Plateau and calorie question

Hi there!
A good start would be to make your diary public.

I upped from 1200 to 1390 (for a .5/lb a week loss setting)

I have plateaued twice in my weight loss journey, and this pass time I zig-zagged my calories (have 1200 one day, 1400 the next, 1300 the next, etc). Do something different every day? Also, try changing up your workout routine. Every time I plateaued, I changed my workout routine, and it made a big difference for me. The best thing is don't give up!!! The process is slow and can get frustrating.

Are you on FB? If so, fan Jillian Michaels. She gives out tips on her status, also on Twitter, if you go that route...

She posted this, just the other day:

Smart Tip: Often we struggle w/losing the last 5-15lbs because our calorie deficit is too HIGH. We misconstrue this as a "plateau", but in actuality our body is at a healthy weight, it's the aesthetic that we're unhappy with not our health. So if your cal deficit is over 1000 a day your body will signal a metabolic slow down as a survival response. No more than 1000 cal deficit a day is key for shred mode.

I know she says "the last 5-15 lbs", but the logic is there for any/all plateaus, I think. I am by no means an expert, but thought you might like to see this!

I have been at a plateau now for over 2 months and I keep hearing everyone saying to up the calorie intake. I guess it just seemed too backwards to me before but I am willing to do whatever it takes. So what I want to know from all of you who have upped your calories is, what do you set them at? How do I know how many calories I should up my daily amount to?

Depending on what your weight loss goal is you might just be able to knock it down a bit (i.e. 1lb to .5lb). This will increase your daily calories. .5lb loss per week is better than no loss per week. This is also known to break a plateau.

And yes, who would've thought increasing your calories could jumpstart weight loss. But it can.

A lot of people have had success with zig zagging their calories (go up for a couple of days then down for a couple of days.)

Also incorporate some weight/resistance training if you haven't. This will help to preserve your muscle mass - this is what makes your metabolism. (Calorie restriction and intense cardio exercise will cause quite a bit of muscle loss along with fat loss). You want to lose the body fat and try to hang onto the muscle mass.

I think Trainer Robin might explain it a bit in this link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TrainerRobin/view/myth-or-fact-calories-in-versus-calories-out-3500-calories-one-pound-and-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories-62012

It sounds backwards but it does work.
Now that being said its the thing I struggle with the most.
When I concentrate on spacing my meals out (~6) and with relatively equal proportions I find myself always hungry (increased metabolism) but the weight starts to trend down.
My problem is that I don't keep it up and then revert back to eating one large meal a day and nothing else.
What I have found helps is to use protein shakes as meal substitutes and I force myself to drink them even if I'm not hungry according to a predetermined schedule.
This is exactly what I'm about to do..............starting tomorrow :ohwell: