Plateau! Should I be worried?

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radcamacho
radcamacho Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So I don't know if I'm freaking out too soon. I joined a couple weeks ago. I'm 5'2 and started at 157, my goal is 130 (and if I can reach THAT, I'll probably re-set my goal to like 115 since that's what they say people my height should be). In the first week I dropped 6 pounds. But in the second week I lost nothing! :( I've been running every day. Started at 2 miles a day and now I"m running 5.67 miles a day. I'm staying at my calorie goal (1280) or under (mostly under). I didn't go running this past weekend so I'm thinking maybe that's why? But I still feel like I should have lost something. Why 6 pounds and then all of a sudden nothing? Especially only in the second week? I thought people usually didn't plateau until maybe a month or two into it.

Replies

  • heyhaleylee
    heyhaleylee Posts: 31 Member
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    Don't think of it as a plateau if it's just for one week! Give it another week before you worry :)
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    One week doesn't a plateau make, the first week you shocked your system if you went from "nothing" to doing this, and you probably ditched some water weight. Hold on, keep doing what you're doing and see how it goes. There's daily fluctuations in weight... I'm at the same weight going on 5 weeks now, glad I'm not gaining ;)

    and this mythical "they".... meh
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
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    Are you netting 1280 or are you eating a total of 1280?

    If you are only eating 1280 and you are running that much, you aren't eating enough.
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
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    We all go through this! Trust me! Try changing out your workout routine and eating back some of your exercise cals. Trust me, I've had many frustrating times! I burned over 4,000 cals one week and lost NOTHING. Then, I was on crutches and had limited workouts and lost weight!
  • TOgal
    TOgal Posts: 36 Member
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    Strength training (in addition to running) 3 times per week usually kicks the weight loss into high gear :)
  • babs23
    babs23 Posts: 86
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    With the amount of weight you have to lose, you're probably over training. Subtract your calories IN from your calories OUT. If it's any higher than 700 calories, you're over training.

    Listen to the first 15 minutes of Jillian Michael's free podcast called "Debunking the Plateau" she explains it pretty well there:

    http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jillian-michaels-show/id418368811
  • mobskee
    mobskee Posts: 200
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    One of my friends used to work in a gym as a personal trainer and says that if you hit a plateau you need to push yourself a little harder when it comes to exersize. Even if it's two minutes of very intense exersize that your body is not used to...it will still help. My boss tried it and it helped her...she used to walk the steps but then would run the steps for a couple of minutes to get her heart rate up and it helped. Good luck!
  • jtbaddison
    jtbaddison Posts: 134 Member
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    I hate to break it to you, but you didn't lose 6lbs of bodyfat.

    As you deplete your glycogen stores, you lose water that has been retained in your body. This is why a boxer can drop 12 lbs the day before a fight. Its also why certain diets work short-term, but not long. If you were to go back to your old habits today that weight would jump right back on.

    Your metabolism will start to build with your exercise though, and soon enough you will be dropping 1-2 lbs a week (of bodyfat).

    A few suggestions:
    1) Take a day of rest per week at least
    2) Consider adding body resistance strength routines in. They will insure that you don't lose muscle as well as fat during your running. An intense strength workout will also burn a lot of calories.
    3) Add in a controlled, prepared at home, cheat meal. It will keep your metabolism guessing, and you'll be less likely to plateau.
  • radcamacho
    radcamacho Posts: 6
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    Thanks everyone for the advice! Yeah I'm definitely going to try and eat more. I think when I started I was too hard on myself and eating NOWHERE near enough. Also, it makes more sense that it was probably water weight and glycogen. I tried upping the intensity of my run today as well. I also will definitely be doing more strength training too!

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