Best plan of attack for a plateau?

Behxo
Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
ASKING IN GENERAL, NOT FOR MYSELF- Just wondering because some people are saying that fasting is the way to go while on the other hand others are saying that upping your calorie intake is the best way. Opinions?

Replies

  • cjazz72
    cjazz72 Posts: 80 Member
    The best way I have found with plateaus is that increasing the activites you do helps break plateaus and being patient because your body is adjusting to the new weight so once it equalizes with hormones and such then you will start to lose again.
  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
    Move more, eat less.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Making sure you drink tons of water. Apparently, you're supposed to drink 9 glasses of liquid a day. Secondly, make sure you're going #2 - with either prune juice or making yourself green drinks. That gets stuff out & can make your body start losing again. Those are the two ways I found to get my body re-started. Sometimes eating a lot more can do it too, make sure it's fiber-y, like mashed potatoes, etc.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    First things first. How long has this "plateau" been?
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I would recommend highly starting to log EVERYTHING that you consume and giving it more than a week before you start thinking you are in a plateau..come back in 3 months when you haven't lost anything.. It is impossible to give advice to someone with a half completed diary.

    I can see that you are not consistent with your logging thus it is impossible to know how much you are eating. I can see that you are also not using a scale for the things that you actually have been logging. Do you eat your cereal out of the box?
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I would recommend highly starting to log EVERYTHING that you consume and giving it more than a week before you start thinking you are in a plateau..come back in 3 months when you haven't lost anything.. It is impossible to give advice to someone with a half completed diary.

    I can see that you are not consistent with your logging thus it is impossible to know how much you are eating. I can see that you are also not using a scale for the things that you actually have been logging. Do you eat your cereal out of the box?

    Totally this.

    Other helpful info:

    1. . Weigh all solids. Measuring cups/spoons are not accurate:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

    2. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    3. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
    I would recommend highly starting to log EVERYTHING that you consume and giving it more than a week before you start thinking you are in a plateau..come back in 3 months when you haven't lost anything.. It is impossible to give advice to someone with a half completed diary.

    I can see that you are not consistent with your logging thus it is impossible to know how much you are eating. I can see that you are also not using a scale for the things that you actually have been logging. Do you eat your cereal out of the box?

    I wasn't asking for myself PERSONALLY, I was just asking for just in general. also yes...I eat cereal without milk... ALSO before you judge my logging I just got back on track this week.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Plateauing? For how long? Is calorie tracking accurate (weighing foods, etc)? Are exercise estimates reasonable? Some times it's best to just wait it out - weight loss is never linear. Other times you can try dropping 100 to 200 calories and see how it goes.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    There's really no such thing as a plateau. A plateau means you are doing something wrong. Either eating too much, failing to recalculate calorie goals after significant weight loss, overestimating calorie burn, or all of the above. In rare cases it can mean a serious medical issue.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I wasn't asking for myself PERSONALLY, I was just asking for just in general.

    There is no "in general" it depends on each person. Most times plateaus are caused by inaccurate logging, over estimation of burns or underestimation of food. Sometimes they can be caused by something medically wrong or a new prescription or a new workout or a new baby.. It's all individual.

    Best advice to NOT have one (assuming no medical issues) is to use a scale, log accurately, underestimate exercise or better yet use TDEE. Don't start new workouts, have babies or take medicines either :P
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    1) weigh your food
    2) have an appropriate deficit
    3) eat less
    4) move more
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    I wasn't asking for myself PERSONALLY, I was just asking for just in general. also yes...I eat cereal without milk... ALSO before you judge my logging I just got back on track this week.

    Nice edit. I'm not the one having problems losing weight... If you cared to look I have missed one weekend in 2 YEARS apart from a vacation when I was not on the continent. Not that I really care but kudos for getting self righteous. Good luck with your weight loss - you'll need it.
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
    I wasn't asking for myself PERSONALLY, I was just asking for just in general. also yes...I eat cereal without milk... ALSO before you judge my logging I just got back on track this week.

    Nice edit. I'm not the one having problems losing weight... If you cared to look I have missed one weekend in 2 YEARS apart from a vacation when I was not on the continent. Not that I really care but kudos for getting self righteous. Good luck with your weight loss - you'll need it.

    hey thanks :flowerforyou:
  • somefitsomefat
    somefitsomefat Posts: 445 Member
    Bacon! Lots of it!
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
    Bacon! Lots of it!

    lmao there ya go :drinker:
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Consistency over time.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    For me it's just to keep on keepin' on and tell myself, "Even if I never lose another pound, I *WILL* keep off the weight I've lost up to now".

    And then occasionally measure myself, too.

    It's worked for me even during February when I only lost 2 lb (I usually lose anywhere from 4.5-8 per month)
  • chad_phillips1123
    chad_phillips1123 Posts: 229 Member
    Firstly, make sure it's a plateau. Fluctuating or not losing for a couple weeks isn't a plateau; think more a month or more.

    Secondly, make sure you're not cheating yourself (i.e. not logging food, under logging calories eaten, over logging calories burned, etc).

    Thirdly, make sure to measure in addition to weighing. Depending on how much you have to lose, you may be losing inches instead of lbs.

    If you indeed are plateauing (and it's hard to say what to change without knowing what one was doing), then I would say start exercising more (maybe incorporate different exercises and start strength training), fiddle with your macros some, possible change your calorie goal (I say change because some raise a bit, some lower a bit; without knowing what it is I couldn't suggest, but you know your body better than anyone else), and lastly maybe just take a break for a week or so. I'm not saying binge for a week, just relax your calorie goal for a bit.
  • BrittyBby10
    BrittyBby10 Posts: 12 Member
    I like the posts where people are helpful and share what they have found to work!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    There's really no such thing as a plateau. A plateau means you are doing something wrong. Either eating too much, failing to recalculate calorie goals after significant weight loss, overestimating calorie burn, or all of the above. In rare cases it can mean a serious medical issue.

    Or expecting results too quickly. Anything I do, good or bad, takes weeks (2-4) to be reflected via my scale.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    1) weigh your food
    2) have an appropriate deficit
    3) eat less
    4) move more

    +1
  • toronto_j
    toronto_j Posts: 206 Member
    Making sure you drink tons of water. Apparently, you're supposed to drink 9 glasses of liquid a day. Secondly, make sure you're going #2 - with either prune juice or making yourself green drinks. That gets stuff out & can make your body start losing again. Those are the two ways I found to get my body re-started. Sometimes eating a lot more can do it too, make sure it's fiber-y, like mashed potatoes, etc.

    What "stuff"? And how are mashed potatoes "fiber-y"?

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