The Dreaded Plateau! Help!

Molly_Pitcher
Molly_Pitcher Posts: 84 Member
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
Well, I've hit it... The dreaded Plateau! 2 weeks of solid diet and exercise and not a budge on the scale. After rocking through the first 29 lbs I have stalled out. I still have a ways to go to get to a healthy weight so I'm looking for any and all advice. What did you do when you hit a plateau to kickstart your weightloss. I've been increasing my workouts and am now adding some yoga to them as well.

I am not taking this plateau lying down! Please share whatever you have in your asenal to fight this off!

Replies

  • becca_21
    becca_21 Posts: 100 Member
    Do you eat your exercise calories?
    Switch up your exercises? Try something new?
    Watching WHEN you eat WHAT you eat?

    All of that could help. It helped me.
  • michelledusik
    michelledusik Posts: 63 Member
    I just busted through a plateau (that lasted about 3+ weeks). I upped my calorie intake and began a new workout - I am now doing TurboFire. It's awesome and it is the reason I succeeded! Good Luck!
  • sryan8408
    sryan8408 Posts: 244
    Usually the plateau is about 3-4 weeks of nothing. Honestly, when I hit a plateau either I do the 17 day diet stage one for a week or two or stagger my days where I follow 17 day diet then do my normal diet. But I've also heard of some people setting their calories to maintaining and then going back to their regular weight loss after a week.
  • adamswife23
    adamswife23 Posts: 52 Member
    Have you tried increasing your calories a little bit? Sometimes we have to shock our bodies to get it moving again. Are you changing up your workouts? That can help too
  • grantsmom08
    grantsmom08 Posts: 82 Member
    I just recently had this problem. I realized with my working out I was aiming for a deficit in what I was eating and burning but then not eating enough. I have started eating my calories burning as suggested by MFP. Already lost another pound :) My mind wasn't helping things make sense but I realized I have to meet my calorie goals in order for my body to work properly! Good luck. You could also check your activity level and make sure it is accurate or change things up with your workouts!
  • sjackson902
    sjackson902 Posts: 154 Member
    I actually started eating at least half of my exercise calories back. Made a difference in no time.
  • laz22girl
    laz22girl Posts: 47
    No loss for two weeks is not a plateau.
  • kimmerz810
    kimmerz810 Posts: 6
    I just went through that same thing! What helped me was to kick started my metabolism by changing my diet and exercise routine up. Sometimes I think your body gets used to the diet and exercise plan you are doing and it stalls out. I cut out all starches for the last two weeks (no bread, rice, pasta) and now my weight loss is back on track. Now the weight is back to falling off, and I will begin to slowly incorporate the starches back into my diet.
  • Wisks
    Wisks Posts: 81 Member
    This seams to be a very common topic/problem. I know I'm dealing with it as well. I gotta get into a gym and hit the weights after months of only running outside as my exercise.
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
    I just went through a month of going back in fourth in a three pound range, and this week I finally started seeing new numbers:happy: Just be patient and keep trying new things like becca_21 said, this week I started a new exercise and thats what helped for me and I upped my calories maybe 50 but just try new things until it moves, I had just got to my halfway point of 55 and stalled
  • Molly_Pitcher
    Molly_Pitcher Posts: 84 Member
    Thanks everyone! I have not really increased my calories and typically I don't eat my exercise calories. I will give that a shot. Upping my food intake just seemed counter productive but shocking the system does make some sense! I will give it a shot and see what happens along with the extra exercise.
  • dbthegreat
    dbthegreat Posts: 7
    I believe this happens when our bodies get used to what we are doing. Change your style of exercise and eat different things. I haven't hit a plateau as yet but this is what I will do when it happens. Good luck.
  • _Doreen_
    _Doreen_ Posts: 127 Member
    Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP!! :noway:

    Plateaus are "normal"... try swapping carbs day-to-day... low then medium back and forth. I just saw that on Dr. Oz on TV. Also try not to eat for a few hours before bedtime.

    Don't forget to drink all of your water... I found it really makes a difference in my numbers/losses.

    Good luck... keep us posted as to how you're doing.
    :happy:
  • Greg127
    Greg127 Posts: 100 Member
    The hated Palteau...I leveled off for almost 2.5 weeks at 49lbs lost, couldn't cut off my arm to lose that pound for 50. What worked for me was getting out of my routine for a week. Continued to watch what I ate, but freed it up a little. Unintentionally I was eating a bout 200 extra calories a day. After a week I cut back to just under MFP recommendations. Lost 3 punds in the past 4 days. I don't know why, less carbs, lower sodium or just my body getting used to the new weight and then deciding it was okay to shed some more. Best advice? Don't lose the faith, you'll lose it eventually. Good Luck
  • journeytoahealthy51
    journeytoahealthy51 Posts: 89 Member
    I upped my calories when I hit a "mini plateau". That helped for a couple of weeks. Then, I hit a 5 week plateau. I was VERY diligent about exercise, and was slightly under my calories EVERY DAY (huge for me!) this week, and lost 3 pounds. Just stick with it. You WILL bust through this!!!!!
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    I was just going to post about this subject because I've been having the same issue. Back and forth for about a month but no "real" weight loss. I have a ton more to lose so I've really been despairing. I already change up my foods and workout routines, so I'll try eating fewer carbs and more calories. See if that makes a difference.

    Thanks for bringing up the topic and for everyone who weighed in!
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    When I hit a plateau of a month or longer, I try to make one or two changes for a week to see if that shakes things up a little. If it does, I keep going with it. If it doesn't I add another change. I am trying to add healthy habits very slowly so they stick and I am comfortable with them.

    I shook up this last plateau by changing my activity level from sedentary to lightly active. I complemented this change by discontinuing counting walking as exercise. It is now a normal part of my life's routine. So I now have a higher calorie baseline to work with (1540 calories), but it is harder for me to earn exercise calories.

    This change has worked like a charm.
  • christina_theresa
    christina_theresa Posts: 290 Member
    In May I hit a plateau. I always eat back my exercise calories and I workout about 4-5 times a week. Currently, I am training for my first marathon and one would think with all the calories I am burning I would lose weight, lol.... not the case. About two weeks ago I lost a pound and yesterday I lost another pound (about time!!). I think after about 5-6 months I've broken my plateau!!! That being said, I did go down a pant size and my clothes are fitting much better. To be honest, I am kind of glad I got to experience the dreaded plateau, it made me really focus on how I look and feel instead of how much I weighed, which in the end, is the important thing. Good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
  • paravision
    paravision Posts: 148
    I just busted through a plateau (that lasted about 3+ weeks). I upped my calorie intake and began a new workout - I am now doing TurboFire. It's awesome and it is the reason I succeeded! Good Luck!
    Same here. I went from 1200 to 1400 added strength training to my work out. 4.0lbs in 2 days :oD
  • jyork5407
    jyork5407 Posts: 47
    This seams to be a very common topic/problem. I know I'm dealing with it as well. I gotta get into a gym and hit the weights after months of only running outside as my exercise.

    This seems to be where I'm at as well. I've run a spring 13.1 and a fall 26.2 the last two years, which amounts to two years straight of running as my only exercise. Found myself with no upper body strength, no muscle, and no weight loss. Started paying attention to calories and doing P90X with only a little running here and there for the next few months. Eating enough/more to meet one's calorie burn is such a hard concept for me to get my head around (I used to think more burn = more better), but I'm trying and hope to see results soon!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Every plateau I have been through, the longest of which was 2 months, I broke through it by upping my calories. Last time I had to drop it down to a 0.5 lb/week loss to get the scale moving again. Almost every plateau thread on MFP has the same advice:

    Eat more
    Zig zag calories
    Change up your workout routine

    Every time you change something, say upping your calories, give it a full 2 weeks try before you give up and move on.
  • joesan563
    joesan563 Posts: 18 Member
    I have not lost or gained any weight in the last 6 weeks. I have done what everyone has said uped my calories lowered my calories. ate all my exercise calories ate only half my exercise calories and still nothing. Can some one tell me what else I could do to change this?
  • AwesomelyAmber
    AwesomelyAmber Posts: 1,617 Member
    :smile: I found this on another site and really liked it.. the words are not my own, but they are helpful in times like this! :smile:

    "When you get to a plateau, think of it as a landing on the stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of "rehearsal" for maintenance isn't the worst thing in the world."

    And as long as you keep doing what you are doing... you WILL break it and continue dropping the pounds! Don't dispair! :bigsmile:
  • carey1932
    carey1932 Posts: 55 Member
    I just broke through a plateau by just keep doing what I am supposed to be doing. I am eating sensibly & healthly and for the first time ever I finally get it that my eating habits are just as important as the weight loss. Shockingly, the plateau didn't bother me at all when in previous times it would have caused me to get frustrated and give up, because I know I am "doing the right thing" regardless of the scale. In a calorie deficit, the weight loss HAS to follow.

    I won't "eat more calories" as seems to be the first response here, but I do find that an occassional shake up day, like a dinner out, is beneficial. The zig zag works too.

    People flipping at you that "2 weeks is not a plateau" may not "technical" length of time, but not losing when you know you are doing everything right is the main reason people give up, so it's STILL a plateau for the individual.

    I would suggest to just keep doing what you know is right. Our bodies adjust then break through.

    Congrats on your weight loss!!
  • k8bugz
    k8bugz Posts: 64 Member
    I needed this this morning! I'm also on a plateau - been gaining/losing 3lbs for nearly 2 months. I was just about to get really down about it, and this thread helped me maintain my spirits. I especially liked the post about this being practice for maintaining!

    But I also realized, in that same time, I have: moved, herniated a disc in my neck which limited my cardio for a little while, and means I can't do any upper body strength training for a long time, resumed training for a half marathon next weekend (I can't wait!), been completely stressed (i'm in the final months of finishing a phd), and am surviving football season (weekends of tailgating). So yeah, I'm okay with where I am.

    I think since I am running a half marathon next weekend, I might play around with upping my calories a bit. I had been eating above my goal the day before my long runs, and I might do something like that next weekend. But I'm not going to change my exercise much beyond my plan to taper off a little bit.

    The most important thing is to hang in there, and focus on how you are feeling, and not those silly little numbers on a box.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    I have hit a couple and I lowered my calories by 300 and then had a weekend pizza and beer binge and it started dropping again.
  • Molly_Pitcher
    Molly_Pitcher Posts: 84 Member
    I have hit a couple and I lowered my calories by 300 and then had a weekend pizza and beer binge and it started dropping again.

    I don't know if that will work but it sure sounds fun!!!
    Thanks for all the advice and support, I'll keep trying things until something works. Today I upped my calories by eating chinese...
    Everyone like that justification for eating some chinese food? Ha... Back to it tomorrow :tongue:
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