The Horrible Plateau

kmojica
kmojica Posts: 1 Member
edited September 23 in Motivation and Support
My name is Katherine, and I'm new to myfitnesspal. I started losing weight last year at the end of the May, and since then I've lost roughly 65 lbs. Since late October, I've been finding it harder to lose the weight, and have a hit a plateau. Usually, playing between 270-275, never more or less. At first, I thought it was all the festivities, I turned 21, all my friends were having birthdays, the holidays. But now, it's well into January and I'm hardly losing. Slowly, I'm getting out the 270's, but it's still hard. I've been losing inches off my body since October, but have become obsessed with the scale as my only measurement. I want to give up everyday, because it feels as if my body has given up on me. Suggestions anyone? I work out at least 5-6x a week. I've recently started changing my meal plan, really drinking a lot of water, I cut out alcohol, as much as I hate to say it paying attention to calories, etc. I just want to speed this process up!

Replies

  • BlueEyedMomma88
    BlueEyedMomma88 Posts: 558 Member
    My opinion is if u r losing inches just don't pay attention to the scale.. Dont give up!!
  • DancezChick
    DancezChick Posts: 30
    Try mixing up your workouts. When you do the same workout for a while your body gets customer it and shuts down. Water is also key word here, and no soda, that is a must. Also do not think about taking weight loss supplements they will only make you gain all the weight back.

    Good luck!
  • KikiinVA
    KikiinVA Posts: 10 Member
    LOSING INCHES ----WAHOOO!!! Don't worry about the scale. Losing inches means you are gaining muscle. Muscle at rest burns something like 9 calories per pound, fat only burns 2 calories. Keep track every week of the inches - not necessarily the pounds (muscle weighs more). Keep it up and maybe change it up, food wise and workout wise. The body gets used to the same old thing and expects it so we need to shake it up every once in a while. KEEP GOING!
  • Leannek74
    Leannek74 Posts: 374 Member
    Maybe you're gaining muscle, that would explain the inches lost.... muscle weighs more than fat, looks a lot better and helps burn other excess fat. :smile:
  • BigBootyMimi
    BigBootyMimi Posts: 84 Member
    My opinion is if u r losing inches just don't pay attention to the scale.. Dont give up!!

    I agree 100%...remember as you lose inches, you are gaining lean muscle which weighs more than that flabby fat we've all been carrying around. Although I am guilty of obsessing over the number on the scale, I know I am losing fat when my clothes are getting less and less tight. Keep it up!
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    Plateaus are the signal that your body gives to let you know that it's time for a switch in your routine. It's also a very natural part of weight loss. I posted a semi-novelish long answer to a similar thread, so this one will be much more concise.

    First of all, it's unanimously agreed that as long as you're losing inches, the scale doesn't matter. The feeling of being able to function better, breathe easier, fit into smaller clothes, increase self-confidence, etc., are all more of the motivating factors for achieving optimum health rather than seeing numbers on a machine, that only measures one part of weight loss. As we all know, muscle weighs more than fat, and the like. The short answer all lies in metabolism. And there are ways to get your metabolism going again which most likely has become accustomed to the routine you've set for yourself to lose weight in the beginning.

    If you've been doing the same workouts on the same days 5-6x a week, then you could switch up your rest days and trade them for days you normally work out. You could also switch up the routines you do on different days, i.e. if you're doing strict cardio, try adding in some resistance band strength training; if you've already incorporated resistance/strength training for muscles, alternate which muscle groups you do on specific days; introduce your cardio sessions with some HIIT [High Intensity Interval Training]. Those are some ways to confuse your metabolism into thinking that there's something new happening and it needs to become active again to be prepared for the unknown. You can even combine any of those suggestions into something specific for you. As long as it works.

    As far as diet is concerned, there are basically two ways to go about it. If you've already established a deficit in calories, your metabolism may be adjusting that set calorie goal to maintain your new weight. By creating another 100 - 200 calorie deficit [as long as it's healthy], it may let your metabolism know that it doesn't need as much, and will therefore burn whatever it thinks is "extra." The inverse is just as true. By increasing your calorie intake by about 100 - 200 a day, your metabolism will start to feel like it needs to burn more because of the sudden increased surplus. Again, the theory can be combined where you eat more on certain days and less on certain days, which will still result in confusing your metabolism.

    Just short of another journalistic source of information, the bottom line is that in order for weight loss to occur, your metabolism needs to be stimulated. No matter how you do it, as long as it's in a healthy and manageable way, it can help get anyone over a plateau.
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
    This is so helpful...I stopped losing about 2 months ago, but noticed my clothes continued to fit better (even had to go down a size!). I've been pretty much doing the same thing for a long time, eating and exercise, because I like a routine (easier for me to stick to). But now I know I need to throw in some intensity to my workouts to get the muscles charged up.
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