Plateau: How do you break through?

Extra rest.

Agree with both answers above, but starting to run rather than walk really did it for me

Try switching up your exercise, sometimes when you do the same exercise over and over again, your body gets used to it, and it is not a "shock" to the system to burn calories. I have done this and it works -- then after 2 weeks of your new exercise, you can go back to what you are doing now. I try and change it up every 3 - 4 weeks. Good luck !!


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Yeah, a few days isn't really a plateau, you need to give yourself time to lose the weight. If you're still the same weight in 2 weeks time, then take some action like upping the intensity of the exercise.

I've been dealing with this problem too. The best way to break through is to make sure you are getting all of your water in. Stick to a healthy eating stile. Make sure you are staying under your calorie goal but more importantly the foods you are eating are healthy as well. 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, whole grains and 6 oz of protein per meal. Protein will help you fight off the hunger longer. Stay away from sugars your body takes up to 3 days to get back into the "fat burning" process. Your body will take in carbs through other foods. Depending on your height your body maybe closer to it's average ideal weight which will make losing those pounds harder so staying diligiant will be part of it. Also try weight lifting. 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels is an awesome workout. Hard! Really hard at first but she doesn't do heavy weight lifting. I've lost by day 5 3 1/2 inches total compared to the 6 it took me a whole month to do with walking and dieting. Your body may need a slightly more vigours exercise or just toned more. I also just took 2 days off from working out and have lost a couple. However, I'm older so really it was more so my joints really needed a rest my knees were starting to crack under all of the stress and for my size I was working extremely hard and my body was exhausted so it just needed a little break to recover. I do not suggest this unless necassry though, for injury healing or whatever the case maybe. It's hard to get back motivated into exercising, even though you had the time 2 days ago you all of a sudden don't now. lol. I'm already coming up with excuses why I don't need to tonight but hopefully I will over come that. Also it's not the 2 days off that I took off that caused me to lose weight it's all the days that I have been working hard and staying diligiant with that has showed up today. Try the 30 day shred, you can get it at Wal-mart and get some light weights or different size cans, the handles or lack of is what makes using these hard, I'm sure you will see a difference. Good luck!

I stayed the same weight for 12 weeks - now that is a plateau.

Exactly. A few days is not a plateau. Also, it sounds like you are weighing in too much. You know your body hold water, right? Weigh in once a week, same day, in the morning, after you go to the bathroom. You'll get an accurate measurement then.

The only reason to weigh in multiple times a week is not to see your weight loss, but to monitor water weight and to do things to counter act it, such as drinking more water & limiting carbs. When I do my carb up day, I gain about 5 pounds the next day. When I do my weekly weigh in, I'm less than the week before.