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    How I Broke My 5 Month Plateau

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    • Posts: 913 Member
      show previous quotes

      Just to give a little more perspective - I have a BMF and also work a desk job. I'm not burning nearly as much as the OP. Mind you, It's more than I thought, but no where close to 3000. My burn on a day where I work, but don't exercise is closer to 2100. When I exercise it's closer to 2700.

      Very good point! Everyone is different - I'm pretty active outside of work, so I was surprised that even with sitting all day I still burned so much. I do work out 6 days a week, so that makes a difference. I think most people equate desk job with sedentary, but as morningrunner and I have figured out, we are far from sedentary just because we sit most of the day!
    • Posts: 255 Member
      Great post. Thanks for sharing your experience. So many people give up when the scale number doesn't move. Food is fuel for our bodies, don't be afraid of it. Make it work for you:)
    • Posts: 112 Member
      Also wanted to add: on Saturday I did a 12 miler and had a fairly active day - my burn was 3600! There's no way I could eat enough to keep my -500 deficit. My weight shot up 2 pounds after that!

      I think I'm going to dial back the long runs after my upcoming half marathon so that I can eat in-line with my burns. It's just so funny to think about though - eat more and exercise less to lose weight!
    • Posts: 40 Member
      I have had a 2 year plateau. I've have gained and lost the same 5 pounds for 2 freaking years. Granted, I've been tracking on MFP for the last few months. Have my goal set at 1lb a week. On workout days, I net anywhere from 900 to 1300 calories. I've added strength training in and I'm waiting to see if the scale will move. So far in the last 3 weeks - nothing. My husband keeps telling me I should eat more.....and like most.....I'm afraid. I think I needed to see this post to maybe convince me to try something different for awhile.
    • Posts: 1,525 Member
      I have had a 2 year plateau. I've have gained and lost the same 5 pounds for 2 freaking years. Granted, I've been tracking on MFP for the last few months. Have my goal set at 1lb a week. On workout days, I net anywhere from 900 to 1300 calories. I've added strength training in and I'm waiting to see if the scale will move. So far in the last 3 weeks - nothing. My husband keeps telling me I should eat more.....and like most.....I'm afraid. I think I needed to see this post to maybe convince me to try something different for awhile.

      Two years- what've you got to lose with a one month experiment? :)

      You've already got some serious dedication- two years and you kept plugging away- that's *nothing* to sneeze at!
    • Posts: 913 Member
      mysteriousway - gemiwing made a great point! you've got nothing to lose (but fat) and you have already showed you're dedicated. I can't imagine how frustrating a 2 year plateau has been - I think you definitely need to up your calories from 900net. I think adding strength training is great!!! I really hope you will give eating more a try for a solid month and see what happens :)
    • Posts: 400 Member
      So fantastic!!! Eating more rules!!!!!!!!!
    • Posts: 66 Member
      Bump. Thanks for posting this!
    • Posts: 40 Member
      mysteriousway - gemiwing made a great point! you've got nothing to lose (but fat) and you have already showed you're dedicated. I can't imagine how frustrating a 2 year plateau has been - I think you definitely need to up your calories from 900net. I think adding strength training is great!!! I really hope you will give eating more a try for a solid month and see what happens :)

      I think what stilted some of my weight loss was the fact that I ran over 15 races in a years time. From December through April, I was training for the Boston Marathon - so I know that kind of training can stunt weight loss. After the marathon, I still ate like I was training for a 26 mile race. But I think I have a better handle of tracking. Now I'm running, mixing up my cardio on gyms days, and working with a trainer. I guess, I just need to eat more.
    • Posts: 913 Member
      whoa, marathons! you are awesome! Sounds like you're doing a variety of things to mix it up - I do think eating more will help in that mix, though :)
    • Posts: 687 Member
      BUMP


      LOVE!!!

      <3
    • Posts: 250 Member
      Thank you for this! It is so hard to think that sometimes our bodies just want us to eat MORE! You're doing great!!
    • Posts: 682 Member
      Awesome! I've been very tempted to wear my HRM to see what I'm burning sitting here all day, guess it's worth a try :)

      ^^^^^ me too.
    • Posts: 913 Member
      Thank you :) It is crazy to think, but my body was telling me all along what it wanted...I just wasn't listening until now!
    • Posts: 53 Member
      Congratulations on breaking that plateau, and thanx for sharing. Sometimes it's hard to wrap my head around the idea that eating more will make me shrink
    • Posts: 584 Member
      For all you who don't think this is for real, it is!!!! This sounds so much like my story I could have written it myself. I also plateaued for about 4-5 months. I was eating less than (GROSS) 1200 calories, doing 2 hours of cardio a day and I was GAINING!!!! There were many days that I was negative in calories. It was only when I started eating more that I began to lose. I will say, when I first started eating more, I did gain, but eventually my metabolism kicked in, and I started losing again. Seriously, for those of you who are in a frustrating plateau, what do you have to lose? Don't freak out if you gain at the beginning. Make sure the extra calories are being "spent" wisely though...high protein, high fiber, nutritious foods, healthy fats, fruits and veggies...not oreos and french fries, lol.
    • Posts: 913 Member
      Yayyyy momofmyfivekids! love it :)
    • Posts: 40 Member
      awesome , congrats :) you eat very similar to me but i dont seem to be losing anything -.- im still gonna add you though :)
    • Posts: 859
      Thanks for sharing this! Awesome!
    • Posts: 534 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 193 Member
      Thank You!
    • Posts: 11
      I Love these stories! Every time I read another one, I am even more sure that this will be the right thing for me. The only trouble that I am having, is I don't know what I should be eating.
      I mean, I am pretty good at keeping my diet healthy and all that, but if I need an extra few calories here and there, I don't want to have to always eat the same things.

      Does anyone have suggestions for good snacking? or mini meals?
    • Posts: 60 Member
      Thanks for sharing...I really needed to read this
    • Posts: 353 Member
      Such an inspiration! Congrats!
    • Posts: 806 Member
      Thank you for this post and helping me to feel like I should keep going on this! Orginially I didn't think this would work for me as I still have 90 lbs to lose and thought I could use what I was doing to get a bit further. But my body said no!

      After a 2+ month plateau with small gain back (thanks low cal diet and increased exercise!), I've been trying the eat more philosophy and have added in 30 DS and weights for the past month. I still haven't lost more than maybe a pound, which is frustrating, but I feel completely different. So much more in touch with my muscles (that sounds funny!) and in what my body can do. I think I've lost inches as well. Just waiting for the scale to catch up now!
    • Posts: 77 Member
      bump
    • Posts: 357 Member
      YAY I'm so glad you wrote this! I'm gonna up my cals to 2800 per day, I've currently been around 2000-2200 cals! Eating more ROCKS!! :)) I have gained tons of muscle since upping cals..........
    • Posts: 913 Member
      YAY I'm so glad you wrote this! I'm gonna up my cals to 2800 per day, I've currently been around 2000-2200 cals! Eating more ROCKS!! :)) I have gained tons of muscle since upping cals..........

      YAYYYY calories!!!! :) I <3 food, seriously...
    • Posts: 898 Member
      Awesome!! Thanks for sharing. I just recently bumped my calories up too. MFP still says my goal is 1640, but I eat 1850-2000 most days!

      Good luck on the rest of your journey!
      Jen
    • Posts: 994 Member
      Thanks for taking the time to write this! I'm a fan of eating to lose weight, and I think more people need to hear the message. Congrats on your weight loss, too!
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