Plateau Plateau Plateauuuuuu

advice please...I have been eating a NET calorie of 1200 (eating back exercise cals) since about November and have had successful weight loss up until now; I have been battling a plateau that fluctuates by about 4 pounds for several weeks now...I am thinking I need to up my cals...has anyone had success breaking through a plateau this way?

FYI I am 28 years old...5'7 and 160 pounds...(I always seem to get stuck at this weight and regress...determined to not fall off the wagon this time and make it to my goal weight of 145)

My workouts consist of running on the treadmill for 20-30 mins followed by Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30. I usually work out at least 4 times a week.

Starting to get frustrated and discouraged...I need to figure out how to kick start my weight loss again.

Replies

  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I am the same height as you, and after looking at your profile, we are actually pretty similar. So I'll just tell you how I did it.

    I went from 155 to 140 by netting 1500 calories. I did cardio 3x a week for 30 minutes each. I burned about 300-400 calories each session. I did bodyweight strength training whenever I could fit it in, and I did not add those exercise calories in. I weighed all of my food, and logged EVERYTHING. Including cough drops.

    How long have you been losing weight? It took me 4 months of diligent effort to lose 15 pounds, and the last 2 of those ended up taking the longest.
  • daniflems
    daniflems Posts: 69 Member
    I am the same height as you, and after looking at your profile, we are actually pretty similar. So I'll just tell you how I did it.

    I went from 155 to 140 by netting 1500 calories. I did cardio 3x a week for 30 minutes each. I burned about 300-400 calories each session. I did bodyweight strength training whenever I could fit it in, and I did not add those exercise calories in. I weighed all of my food, and logged EVERYTHING. Including cough drops.

    How long have you been losing weight? It took me 4 months of diligent effort to lose 15 pounds, and the last 2 of those ended up taking the longest.

    I have lost 20 pounds since November (about 4 months ago) when I started getting serious about losing weight again. I weighed this much just before getting pregnant with my daughter when I was on a weight loss kick the first time around but could never get any lower than 155 pounds.

    I know this last 15 or so pounds is going to be the toughest and take the longest...I have already upped my calories to 1340 from 1200 to see if I start noticing any difference....perhaps I shouldn't be logging my exercise cals from the Jillian DVD?? I just figured it counted because I am always out of breath and dripping sweat by the end...also I am a sweets freak and always have something sugary everyday (within my allotted calories) which might also be hurting me...
  • kyuubi08
    kyuubi08 Posts: 13 Member
    Ive read some things out on the web, and have been in the same boat as you. Once you hit a plateau, you need to first stick with your goals. You might be at a point where you are losing fat, but gaining muscle. dont always trust the scale. try doing other measurements, such as waist, chest, hips, etc. It might also be an indicator that you might need to change up your routine a bit. For example, if you do treadmill, maybe do bike, or do thirty second sprints instead of just walking. Add more weight, change you diet, etc. The other thing that I have read about, and take this one with a grain of salt; try upping your intake. eat a little bit more, but still pay attention to your macros. If you are doing low carb or low fat, try eating more veggies or protein just to up your calorie intake. Try that for a week and see if you notice anything different