Weight Loss Plateau

pishposh12
pishposh12 Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, so I know that this is something that happens to everyone, but I just reached my first real weight loss plateau. I'd been losing consistently for about 2+ months, and now I've suddenly come to a halt. It's pretty discouraging, though I'm still maintaining my normal weight loss regiment.

Any advice about how to overcome the dreaded plateau or any stories about you beat it?

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    recalculate your TDEE
    ensure your tracking properly; http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=logging+accurately
    if these are both done then lower calories SLIGHTLY

    ive plateaued for a good 2 months, but its because of sloppy weekends. 2 weeks of tightening up my schedule and im back to 1lb/week
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    How long have you been "plateaued"?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    How long has this lack of weight loss been going on? 1 week? Esp since you have been a member since May it can't be longer than 6 weeks which is a true plateau.

    What you are experiencing is normal...weight loss is not linear...you won't lose weight every week...you can go 3-4 weeks without weight loss and it still not be a plateau....

    Just be patient and make sure your logging is good and if at the 4-6 week mark you still haven't lost look at your logging again.

    Plateau = maintenance calories.
  • pishposh12
    pishposh12 Posts: 28 Member
    While I've only been a member since May, I've been working on my weight loss plan since January. The halt has been for about 2 weeks of staying at roughly the same weight every day. :(

    Is there any other tip than slightly reducing calorie intake? Does changing exercise planning work at all?
  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member
    2 weeks doesnt qualify as a plateau
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    While I've only been a member since May, I've been working on my weight loss plan since January. The halt has been for about 2 weeks of staying at roughly the same weight every day. :(

    Is there any other tip than slightly reducing calorie intake? Does changing exercise planning work at all?

    nope...I've gone 4 week and the scale hasn't moved and I changed nothing...then bam...4lbs in 1 week.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    it's normal and there is nothing you need to change other than being more patient.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Things can have a temporary impact on the scale readout. Sodium, stress, sleep, hormones/menstrual cycle. Keep doing as you're doing * and give it 4-6 weeks more.

    *if you've lost weight and have not yet re-evaluated your plan, you may want to do that. But since you joined in May you probably don't need to adjust your goals just yet. Such as once I hit 40 pounds lost, and only ~10 to go, I'm going to readjust from a 500/day deficit to 250/day deficit.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    2 weeks doesnt qualify as a plateau

    ^This. Hang in there, drink tons of water, weigh and log accurately and pick up a book or go for a walk whenever you feel you're obsessing about it.

    When I had a stall, I pulled together a chart in excel showing my weight and also things like when I changed exercise routine, or TOM or when I had a business trip. I don't worry any more about pauses in weight loss, my chart explains pretty much everything (including that I ONLY lose lbs on the scale equidistant between TOMs). But then I'm a data geek...
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    I've been stuck at the same weight since January, but in that time, I went down from a 16, to a 14, to a 12.

    Sometimes the scale is just a lying sack of *kitten*.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I've been stuck at the same weight since January, but in that time, I went down from a 16, to a 14, to a 12.

    Sometimes the scale is just a lying sack of *kitten*.

    Precisely.

    And very succinctly described.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    Also: Do hang in there.

    We don't need to talk about how many times I completely lost my *kitten* when the scale wasn't showing progress after long periods of time.

    I was exercising, I was hungry, I was hangry, I was doing it all right, but there was no budging from the scale.

    Oh, it fluctuated up and down, but nothing notable as far as any permanent change could go.

    I truly feel like my body is pulling a re-comp.

    I've lost a lot of weight, and I'm staying very active.

    I can see muscles where I couldn't before which means one of three things:

    1) I'm gaining muscle

    2) I'm losing fat

    3) I'm gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time.

    I'll leave that for others to argue about, but the point is, my shape looks different, I'm getting constant comments about new definition, in my back, my arms, I'm shrinking to where I can't wear my clothes again.

    But the point is don't give up.

    As conceited as this sounds, every time I look in the mirror I'm shocked to see the person staring back at me, I swear she looks better everyday.

    And it does stand to reason that at some point, the stupid scale will eventually budge.

    :flowerforyou:
  • pishposh12
    pishposh12 Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you for all the posts of inspiration. It just feels a bit... unsatisfying, maybe? that after weeks and weeks of consistent weight loss, all of a sudden it seems to have stopped.

    I'll keep doing what I'm doing and try my best to be patient. :)
  • Coolhandkid
    Coolhandkid Posts: 84 Member
    I plateaued after about 4 mos. Pounds were flying off and then they weren't. At all. But when I got through it they fell off quite a bit suddenly again. Its just not steady. It happened to be at a weight I was at for quite afew years. Make sure your calories have been readjusted lately as the site doesn't tend to do this automatically and approach it like a challenge.
  • loriyeater
    loriyeater Posts: 8 Member
    LOL. Yes it is. (The scale is a lying sack of poo). Pishposh, I am plateauing too. But I'm cheating a little. I'm going to adjust and wait it out. Hang in there, girl!
  • timrpm
    timrpm Posts: 57 Member
    There are only three topics like this posted every hour on this forum. Try searching around.

    Tldr: weigh, measure food more precisely & honestly, assess exercise burn more conservatively.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Have you been taking measurements? A true plateau is more than 2 weeks with no change in weight OR measurements. Also, it takes some people 6-8 weeks for their body to regulate its water retention levels so what you are seeing is the balance to excessive water loss when you first started.

    It could be many things. If you are absolutely sure that you are eating at a deficit, just wait it out. I recently went through one and then the scale dropped over 5 lb in 8 days! The "whoosh" is wonderful when it happens and gave me renewed motivation to keep going.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    There are only three topics like this posted every hour on this forum. Try searching around.

    Tldr: weigh, measure food more precisely & honestly, assess exercise burn more conservatively.

    That was helpful :huh:
  • pishposh12
    pishposh12 Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you! I'll keep that in mind. It's just tough when all of a sudden it stops.

    And yes, that is not ever a really helpful post...
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    While I've only been a member since May, I've been working on my weight loss plan since January. The halt has been for about 2 weeks of staying at roughly the same weight every day. :(

    Is there any other tip than slightly reducing calorie intake? Does changing exercise planning work at all?
    Adding some new exercise may help. I was stuck for about a month and added a Zumba class to what I was already doing. Weight started coming off again! Could have been coincidence but the additional calories burned did increase my deficit.
  • zenhiker2014
    zenhiker2014 Posts: 84 Member
    I've been stuck for 2 weeks after 20 weeks of consistently losing a pound a week, so I understand how frustrating it is! I read all the advice here and keep telling myself to just stay the course and be patient.

    In addition to "sometimes the scale doesn't budge", I know there are several small things going on that probably explain my lack of pounds lost:
    - A couple of potluck parties. I chose things like fresh fruit and grilled chicken, in small portions, but still - I had to guess how much I was eating vs. actually weighing like I do at home.
    - Had to switch up parts of my workout routine due to tendonitis. My estimated calorie burn is the same but it's from slightly different activities than before.
    - I only have 2 lbs to go, and that's only because I dropped my original goal to lose a few vanity pounds
    - And this may be TMI, but a mild case of constipation this week

    I've dealt with all of these things individually and kept losing weight, but taken all at once, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the scale is stuck. Hoping for a whoosh any day now since by my (proven reliable over 20 weeks) math I'm consistently hitting my deficit each day.

    Edited to add: I also changed from 1 lb/wk to 0.5 lb/wk. So lots of change in a short timespan.
  • zenhiker2014
    zenhiker2014 Posts: 84 Member
    OP, hang in there. The scale dropped 2 lbs for me today after a 2 week stall, so I bet it will do the same for you if you can keep meeting your daily goals.
  • pishposh12
    pishposh12 Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you for your responses, everyone!

    Sorry for the delay in mine -- I was out of town.

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