Plateau! Help!

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greena
greena Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hello, so how do you stay motivated through a plateau?? I've lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, at 1,200 calories a day, exercising in the mornings (running, circuit class, lifting) and going on walks in the evening. I just weighed myself and had only lost half a pound in the last 5 days. I'm really bummed. If you've had a plateau doing everything right, please help me stay motivated!! Thanks! I have about 20-25 pounds to go. Want to be in it for the long haul through the ups and downs, but it doesn't seem fair when I was consistent all weekend.

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    One way to stay motivated is not to think of whatever loss, or lack thereof, is "fair" or "unfair." It just is.

    If you're eating at a deficit, the loss will come. It can't not. If you want to be in it for the long haul, be in it for the long haul. The last weekend isn't the long haul.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    you lost 6lbs in 2 weeks and you are bummed you only lost 1/2lb this week...6.5 lbs in 3 weeks...2+lbs a week...

    really?

    *walks away from this one*
  • kikichewie
    kikichewie Posts: 276 Member
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    A plateau is no weight loss at all for six weeks or more.

    You're losing. Chill.
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
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    kikichewie wrote: »
    A plateau is no weight loss at all for six weeks or more.

    You're losing. Chill.

    This.

    And with about 20lbs to lose, you should only be aiming to lose 1lb a week.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    So, let me get this straight: in the past 26 days, you've lost 6.5 pounds. That is really good results. I'm guessing that you are weighing too frequently. Weigh once a week and realize that there are some weeks when you won't see the scale move at all. You have three to six months left in your journey. Five days isn't worth worrying about.
  • taentea
    taentea Posts: 91 Member
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    I've lost nothing for 3 weeks @ 1200. Can't say it's a super pleasant feeling but this is how our bodies work. I've lost 1.5 pounds in a day in the end of that no-loss streak. Just do what you do and don't obsess over the numbers too much. Results will come.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    greena wrote: »
    hello, so how do you stay motivated through a plateau?? I've lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, at 1,200 calories a day, exercising in the mornings (running, circuit class, lifting) and going on walks in the evening. I just weighed myself and had only lost half a pound in the last 5 days. I'm really bummed. If you've had a plateau doing everything right, please help me stay motivated!! Thanks! I have about 20-25 pounds to go. Want to be in it for the long haul through the ups and downs, but it doesn't seem fair when I was consistent all weekend.

    First of all, your first 3-6 weeks goes like this. Typically you lose a bunch of extra water weight. Then your body goes "oops. I dropped too much of the water so I need to take some of it back", and the scale stays the same or even goes up a little. Once your body regulates itself, you start losing at a more steady rate. The whole time you are losing fat.

    Keep doing what you are doing and come back if you haven't lost anything in another 3 weeks. It really is just your body getting used to your new way of eating.

    BTW: a plateau is 4 weeks or more with no change in weight OR measurements

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Seriously "thinking" you're going to hit a plateau and stressing out over it is a waste of energy. A plateau is 8-10 weeks with no loss, so until you get there I would focus on important things, like chocolate cake :wink:
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    you lost 6lbs in 2 weeks and you are bummed you only lost 1/2lb this week...6.5 lbs in 3 weeks...2+lbs a week...

    really?

    *walks away from this one*

    Yup. You either see this as a forever game or go home.

    It's a long haul, OP. You're getting frustrated already? Look at the big picture.

    This sounds like tough talk? Well it is. You need some perspective on this.

    Your goal here is not just to race to some finish line to lose weight and get some job done and then go merrily on your way.

    Think about that.

  • superkitcat
    superkitcat Posts: 24 Member
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    I am also on 1200 calories a day. I figured out for me not to plateau is to change my exercises every three months and I up my caloric intake to 1300. Then after the three months are up, I go back to 1200 and change the exercises again. Do not get discourage. Keep at it.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    To answer your question about actual plateaus or stalls, I have had 3 stalls so far (2 for 3 weeks each and 1 for 4 weeks) and I first checked my weighing, measuring , and logging to make sure I wasn't sneaking in more calories. I knew I was doing everything right, so I just put the scale away and kept on doing what I knew to do. I weighed myself every 10 days or so to see when the stall would break, but otherwise I concentrated on eating well and getting in my exercise. Knowing that stalls happen was a motivator. I actually felt like I was doing things correctly because I was following a common pattern. The great thing was that they often break with a "whoosh" where you have a larger than normal loss, then go back to your pattern. Whooshes are fun.
  • geotrice
    geotrice Posts: 274 Member
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    greena wrote: »
    hello, so how do you stay motivated through a plateau?? I've lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, at 1,200 calories a day, exercising in the mornings (running, circuit class, lifting) and going on walks in the evening. I just weighed myself and had only lost half a pound in the last 5 days. I'm really bummed. If you've had a plateau doing everything right, please help me stay motivated!! Thanks! I have about 20-25 pounds to go. Want to be in it for the long haul through the ups and downs, but it doesn't seem fair when I was consistent all weekend.

    You lost weight = Not a plateau.
    A week is not a plateau. 6 or more weeks is a plateau.
  • greena
    greena Posts: 36 Member
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    Thanks for the tough love! I needed the reminders that it's for the long haul. I realized I had gotten sucked into the obsessive daily scale checking; it's great advice to put the scale away and focus more on how I'm feeling. earinabby and superkitcat, thank you so much for describing your own experiences. it helps to read about how other people power through. I didn't realize just how long people have gone without seeing the scale change -- just a reminder that the scale sucks and that weight loss is hard and takes just as long as it took you to pack it on. I'd love for other people to describe their experiences if anyone else wants to chime in.
  • greena
    greena Posts: 36 Member
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    earinabby, I also loved that you said that the stall was motivating -- that it was just a normal part of eating right. i'm going to keep reminding myself of that and how consistent and tough-minded you have to be and just keep at it.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    OP, you are a breath of fresh air! It's always great to see someone respond to positively to tough love. Keep on keeping on, you've got this.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I just do the math. If I know I've been eating at a deficit (because I know I'm as accurate as possible in my logging), I know I will lose... just got to be patient. I had stalls of 2-3 weeks every single month while I was losing. Then I'd lose 3-5 pounds in a week. Totally normal.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    OP, you are a breath of fresh air! It's always great to see someone respond to positively to tough love. Keep on keeping on, you've got this.

    Right! +1
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited May 2015
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    A plateau for me would be be 4 and probably 6 weeoks of 0 weight loss. Looks like you responded well to people pointing out the real perspective, so more power to you op.

    Its annoying if you have a slow down, but thats when you get tested and I just work harder as well as being patient, it motivates me to hunt the next 1lb down. Scale is ace imo if you know its just data. Do the work you need to and its likley to give you good news.

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