Plateau?

poolchicko5
poolchicko5 Posts: 21 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Alright, so I seem to have hit a plateau. First, let me say I have had thyroid disease for 13 years and for the first time in a very long time my levels are normal. I went to my doctor and found that out this morning and she says I am healthy and all is well. I asked her about my inability thusfar to lose more weight and she said that my muscles are surely damaged from not taking care of my thyroid disease and it may take a year or more to get where I want to be.

I believe her but she is not a fitness expert so I am not sure if she is correct in the fitness department. She also says to take it easy but I feel semi-okay.

Here is where I am: I almost eat no meat because of digestion issues but I do make up for the loss of protein from not eating meat by eating beans. I am almost always under my caloric goal every day but I do eat plenty. I started off biking a lot and I have now incorporated running on the days that I don't bike. I do take a day or two off every week from pushing myself hard. I want to start swimming soon too. I enjoy all of these activities and I have also heard that muscle confusion is good.

My issue starts with the app saying I should lose this much weight in this much time but I have been stuck at 134 for a month, possibly longer. I lost 10 pounds very fast at the beginning and since then I have been stuck. I am all about doing this the right way and the slow way but isn't this too slow? Is there something that I am missing or not doing right or is my doctor righr annd it is juat going to take a long time?

I know my sugar intake is a little high and I am currently working on that. I really want to tone up and get rid of my belly. I would say 5 to 7 pounds is ideal and I am closer than ever to being where I want to be. Is it slower also because I don't have far to go?

Replies

  • mwestonp
    mwestonp Posts: 77 Member
    I replied to a similar post by another user yesterday, so I thought I'd share my experience with you as well...

    I just busted out of a 5+ week plateau. I'm down 55 lbs. so far and hope to lose another 17. I was losing 1-3 lbs. per week, but I'm now experiencing roughly 1-2 lbs. per week. With that said, here are some of my tips based on what I've heard and what I've done:

    1.) Vary Calories - If you typcially take in say 1500 calories per day every day, try varying that from day-to-day. In my case MFP has my goal set around 1500 calories, but I also eat back my cardio calories so I end up closer to 2,500 calories per day. I try to come in at or a little over that number on some days, under that number on other days. Your body is great at adapting to its environment - give it the same thing every day and eventually your metabolism will slow down as it gets more efficient. Keep your metabolism on its toes by varying intake a bit.

    2.) Rest Day - I was doing cardio 7 days per week and lifting 5-6 days per week. I started taking one day off each week after I plateaued and I've found that it help me get the weight loss moving again. (looks like you're already doing this)

    3.) Water - When I looked back at what had changed from my big weight loss weeks to my plateau period, one difference was water intake. I was religious about drinking 8+ cups of water every day and that had tapered off. I got back to drinking a minimum of 8 cups again and it seemed to help.

    4.) Vary Cardio - You body can get used to your cardio - the movement, time, level of effort, etc. I recommend changing things up every so often. I did and it worked. Maybe try a stair climber or bike one day. Not willing to do that, try a different program on the elliptical (interval, cross training, etc.) or try upping the level. I typically do intervals on the elliptical, but some days I'll throw in the stair climber or do more of an endurance program on the elliptical machine.

    5.) Consistency - Lastly, keep it going. I was getting crazy frustrated when stuck at my weight. The only thing that kept playing over-and-over in my mind though was that if I wasn't losing weight while working out and watching my calorie intake, what would it be like if I stopped everything. Keep going and you WILL break through.

    I looked into thermogenic products like Roxylean and Hydroxycut, but can't say that I advise going that route, especially with the recent FDA warning on DMAA. I can't see your diary, but it sounds like you're doing a lot of cardio. Are you eating back those calories? You may want to up your calorie consumption a bit to make sure you're not maintaining a consistent calorie defecit on a daily basis.

    Those are just my recommendations based on my experience, for what it's worth. Best of luck to you!
  • jenngi620
    jenngi620 Posts: 51
    I'm in the same boat, all I can share with you is my newfound attitude about it. Next month will get here whether I've lost weight or gained it. We set goals against time, but time is really independant of what we're doing here. Of course it would be nice to be "the biggest looser" with all of our excess weight gone in 4 months, but that is the exception to the rule. If we put in the effort every day we will eventually see the results. Instead of next week or next month, think about next year. If we live each day with awareness around how we fuel and strengthen our bodies the long term payoff will certainly be there. Or, we can give up- quit- and next year will still roll around and we will still be overweight and unhealthy. Plus, what big prize is at the finish line? Is that when we scrap all of these good habits and get fat and lazy all over again? The real prize is each day when your heart doesn't work as hard to carry you up the stairs, or your clothes stop pinching so much and making you cranky. This is happening every day. Celebrate today!
  • poolchicko5
    poolchicko5 Posts: 21 Member
    I like your attitude, thanks :)
  • shimewazaMan
    shimewazaMan Posts: 413
    If we put in the effort every day we will eventually see the results. Instead of next week or next month, think about next year. If we live each day with awareness around how we fuel and strengthen our bodies the long term payoff will certainly be there. ... The real prize is each day when your heart doesn't work as hard to carry you up the stairs, or your clothes stop pinching so much and making you cranky. This is happening every day. Celebrate today!

    I LOVE this. I am going to copy it, print it, and post it where I can see it every day! Thank you so much for posting Jenngi.
  • tyra47
    tyra47 Posts: 97
    Love the replies. This has helped me becasue I had plateaued. I was getting discouraged.
    THIS HAS HELPED.
    THANKS
This discussion has been closed.

Categories