Plateau experience required

cheryldumais
cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone,

I have been dieting for a year now. Up until about two months ago I was losing at a steady pace of roughly 1.4 pounds a week. I have not lost in the last 2 months. My weight goes up and down on the same 2 pounds. I am not asking for advice on weighing and measuring my food. I am asking if anyone experienced a plateau of 4 weeks or more and what you did to break it whether it worked or not. I have read alot of advice that eating more will break it but I am terrified to gain. Have any of you done that? I'm 60 years old and exercise by walking. I can't afford the gym and have bad knees and hips so have to be careful about what I do. I've lost 70+ pounds. My doc has reduced my meds and I am sure with my water pill gone for a week I am holding some water but I was up 2 pounds more this am from my usual 159 to 161. I'm now at 163. I have cut more food out and am trying to concentrate on less carb and more protein but to no avail. Please don't respond with charts or advice to weigh everything. This isn't my first rodeo. I understand it makes no sense to create fat from no calories, therefore it must be water or my metabolism has slowed down. I'm also freezing all the time and already on synthroid. I'm between 1200 and 1300 calories daily. I'm looking for those who have been through this and what you did to correct it. Thanks!
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Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    Have you run bloodwork to check if your synthroid dose is still correct?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Have you taken a diet break at all in that year?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I would go ahead and take a diet break for about 2-3 weeks where you eat at your estimated maintenance.

    After that I would begin another (yet MUCH LESS STRICT) calorie deficit. Something along the lines of .5-.75 lbs per week instead.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    I have not taken a break other than two cheat days. My birthday and Christmas. I have had the odd cheat meal over the year perhaps 5 or 6 where I ate up to 1500 calories for the day. I have booked a blood test for this month to see if my Synthroid is correct or not. I don't understand how in the world someone can stop losing if they are not eating enough calories to gain. But I am so cold all the time; literally freezing. I'm going to increase the intensity of my walking by going to the treadmill hill program more and walking outside less. I am waffling about eating more calories and cutting out carb for a week or two. According to the charts maintenance calories for me once I'm at goal (135) is around 1500 (remember I'm 60, sedentary and 5'5" tall) so I expect at 1200 even with exercise I wouldn't lose more than a half pound a week anyway. I started at 233 pounds so I know my exercise isn't burning enough anymore. I only get about 85 calories for my 8 - 10 thousand steps a day now and I've been trying not to eat them lately because I'm not losing.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Honestly, try a diet break. We are asking because they can a great way to rebalance hormones and any adaptive thermogenesis that has happened from restricting calories for so long.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    Honestly, try a diet break. We are asking because they can a great way to rebalance hormones and any adaptive thermogenesis that has happened from restricting calories for so long.

    yep.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    If I do a diet break how much weight will I gain back? How many weeks do I need to eat more? I'm assuming I need to eat at 1500 which would be my goal weight maintenance level? I tried 1380 for a couple of weeks but it didn't seem to be enough. I'm terrified of gaining it all back. I was obese my whole life and I don't ever want to be that big again. My all time high weight a few years ago was 251. I can't stand the thought of all this hard work going up in smoke because I gave up. It's happened in the past where I've lost weight and gained it all back plus some but I haven't been this light since I was 18. I decided this time was the last time I would ever have to go through this. I accept that my eating is going to be very similar to how I'm eating now for the rest of my life. I'm fine with that but I need to lose at leat 20 more pounds to be at a reasonable level. I would prefer to get to 135 but I'm willing to level off at 140 if necessary. Anyway thanks folks for your input. It's frustrating to be stalled this long.
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
    Have a cheat day, once a week.
  • danbjaram
    danbjaram Posts: 7 Member
    Cheryl,

    I recommend a juicing. It sound like your body feels starved and storing fat. If you put nutrients back into your body it will feed your cells and you should see some results within a few days.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    wow folks from cheat meals to cheat days to juicing.

    OP have you reduced your calories through this loss?

    You are losing apparently but then gaining it back so it's not a "plateau" per say...a plateau is when you haven't lost any at all...how is your logging? do you use a food scale? Log everything? conistently and accurately using a food scale and correct entries?

    You have 24lbs to lose and should be aiming for a smaller deficit now anyway...instead of 1.4lbs you really should be at 1lb a week and when you get to 20lbs 1/2 lb a week...then when you get within a couple of lbs of goal you start your reverse diet...

    As for a diet break you shouldn't gain any back..you should eat at maintenance and maintain your current weight for a while.

  • danbjaram
    danbjaram Posts: 7 Member
    danbjaram wrote: »
    Cheryl,

    I recommend a juicing. It sound like your body feels starved and storing fat. If you put nutrients back into your body it will feed your cells and you should see some results within a few days.

    My mom is 56, 5'5, 146 lbs down from 200. She just got over her plateau at 150 a week ago from just from juicing. Her problem with calorie restriction (doing weight watchers) was that she was eating things she liked, staying under her calorie goal, and still not losing weight because she was not eating the right foods. Her calories were empty and her protein intake was way to high. Females only need between 30 and 40 grams of protein and its best that it does not come from animal products but from plants. She made green juices for 5 days and was able to break her plateau. Also she has a sodium problem. She eats and drinks "diet, zero calorie, fat free" food that are packed with sodium and her feet swell so badly that it hurts to walk. After 5 days the welling went down, she has more energy and now she's texting me every day with a new juice recipe she made.

    Good luck! Hope you keep progressing!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Have you run bloodwork to check if your synthroid dose is still correct?
    This would be my first check too. Hormones regulate metabolism, so if they are off it's obviously going to be apparent.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    danbjaram wrote: »
    Cheryl,

    I recommend a juicing. It sound like your body feels starved and storing fat. If you put nutrients back into your body it will feed your cells and you should see some results within a few days.
    How did you make this assessment? What are your qualifications that lead you to this conclusion?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Some will say to take a diet break, and although I would agree that upping your calories slightly is a good idea depending on your current deficit, I would not personally take a diet break. You will gain weight if you do, and that can be discouraging. I would say that if you are at the 1.4ish pounds a week range right now with your calories, try re-adjusting to a .5lb per week loss rate and stay at that calorie level for a while, maybe even a couple more months. Don't stop or reduce your current exercise level if you can continue. Matter of fact I'd increase it slightly if you can (maybe add an extra 15 minutes to your walks daily). You may gain a slight amount of weight when increasing your calories but as long as you are under your TDEE still, it won't be permanent. I'd suggest being meticulous in your weighing and logging and stay away from the scales for a few weeks. The loss of the medication the doctor took you off of may take time for your body to adjust to, right now you're probably just holding onto a ton of water weight. Being cold can be a sign of too few calories that's why I say increase calories but don't take a diet break.

    I was in sort of a plateau when I finally hit my goal. It took weeks to lose the last coupe of pounds even though I changed nothing I was doing. Funny thing is, that once I hit my goal (which was 10lbs UNDER my set goal by the way) I slowly added 200 calories a week until I hit my maintenance level. I knew I would gain weight doing that but I ignored the scaled and would weigh in only once every two weeks on a Thursday morning. I chose Thursday because I generally ate a lot of BBQ on the weekends which meant increased sodium. During the week I'd make a conscious effort to reduce my sodium intake and increase water intake, so I figured by Thursday of the week I would likely not be feeling the effects of sodium water retention. To my surprise, even at what I calculated as maintenance calories, over the period of the first three weeks I dropped two more pounds even though it took a month to drop the last two before it. My original goal was 190 (I am 6'2" tall, 47) and I dieted until I hit 180 then started on increasing to maintenance. Once two weeks after hitting maintenance I was at 178. Go figure.

    Anyway, just my suggestion.
  • Spencerport
    Spencerport Posts: 270 Member
    I plateaued for more than a month at 210lbs. I went out to a friends party and consumed well over 4000 calories, at the time I was eating ~1800 calories. Within a week I had dropped 4 pounds. For me consuming at absurd amount of calories kickstarted the weight loss. You could always give it a try and see if it helps.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    cheryldumais wrote: »
    If I do a diet break how much weight will I gain back? How many weeks do I need to eat more? I'm assuming I need to eat at 1500 which would be my goal weight maintenance level? I tried 1380 for a couple of weeks but it didn't seem to be enough. I'm terrified of gaining it all back. I was obese my whole life and I don't ever want to be that big again. My all time high weight a few years ago was 251. I can't stand the thought of all this hard work going up in smoke because I gave up. It's happened in the past where I've lost weight and gained it all back plus some but I haven't been this light since I was 18. I decided this time was the last time I would ever have to go through this. I accept that my eating is going to be very similar to how I'm eating now for the rest of my life. I'm fine with that but I need to lose at leat 20 more pounds to be at a reasonable level. I would prefer to get to 135 but I'm willing to level off at 140 if necessary. Anyway thanks folks for your input. It's frustrating to be stalled this long.

    I think you need to work on your mindset. 1,500 calories is NOTHING. I mean NOTHING.

    You didn't become obese by eating 1,500 calories or anywhere near there. This fear of "gaining it all back" while a good-intention sounds like it's bringing you a great deal of psychological stress.

    I would go ahead and take a diet break where you eat at maintenance calories (this wont cause FAT re-gain, that's why it's called maintainance) for atleast 2-3 weeks. Then from there each week slowly lower by a hundred calories or so until you're losing about .5 to 1 pound a week.

    You are already VERY close to your goal, there is no reason to be eating so little and trying to lose so much immediately.

    Of course, I would go get your thyroid checked, but i would do this regardless.

    Once you reach your goal weight i highly recommend reverse dieting which can help with the negative metabolic adaptations associated with very long-term calorie deficits.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I've had several plateaus that lasted around 6 - 8 weeks, truth be told I got shoddy with logging my intake and was eating more than I thought. Plateaus almost always come back to eating more than we think we are :/
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Agree with getting current blood work just to check med balances and such. Also since you have lost quite a bit over time it might be time to recalculate your TDEE and calories needed to create the proper deficit. Also agree with taking a short maintenance break. Someone mentioned you might gain a bit of weight back, but that shouldn't be the concern overall since weight loss is simply never a completely linear process. And that will also help you settle into what maintenance will look like anyway since you are close to your GW.

    Of course, don't make major changes, but little tweaks. See what happens.

    All the best.
  • hila_13
    hila_13 Posts: 44 Member
    I would try modifying your exercise for a few weeks. Its still good to walk but spend half of your time on strength training. Not necessarily heavy weights but modified push ups, tricep dips, lunges, could help get the weight moving again.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I'm 61. 150 lb lost, now in maintensnce range. When I stall out, I make sure I haven't had any calorie creep--larger portions, extra snacks, more treats, more eating out etc. I make sure I maintain or increase my activity level. Then I stick with the plan and things get moving again sooner or later. I weigh daily and see a new low only 2-3 times per month. The closer I am to goal, the longer it takes to see a new low.
    The last 2 months have included a lot of holidays & events focused on food. In many areas the weather has been worse, making harder to get outside & be active. These things can cause a stall.
    You don't need to eat more, take a diet break, juice, cycle calories, or whatever. Just make sure everything is on point and stick with the plan that has worked before.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    Thank you Spliner1969 and Spencerport for responding. I wanted to hear other people's experiences with this issue. I appreciate you both taking the time to share yours.

    To those with various other ideas, I have been dieting for quite some time and know to measure/weigh and to exercise etc. I know I have to log every bite of whatever even while cooking. I am on a true Plateau because my loss has stalled for 8 weeks. My weight goes up 2 pounds then down 2 then up then down etc. This is clearly water or waste and I am not losing fat. My exercise never really varies which I acknowlege is a problem and as stated I intend to use my treadmill to increase intensity. I am grateful to everyone who replied and the time you took to share. I think I will do as advised and eat at maintenance for a couple weeks and see what that does. Because I'm so cold I agree it could be a matter of not enough calories and maybe my metabolism has slowed. Wish me luck.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A year + is a long time to go without any kind of maintenance break to help reset hormones.

    When I'm cutting I typically take a maintenance break about once per week. I also find it beneficial vary my exercise...not necessarily what I'm doing, but how I do it. I primarily cycle, but I don't just go out and ride an hour each day or whatever...I have a couple of days per week that I do some interval work that is higher intensity but lower duration...sometimes I might throw in a day of hill repeats...a good tempo ride here and there...one longer ride at least once per week...I think the key is that I'm working at various intensities and doing different things throughout the week.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    Cheryl, I'm glad you are getting your synthroid dosage checked soon. I also suggest a maintenance break. You may see the scale go up at first due to an increase in calories. Please do not fear this. It happens to most people and will even out; it's only water weight. Please do not follow the juicing advice.
  • spicyginger2006
    spicyginger2006 Posts: 70 Member
    Hi- speaking from experience here. I plateaued for 5 months.... that's right. Working out 5 days a week and still no drop for 5 months. The only way I broke it was by switching up my routine. Eat different foods, try incorporating some stair stepping with your walk, or walking up steeper paths. I had to start jogging and I understand that is not an option for you. The best advice I can give you is to be patient. You can't give up just because you haven't seen a tweak in two months. Change it up. This weight loss road is difficult because once we figure out how to do it and what works for us, we tend to stay the same in our new lifestyle. If you want that scale to move you will have to break that routine a bit. Food wise and the way you move your body.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Another way of saying "reset hormones", which must be a woman thing, is "restore NEAT to normal". The science shows that calorie deficits of 500 calories per day for 8 weeks lead to about a 10% decline in NEAT, and that eating at a 250 calorie surplus over maintenance for a couple of days allows the NEAT to return to normal. You haven't described the size of your calorie deficit. I guess that you've had something like 363/365 days in the past year with a calorie deficit of about 700 per day. (crude math for 1.4 lb per week) Thus I highly endorse the recommendations that you have a small diet break. You'll experience gains from mostly water and after you return to your calorie deficit I'm confident that those gains will disappear within a week. It's the second week after returning to your deficit that you see the result of resetting your NEAT, as you break through your plateau.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Another way of saying "reset hormones", which must be a woman thing, is "restore NEAT to normal". The science shows that calorie deficits of 500 calories per day for 8 weeks lead to about a 10% decline in NEAT, and that eating at a 250 calorie surplus over maintenance for a couple of days allows the NEAT to return to normal. You haven't described the size of your calorie deficit. I guess that you've had something like 363/365 days in the past year with a calorie deficit of about 700 per day. (crude math for 1.4 lb per week) Thus I highly endorse the recommendations that you have a small diet break. You'll experience gains from mostly water and after you return to your calorie deficit I'm confident that those gains will disappear within a week. It's the second week after returning to your deficit that you see the result of resetting your NEAT, as you break through your plateau.

    Not a woman thing. Cortisol and leptin apply to everyone and are two huge factors in weight loss.
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