Weight loss plateaus? Who do they affect?

jid314 · June 2011

I'm down about 20 lbs - the most successful I've ever been in a diet - and also the only diet I've ever really been on. I'm a male, 26, 6'1, and had hit 238. I hated looking in the mirror and tried to avoid seeing my side profile in the mirror at work. A lot of times I wouldn't even look at my own face in the mirror because I could see the fat on my neck and saw how fat my face had gotten.

So any way, I've been living with my new "lifestyle change" for about 5 weeks. I'm so excited about my weight loss (which I attribute to my newfound will power and MFP), but I'm growing concerned about "pleateauing". I've always heard about plateaus, but who do they usually affect? Is it a person who loses their weight moreso than someone else?

The reason I ask is this...yes, I know it's bad and all that - but I never work out. I naturally have more energy to play with my 4 year old and I play with him in the yard all the time because I cut my calorie consumption from about 3000+ calories a day to 1630, now to 1510 (MFP recalculated after 19 lbs lost).

I'm just curious - is there certain ways to diet that cause plateauing? Is it the people who still eat quite a bit but exercise regularly that plateau? Or is it people like me, who only count calories? Or is it neither and everyone is affected?

Thanks so much everyone

beach_chelle · June 2011

I haven't platued yet, but I think everyone is affected. When the body gets used to the calorie deficet you have created it will go back to what it was doing before, i.e. storing the food you it in preperation for those lean times which just don't come any more. One thing you can do to help break a platue (or prevent, which I am now trying) is called zig zagging.

There are plenty of threads in the forum on the concept. Check it out, it may help.

Atlantique · June 2011

I haven't hit a plateau yet and I've been at this a little over 125 days and am now less than 3 pounds from goal weight.

The only big change that I made along the way is that I did finally join a gym, which increased my workouts somewhat (prior to that I had been doing Couch to 5K two or three times a week). I usually eat about half of my exercise calories back.

SassyStef · June 2011

I've plateaued for about a month. I think anyone and everyone can and will plateau, depending on weight loss goals. Its all about keeping your body guessing and changin things up.
For me it was my foods, I was putting the time in at the gym and every thing but I wasnt fueling every thing the way my body needed. I think you shouldnt worry so much about it. If you feel you have hit one and havent lost any weight in about 2 weeks I would just make some small changes in your diet or your work out routine.

Pandorian · June 2011

I've stopped any weight loss for 2 different 3 week-long periods in the 180 days I've been on here. Upping my calories helped restart the loss both times.. I haven't been to the gym in 3 or 4 months so I don't really get specific exercise though work is an active job It's garden season now so I've got weeding and planting and harvesting to do, and when the time comes, canning! speaking of which I need to hit the road and see if anyone else is having a yardsale blowout of canning supplies

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paintergal73 · June 2011

I don't know about you...but i have dieted before and i get in a rut where i eat the same foods all the time because they are safe and i know the calories or the price is right for those items. In the past this has caused me problems. Switch it up, add a little more protien...more energy and burning power. Take a few day vacation. Eat whatever you want within reason for 3 days then start again. Our bodies need a switch. My friend has been on her longer than me and plateaud and relax for a week or two, then began again. she has now lost several pounds. Change it up and take a little vaction form the dieting even once a month. Yesterday I downed a large Mocha Frappe from McDonalds. 1000 calories...hahah...tasted good and today i began again!
Paintergal

chevy88grl · June 2011

Honestly? I think anyone can hit a plateau at anytime. Our bodies are funny things. They get used to what we've been doing and will begin to run more and more efficiently. We have to shock them regularly to keep them from growing too comfortable with a certain way of life.

I know you say you don't exercise - you would probably see an increase in weight loss with even just a basic exercise program. I know I've tried to lose weight simply by watching what I eat - and I did lose some. But, I saw the biggest change in my body by working out too. You don't want to end up skinny fat or losing your muscle tone as the weight drops (and it DOES happen).

I plateaued at 150lbs for months and months and months. I upped my calories and dropped 5lbs. I've been at 145lbs for over a month now. I did see a slight drop (2lbs) after a couple of high calorie days. I know that I can't consistently eat that many calories, so I am going to be happy with 145lbs. I've switched into maintenance mode and am concentrating on strength training now.

_Sally_ · June 2011

I haven't platued yet, but I think everyone is affected. When the body gets used to the calorie deficet you have created it will go back to what it was doing before, i.e. storing the food you it in preperation for those lean times which just don't come any more. One thing you can do to help break a platue (or prevent, which I am now trying) is called zig zagging.

There are plenty of threads in the forum on the concept. Check it out, it may help.

zig zagging is also sometimes called "calorie cycling". There are threads on MFP and you can also google it. This is something that I'm going to begin trying myself.

ElizabethRN59 · June 2011

bump

katekrise · June 2011

Happening to me now. I think I'm going to double my workout calories burnt and see if that'll help.

llkilgore · June 2011

I haven't plateaued yet, but do believe that I would have if I hadn't joined the gym when I did in mid March. My rate of loss was trending down and had already dropped to less than half MFP's prediction. While I was being as good as I knew how to be with my diet, I was a mess on the exercise side of the equation. I couldn't motivate myself to do any serious strength training at home and pushing harder on the cardio wasn't doing anything but stressing me out. The gym membership turned things around almost immediately.

I didn't change the diet side of my program at all until a few weeks ago, when I upped the exercise calories I eat back from about two thirds to 100%. That's because I'm closing in on my goal weight. I'm also doing the C25K program as part of my transition to maintenance, both to shake up my exercise routine and hopefully head off the dreaded late plateau that often hits when there are only a few pounds to go, and to give myself a non-scale related goal to work towards. I don't want to obsess about my weight for the rest of my life, or my jeans size, for that matter. But I don't want to lose my motivation to exercise either.

bbbbb33333 · June 2011

I was at a plateau for 3 or so weeks, until someone suggested I eat more. I burn a lot of calories working out and was not eating back the calories. Looking back I was netting 900-1000 calories after working out. Someone said you should not go below 1200 net. The past two weeks, I have netted ~ 1400 calories and lost 3 lbs each week.

Weight loss plateaus? Who do they affect?

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