Surviving a plateau. Share tips please

TheresaM787
TheresaM787 Posts: 751 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know plateaus are normal for most of us. I keep reminding myself of all the positive changes that I’ve made during this time:
- Finally exercising
- Drinking more than 8 oz of water. I’m averaging 60oz, with several high days of 84oz.
- Eating more vegetables
- Realized that I don’t need to eat a sleeve of Oreos every night
- Made the switch from heavy whipping cream in my coffee to skim milk
- Sleeping better

So why oh why, with all of those positive changes do I sigh when the scale refuses to move?

Please share your tips on how to survive the plateau.

Replies

  • OliveSalt
    OliveSalt Posts: 47 Member
    Lie down and dont fall off the edge.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,489 Member
    Plateaus are RARE. Definition of one is 6 weeks or more of no weight movement IF (and that's a big IF) one was TOTALLY consistent with eating the correct amount of calories, exercise was consistent, rest was consistent and no odd other episodes.
    If one ate more than usual, slept less, stressed out more, etc. then it's NOT a plateau. This would be a STALL in progress due to it. Stalls are regular due to small irregularities from time to time.

    If your weight isn't moving, then you're likely eating more than you think. Do you weigh your food? Are you accounting for weight loss and reducing your calories along with it?

    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
  • ClearNotCloudyMind
    ClearNotCloudyMind Posts: 238 Member
    Not a huge expert, but I've just got out the other side of a couple of weeks of not losing weight despite 'doing all the right things'. Looking up, maybe this wasn't an official "plateau" but it was certainly demotivating.

    For me, the thing that got me out the other side was upping my calories while keeping a wary eye on sugar, and doing yoga. Getting a bit more sleep may also have helped. I had been feeling so HUNGRY that it was a vast relief to relax the calorie restriction and losing weight slower is much more appealing when you don't seem to be losing weight at all!

    Anyway, best of luck and take care of yourself. The most important thing to do is not give up. Do the right thing and your body will eventually respond. The alternative is you are a medical miracle and a Nobel Prize awaits!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Plateaus are RARE. Definition of one is 6 weeks or more of no weight movement IF (and that's a big IF) one was TOTALLY consistent with eating the correct amount of calories, exercise was consistent, rest was consistent and no odd other episodes.
    If one ate more than usual, slept less, stressed out more, etc. then it's NOT a plateau. This would be a STALL in progress due to it. Stalls are regular due to small irregularities from time to time.

    If your weight isn't moving, then you're likely eating more than you think. Do you weigh your food? Are you accounting for weight loss and reducing your calories along with it?

    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

    ALL of that!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,966 Member
    *Surviving* a plateau?

    Do people die from plateaus?!? 😬😉😆

    Epictetus: "People are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them."

    Check for logging accuracy, be honest with myself about changes in daily life activity level or exercise, consider the normal causes of water weight fluctuation. If nothing obvious as a cause, hang in there, probably, and expect progress will come eventually. At an extreme, see a doctor.

    I don't like drama, and especially don't like creating it for myself when it's optional. Stalls happen. IME, without a cause, they don't last.

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