Plateau HELP!!!

mreeves261
mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I have been seeing A LOT of post about plateaus. I know they exist, I know they are a 99% certainty with weight loss. I just keep seeing "2 week plateau, help" post and I began to wonder is 2 weeks enough time to actually consider it an actual plateau? So I did a quick Google search to see what I could find. WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Live Strong, etc, not looking at personal blogs. Not that personal blogs can't be helpful, I just think it's hit and miss on accuracy with so many yo-yo diets and exercise intensity levels.

What is the length of time to pass without a weight loss before you can call it a plateau? Depending on what source you use, anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month.

I came across another site (not sure of the validity of the information) I found insanely interesting. Here is the basic "listings" from that website. I will link it in later so you can read the whole thing for yourself. If you read it and find nothing helpful in it then you have only wasted 5 minutes of your life, but maybe you learned something along the way.

Weight Loss Plateau Vs. Fat Loss Plateau

Weight Loss Plateau Facts To Keep In Mind

1) Weight Loss Plateaus are VERY common
2) The More Weight You Lose, The More Weight Loss Slows
3) Losing Weight Becomes Harder The Closer You Get To Your Ideal Weight

3 Steps To Break Your Weight Loss Plateau

Weight Loss Plateau Step #1: Re-evaluate Your Calorie Intake
Weight Loss Plateau Step #2: Control the “Calorie Creep”
Weight Loss Plateau Step #3: Progress Your Body, Don’t Confuse it

What happens if you still can’t break your weight loss plateau?

1) Starvation Mode
2) Calorie Cycling
3) Hormones

http://www.builtlean.com/2012/05/22/weight-loss-plateau/

RESEARCH FOR YOUR SELF!!! The day you stop learning is the day you die. If you are relying solely on the information people are giving you on message boards (not that it isn't good tips from people who learned) then are you really providing yourself with all the information you need to form a healthier lifestyle? If you have time to post on message boards then you certainly have time to Google, go to the Library, or read a book.

Replies

  • KatieKateB
    KatieKateB Posts: 2 Member
    I just searched "plateau' and saw this post. I think I've hit one....I'm afraid to up my calories though because I do like to enjoy the occassional beer on the weekends, I have lots of Communion parties coming up and I'm sure the food wont be great for losing weight...etc etc. I'm confused on the calorie thing...I'm wondering if doing 1200 all week (what MFP suggests) plus exercise is not enough?
  • b4chuck
    b4chuck Posts: 8
    ive been stuck at 140.4lbs for a week now. i just started actually going to the gym instead of just playing softball once a week and running once a week for 20 minutes. i don't know what else to do but someone suggested I cut my sugar intake and decrease my sodium intake as well. I will work on decreasing the sugar intake to see if that helps. i am really frustrated that I am just 5lbs from my goal and haven't been able to break through the plateau. ugh! Anyways, I'm keeping the faith and following your advice to see if that works for me. I will keep you posted.

    Becca
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    I just searched "plateau' and saw this post. I think I've hit one....I'm afraid to up my calories though because I do like to enjoy the occassional beer on the weekends, I have lots of Communion parties coming up and I'm sure the food wont be great for losing weight...etc etc. I'm confused on the calorie thing...I'm wondering if doing 1200 all week (what MFP suggests) plus exercise is not enough?

    I am not a fan of the 1200 calorie diet. It does work for some for a long period of time. For others it works for a week or two and then nothing. I have 1 day left of Insanity and stressed myself out over how much I was eating so I will give you the break down I gave someone else the other day.

    Week 1 - Ate 1200 = Grumpy, starving, exhausted, no motivation - Lost nothing
    Weeks 2-3 - Ate 1400 = Not grumpy, still a bit hungry, tired but functional, no motivation - Lost about a pound

    Ran across a thread about BMR and TDEE (Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

    Weeks 4-7 - Ate 1550 = Not hungry, not tired, had enough to exercise and not be drained afterwards - Lost about 6 pounds
    Weeks 8-9 - Recalculated my TDEE eating currently 1690 - Feel like I could run a marathon except I hate running - Have lost about 5 more pounds.

    I am NOT saying this will work for you. BUT if you don't try you may never know if this works for you. Like I said in my original post, use the Internet, it is your friend! Try to stick to reputable sources and you will likely find the answer that works for you. People here can only tell you what works for them. That's why you see groups of people talking about the same things and being in agreement. Clean Eaters, IIFYMer's, Heavy Lifters, Cardio Junkies, 1200 cal dieters (mostly the ones posting about why am I not losing any more.)

    Weight loss is trial and error. There is no single blueprint that will work the same for everyone. That's why exercise and weight loss programs all have the disclaimer "results may vary." Stick with it, try new ideas and don't get stuck on "this is the only way" because it probably isn't.
  • laurajade111
    laurajade111 Posts: 58
    when you say you eat 1550 do you eat that as net calories after exercise or is that before exercise? That's where i get so confused!
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    ive been stuck at 140.4lbs for a week now. i just started actually going to the gym instead of just playing softball once a week and running once a week for 20 minutes. i don't know what else to do but someone suggested I cut my sugar intake and decrease my sodium intake as well. I will work on decreasing the sugar intake to see if that helps. i am really frustrated that I am just 5lbs from my goal and haven't been able to break through the plateau. ugh! Anyways, I'm keeping the faith and following your advice to see if that works for me. I will keep you posted.

    Becca

    You are close to your goal. It's going to be harder. There's not as much you have to "haul" around like others. If you are going to be lifting at the gym don't be surprised if the scale goes up. KEEP IN MIND - with lifting heavy you will get smaller. There are women on there that weigh 146 pounds but wear a size 2! If you are relying only on your scale you are probably going to get discouraged very easily. Go by measurements!!!
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    I was at 205 lbs for 7 months, does that count as a plateau?
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    when you say you eat 1550 do you eat that as net calories after exercise or is that before exercise? That's where i get so confused!

    Basal Metabolic Rate - What your body burns to keep your organs functioning. A number you do not want to go under. Mine is roughly 1570 taking an average from 3 different calculators.

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - What you burn though out the day at work, at home, moving around, exercise, etc. To lose weight you want to figure your TDEE and minus from it. I personally do TDEE -20%. My TDEE is 2375 to maintain my current weight. I try to eat at -20% of my TDEE which would be 1900. I am slowly increasing by 140 calories every couple week to gap the distance from the 1550 I was at to 1900 gradually.

    Search here or on Google about TDEE and BMR. There are people who are much better at explaining it than I am.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    I was at 205 lbs for 7 months, does that count as a plateau?

    My post wasn't aimed at you, I thought I said that. My apologies if I upset or insulted you.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    I was at 205 lbs for 7 months, does that count as a plateau?

    My post wasn't aimed at you, I thought I said that. My apologies if I upset or insulted you.

    Sorry if that sounded snotty. Didn't mean it that way.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    I was at 205 lbs for 7 months, does that count as a plateau?

    My post wasn't aimed at you, I thought I said that. My apologies if I upset or insulted you.

    Sorry if that sounded snotty. Didn't mean it that way.

    No worries. The written word leaves so much to self interpretation.

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