A 6 month plateau?!?!

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2

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  • devonette
    devonette Posts: 263 Member
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    I just noticed that I'm not seeing any water recorded, or for that matter, any beverages at all. What are you drinking, and does it have calories, sweeteners, etc.? If you are drinking tea, coffee, soda, alcohol etc. all that has an effect, too. Besides added calories, sodium, etc., different beverages can affect the way your body behaves.
  • ThaRealNicki
    ThaRealNicki Posts: 328 Member
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    wow I love all the advice I need to break this plateau Im in! I ate a lot of processed foods too and my sodium is horrible! Ive been meaning to get on top of that but now its becoming a make or break desicion

    congratulations so far on your success
  • ESP12
    ESP12 Posts: 118 Member
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    You probably need to eat more or take a break. That is a pretty low amount of calories.

    This helped me a lot http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3088-eating-for-future-you ... Read the sticky's and then use the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E

    Make a copy of it, then you can edit and input your own data

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/557201-how-to-lose-weight-correctly?hl=lose+weight+correctly
    Bump for reference -thanks

    This makes a lot of sense, going to follow your lead/advice
  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
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    Read about LEPTIN.
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
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    going on 6 months of the same weight here!!! trying to switch up my work outs.. and eat more protein , less carbs.. but so far.. NOTHING.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    this sounds scary, but when i hit a plateau, i UP my cals..it seems to boost the body..try it and see if that works..good luck
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    YES -- UP your calories. it works.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    I completely understand where you are coming from. I would say that you need to increase calories, but I only got minimal results when I attempted that (doesn't mean it isn't worth a try though). Anyway, the only thing that I can think might be going on is that your body has reached a 'set point'. The set point is one of the body's defense mechanisms against starvation. My friend wrote a great blog about it:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/UponThisRock/view/listen-to-your-body-your-body-wants-to-be-fat-259511

    There is other good information on the internet about it as well:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/set-points-settling-points-and-bodyweight-regulation-part-1.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/set-points-settling-points-and-bodyweight-regulation-part-2.html

    If you are frustrated, by all means, take a break, but the reality of it is (just my opinion) that the only way to break through the set point is with persistence and patience. I know that isn't an answer you want to hear. Believe me, I don't want to say it. But that seems to be the reality. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

    Send me an FR if you would like me to join you on your journey (There really needs to be a better term for this). We seem to have some commonalities in our goals and possibly our body types.
  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
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    1 - Just wanted to say I'm right there with you. Been between 300 and 310 since around November of last year and nothing I've done has helped. Recently I tried upping to maintenance calories for a few weeks to "reset" my metabolism and then eating more than before, but enough to lose. Nothing yet...but I'll let you know if anything happens. (I'll let the whole damn world know when something happens!)

    2 - Bump! I want to follow the comments, though I likely know what they're going to say.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
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    Please read "Active-Passive diet" only seven chapters and is on line only. I have been in a 1.5 yr plateau and upped my calories to maintenance about 8 months ago. I have been maintaining the same weight for 1.5 yrs..
    Two weeks ago my husban and I were helping out the daughter working night shift and eating junk food dinners for a whole week. Now I'm on day four of TOM and dropped below my plateua weight. This is giving me hope and I'm going to stay at a weight loss calorie range trying to lose .5 a pound per week.
  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 222 Member
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    You calories seem to be ok, but the food you are eating is not great for your body. Looks like you eat out quite a bit, which those foods usually have tons of sodium! So I would recommend watching that. I also see that you do a lot of quick add calories....you really want to try to log the food as best as you can. It is ok if it is not exact, but as long as you are close. Just my 2 cents.
  • dansls1
    dansls1 Posts: 309 Member
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    A quick look at your diary and you are not tracking sodium, but I bet you are way over on most days even though you are good on calories. You also are not recording water you drink. I'd up the water and start tracking sodium IMHO.
  • echandle12
    echandle12 Posts: 82
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    I broke my 4 month plateau with weight training. Keep your body guessing, muscle helps to burn more calories.
  • TeresaWash
    TeresaWash Posts: 283
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    I went almost 5 months without a weight change. My dietician suggested taking a "Body Pump" (strenght training) class. Started losing again that week!

    Good Luck
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    Been there since October...it's frustrating and so I start to give up and eat over, then start over again, and can't get the scales down past a certain point and have to lose the one or two I gained while "giving up." It's been frustrating but I'm starting over fresh this week and going to try different things (exercises, not giving up, etc) to try to get past it. Oh, AND I'm giving up the scales for a bit, just going to go on how the clothes feel for awhile, since that seems to be all that I've been seeing success in lately anyway.

    Good luck to all of those who are with me on this dreaded plateua!!!
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    If you don't have any models to serve as a pattern of healthy eating check out the diary of some ot the posters who posted regarding Fruits, veggies and water. I too agree, that the quality of the calorie is pretty much more important than how many calories. You can eat low cal and if it is all empty calories you aren't providing the right fuel for your body to burn the fat.
  • mrsamy1
    mrsamy1 Posts: 10
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    I'm no expert, and I don't eat the most healthy foods, but I just looked at your food diary for the past few months, and I'm not seeing much in the way of fruits or veggies, and seeing quite a bit of starchy carbs that are very high in sodium, loads of fast foods and meals out, and loads of meals that just say quick added calories. I think that could be a big part of the problem if you've been eating like that for the past 6 months. It's very possible that on the quick added ones you've underestimated just how many calories you've really eaten. If eating like this has kept you at a plateau for 6 months, I would really suggest trying to give your meals a complete overhaul and add fresh fruit and veggies, lean meat, and stay away from the highly processed, high sodium meals. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference.

    This is right on... looking at your food diary, there are little to no fruits, veggies, etc. Our bodies are not designed to process artificial stuff, preservatives, high levels of processed carbs/sugars, etc so sure you might be "technically" under your calorie goal but you are not feeding your body. I am not trying to be critical - trust me - I was there. I've totally overhauled my menu to not consist of, what I affectionately call "single ingredient foods" and my life has changed. Some days I go over my calories but because I'm feeding my body correctly I am losing, have more energy than ever before and even my skin, hair, etc is better. Give it a try! I am happy to share my menu with you as well. Good luck :)
  • shammxo
    shammxo Posts: 1,432 Member
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    This is where I am, too. Not sure whether to eat more... Eat less...

    I go between wanting to see the number on the scale go down (I only *really* weigh myself once a month) and just wanting to look good.

    Good luck!
  • britcurl
    britcurl Posts: 110 Member
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    At first I was going to say eat more....BUT, after looking at your diary I am going to say...change the foods you are eating! I see tons or pasta and rice. No good! Add some fruits and vegi's and lean meats. Limit your carbs (pasta, rice, white potatos). I can so see why you are in a plateau! Change your foods and I guarantee you will lose!
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
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    yep what they said. mine wasn't 6 mos - about 2-1/2 and honestly don't know if it's over yet but you gotta take a break. Increase your exercise INTENSITY- not duration, intensity. Increase calories 100 at a time. Try playing with micro-nutrients ... more/less protein etc.
    If this was easy, anybody could do it

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