Help! Plateau :(

Height, Weight, Age and how many times you work out a week.

Also make your diary public.

5'9, 204 lbs and 23. Usually exercise about 5 times a week. What do you suggest?

I will still need to see your food diary before i make my suggestions

The dreaded plateau. Just keep at it, that's the only way out of it. Make sure there is no 'calorie creep' in your diet. Things like alcohol for example, or going out to restaurants too much, that sort of thing.

One BIG thing that helped me out of a plateau (though mine only lasted 3 weeks) was 'core exercises', I think it was because my gym routine was just no longer that effective and my core kind of revitalized my entire work out. Muscles after a while stop growing unless the muscles next to them also grow. I wasn't aware of this until I had lots of chats with body builders in my gym, and since then I am now more aware of muscles that have been "left out". This is why exercise after a while might feel ineffective. I am assuming you are also doing strengths training and not just cardio.

A week is not a plateau. It's a pause. It's a breather. It is NOT a plateau. Just keep doing what your doing.

I was like... "2 months isn't a plateau..." /facepalm I I think shortly thereafter in the 3rd month I started reverse dieting for a few weeks.

Well I've only been stuck at this plateau for a week. Do you reckon I'm just being really impatient? Lol

I do reckon this. I think it'd be almost crazy to think you can keep up with a 5-6 lb/week weight loss. 1-2 is more like it.

So your starving yourself and freaking out when you don't lose for a week, "need" to be skinny for christmas... I see this ending well. How about reading up on healthy sensible weight loss?

Yea I know it's not healthy but I never go over 800 cals and never eat calories I've burned during exercise. It's not entirely threw choice I just don't have an appetite these days. Having a bit of a hard time in life in general.

Just add cheese to sandwiches, cook with more oil/butter, add tomato sauce or mayonnaise or something to meals, have higher calorie drinks, use brands of food that has the highest calorie amount per serving. You don't necessarily have to eat much more to get more calories in, just change what you do eat to a higher calorie version of it.

I'm not starving myself but I'm eating a crazy amount of fruit and veg. I lost 5 stone when I was 18 so I'm not new to a weightloss battle. I know what I should and shouldn't be eating and I know what my body can cope with. And as for my need to be skinny for Xmas I don't think 2.5 stone in four months is too extreme

That's the thing. There isn't ANYTHING that you should or shouldn't be eating. There's no such thing as bad foods when eaten within your calorie and macro-nutrient limit.

I'm not starving myself but I'm eating a crazy amount of fruit and veg. I lost 5 stone when I was 18 so I'm not new to a weightloss battle. I know what I should and shouldn't be eating and I know what my body can cope with. And as for my need to be skinny for Xmas I don't think 2.5 stone in four months is too extreme

If this is a recurring battle, maybe it's time to take some of the advice people are giving and make a change?

I know my methods are a bit controversial but I managed to maintain for four years which I'm really proud of. But after getting in a bad relationship the weight piled on and I'm back to square one. I don't even want to be skinny, I'm too tall for that I just want a bit of confidence back

I can understand that. What I can't understand though is when people come on here asking for help, but then defend the things they're doing, all the while they can't figure out why their method isn't working.

I know my methods are a bit controversial but I managed to maintain for four years which I'm really proud of. But after getting in a bad relationship the weight piled on and I'm back to square one. I don't even want to be skinny, I'm too tall for that I just want a bit of confidence back

I can understand that. What I can't understand though is when people come on here asking for help, but then defend the things they're doing, all the while they can't figure out why their method isn't working.

This. I just posted 2 very lengthy and very informative private messages to her. Giving her an example of what her caloric intake should be, what her macros should be, an example workout routine and I get the feeling that she isn't really interested nor wants to put in any additional effort to achieve her goals.

I'm sorry OP, but what you're doing IS wrong. And no amount of sugar coating from people is going to help you. You need to change.

I really try not to be a jerk on these boards.....I'm no expert by any means. But if I ask for help, I'm wanting help! I don't understand making the excuses or saying "well it's worked for me for this long", etc. Almost anything can for for anybody for a short amount of time. We all need to find something sustainable that will work for us for life. LIFE. Not a few months....not even a few years.....forever. Who wants to constantly battle food and weight? I love this site for all the knowledge we can gain from others! Take it all in.