Beyond Frustrated

When I read your post, I felt like I was reading my own story. I have had almost the same exact thing happen to me. I am 5'8" I started at 177lb and I am now 169 and I have not seen any progress in a while. I personally am going to try this water thing out. I have a really hard time drinking more water so I think that I am going to schedule times of the day to drink water and see how that goes. I have also mixed up my workouts a lot more, so now I just have to wait and see. I hope you can pull out of this. I guess the only thing we can do is keep trying to switch things up...no magic potions here.

I was stuck at 185 for months. I understand frustration. I cut back on breads, pasta and sugar. Mostly only water to drink. Added fruits & veggies, lean meats and actually ate more calories, but better quality. Started losing steadily, am now 145. Just what worked for me. Don't give up and best of luck.

Hey, sorry you weight loss has stalled - but well done on sticking with it.

You said you dropped your calories, but what amount does MFP suggest? And are you eating your exercise calories back?

You might be surprised at how much you can eat and still lose weight, but trust in MFP and the weight loss will hopefully come back. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it helps.

Without being able to see your diary, it is hard to pinpoint the problem.

This could be a cortisol-induced plateau. Cortisol is a hormone triggered by stress that is designed to help your body cope during stressful conditions. Calorie deficits means a lack of readily available energy and is considered by the body to be a stressful condition. One way to combat cortisol is to ensure that your diet has a fair amount of unsaturated fats. Foods that contain the types of fats you need to stave off cortisol include, olive oil, peanut butter, fish (there are others but these are the ones that I most rely on).

This plateau could also be caused by an imbalance in your electrolytes. A lack of fresh fruits and vegetables will cause an increase in sodium and deficiency in potassium. This will cause your body's water balance to go completely out of whack and you will hold on to more water.

Sometimes, a plateau can be related to other health conditions so if it persists, you may want to consult a doctor. I hope you find this information helpful to you, and you are able to pinpoint a reason for your plateau.