I just broke out of a 5 week plateau! Here's how!
mauryr
Posts: 385
Hi all.
I'm posting this on the "Motivation" board, because I was starting to lose my motivation when I hit this hard plateau, less than 10 lbs from my goal weight. I hope that this might help some others who become discouraged when they hit a plateau.
Since I started my weight loss regimen in November 2010 it had been smooth sailing for me - losing about 13 lbs/month at the beginning, then as I got closer to my goal, the weight got harder to lose, but still between 8 and 10 lbs per month, pretty consistently... then, as I approached that last 10 lbs, thud... the scale stopped moving.
I wasn't doing anything differently - still consuming about 1200 cals/day, exercising at about 600-700 cals/day, 4 to 6 times/week... but nothing was moving the scale. As a matter of fact, about 3 weeks ago I GAINED about 5 lbs, suddenly. (turned out to be water weight, from a particularly salty meal... )
I tried amping up the exercise - nothing. I tried lowering the cals too - still, nothing.
Then, I started reading posts here about various issues such as "eating back exercise cals". The evidence is pretty convincing, even though it sounds counter-intuitive. I decided to give it a try... I have been so strict with myself about calorie restriction that I felt kinda "afraid" to consume all those extra calories... I had to repeatedly tell myself that it was OK...
Well, after about a week... nothing. I was actually relieved that "nothing" happened, instead of gaining weight.
I had been using the elliptical machine exclusively (aside from playing racquetball several times a week). This had been reliably helping me lose the weight - at least I was pretty sure that it was. But again, I read here that mixing up your exercise routine might give your metabolism the jolt it needed to break out of a plateau... so I tried the treadmill (much harder than I thought) and the rowing machine. I also lowered my calorie burn from 600-700 per session to 250 on each machine - treadmill and rowing, for a total of 500.
At about the same time, I started to up my water intake. I was really bad about this previously. I likely consumed only about 16 oz per day before this increase. I upped it to between 64 and 96 oz per day. I found that I like crystal light "on the go" packets. It makes the water go down much easier, and it's very inexpensive. (I found that I prefer half the suggested dose - in other words, one packet for 32 oz)
Well, I don't know for sure if it was the additional calories, the mixing up of the exercises or the added water, but my hunch is that it was the water increase that finally broke me out of the plateau. I've been drinking the increased amount for about 10 days or so. I've lost 4 lbs in just the last few days, and now I'm 1.5 lbs away from my goal.
Perhaps in reality, the cause is the additional exercise I now get from running to the bathroom about a million times a day.
I'm posting this on the "Motivation" board, because I was starting to lose my motivation when I hit this hard plateau, less than 10 lbs from my goal weight. I hope that this might help some others who become discouraged when they hit a plateau.
Since I started my weight loss regimen in November 2010 it had been smooth sailing for me - losing about 13 lbs/month at the beginning, then as I got closer to my goal, the weight got harder to lose, but still between 8 and 10 lbs per month, pretty consistently... then, as I approached that last 10 lbs, thud... the scale stopped moving.
I wasn't doing anything differently - still consuming about 1200 cals/day, exercising at about 600-700 cals/day, 4 to 6 times/week... but nothing was moving the scale. As a matter of fact, about 3 weeks ago I GAINED about 5 lbs, suddenly. (turned out to be water weight, from a particularly salty meal... )
I tried amping up the exercise - nothing. I tried lowering the cals too - still, nothing.
Then, I started reading posts here about various issues such as "eating back exercise cals". The evidence is pretty convincing, even though it sounds counter-intuitive. I decided to give it a try... I have been so strict with myself about calorie restriction that I felt kinda "afraid" to consume all those extra calories... I had to repeatedly tell myself that it was OK...
Well, after about a week... nothing. I was actually relieved that "nothing" happened, instead of gaining weight.
I had been using the elliptical machine exclusively (aside from playing racquetball several times a week). This had been reliably helping me lose the weight - at least I was pretty sure that it was. But again, I read here that mixing up your exercise routine might give your metabolism the jolt it needed to break out of a plateau... so I tried the treadmill (much harder than I thought) and the rowing machine. I also lowered my calorie burn from 600-700 per session to 250 on each machine - treadmill and rowing, for a total of 500.
At about the same time, I started to up my water intake. I was really bad about this previously. I likely consumed only about 16 oz per day before this increase. I upped it to between 64 and 96 oz per day. I found that I like crystal light "on the go" packets. It makes the water go down much easier, and it's very inexpensive. (I found that I prefer half the suggested dose - in other words, one packet for 32 oz)
Well, I don't know for sure if it was the additional calories, the mixing up of the exercises or the added water, but my hunch is that it was the water increase that finally broke me out of the plateau. I've been drinking the increased amount for about 10 days or so. I've lost 4 lbs in just the last few days, and now I'm 1.5 lbs away from my goal.
Perhaps in reality, the cause is the additional exercise I now get from running to the bathroom about a million times a day.
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Replies
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Thank you for posting that! I need to give this a try. I haven't been able to lose any more weight for the past 2-3 months.0
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great job! i'm in a crappy plateau right now too, hoping in time it'll fix itself )0
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Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!! I'm nowhere near my goal weight, but it's nice to get some tips on breaking thru a plateau. Congrats on your weight loss!!! :flowerforyou:0
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Thanks for sharing & well done.0
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thanks so much for posting this.. I was about 7 lbs from my goal and hit a plateau in January.. I have recently lost 2-3 lbs since then but that is only in the last 2 weeks. Like you, I made some subtle changes and I think it is starting to move again.. It's nice to see that we all go through this and something like this helps.
good luck with the rest of your journey!0 -
Water is HUGE...But I have also found that when I hit a plateau that I will "splurge" and give in to eating something that I wouldn't normally...That way I am feeling less deprived by treating myself without going overboard and that does usually seem to jumpstart the loss again. My nutritionist called it "tricking your body"
Your body gets used to the normal "habits" of the amount and kind of food that is being put in and then adjusts...So sometimes I think that it is perfectly ok to treat yourself without going crazy and I have found that it usually helps me by making my body think that it needs to work harder to burn off this strange new food.0 -
Good for you!!!!!
I have been at a stand still for weeks now myself and even gained one pound this week. I am at a loss. I wish I could take some of your advice and run with it, but I am doing all of these things.
You have lost an amazing amount of weight! You should be so incredibly proud!0 -
Excellent!! Thanks for posting!!0
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Thanks for sharing! Hope that last 1.5 pounds just melts away soon!0
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"Perhaps in reality, the cause is the additional exercise I now get from running to the bathroom about a million times a day."
-Lol, love it. Glad you have busted out of that plateau!0 -
bump thanx il re-read wen i hit a plateau0
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thanks for sharing. Hitting a plateau can be so frustrating. Glad to hear you broke through it0
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Awesome. SO glad you posted this because I have been in a plateau for a few weeks too and drinking a lot more water is what is helping me! I cut out soda completely too and lost a half a pound in a few days! So its definitely working!
Its nice to be reassured.:)0 -
Thank you for sharing. I have hit a plateau for the last 3 week and I am still 30Lbs from my goal. I have also changed my exercise this week and increased my water. I hope I have the same success that you did.0
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bump0
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Thanks for the post! It is so easy to get discouraged when you don't see that damn scale move!! Glad you stuck with it and shared your inspiring story!!0
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thanks! i think im @ a plateau as well...this really helped0
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Thank you so much for sharing. I am at that last 10 pounds as well and find it so difficult. I keep thinking, maybe I should decrease my calories but I don't want to. I already feel "deprived" as it is. So would you eat all your calories you "earned" from exercise?0
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Thanks for posting...i have been in the same state for 4 months
no weight loss....I will try your technique :happy:0 -
Way to go. Congrats on being so close to your goal.0
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