Help!!!! Plateau

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Chante88
Chante88 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been on this journey to healthy living since May of this year, I have gone from 257 pounds to 210 pounds. I have reached the PLATEAU and i do not know what to do. I have been at the same weight since september 9th and i have yet to experience this. I am very active on a day to day basis. I am a college student, i have six classes, I have a job in retail so im on feet 20 hours of the week and I have an active 4 year old. All summer I worked about about 5 days a week burning about 700- 1100 calories a workout. Now I am at bout 4 days a week burning about 400-900 calories a week but i am more active in my normal routines then in the summer. My eating habbits are about the same. I have incorporated days of strength training which i thought would increase my weight loss but ive seen no results I have not gained but it's no fun just maintaining. Please give me some suggestions on how to move pst this stage

Replies

  • Maple669
    Maple669 Posts: 30
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    If you have added strength training, perhaps you are gaining muscle (while still losing fat) as muscle weighs more than fat!
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    Plateau is another word to describe that your body has adjusted to the current routine & calorie intake. Now without seeing you food diary I don't know if you're calorie intake is OK. What I would try first is take a week off from a calorie deficit. Bring them to maintenance levels, and on a couple days, actualyl go over maintaince by 200-300 calories. Yes, if you weigh yourself after that kind of week, it'll show you gained, but trust me, that'll only be water weight.

    Following that week, restart your regular calorie deficit, but alternate the intake a little from day to day. Google "zigzag calories" for more info.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    If you have added strength training, perhaps you are gaining muscle (while still losing fat) as muscle weighs more than fat!

    Yikes. Sorry, you won't gain muscle in a calorie deficit. You'll maintain at best.
  • meversusfatty
    meversusfatty Posts: 8
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    I agree with Maple. Check your measurements. You may still be losing weight but gaining muscle mass. If that's the case, you should still see your measurements drop.
  • peanut613
    peanut613 Posts: 438 Member
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    Plateau means you gotta shake things up! Try some new foods, new exercises, calorie zig-zagging

    and if you want some extra motivation and support, you can look up my challenge. it starts next monday!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/352586-sexy-in-six-round-two-open-and-seeking-members
  • ACook42
    ACook42 Posts: 111 Member
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    Breaking through a plateau is rough BUT you can do it. Try eating just a little more every day that you work out or do less strength training and more cardio or more ST and less cardio. It has to do with tricking your body, I know that for sure. At least for me anyway.

    I know if I don't eat back at least half my burned calories I get stuck, if I change my routine a bit my body will react. It sounds like you have a pretty tight schedule but I'm sure you can get past this if you do something your body is not expecting.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    1. What's your calorie intake?

    2. How are you measuring this intake? Meaning are you using a food scale?

    3. How consistent is this intake?

    4. How are you measuring calorie expenditure during exercise?

    5. Strength training will help preserve your muscle while dieting. I wouldn't bank on it as some super duper fat loss incinerator.
  • lefleri
    lefleri Posts: 9 Member
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    I hit my plateau awhile ago and found out the best way to cut through it is through cross-training. You'll need to basically "shock" your body into thinking it needs to adjust to the new settings.

    Try picking up a new sport that will introduce new ways of using your muscles. I got into Bikram yoga (hot yoga); completely different that what I was used to, but thanks to that I've easily burned past the plateau. Try martial arts, Crossfit, hot yoga, rock climbing, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, etc. Anything that will make it fun for you to try something new while forcing your body to use muscles differently and burn fat faster.

    Are you using MFP to calculate your calorie expenditure or a heart rate monitor? If you're using MFP, you're body probably isn't burning as many calories as you think anymore since it sounds like you have an active lifestyle, so it adjusted accordingly. Invest in a good heart-rate monitor that'll give you a more accurate calorie expenditure.

    And like Maple mentioned, if you've introduced weight-training into your routine, using the scale is only going to hurt your morale. A lot of things are changing in your body as more muscle is being made, making you heavier on the scale. Instead of depending on the scale, invest in a Body-fat analyzer (like an Omron Body Fat Analyzer), and use that to know what's changing. That way if you're not dropping weight, at least you'll know if you're burning any fat.

    Hope that helps!
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
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    snap!!! i've hit a plateau and it's really disheartening! i started doing 30 day shred 2 weeks ago, havent lost even half a cm, and put on 3lbs!!! i've managed to lose 1 of those lbs but it will probably be back on tomorrow!!! i just dont know how i should change my diet, i'll up the exercise though, maybe that will give me a boost?!

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