PLATEAU...I'm so frustrated

It's not really a plateau unless it sticks for months, but I get your frustration. Try not to worry too much, though, it's just a fluxuation. Make sure your food weighing is tight and your exersize numbers not inflated if you eat them back. You'll start dropping again. Good luck!

Faithful_Chosen wrote: »

It's not really a plateau unless it sticks for months, but I get your frustration. Try not to worry too much, though, it's just a fluxuation. Make sure your food weighing is tight and your exersize numbers not inflated if you eat them back. You'll start dropping again. Good luck!

This. Keep weighing and logging all of your food and drinks that you consume, make sure that if you are using MFP calorie burn estimates for exercise that you are not eating all the calories back as they tend to be grossly exaggerated (aim to eat 1/3 to 1/2 of those calories back), and stay patient even though it is hard to do and super frustrating at times!

Also, measure inches, the way your clothes fit, better fitness levels as a way to see improvements in your health and body shape when the scale doesn't seem to be cooperating. I have found that for me the non-scale victories like dropping a clothing size or finishing a 5k without walking is more motivating than what the scale says.

Good luck!

Hang in there The closer I got to my goal weight, I struggled to lose a half pound every two or three weeks. Incredibly frustrating for sure

Oh you're fine. If you're truly still in a deficit, you'll lose. It might come off all at once.

Two weeks isn't a plateau.

Weight loss isn't linear. There will be some weeks with no loss shown even in a deficit. Somethings that can affect weight loss are meals high in sodium, your TOM, or starting new exercise. Just keep at it.

If you don't have a food scale to weigh your food, I'd suggest investing in one.

I just came off of a two week stretch like that, only I was struggling with about the same 2 pounds. Then this weekend they dropped off along with 4 of their buddies. Just be patient.

If a fast day works for you then by all means go ahead. Personally I couldn't do it. I like my food.

Yikes.

Believe it, or not, a two week "plateau" gaining or losing the same 2lbs isn't, even with guys who do not have to deal with TOM issues.

This is going to happen again if you continue with your weight loss.

And you did NOT deal with the issue particularly well, at least in my random internet opinion.

So, do yourself a favour before embarking on fast days as a solution to every two or three week "plateau".

Sign up for www.weightgrapher.com, or another weight trend line generating application.

When these applications tell you that you are no longer in a deficit (not when they say you're not achieving your planned deficit, but when they say you are no longer losing, at all) THAT's when you're in a plateau!

JudithNYC wrote: »

What's with the "mandatory" weighing? So long as you are not fooling yourself and saying that a cup of ice cream or whatever includes an inch high mound I think it's fine to use cups and spoons. I also go by serving size as posted in food packages. In fact, I never measure anything, I just eyeball it. But then I have been cooking for 50 plus years and am very good at it, not recommended for everyone.

From the comments all over MFP I know that I am in a minority on this weighing/measuring cup issue but I think the only benefit of weighing vs cups is that weighing has a smaller margin of error. But who knows. I dont think most of us are using highly calibrated scientific scales. Who's to say that the scale is telling me 30 grams when it's really 33?

PS I am 65, losing an average of 1-2 lbs a week, no exercise except daily activities of living. 1200 to 1400 cal a day.

Well... because MOST people have no idea exactly what 1 ounce or 28 grams feels like in the hand. As it happens I do. Most people who have cooked extensively are very good at estimating measurements by eye and feel. However in today's' world people like us are the minority. These days people really are out of touch with basic cooking skills, nevermind dealing with lots of measurements. People don't learn to cook from their family so much anymore and most people live mainly on carry out, dining out and prepackaged meals.

Having spent about 20 years in the food industry. I also thought I had a good handle on estimating portions. I also recall that as a professional cook I did weigh out every single portion of everything. It was just something you did as a part of the job. Food cost is serious business. Even when I knew that I was accurate by feel 99% of the time. It only makes sense. It's not hard to do. It does not take much time to do it. And it saves money and calories. A few here or there can add p to a lot over time. And when I stopped and thought about those things and started doing it at home I realised that there are a lot of things I was way off on. Treating my personal meals with the care I had treated my professional cooking has paid off.

I am glad it works for you to just eyeball it but it really is not good to criticize people who do need to use a scale. A lot of these people already have low self esteem along with their weight issues and your comments could hold someone back from doing a simple thing that might just really mean the difference between their success or failure.

Chiema wrote: »

I have been trying to lose the same half pound for two weeks now! It is very stressful to work so hard and have zero results. Anyone have suggestions on how to get over this stupid plateau!?!?

This is me! I was bouncing around gaining and losing the same three pounds for two weeks and starting to get frustrated even though it was obviously water weight fluctuations. I only have 10 pounds to lose, so every tiny bit of loss is important to me. I just kept weighing, logging, exercising and staying within my calories. Two days ago I woke up and the scale was down 1.5 pounds. Today it's up .5 again, but that still means I've lost a pound. So hang in there, the scale WILL eventually start moving down again if you keep eating less than you burn.