How to get over a plateau?

joneskristin90 · January 2018

I've lost 8lbs already. Doing really well but now I'm at a plateau and I'm not sure how to get over it! Any suggestions would be helpful. I've been on a very low carb diet and lots of water. Exercising. I'm just stuck!

knightreader · January 2018

for how long?

diannethegeek · January 2018

1. If it's been less than 3 weeks or so, don't sweat it! Normal fluctuations happen and unfortunately sometimes we stall for a week or two even when we're doing everything right. Give your body some time to catch up with the changes you're making.

2. If you aren't already, be sure that you're logging everything. Sometimes people forget about things like veggies, drinks, cooking oils, and condiments. For some people these can add up to enough to halt your weight loss progress.

3. Consider buying a food scale if you don't already have one. They're about $10-$20 dollars in the US and easily found at places like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Measuring cups and spoons are great, but they do come with some degree of inaccuracy. A food scale will be more accurate, and for some people it makes a big difference.

4. Logging accurately also means choosing accurate entries in the database. There are a lot of user-entered entries that are off. Double-check that you're using good entries and/or using the recipe builder instead of someone else's homemade entries.

5. Recalculate your goals if you haven't lately. As you lose weight your body requires fewer calories to run. Be sure you update your goals every ten pounds or so.

6. If you're eating back your exercise calories and you're relying on gym machine readouts or MFP's estimates, it might be best to eat back just 50-75% of those. Certain activities tend to be overestimated. If you're using an HRM or activity tracker, it might be a good idea to look into their accuracy and be sure that yours is calibrated properly.

7. If you're taking any cheat days that go over your calorie limits, it might be best to cut them out for a few weeks and see what happens. Some people go way over their calorie needs without realizing it when they don't track.

8. If you weigh yourself frequently, consider using a program like trendweight to even out the fluctuations. You could be losing weight but just don't see it because of the daily ups and downs.

9. Some people just burn fewer calories than the calculators predict. If you continue to have problems after 4-6 weeks, then it might be worth a trip to the doctor or a registered dietitian who can give you more specific advice.

HoneyBadger302 · January 2018

In addition to the above:

1. What kind of plateau? Scale only, or are you tracking your progress in multiple ways? Sometimes a scale plateau is NOT a fat loss plateau

2. Check and track your macros. I use the IIFYM calculator. My last plateau I discovered I wasn't eating enough fat, added more back into my diet, and boom, the scale started to budge again.

3. Switch up your workout routine. If you're prone to doing the same (or similar) things each day, try something new. Mix it up. Spend time doing strength training.

SolotoCEO · January 2018

Really? Plateaus usually don't happen after a loss of 8 lbs - unless you are underweight to start with.

ggirgis44 · January 2018

Try adding in fresh vegetables. I also follow a low carb plan. Since I started adding a tomato, onion, and cucumber salad (dressed with 2% Greek Yogurt dressing, homemade), it really increased my fat loss. Often on a lower carb plan, the tendency is to lower carb levels at the expense of vegetables. They contain micronutrients and fiber, which aid in burning fat! Try out increasing vegetables and see if it makes a difference. And as with all things, slow and steady wins the race. Keep making good choices regardless of the scale and you will see a difference!

kimny72 · January 2018

joneskristin90 wrote: »

I've lost 8lbs already. Doing really well but now I'm at a plateau and I'm not sure how to get over it! Any suggestions would be helpful. I've been on a very low carb diet and lots of water. Exercising. I'm just stuck!

How long did it take you to lose 8 lbs and how long have you been stalled? How much weight are you trying to lose in total?

DmaMfz · January 2018

Are you also eating at a deficit? Just doing low carb doesn't mean you'll lose weight if you're eating at maintenance now.

DmaMfz · January 2018

ggirgis44 wrote: »

Try adding in fresh vegetables. I also follow a low carb plan. Since I started adding a tomato, onion, and cucumber salad (dressed with 2% Greek Yogurt dressing, homemade), it really increased my fat loss. Often on a lower carb plan, the tendency is to lower carb levels at the expense of vegetables. They contain micronutrients and fiber, which aid in burning fat! Try out increasing vegetables and see if it makes a difference. And as with all things, slow and steady wins the race. Keep making good choices regardless of the scale and you will see a difference!

You're losing because you are at a calorie deficit and that's it. Has nothing to do with the type of food you eat, when, or the macro ratio.

How to get over a plateau?

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