Made it past the plateau!
crb426
Posts: 666 Member
I was stuck at a 25 pound weight loss for almost a month! One of my coworkers suggested going back to a higher calorie intake for a few days and it would help "restart" the weight loss. I never ate above maintaining, but didn't worry so much about reaching that 1200 calorie mark. After a few days I went back to the diet and the pounds have been peeling off! I am down 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Glad I didn't give up.
What methods have you used to get past the plateau?
What methods have you used to get past the plateau?
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Replies
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A month isn't a plateau.0
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I stall every couple of months and then I get a loss. I reevaluate my CICO and tighten up my counts when I've been lazy. I have projections that help keep me on track. Mostly i just keep doing what I'm doing and have patience...0
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I've used the same strategy- eat at maintenance for a week or so. I am now trying to closely watch macros as I'm down to less than 10 pounds left to lose and it's getting pretty tight and difficult. Congrats on your loss and good luck with the rest!0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.0 -
When you hit a time where you aren't losing, lowering your calories or upping your activity is what you should do. Upping calories does not accelerate weight loss. With that said, there's nothing wrong with taking a break and eating at maintenance level. If anything, it gives your brain a break. I seem to stall every so often, but I keep plugging away and the scale moves. If it doesn't seem to move after 3-4 weeks and I know I've been doing everything right, I cut my calories down by 50-100 or so (today, I would have to up my activity level because my calories really can't go too much lower) and that gets the scale moving again.
Weight fluctuates and loss isn't a linear thing where you can expect the same outcome every week.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
But positive support isn't going to help people either. If you ask a question, you are going to have to accept that what you are currently doing/thinking may be wrong. When I first joined I was eating way under the "safe" number of calories. Luckily my logging was also a tad underestimated so it wasn't too bad, but it was still very low. I posted on the forums and was very shocked to see the response I got.
Sometimes posting here is like Batman... not the response you need but the response you deserve.0 -
I have brief plateaus quite often. If your logging is correct and you're maintaining a defecit, the plateau will end, and you will probably whoosh down a few lbs. when it does. If your logging is incorrect, the plateau will never end.0
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If eating low carb I will added carbs back in for a week or so and then go back to low carb and I start losing again. Or if counting calories I will up my calories and then drop them back down. Either way works for me every single time.0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
Can't make a blunt comment from one individual drive you one way or another as far as posting or not posting in a forum...
Got to take the good with the bad.. in this case that was not that bad of comment. I have seen way worse, but again, some things do spark a thought process and opens a dialog..0 -
pla·teau.
[plaˈtō]
NOUN
1.
an area of relatively level high ground.
synonyms: upland · tableland · plain · mesa · highland · coteau
2.
a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress:
"the peace process had reached a plateau"
synonyms: quiescent period · letup · respite · lull
according to the good old dictionary there is no time limit on a plateau. So no... you were probably not sitting on a relatively high level ground, but you were experiencing a lull and you can call it whatever you would like.
I am glad your method worked for you
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Six to eight weeks would be in the ballpark.DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
What's negative about pointing out that what you experienced isn't a plateau, exactly?
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When I plateaued, it took a while and the weight loss crawled to a stop. I took a long, long break, went back to it and the weight started coming off again.0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
Six to eight weeks would be in the ballpark.DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
What's negative about pointing out that what you experienced isn't a plateau, exactly?
It doesn't answer the question asked. It just points out that (you think) they are wrong.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
Six to eight weeks would be in the ballpark.DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
What's negative about pointing out that what you experienced isn't a plateau, exactly?
It doesn't answer the question asked. It just points out that (you think) they are wrong.
Are you suggesting that any post that doesn't directly answer a specific question asked is "negative"?0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
Six to eight weeks would be in the ballpark.DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
What's negative about pointing out that what you experienced isn't a plateau, exactly?
It doesn't answer the question asked. It just points out that (you think) they are wrong.
Are you suggesting that any post that doesn't directly answer a specific question asked is "negative"?
No, I am answering his question. If I'd wanted to say what you said, I'd have said that.0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
Six to eight weeks would be in the ballpark.DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
What's negative about pointing out that what you experienced isn't a plateau, exactly?
It doesn't answer the question asked. It just points out that (you think) they are wrong.
Are you suggesting that any post that doesn't directly answer a specific question asked is "negative"?
Maybe it's pointing out the way (I think) the word is used here, and the implications regarding non-linear weight loss, that's "negative." Surely, it's not the lack of something like "I support you, OP. 100%."0 -
I was stuck at a 25 pound weight loss for almost a month! One of my coworkers suggested going back to a higher calorie intake for a few days and it would help "restart" the weight loss. I never ate above maintaining, but didn't worry so much about reaching that 1200 calorie mark. After a few days I went back to the diet and the pounds have been peeling off! I am down 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Glad I didn't give up.
What methods have you used to get past the plateau?
Increasing your intake won't accelerate fat loss, but it can accelerate weight loss. Fat cells losing their fat stores can sometimes retain a lot of water, keeping close to their original weight and size even if they now store much less energy - and they can retain a lot of water for a long time. Bumping up your calories can help normalize some hormones and may promote emptying of the water content of those cells. It can also help reset your appetite if you're having real problems with strong cravings.0 -
Maybe it's pointing out the way (I think) the word is used here, and the implications regarding non-linear weight loss, that's "negative." Surely, it's not the lack of something like "I support you, OP. 100%."[/quote]
Maybe saying this instead of just out of hand in half a line discounting what the OP was talking about would not have been seen as negative. But alas the internet is not about being all touchy feely so the rest of us should probably stop expecting it to be.
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Probably so, yes.starwhisperer6 wrote: »Maybe saying this instead of just out of hand in half a line discounting what the OP was talking about would not have been seen as negative. But alas the internet is not about being all touchy feely so the rest of us should probably stop expecting it to be.
Even so, something like "It wasn't a plateau, it was a stall and it makes perfect sense that the weight would start coming off again, even in the absence of any change" would be seen by some as discounting the OP's eating more as a "solution" and would still be seen as negative in that I didn't say, "I support you, OP. 100%." Because anything short of the latter is negativity in the eyes of some many.
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Congrats! I share your aversion to posting. But I like to share bits and congrats. Other than that, no....not going to deal with the negative postings.0
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What a great feeling to know you made it through! Glad to hear it. 0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
Word! A month sure feels like a plateau to me lol0 -
rankinsect wrote: »I was stuck at a 25 pound weight loss for almost a month! One of my coworkers suggested going back to a higher calorie intake for a few days and it would help "restart" the weight loss. I never ate above maintaining, but didn't worry so much about reaching that 1200 calorie mark. After a few days I went back to the diet and the pounds have been peeling off! I am down 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Glad I didn't give up.
What methods have you used to get past the plateau?
Increasing your intake won't accelerate fat loss, but it can accelerate weight loss. Fat cells losing their fat stores can sometimes retain a lot of water, keeping close to their original weight and size even if they now store much less energy - and they can retain a lot of water for a long time. Bumping up your calories can help normalize some hormones and may promote emptying of the water content of those cells. It can also help reset your appetite if you're having real problems with strong cravings.
This. Often just being consistent and waiting it out is the best way to go.
Stalls are temporary and are likely just weight loss being masked by water weight fluctuations. True plateaus (8 weeks or more) are where weight loss grinds to a halt; 90% of the time it's because you're eating too much (guessing at portions, quick add calories, choosing inaccurate entries in the food database, overestimating burns, etc.). It could be a medical issue, but that's pretty rare (to lose easily, then stop losing because of a medical reason).0 -
shandy4487 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
Word! A month sure feels like a plateau to me lol
It doesn't surprise me that many people feel this way. How many posts do we see on here every day basically saying "help I haven't lost weight in 4 days" or "the scale didn't move this week"?
Too many people get caught up in the day to day and/or week to week fluctuations on the scale.
Remember that weight management a long term (some might even say a life long) process. With that perspective, which I believe is prevalent among those who have been successful with their weight & fitness goals, it's much easier to see and understand why a month is simply not long enough of a timeframe to be worried about a stall in movement on the scale.0 -
I think it's fine to eat some more, closer to maintenance, to try to trigger the "whoosh", even if from a purely logical point of view waiting is better. None of us are purely logical, so the emotional benefits can matter more than the small amount of extra fat that might have been burned.
For example, one of the most successful strategies to get people out of debt works by listing debts, making minimum payments on each, then using leftover money to pay the smallest debts off first. From a purely mathematical point of view, you should be paying off high interest debts first, but the psychological gains of completely paying off debts causes this strategy to actually produce better results in the long term.0 -
A month would probably feel like a plateau to me as well. But that would also depend upon how much weight I still had to lose. If I still had 70 pounds to go...yes a month is a plateau. If I only had 10-15 pounds to go a month would not be a plateau. Our bodies, especially women, can fluctuate up to 6-7 pounds in water weight depending upon time of month, sodium intake, carbs...you name it. So if I've only got a few pounds to go and I'm losing 2 pounds per month that water weight could mask the fat loss for that month. The closer you get to goal the more patient you have to be. Sometimes it can frustrating but you have to have confidence in the process. With that said there's no reason not to try and switch things up a little bit. Maybe go on maintenance for awhile, try dropping the carbs real low, etc, etc.0
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juggernaut1974 wrote: »shandy4487 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
Word! A month sure feels like a plateau to me lol
It doesn't surprise me that many people feel this way. How many posts do we see on here every day basically saying "help I haven't lost weight in 4 days" or "the scale didn't move this week"?
Too many people get caught up in the day to day and/or week to week fluctuations on the scale.
Remember that weight management a long term (some might even say a life long) process. With that perspective, which I believe is prevalent among those who have been successful with their weight & fitness goals, it's much easier to see and understand why a month is simply not long enough of a timeframe to be worried about a stall in movement on the scale.
I like this I'm gonna try to remember that, I tend to get discouraged when my weight won't budge for awhile lol 0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »shandy4487 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »A month isn't a plateau.
What would you consider a plateau?
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to post on here anymore. There are way too many negative, high-and-mighty "you're wrong" comments made when people are just looking for positive support.
Word! A month sure feels like a plateau to me lol
It doesn't surprise me that many people feel this way. How many posts do we see on here every day basically saying "help I haven't lost weight in 4 days" or "the scale didn't move this week"?
Too many people get caught up in the day to day and/or week to week fluctuations on the scale.
Remember that weight management a long term (some might even say a life long) process. With that perspective, which I believe is prevalent among those who have been successful with their weight & fitness goals, it's much easier to see and understand why a month is simply not long enough of a timeframe to be worried about a stall in movement on the scale.
Just an additional note - for women pre-menopause this is particularly true given the roughly monthly hormone cycle that merrily screws with our weight. It takes more than one of those to be able to tell whether you're really stuck or not.0 -
I commend you on not giving up. Many do. Congrats! I too like to take a break with maintenance for a few weeks. The extra food is nice. Bottom line is it worked for you.0
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Probably so, yes.
Even so, something like "It wasn't a plateau, it was a stall and it makes perfect sense that the weight would start coming off again, even in the absence of any change" would be seen by some as discounting the OP's eating more as a "solution" and would still be seen as negative in that I didn't say, "I support you, OP. 100%." Because anything short of the latter is negativity in the eyes of some many.
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I get that, I also get that getting on the forum and answering the same question 800 times to different people it becomes much easier to just jot down a few words. Sorry my defense of others gets a bit out of hand sometimes.0
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