, that it was normal.

There was a time I had thought stalls & plateaus were both in the same, but apparently not. A stall is a month or more of no weight loss and a plateau is a few days/weeks. Call it what you wish, to those who are losing weight, it is the biggest non-motivator. It causes panic and discouragement; even failure to give up. Seeing the scale to stop or even to go up a few ounces sends terror through the dieter, questioning everything that they are doing. Been there, done that, but as I look back I am thankful that I questioned, that I stood my ground and watched things closely. You can learn a lot that will help you in your weight loss journey. Guaranteed, there will be more plateaus and stalls to work through, so why not learn about yourself and your body.

While searching on the internet for any info, I came across something very interesting. It has helped me put things into perspective on how a body works….

"Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average, glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."


This made a lot of sense to me, and it helped me immensely. I kept repeating to myself during my first stall (which was 4 weeks)…”this is normal, my body is adapting, my body is adapting…its doing its thing…” I knew I was following my diet plan, drinking my water, exercising…. everything I should be doing to lose weight, I was doing. Has to be something else, right? There is always that seed of doubt. So, I did a bit more searching.


Everyone seems to have ideas of how to get through the dreaded stall or plateaus. Some I agree with, others I question. What everyone has to do is put everything you are doing under a fine microscope, watch it, compare weights, and watch how your body reacts. In doing this, you will have a better understanding how your own body works. Remember, what works for another may be entirely different for you… we are all unique.


Keep in mind this is my weight loss plan….
Make sure you drink your MINIMUM 8 cups of water daily. I now drink 9 cups a day, when I add the liquid from my food I can add 2 1/2 more cups. A total of 11 ½ cups daily.
My caloric intake is NO MORE than 1200 a day. I choose WISELY with those 1200 calories. I have 3 meals a day as well as 3 healthy snacks a day to keep my blood sugars level as well as to feed my metabolism. You can see my food logs on myfitnesspal.com.
I plan my meals AHEAD. “fail to plan…plan to fail” It’s best to plan so you can choose wisely and not be grabbing in a last moment … which sometimes can lead to poor choices.
My sugar content I keep LOW. I try to keep 8grams of sugar per 100 calories. Some fruits are higher in sugar and that is OK. I keep sugar content in mind and choose wisely. I usually have two fruits a day which helps keep my bowl movement regular. If for any reason I do not have a bowl movement, and the fruit or veggies I eat does not work, I get out the benefiber.
I eat a lot of salads and vegetables
My sodium I keep an eye on. I use no salt. Sometime the choices I have may have higher sodium content but I moderate them. Salt retains fluid, affects blood pressure and too much can create weight gain, not a friend if trying to lose weight. One day I decided to treat myself to a 4oz strip loin with steak spice… my treats are far and few between, but I enjoyed it immensely… so did my scales the next morning with a 1 ½ pound gain LOL not to worry, it came off in a day, but sure was interesting to see salt at work.
My protein must be 60-80 grams a day. I actually strive for 80 grams a day. Protein keeps the lean muscle mass not to mention it is a healer.
I make sure to take a muli-vitamin daily. Whatever I do not get from my food, I feel I will get from my vitamin. My doctor checks my blood every 3 months so I do not become deficient on anything.
I do not eat after 7pm.
I have divorced potato chips, bars, candy, sweets etc. Potato chips were always a downfall and one is never enough for me, so for me it is best I stay away.
I absolutely have NO pop NO caffeine NO alcohol NO gum.
I make sure to eat slow, savor and enjoy what I eat, on smaller plates/dishes.. Making new “comfort” foods is my plan.
I limit my carbs. Although my carb intake is not as low as some call “low”, for me to limit is best. I still have an occasional small baked potato, or ½ cup of rice, once in a blue moon pasta. Bread I have stayed away from by choice. I use a snackbread with my tuna salad etc. that I find very satisfying.
I keep my fats low. I use skim milk, low fat cottage cheese, low fat cheese, extra lean hamburg, becel, calorie wise dressings. Olive oil IF I happen to use any oil in cooking.
I still have occasional slice of bacon or one slice of pizza but I fit it into my diet plan or not have it. Even for my birthday I had baked a sugar free banana cake. Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too LOL. One small calculated piece though fit into my diet plan and it was very satisfying.
I walk DAILY. For 45 minutes I walk briskly with 2 ½ lb weights on each wrist, lifting my arms up every 100 steps for 60 then repeat. It is my cardio time you could say…a time where a light sweat is made. I then go for another walk but times vary. Dependant on my pedometer is how long of a walk I take. My goal is to always get at least 10000 steps in a day. Lately I have been getting 11000 to 18000, which I log. I walk RAIN or SHINE no excuses.
I lift weights daily. To help tone my arms.
I weigh regularly. Usually every morning as soon as I get up but after I have used the washroom. Some may go crazy doing this, but for me I can stay on top of my progress and react.
Work on my behavioral changes. I examine myself regularly and pin point those behaviors, which are not doing so good and figure what plan I have to re-adjust to help change them
I make sure I get my sleep. At least 7 hours for me.Our bodies while sleeping restores and in fact burns calories while it rests. Therefore, sleep is very important in weight loss.

*So when I hit a stall or plateau I first check my food logs. Was there anything to attribute to it (example the steak spice on my steak which made me gain) If so I adjust accordingly. And watch.


*If there isn’t anything out of the norm, I check the totals on calories. If I have been on a close to 1200 range, I cut back to approx 1000 or vise versa. I have found it good to switch things up every few days so that your body doesn’t get use to the numbers. I also do this with my food etc. Variety and change keeps things guessing.


*I check to see if my steps have fallen short etc. Have I added something different? Is my body adjusting to it? If I feel this is so, I continue with what I have been doing. Exercise is a MUST. Some say exercising more can break a stall. I haven’t tried this, maybe someday I will LOL


*I make sure every now and then to increase my protein amounts. (more than 80)


*Waiting can be the hardest. Find a support system whether a friend or on-line. YOU WILL get through it. Remember why you are on this healthy path, how far you have come, look through pictures, old clothes, whatever it takes to remind you that what you are doing the right thing. Keep with your program, You WILL get through it.

^This was taken from my blog during 2011 when i had lost almost 200 pounds over a 9 month period. with my diet plan please note...i was followed closely by a dietitian and doctor and in no way suggest others should do so without this care.