Breaking the plateau
kurviekutie
Posts: 26 Member
Any tips on breaking the plateau? I would like to hear what SERIOUSLY overweight people have done to break their plateaus. I know it is hard for the people only trying to lose 3-10 pounds but their plateaus come on for different reasons than those of us who are super and/or morbidly obese. If you do not or never have had a BMI over 30, please skip this post.
First know that I am at 1200 cals per MFP. I am virtually perfect each week on the carb/protein/fat ratio. I eat whole foods. Little or nothing out of a package. I barely use a teaspoon of oil when cooking and that is in the pan to keep it from sticking. And that is divided among a family of five with two men eating double servings! I don't add oil to recipes and I substitute applesauce or banana when baking. My fats are mostly from things like a sprinkle of feta cheese and a few olive slices on my Greek salad, avocado, skim or almond milk. I am not eating hamburgers or anything like that either. I eat 2 tbsp of Chia a day, drink green tea (unsweetened), water and skim or almond milk. I absolutely never drink any soda pops and have abstained from drive thru coffee drinks for a several weeks now. I don't use white sugar or white flour and use quinoa instead of rice. I no longer eat boxed cereal opting for whole five grain hot cereal (oat, flax, wheat, barley and rye). I sweeten with local raw honey, molasses, agave or coconut sugar and just a little bit. I rarely eat any breads and when I do it is whole grain (I never liked white bread). I add psyllium to my smoothies along with spirulina and a hemp protein. I snack on homemade kale chips seasoned with chili powder, sea salt (not a lot of salt!) garlic and black pepper. I eat Greek salad without dressing (haven't used store bought dressing in years) several times a week. I eat sweet potatoes whole -skins and all- with nothing added. I don't buy bagged coconut or canned pineapple for my fruit salad, rather I get my fruits in the produce section and peel myself. I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or whipped topping in recipes. My diet couldn't get much healthier to be completely honest. My meal plans follow the likes of Tosca Reno and Thug Kitchen (on Facebook) so I am sure there are few if any failings there.
This isn't the stubborn last five pounds I am trying to shed after already losing 100. I am still trying to get into One-derland! So these plateaus are particularly frustrating because I still have 65 pounds to go just to get into the upper end of the overweight category of BMI.
I work out four or five times a week. Mostly cardio~elliptical or treadmill. I do some light weights with my warm up. I am averaging 90 minutes per workout. I come to a full sweat and am breathless. I drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Take a multivitamin. Sleep 8 hours a night.
First know that I am at 1200 cals per MFP. I am virtually perfect each week on the carb/protein/fat ratio. I eat whole foods. Little or nothing out of a package. I barely use a teaspoon of oil when cooking and that is in the pan to keep it from sticking. And that is divided among a family of five with two men eating double servings! I don't add oil to recipes and I substitute applesauce or banana when baking. My fats are mostly from things like a sprinkle of feta cheese and a few olive slices on my Greek salad, avocado, skim or almond milk. I am not eating hamburgers or anything like that either. I eat 2 tbsp of Chia a day, drink green tea (unsweetened), water and skim or almond milk. I absolutely never drink any soda pops and have abstained from drive thru coffee drinks for a several weeks now. I don't use white sugar or white flour and use quinoa instead of rice. I no longer eat boxed cereal opting for whole five grain hot cereal (oat, flax, wheat, barley and rye). I sweeten with local raw honey, molasses, agave or coconut sugar and just a little bit. I rarely eat any breads and when I do it is whole grain (I never liked white bread). I add psyllium to my smoothies along with spirulina and a hemp protein. I snack on homemade kale chips seasoned with chili powder, sea salt (not a lot of salt!) garlic and black pepper. I eat Greek salad without dressing (haven't used store bought dressing in years) several times a week. I eat sweet potatoes whole -skins and all- with nothing added. I don't buy bagged coconut or canned pineapple for my fruit salad, rather I get my fruits in the produce section and peel myself. I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or whipped topping in recipes. My diet couldn't get much healthier to be completely honest. My meal plans follow the likes of Tosca Reno and Thug Kitchen (on Facebook) so I am sure there are few if any failings there.
This isn't the stubborn last five pounds I am trying to shed after already losing 100. I am still trying to get into One-derland! So these plateaus are particularly frustrating because I still have 65 pounds to go just to get into the upper end of the overweight category of BMI.
I work out four or five times a week. Mostly cardio~elliptical or treadmill. I do some light weights with my warm up. I am averaging 90 minutes per workout. I come to a full sweat and am breathless. I drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Take a multivitamin. Sleep 8 hours a night.
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Replies
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1. How long have you been on this 'plateau'
2. Are you using a HRM to measure your calorie burn or MFP?
3. Are you eating back your exercise calories?
4. Are you weighing your food?0 -
Hello there,
Well done on starting your journey and what looks like a remarkably healthy diet! So healthy I don't even know what most of those foods were, but that's besides the point.
Just a couple of things:
1) 1200 calories worked for me at first, then I stalled. I did the calculations on Scooby's website (http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator) and it turns out I should have been eating around 1800 calories per day. Which seems like a big increase but if you think about it this way, a Mission Deli Wheat and White wrap is 178 calories, a roasted no skin chicken breast is another 200 calories and 200g of brown rice is another 265 calories, so it's not necessarily loads more food to eat before you hit that amount. I'm not saying you should eat those foods if you don't like bread or rice or chicken, it was just an example to say that you can find an extra 600 'good' calories quite easily.
2) I exercise. I go to the gym once or twice a week and focus more on lifting weights than I do on cardio. Most women seem to think that we just need to hammer the treadmill for hours per week and that will help you burn calories but believe me, weights make the difference here. Compound lifts (lifts which use more than one set of muscles) such as squats and deadlifts seriously work your muscles and get you sweaty, but they also help shape your body up so you don't end up just an empty bag of skin once you lose a lot of fat. The heavier the weights, the more calories you'll burn and the more muscle tissue you will develop, which looks much nicer and tighter than my currently flappy bingo wings. It might be worth asking an instructor to show you a few moves which you can progress from. It is never too early to start lifting heavy weights (when I say 'heavy weights', I mean whatever is heavy for you. You do NOT need to be competing at Olympic level and lifting weights will not make you look like Hulk Hogan in a dress). I play netball once or twice a week for 45 minutes each day, I also go to Body Pump, Tabata and Spin. It all helps. I live near a very cheap gym so have access to exercise classes and friends to go with, and I am starting to notice the difference in my shape and strength. Which leads me nicely onto...
3) Weight loss is not the same as fat loss. I am probably about 36% body fat at the moment, but would eventually like to get that down to around 20%. However, I am finally beginning to realise I don't care if that means I weight 12 stone or 120 stone, as long as I am the size I want to be (a size 12 would be lovely), and look great. Nobody but me can tell whether I am 8st 2lbs or 14st 8lbs unless I stand on a scale and tell people what it says, but people CAN see if I look smaller and less wobbly in a swimming costume or on the dancefloor. It's so normal for us all to concentrate on how much we weigh and to a certain extent that's correct and the whole BMI thing has a lot to do with it. But it's not the be all and end all, honestly.
4) Have patience. None of us got the way we are overnight and it'll probably take longer for us to undo all the damage we have done. Have faith though, you will get there. Sometimes you need to re-evaluate what you are doing, think about the long term health and wellbeing goals you have, and try something new. It's a struggle but it's worth it.
5) Food. I'm not sure what your carbs/protein/fat ratios are like, but I have changed mine to 45/35/20. Protein helps you feel full and feeds your muscles. Carbs taste nice (I know it's evil but I like bread). Good fats are god and necessary. So make sure you not only stick to your ratios, but that the ratios are correct in the first place.
Try not to stress too much about losing weight. I'm not saying this as someone who has the last ten pounds to lose so I can be a size 6, I'm saying this as someone who when I left uni in 2005 I was 17st 4lbs and barely ran anywhere at all, not even for a bus. In 2012 I did the London Marathon. I've come a long way but it's taken forever, I've had many a slip up and I am still not there, but I am proud of my achievements. You will be too, keep going!0 -
As a long term dieter I have hat to bust through plateau's So believe me I sympathies. I know it might sound strange but here is what worked for me.
Increase both calories and low intensity activity volume significantly. For me I was on a 1800 calorie diet. What bust me through my most recent plateau was increasing to 2000 a day and going for 2 hour walks three times a week. I don't plan to drop to 1800 unless weight loss stalls again. I know a 2 hour walk might seem daunting if you are not used to it. But a brisk 2 hour walk can burn nearly 1000 calories. Think about that
It can also help to give yourself a treat day. Pick one day and go out and have a meal where you hold NOTHING back. Stuff yourself. Eat all the things you love. Believe me your stomach won't let you do THAT much damage to your diet in one meal. And it can really shake up your metabolism and put it back on track. It's like pulling your engines choke. Sorta bad for the engine but it can solve underlying problems.0 -
I'm confused why MFP is giving you a budget of 1200 calories. I'm at 210 lbs and a light exerciser and they give me 1680. It sounds to me like you eat super healthy but maybe too few calories?0
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I'm confused why MFP is giving you a budget of 1200 calories. I'm at 210 lbs and a light exerciser and they give me 1680. It sounds to me like you eat super healthy but maybe too few calories?
I'm 218-222 lbs and 5 feet 1 inch. I think it calculates several things in coming up with that number.0 -
Thanks for all the input. I am following the carb protein fat ratio designed by MFP. I do not eat my bonus calories most days. I am not starving either. I eat when I am hungry but I eat high value low cal foods like veggies. Not sure what my body fat ratio is. I too am little concerned about the scale except at the moment and til the end of the month I am in a dietbet and want to win. My goal for the month was 4% of my starting weight which was about 9 pounds. I am halfway there and have been stalled at halfway since the second week. I mix up my cardio and do light lifting because I don't want any muscle building til May. I don't even have to lift to put on muscle anyway though because I just have that body type that easily forms muscle when I am exercising. I can't lift heavy because I have had three back surgeries and have an implant on my spinal cord that requires me to keep my weights under 50# DOCTOR'S ORDERS. Failure to follow that rule could damage my unit or paralyze me so it is very important that I follow that guideline. I have free reign on cardio though as long as it is relatively low impact.0
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Let me know if I'm wrong, but are you saying you haven't seen any loss in two weeks? If so, that's not a plateau. Plateau's (at whatever size) are more like 6-8 weeks. Not seeing the scale budge in two weeks isn't anything to worry about. Your weight loss is not, and will never be, linear. It's not something you can predict/expect which I know is frustrating.
I know why you might be panicking, I have a lot of weight to lose and get so frustrated when I don't lose anything for a couple of weeks at a time because I figure the fat is all there for the taking! But it doesn't always work out the way you'd like. As long as you're steadily losing weight then that's what is important. This isn't supposed to be some quick-fix or instantaneous.
Assuming you started logging your losses when you joined in February 2014, you've already lost 28lb in 11 or so weeks. That's an average of about 2.5lb's a week. Considering most medical professionals recommend a loss of no more than 2lb a week, you're right on track.0 -
I'm confused why MFP is giving you a budget of 1200 calories. I'm at 210 lbs and a light exerciser and they give me 1680. It sounds to me like you eat super healthy but maybe too few calories?
I'm 218-222 lbs and 5 feet 1 inch. I think it calculates several things in coming up with that number.
It does...weight loss goal, activity level etc but very very rarely when the data is inputted correctly does it give 1200...
That being said it is the minimum and you need...yes NEED to eat your exercise calories back or you are not getting the nutrienents your body needs nor are you fueling your next exercise day.
As well 2 weeks is not a plateau as mentioned previously 6-8 weeks is...
Just relax...be patient ensure you are logging accurately by weighing your food, measuring liquids...
As well you can't really post on a public forum that only those who have had a certian BMI or over can post on your inquiry..doesn't work that way.
ETA: you wont be building muscle at all let alone in May as you are eating to deep of a deficet a woman and not lifting heavy weights...0 -
Plateau - the invented word which people trying to lose weight use when they are actually just eating at a level to maintain their current weight and not at a deficit. There is no wall or plateau physically stopping you from losing weight, only the food levels you are consuming and or the exercise that you arent doing to compensate.0
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Feed those muscles, Acquire more lean mass, which in turn can slightly increases BMR . Rinse and repeat. But he's right adjusting the amount of maintenance calories you need after dropping weight is the thing to do , then subtracting your deficit from the new number.0
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My thoughts on Plateauing .. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1260708-folks-on-a-plateau0
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Plateau - the invented word which people trying to lose weight use when they are actually just eating at a level to maintain their current weight and not at a deficit. There is no wall or plateau physically stopping you from losing weight, only the food levels you are consuming and or the exercise that you arent doing to compensate.
No actually. Believe what you like if you don't get them you are just lucky. Explain to me how increasing my calories results in weight loss if i was really just deluding myself and eating at maintenance hmm? It's usually due to water retention. And while i do get plateau's once i overcome them I tend to lose about 3lb overnight. That loss could not come from fat. People who are in the midst of a real plateau are STILL LOSING FAT. It's just that their body is holding onto other weight and it hasn't shown up on the scales yet. Hell my record is losing 6lb in a single night. I don't think it's actually physically possible to lose that much fat weight overnight.
Not saying that SOME people aren't eating at maintenance and deluding themselves. But it really isn't a made up word. I have unquestionably experienced them myself and have twice broken through them.0 -
Maybe I should call it a eentsy weentsy teeny tiny yo yo. I get a one or two pound up and down fluctuation for several weeks. I may land on a lower number for a couple weeks and hover there then bounce back up to the midline. Or shoot up to the high end again. Consuming more doesn't equate to weight loss for me. It ONLY equals weight gain. I asked for suggestions from seriously obese people because we hit plateaus that are incredibly defeating. They are even more defeating when we work so bloody hard and still can't bend down to tie our gym shoes. Having a BMI that puts you in danger of diabetes and heart attacks has specific needs compared to fit people who have only been marginally overweight. So yes, when asking for help and suggestions, I would like to hear from people who have truly experienced what I am going through because the things that helped them are much more likely to help me and that is why I joined this site.0
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Hi :flowerforyou: I hear you, and I think I qualify :laugh: Over my journey (check my profile) I've definitely experienced what you are talking about. Several weeks of doing everything you can and knowing you were "dead on" with everything yet no results. Or worse, the up down of the same darn pound each week. I hate to tell you, but this will probably happen to you several times on your journey. Or at least it did to me. I'm still fighting that even more as I get closer back to goal.
But back to your situation, I just had to have faith that it would work out. Gut it out. If you know you are doing what you need to do and you are positive you are not logging incorrectly or sneaking in calories that you are not entering. Then just stick with it. It will come off. I have had some times where it just took a few weeks and then I'd be back on a losing trend. I've also had a few times where I stalled for a month and a half. (I about pulled my hair out on that one) And yes, this is when the doubts start creeping in. But you just have to check and double check everything you are doing, and if you know that is all good, just stick with it. It will happen. As long as you are truly in a deficit, you will lose the weight. Trust the process.
Any tips I have would be the same ones you already probably know:
Water is your friend, drink it
Digital food scales are amazing (I resisted this until a few weeks ago, but the closer to goal you have to be spot on to lose)
I follow the MFP method, so I eat back at least half my exercise calories / if not all
I never did the 1200 calorie thing, even using a different app when I originally started my journey I was following the calories for my size/ weight/ activity etc. Same formula as MFP and added exercise manually for extra calories. I cannot do the eat more thing either, just follow what MFP tells me and it's worked.
Sodium is the devil to weighins, I struggle with water weight a lot so I really try and watch that but fail alot mmmm...salty
My period will always screw up my weighins, so I just accept it's going to suck that week
And I do not lose every week, I'll lose 1.7, then next week be up .4, then next down 1.8. It all works out.
Track your weight loss on a chart so you can see the downward trendline, I like Excel but their are apps. When I have an "up" weekly weighin, I just look at my chart that looks crazy with points up and down like a seesaw, but that trendline just shows it going down down down.
Search myfitnesspal if you want to see some examples, there are some great posts.
Good luck!0 -
Not meant as an attack - just an honest question:
Of your entire post where you list off the various foods you are/aren't eating, no where do I really see quantities listed. Do you weigh and measure each portion? How are you determining you are staying at 1,200 calories? Because you can eat nothing but greek yogurt and hemp seeds til the cows come home, but if you're eating more than you think you are, it could mean you're taking in more calories than you think you are.
Other than that - basically what everyone else said. 2 weeks of no weight loss isn't anything to worry about, even though it can be frustrating.0 -
Yes, I am measuring portions. I generally round up too. So if a serving is a cup and I only eat 2/3 of it, I still log a cup.0
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Yes, I am measuring portions. I generally round up too. So if a serving is a cup and I only eat 2/3 of it, I still log a cup.
I recommend switching to a food scale. A lot of the items you listed off (like kale chips) will not be accurate in a measuring cup. Food scales are cheap ($12-25 on amazon). I bet you anything that if you weigh your food and measure your liquids for 30 days, you will lose weight if your total calories are at a deficit (1200 cals is totally a deficit).0 -
Measuring with cups, spoons and scale 0
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thesimsisters
Great post
Thank You, I had been feeling a bit frustrated after stalling for three weeks.
Your post was just the boost I needed.:flowerforyou:0 -
Honestly I actually quite like plateau's now cos when I bust through them I lose a lot of weight rapidly and feel great about it.0
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Well, I don't think I have any particularly unique advice, but what eventually got me over my last plateau (I was having problems getting below 183--I was stuck there for about a month) was taking a short break. I didn't even mean for it to happen!
I had been eating really well for about three months without any breaks and I decided to not log anything when I spent three days at a relative's lake house for a 4th of July barbeque. I didn't gorge or anything--I just didn't worry about it. I was terrified to weigh myself when I got back, but I was totally elated when I stepped on the scale and saw that I'd lost 5 pounds! It stayed off, too, and I was able to consistently lose more weight after that.
Too bad I gained it all back last year after surgery... :brokenheart:
Anyway, that's just my daily anecdote. :laugh: Take from it what you will.
PS Your diet is immaculate!
I wish I had that much fortitude. Haha. 0 -
Obese person signing in after finally having a loss after 2 weeks of being up on the scale. To me it wasn't a plateau but stall due to TOM and too much salty Easter ham. Sodium is such a sneaky *****. Don't keep track of it and, bam, up on the scale.
But I have had a couple of stalls in the past and the only thing that has worked for me is to stay on plan with my eating and exercise and eventually the scale reads lower. Sometimes it just takes some time to catch up. For example, in the last 2 days I am down almost 5 lbs from my weight 2 weeks ago. I know I didn't lose that much fat that quickly but I know some of it must be since I am now at my lowest weight to date.
I didn't get fat overnight so I know that I won't lose overnight. That is my mantra when I see that the scale isn't moving even though I am doing everything "right" in terms of exercise and eating. I also take time to look at my overall weight loss line graph, it is up and down and up and down but always trending downward so I know I am doing OK.0 -
thesimsisters
Great post
Thank You, I had been feeling a bit frustrated after stalling for three weeks.
Your post was just the boost I needed.:flowerforyou:
Glad it gave you some encouragement! I am finally breaking through to the other side of it. It can be so defeating. I have to keep telling myself I can go another day or even stick to it another hour. 0 -
Well, I don't think I have any particularly unique advice, but what eventually got me over my last plateau (I was having problems getting below 183--I was stuck there for about a month) was taking a short break. I didn't even mean for it to happen!
I had been eating really well for about three months without any breaks and I decided to not log anything when I spent three days at a relative's lake house for a 4th of July barbeque. I didn't gorge or anything--I just didn't worry about it. I was terrified to weigh myself when I got back, but I was totally elated when I stepped on the scale and saw that I'd lost 5 pounds! It stayed off, too, and I was able to consistently lose more weight after that.
Too bad I gained it all back last year after surgery... :brokenheart:
Anyway, that's just my daily anecdote. :laugh: Take from it what you will.
PS Your diet is immaculate! I wish I had that much fortitude. Haha.
Thanks! Surgery is what got me in this mess in the first place. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. You can and will get back where you want to be 0 -
Obese person signing in after finally having a loss after 2 weeks of being up on the scale. To me it wasn't a plateau but stall due to TOM and too much salty Easter ham. Sodium is such a sneaky *****. Don't keep track of it and, bam, up on the scale.
But I have had a couple of stalls in the past and the only thing that has worked for me is to stay on plan with my eating and exercise and eventually the scale reads lower. Sometimes it just takes some time to catch up. For example, in the last 2 days I am down almost 5 lbs from my weight 2 weeks ago. I know I didn't lose that much fat that quickly but I know some of it must be since I am now at my lowest weight to date.
I didn't get fat overnight so I know that I won't lose overnight. That is my mantra when I see that the scale isn't moving even though I am doing everything "right" in terms of exercise and eating. I also take time to look at my overall weight loss line graph, it is up and down and up and down but always trending downward so I know I am doing OK.
Thanks for that insight. I don't track sodium much because I tend to avoid salty foods... except FRENCH FRIES!!! Actually I have been avoiding them like the plague because I can't just eat a few! LOL! I have to eat three or four potatoes worth! Little buggers I am starting to see some movement finally. My hubby thinks some of the problem may be that I am eating so darn healthy my body is taking it all in and savoring it! LOL! In other words he is implying that I am probably full of *kitten*. LOL! In any case, the scale is moving slowly but surely and I am wearing my smaller sized jeans (fresh out of the dryer!) without having to lay down to zip them! HAHA! 0
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