Plateau?

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melizerd
melizerd Posts: 870 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What do you do when you feel like you hit a plateau? I'm 7 weeks in but this week I didn't lose anything and possibly gained a pound (which I think is muscle).

Should I take a day or two off and have a free food day where I don't log? Will that jump start my body into wanting to lose some weight again?

I'm working out 25-35 min a day 6 days a week and have only some light weight training in so far. I love the elliptical machine most though I vary it with walking outside a couple days.

I'm definitely logging EVERYTHING I eat. I'm still at a goal of 2lbs loss a week which means my calories before exercise are allowed 1280. I tend to eat about half my exercise calories back otherwise I feel hungry ALL THE TIME. I have 75lbs to lose total and I'm only down 17 lbs so far, I just didn't think I'd hit a plateau this soon.

Could it be something else? Help me understand and plan for this long journey of mine.

Replies

  • jgoldsmith
    jgoldsmith Posts: 15
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    ugh i am in the same boat right now. for the last 4 weeks i cant seem to loose weight. i am doing everything right, i eat healthy i go to the gym every other day, its extremely frustrating. i am starting a 14 week cleanse tomrrow to see how that works out ......
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    It isn't a plateau unless you are doing everything the same and the scale hasn't moved for at least 3 weeks.

    At the beginning of the year I wrote my anticipated weight on my office calendar, showing a loss of 2 pounds per week. Mid July I hadn't lost much for a few weeks and was feeling down so got out my calendar to see where I thought I would be. Much to my surprise I was the exact weight I had anticipated.
    Some weeks I lose more, some less, but it has averaged to about 2 pounds per week. Don't sweat it if you don't lose, or gain a bit, within a few weeks.
    Our bodies are wonderful mysterious things that never fail to surprise at times!
  • jgoldsmith
    jgoldsmith Posts: 15
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    i hope you are right!!!
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    It's one of those things that I know in my brain happens but when ya see it on the scale it still sucks know what I mean.

    Your right that I'm just about on track or a little better than the 2lbs a week. I think I just needed to be reminded that it's normal.
  • je123
    je123 Posts: 8 Member
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    Are you drinking plenty of water (8 glasses). I find it really hard to do but it does make a difference and it fills you up so less likely to snack in between meals.
  • Natural
    Natural Posts: 461 Member
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    i might increase my work out time (try a different cardio exercise) and do more strength training.

    i also would look over my food diary to see if there is anything i can do differently or change.

    and drink a river - stay hydrated and make sure i'm getting enough rest (sleep).

    be patient too. :)
  • pcw52
    pcw52 Posts: 26 Member
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    It is an odd thing. You might consider any medication that you take or take occasionally. Look at the sugar content and the hidden content in food and the sodium. If you are not getting the 1200 calories you bod moves to storing so you will not lose. Strange. Maybe you need to add an exercise. I read somewhere that you must sweat for 1 hour a week. Sounds like you are doing well. I am losing slowly for a ton of reasons but I am losing like this week only .4 of a lb.. Why? I took One daughter out to eat with her boyfriend and it was under my calories but not the best stuff. Two days later I went to University of Alabama and took my youngest to dinner ( broke up with boyfriend)and there again it was under my calorie allownace but not the best selection because of all the sodium. Chalk it up to learning. Find out what works for you.
  • fitgirl232
    fitgirl232 Posts: 17
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    Even though strength training doesnt burn all too much calories while you are doing it, it really is the key to weight loss. Muscle mass burns more calories at rest than fat does and weight training boosts your metabolism for a longer after than cardio, so even though calories logged are less, you really do burn more over the long run.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas. I'm trying REALLY hard to drink enough water. My sodium was up some last week so that might account for being stuck too. Thanks for the insight!

    I'm trying to be patient but it's hard sometimes. I know this is a long slow process. It didn't go on overnight and it's not coming off overnight either.
  • CHeMoTaCTiC
    CHeMoTaCTiC Posts: 41 Member
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    I hit an 8 day plateau after 2 weeks of pretty rapid weight loss. I had actually cut my calorie intake by TOO much in an attempt to break the plateau. I noticed I was getting really lethargic too. So I gave myself 2 days of greater intake (not cheating, per se; I ate about 500 cal more each day). Weight started shedding off again once I did that. Seems totally counter intuitive but it was true. I'd starved my body TOO much and it was responding by slowing down my metabolism so much that the weight loss had stopped.

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