Plateau help

spicypepper
spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
in Motivation and Support
Okay, so I was really rocking and rolling until about March/April. I hit a 10 # weight gain and a plateau ta boot! :noway:

Here it is August and I'm still struggling with that stupid weight gain/plateau and I cannot budge past it :sad:

I'm open to suggestions on how to blow past it. Right now I'm averaging about 1700 calories a day, burning ~ 300 calories a day doing the 30 day shred (day 16 today, been doing it consecutively since day 1). I drink a boat load of water a day, I have severely cut back my adult beverages from the norm to either Skinny Girl brand drinks on occasion or a light beer or two 1x a week.

Still not moving (and let me clarify that drinking adult beverages NEVER interfered with my weight loss before).

I am no where near goal weight (still need to ideally lose 60# to be at the Doctor recommended weight) so I cannot be at my ideal weight (still considered over weight).

And go!

Replies

  • LassoOfTruth
    LassoOfTruth Posts: 735 Member
    Perhaps take a break from weight loss. Eat at a maintenance for 1-2 weeks, and then get back into it. Also, shake up your routine. If you're a jogger, start weights and vice versa. This is just a suggestion, but it has worked for me.
  • sophayz
    sophayz Posts: 592 Member
    if you open up your diary we can have a better idea . i would be tempted to say cut back on sugar and switch your workout routine around . sometimes your body will adapt to your routine and just stop changing. you need to stress your body to force change ! my favorite quote: what doesn't challenge you doesn't change you! . . . also did you measure or just weight ? cause if you are doign 30 day shred you might be gaining muscles and getting toned
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
    I started doing more weights, less sugar, and less Zumba (even though I love it) and it has busted me out of my plateau. The scale has only moved a bit but my clothes say otherwise. Zumba is great cardio, but the weights REALLY help!
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    How about you stop DRINKING and voila!

    Also, you need to change your routine because what once used to burn 300calories, no longer does. Our bodies adapt to exercises so if no hypertrophy is involved then it is likely you aren't burning the same amount of cals as before.

    Try lifting or even hiking or running anything other than these damn SHREDS. WHATEVER THESE DAMN THINGS ARE BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA.
  • Determined518
    Determined518 Posts: 138 Member
    Variety is key. Switch up your exercise. Have you done circuit training?
    Lots* of water. A gallon a day helped me to drop 3 pounds in one week.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Throw in the towel, you lose.

    Thanks so much for the motiviation...
  • seliinac
    seliinac Posts: 336 Member
    Throw in the towel, you lose.

    If you can't say something constructive, keep quiet!

    I agree that variety in exercise may help. Have you adjusted your goals in mfp as your weight has gone down?
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    if you open up your diary we can have a better idea . i would be tempted to say cut back on sugar and switch your workout routine around . sometimes your body will adapt to your routine and just stop changing. you need to stress your body to force change ! my favorite quote: what doesn't challenge you doesn't change you! . . . also did you measure or just weight ? cause if you are doign 30 day shred you might be gaining muscles and getting toned

    I haven't been logging it on here, but I can tell you exactly what I eat in a day.

    Breakfast is usually a piece of fruit (lately it's been Peaches)
    Mid-morning snack - 1/4 a cup of raw almonds and a piece of fruit or veggie
    Lunch is a home made grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette
    Mid-day snack - 1/4 a cup of raw almonds and a piece of fruit or veggie
    Dinner is usually a smaller portion size of what the family eats (mixture of protein, a larger salad than every one else and another veggie).
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    I started doing more weights, less sugar, and less Zumba (even though I love it) and it has busted me out of my plateau. The scale has only moved a bit but my clothes say otherwise. Zumba is great cardio, but the weights REALLY help!

    I thought about increasing weights too, might just add that in.

    I haven't been doing my Zumba for the past 16 days, just doing the 30 day shred for now. I worried that maybe I was burning too many calories and not enough fuel.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Perhaps take a break from weight loss. Eat at a maintenance for 1-2 weeks, and then get back into it. Also, shake up your routine. If you're a jogger, start weights and vice versa. This is just a suggestion, but it has worked for me.

    I am a Zumba fanatic. I dropped it for 30 days, I've got 14 more days to go to see if that helps.
  • jr235
    jr235 Posts: 201 Member
    Mix up your workouts with different intensities. My cardio of choice is running. In the past when I've lost weight (and I've been gaining and losing the same 10-15 lbs for about 10 years now uuuurgh) and I've hit a plateau I throw some intervals in those runs. Once a mile or so I will pick a landmark and run like a bat out of hell to it.

    In general, just mix it up.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    How about you stop DRINKING and voila!

    Also, you need to change your routine because what once used to burn 300calories, no longer does. Our bodies adapt to exercises so if no hypertrophy is involved then it is likely you aren't burning the same amount of cals as before.

    Try lifting or even hiking or running anything other than these damn SHREDS. WHATEVER THESE DAMN THINGS ARE BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA.

    Like I said in my original post, drinking has never made a dent in my loss before because I usually don't drink very much (1x a week) and my calorie burn is pretty significant when I am doing/teaching Zumba (900+ calories in an hour).

    30 day Shred is a bit like Circuit training. It's a mix of cardio, weights and ab work.

    I changed up my routine 16 days ago when I cut out Zumba and took up "circuit training". I also cut out sugar completely and increased water, cut down my portion size and omitted fast food of any kind from my diet.
  • aspalmer3
    aspalmer3 Posts: 28 Member
    If that's all your eating every day, maybe you should increase your intake a bit and see if that works...I was having the same issues and increased a bit and the scale started moving again...I also started lifting weights so not sure if it was the increase in cals, the weights or a combo of both, but it worked!
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Variety is key. Switch up your exercise. Have you done circuit training?
    Lots* of water. A gallon a day helped me to drop 3 pounds in one week.

    I have and 30 day shred is kinda like that in a way.

    I recently increased my water and noticed that I am going to the bathroom a lot more over the past few days, but it's still not transferring back to the scale.

    I know with weights it builds muscle and muscle weighs more; but I was kinda hoping that after 16 days of a change that there would be some sort of a dent.
  • drenergy
    drenergy Posts: 112 Member
    Whoa! I would eat way more than a piece of fruit for breakfast. I always get in some protein, and usually at least 300 calories to start the day. I wonder if your body is not 'waking up' your metabolism with such a small breakfast?

    What's worked for me is eating really frequently. I have an egg and toast for breakfast, a mid-morning fruit or veggie snack, a light lunch around 1pm, usually the other half of my lunch or a snack closer to the end of my work day, I work out with a run or something cardio after work, then I have about a 400 calorie dinner. I try to net at least 1200-1400 calories, and if I am working out a lot (I run a lot, but not everyone needs to be a marathon runner) then I up calories a lot and have a protein shake after working out. So I pretty much eat all day. Haha.

    Plus, a lot of people only do cardio and no strength training, which is a mistake. I think 30 day shred does a good mix though, right? I haven't done it, but I'd think it would have the routine you need. And I suppose if you still can't break through the plateau with diet changes, you could try another activity. Some people really burn from high intensity interval training, if you're not doing that already. :) Good luck and don't give up!
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Mix up your workouts with different intensities. My cardio of choice is running. In the past when I've lost weight (and I've been gaining and losing the same 10-15 lbs for about 10 years now uuuurgh) and I've hit a plateau I throw some intervals in those runs. Once a mile or so I will pick a landmark and run like a bat out of hell to it.

    In general, just mix it up.

    Worth a shot at this point. I'm game for anything that will help me get past this.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    If that's all your eating every day, maybe you should increase your intake a bit and see if that works...I was having the same issues and increased a bit and the scale started moving again...I also started lifting weights so not sure if it was the increase in cals, the weights or a combo of both, but it worked!

    I am so afraid that if I increase it'll make things worse.

    Guess it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now (which obviously isn't working...)
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
    I started doing more weights, less sugar, and less Zumba (even though I love it) and it has busted me out of my plateau. The scale has only moved a bit but my clothes say otherwise. Zumba is great cardio, but the weights REALLY help!
    ^^^^
    This
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Whoa! I would eat way more than a piece of fruit for breakfast. I always get in some protein, and usually at least 300 calories to start the day. I wonder if your body is not 'waking up' your metabolism with such a small breakfast?

    What's worked for me is eating really frequently. I have an egg and toast for breakfast, a mid-morning fruit or veggie snack, a light lunch around 1pm, usually the other half of my lunch or a snack closer to the end of my work day, I work out with a run or something cardio after work, then I have about a 400 calorie dinner. I try to net at least 1200-1400 calories, and if I am working out a lot (I run a lot, but not everyone needs to be a marathon runner) then I up calories a lot and have a protein shake after working out. So I pretty much eat all day. Haha.

    Plus, a lot of people only do cardio and no strength training, which is a mistake. I think 30 day shred does a good mix though, right? I haven't done it, but I'd think it would have the routine you need. And I suppose if you still can't break through the plateau with diet changes, you could try another activity. Some people really burn from high intensity interval training, if you're not doing that already. :) Good luck and don't give up!


    Forgot mid day and afternoon snacks usually consist of a protein and another fruit or a veggie.

    My snack of choice has been 1/4 a cup of raw almonds and peach or cut up veggie sticks (celery, bell pepper, edamame).
  • glowgirl14
    glowgirl14 Posts: 200 Member
    There seems to be such a delicate balance involved in giving your body what it needs to lose. You need exercise, and food, but not too much...or too little of either...

    I wonder if you're logging anywhere? It's a bit time consuming, but if you measure and log your food every day, you might find the problem. You might be way under or overestimating your consumption. Also, where did you get your calorie goal? Do you know your BMR? Your TDEE? If you don't, finding those numbers will help a lot...

    Without those numbers, you can't accurately determine how much you need to be eating to lose.

    I would also add my vote to what the other person said about a piece of fruit not being nearly enough to start your day. You need protein to start your body going, and keep it going. No idea how big your lunch salad is, or how big the "smaller dinner portions" are, but that list of food looks more like 1000-1400 calories a day, not 1700.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    Ok, so my first thought after seeing your average day of food intake... Are you sure you are eating 1700 calories a day? From what you put down as an average day, that looks like maybe 1200-1300 calories (and that is being generous). My second thought, maybe try upping the calories to about 1780-1800. I thought that 1700 would be good for me, nice round number after I figured out my TDEE-20% and it did nothing, I upped to 1770 and the only time I lost was when I went over 1800 calories.

    My other thought, have you measured, maybe you are losing inches and not weight right now. For me (and I'm no expert, this is purely off of my own experience) I have found after every 15-20 pounds lost, my body will "shift" the fat around so I will plateau for a bit. It is depressing and frustrating, however, I started breaking out the tape measure and that is where I have noticed the changes are happening.

    Mix up and experiment (just a little at a time), but remember any changes you make will take anywhere from 2-4 weeks before a noticable difference will happen, so have patience.

    Best of luck!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I would suggest logging what you eat, so you know exactly how many cals you are consuming. It is hard to know if you are eating too few cals or too many cals. Your diet sounds good but without the serving sizes and exact cals it is hard to know what changes need to be made, hang in there sounds like you are doing everything right, GRRrr stupid scales.I am having the same problem
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    There seems to be such a delicate balance involved in giving your body what it needs to lose. You need exercise, and food, but not too much...or too little of either...

    I wonder if you're logging anywhere? It's a bit time consuming, but if you measure and log your food every day, you might find the problem. You might be way under or overestimating your consumption. Also, where did you get your calorie goal? Do you know your BMR? Your TDEE? If you don't, finding those numbers will help a lot...

    Without those numbers, you can't accurately determine how much you need to be eating to lose.

    I would also add my vote to what the other person said about a piece of fruit not being nearly enough to start your day. You need protein to start your body going, and keep it going. No idea how big your lunch salad is, or how big the "smaller dinner portions" are, but that list of food looks more like 1000-1400 calories a day, not 1700.


    I am logging, just not on here. I can start logging again.

    I have had success before with 1680 calories a day until I hit that plateau. I've decreased and increased to no avail.

    I do start with a piece of fruit and add in a some protein in mid-day snack.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Ok, so my first thought after seeing your average day of food intake... Are you sure you are eating 1700 calories a day? From what you put down as an average day, that looks like maybe 1200-1300 calories (and that is being generous). My second thought, maybe try upping the calories to about 1780-1800. I thought that 1700 would be good for me, nice round number after I figured out my TDEE-20% and it did nothing, I upped to 1770 and the only time I lost was when I went over 1800 calories.

    My other thought, have you measured, maybe you are losing inches and not weight right now. For me (and I'm no expert, this is purely off of my own experience) I have found after every 15-20 pounds lost, my body will "shift" the fat around so I will plateau for a bit. It is depressing and frustrating, however, I started breaking out the tape measure and that is where I have noticed the changes are happening.

    Mix up and experiment (just a little at a time), but remember any changes you make will take anywhere from 2-4 weeks before a noticable difference will happen, so have patience.

    Best of luck!


    I am measuring and I have lost inches (re-took measurements on the 1st and I've lost inches since then)
  • glowgirl14
    glowgirl14 Posts: 200 Member
    If you're losing inches, then don't worry about the weight! Muscle weighs more than fat, so you're still losing fat, but gaining muscle. Which burns more calories than fat...which means you'll lose weight again.

    It's hard, but try not to obsess over the scale if you're losing inches. The weight loss will come, but you have 2 problems...too much weight, and too little muscle. (Not being mean...I'd say almost everyone here has these problems, me included!!) You only need to worry about changing things when you're not losing pounds or inches...

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