2 ways to deal with plateau - work harder or wait it out?

FeelingLessChubby
FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm after some advice please :)

I've been on MFP for just over 100 days now and so far I'm super pleased with my progress!

I'm now on my 2nd plateau (the first one was at the very beginning after losing 5lbs), and I'm wondering if, instead of waiting it out, I should simply work out a little harder to force it through? I don't eat back my exercise calories btw.

I'm doing Couch 2 5 K, I'm on Week 3 now (I repeated Weeks 1 and 2 quite a few times because my fitness levels were very low so I wasn't ready to move on after just one week), and I run 3 times a week (sometimes less).

Should I bump it up to 5 times a week to try and beat the plateau?

I'm not exactly despairing, but my last plateau lasted something like 3 weeks and if possible I'd rather not have this one last as long.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • dalemckeown
    dalemckeown Posts: 46 Member
    Either:

    1. increase your calorie intake for a couple of weeks (i'll leave it for others to explain how/why this works - i'm no nutritional expert).

    2. Swap some of the cardio for some resistance training.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Either:

    1. increase your calorie intake for a couple of weeks (i'll leave it for others to explain how/why this works - i'm no nutritional expert).

    2. Swap some of the cardio for some resistance training.

    Number 1. Start eating your exercise calories and I bet you'll start seeing the scale move again. Your body needs fuel for the work you're doing. A car will not go without gas.
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    Whats your weight range and needs of weight loss?

    If you are overweight or obese ignore the "you have to eat back your exercise calories, thats bogus" I personally use Diet to create half the deficit and Exercise to create the other half on a given day and it has worked for the most part, to begin with i was just going nuts exercising vigorusly 2 times a day plus undereating and lost a hell of a lot of weight reall quick but then it plateaud after 15 Kilo's lost, since then i've been through 2 more (major ones) i call major anything over a 10 days :)

    Both times i just reset by recalculating goals and eating a bit more but still a deficit. Most recently i cut back on the going stupid at the gym as it was being more detrimental on my joints then doing good, drinking alot more water increasing protein and reducing carbs (not low carbs, just more protein instead of alot of carbs) 30/40/30 Carbs/Proteins/Fats but thats for me not necessarily you.

    My recent plateau was just over 2 weeks then 1.1Kilo's dropped overnight but the whole time my fat% was going down a bit each couple of days and visually there's a huge difference so once again ignore the scales that doesn't tell you what's going underneath, just gives you a basic idea

    The plateau will pass within 3 weeks i've been through 3 now.

    Just mix it up in what you do, don't always eat low calories or always go nuts at the gym every day.
    Cardio and Weight/Core/Resistance training is a must, your body gets too use to Cardio too quick so it will have less effect
    and above all just forget about the scales and concentrate on looking in the mirror, if you see change to hell with what the scales say.
  • FeelingLessChubby
    FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
    Thanks all :)

    My TDEE is already calculated including exercise, so I'm not sure eating back the calories will work? I've lost almost 19lbs so far not eating back the exercise calories.

    Paulperryman - my starting weight was 154lbs, goal weight is 121lbs. I'm currently at 135lbs.

    I deeply regret not taking measurements when I started on MFP because I have nothing to compare to now, so the scale is the only form of measurement I use. I do realise it doesn't always reflect the progress of a changing shape.
  • ladyluck5210
    ladyluck5210 Posts: 78 Member
    I don't do either! lol.

    Whenever I plateau, I "cheat" for about three days... gain like, 3 pounds, and then back on track! I've done it about three times and it's worked! It wasn't intentional... When I plateau, I get depressed and give up. Hence, the "cheating." Then I get sick of pigging out and just go back to my regular dieting and exercise. And then the weight comes off like normal and I get past that darn plateau.
  • Shetchncn1
    Shetchncn1 Posts: 260 Member
    Either:

    1. increase your calorie intake for a couple of weeks (i'll leave it for others to explain how/why this works - i'm no nutritional expert).

    2. Swap some of the cardio for some resistance training.

    That
  • FeelingLessChubby
    FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
    I don't do either! lol.

    Whenever I plateau, I "cheat" for about three days... gain like, 3 pounds, and then back on track! I've done it about three times and it's worked! It wasn't intentional... When I plateau, I get depressed and give up. Hence, the "cheating." Then I get sick of pigging out and just go back to my regular dieting and exercise. And then the weight comes off like normal and I get past that darn plateau.

    :D that sounds like a much more fun way of beating it than waiting or working harder! ha ha you go girl!
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  • FatAttorney
    FatAttorney Posts: 17
    I have been stuck on a plateau for weeks now. I recently relaxed my goals and suddenly had more energy for working out. I think I am starting to lose weight again. Very excited.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    My TDEE is already calculated including exercise, so I'm not sure eating back the calories will work? I've lost almost 19lbs so far not eating back the exercise calories.

    So you ARE already eating back your exercise calories as you have included them in your TDEE calculation.
    Don't confuse the two methods.

    Adding more of the same exercise may work if it increases your deficit but you are more likely to see better results from adding in a different activity - strength training is the obvious one!

    If you are confident you are actually in deficit then you will lose weight eventually. Most likely reason for not being in deficit is inaccuracy in calculating your calorie intake. Weigh and measure everything and be really accurate with your calorie goal over a period of time and you will then know if your current goal is correct or not.

    Have you recalculated your goal recently based on your current stats?

    Well done on the 19lb loss by the way. :flowerforyou:
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Right, if you're doing TDEE then you're already eating the calories back. I'd agree with sijomial and recalculate using your current stats. It might have changed! :)
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  • FeelingLessChubby
    FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
    Thank you all - I have recalculated and the difference came out to be only about 30 cals.

    Ok - please let me explain what I mean by eating back my calories.

    I calculated my TDEE and set my diary to that minus 20%. Cool.

    But then every time I log my exercise, my food diary says "you have earned xyz calories today from exercise" and adds those cals into my total for that day as freebies. I don't eat these added back - I still eat my regular amount only, same every day.

    I'm going to go for increased activity and see how it works for me I think. I enjoy running very much so I'll just do more of it.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    How long has it been since you've seen a drop on the scale? 1-2 weeks is perfectly normal for normal weight fluctuations. It isn't usually considered a plateau until you've been 4-6 weeks without a loss. You could simply be holding onto some extra water weight thanks to the exercise, hormones, stress, etc.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    How long has it been since you've seen a drop on the scale? 1-2 weeks is perfectly normal for normal weight fluctuations. It isn't usually considered a plateau until you've been 4-6 weeks without a loss. You could simply be holding onto some extra water weight thanks to the exercise, hormones, stress, etc.

    Yep. Just what I was going to say.
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
    :)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    How long has it been since you've seen a drop on the scale? 1-2 weeks is perfectly normal for normal weight fluctuations. It isn't usually considered a plateau until you've been 4-6 weeks without a loss. You could simply be holding onto some extra water weight thanks to the exercise, hormones, stress, etc.

    This.
    And you are not far away from your goal weight. The closer you get, the slower it will be to get there. Also, are you weighing all your food and logging accurately?
  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
    There is no such thing as a plateau, it is a myth. Essentially, it is maintenance. Your body has found an equilibrium point, which is essentially maintenance. Lower cals or increase activity. Those are your only options.

    I've been told by my doctor, when I reach a plateau, eat more for a week then go back to my normal calories.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Eating back at maintenance calories for a few days works for me. Don't eat **** food but just hit your maintenance calories. You will see some weight gain but it will come off again as easily as it came on and you should be able to break through it again.
  • d3mon4ngel
    d3mon4ngel Posts: 242 Member
    Thank you all - I have recalculated and the difference came out to be only about 30 cals.

    Ok - please let me explain what I mean by eating back my calories.

    I calculated my TDEE and set my diary to that minus 20%. Cool.

    But then every time I log my exercise, my food diary says "you have earned xyz calories today from exercise" and adds those cals into my total for that day as freebies. I don't eat these added back - I still eat my regular amount only, same every day.

    I'm going to go for increased activity and see how it works for me I think. I enjoy running very much so I'll just do more of it.

    You don't have a great deal left to lose, so you should have a smaller deficit. Try recalculating to 10% instead.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I had been at a plateau for 6 months. So I definitely tried the waiting it out method, and it did nothing. For the last 3-4 weeks I've been working out like a beast and started cutting calories more severely a few days a week and the scale finally started moving again.

    I've been tired and hungry, but at least I broke my plateau.
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
    Change up your workout. Your body gets used to an exercise after about 6 weeks, so you need to "shock" it with something new. For example, if you are doing "standard" sit ups, add bicycle crunches or other oblique-targeting sit ups (where elbow touches opposite knee). That kind of "muscle confusion" helps build muscle fiber, which helps burn fat.

    And make sure you are getting plenty of protein and monounsaturated fats (avocado, almonds, olives...). I think most people are able to easily get their carbs in, but not enough of the protein and "good" fats. You're body is a machine and needs good fuel to work optimally.

    Good luck!
  • FeelingLessChubby
    FeelingLessChubby Posts: 152 Member
    Thank you again :)

    I'm logging everything religiously and I'm now coming to the end of 3rd week of plateau.

    I have read about weightloss slowing down as the goal gets closer so I do expect this.

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