Plateau :(

thatgirllesley
thatgirllesley Posts: 64
edited December 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys,

I've hit a plateau and have been sitting on 78kg (171 lb) for the past month and a half, and as you can probably guess, I'm getting EXTREMELY frustrated. It's not like I'm anywhere near the end of my weight loss journey, either. I'd still like to lose another 13 - 18 kg ( 28 - 39 lb). But yes, I've been researching and trying so hard to break it. Upped my calories, calorie cycling, switching up my work outs, having a day or two without exercise, and it will NOT BUDGE. Not even a little bit!

So even though this may sound stupid (please don't judge me! D:), my question is, even if I didn't do all these things, would the plateau eventually pass on it's own? I realise that the body is trying to NOT lose weight right now, but would it eventually get to a point where it would just starting losing again on it's own?

I'm really at my wit's end and I'm so unbelievably close to giving up. It's the most frustrating thing I've ever done. >:(

Replies

  • Milette812
    Milette812 Posts: 32
    In order to understand more why you have plateaued, I would need to see your food intake and what you are eating. Personally that whole thing about the body "not wanting" to lose is bull to me. If this was true, prisoners of war and others starved to a point of bones sticking out would look the same the day they were captured. Weight loss is defined as burning more calories than taking in. Are you doing strength training? Lifting weights? The healthier, denser, bigger, and stronger your muscles are, the more they burn on their own when you are not exercising. How much cardio are you doing? if it is 30 minutes or less then you may have just found the combination of exercise and nutrition to maintain the weight you are now. Look up "Weight Loss for Dummies". That may help you as well. My average day is an hour of cardio and an hour of weight lifting and I eat a very low amount of calories, trying to avoid any and all fat and sugar as possible and I keep my carbs at a low but decent level. Stay away from anything not whole wheat if you can and talk to a nutritionist! A nutritionist will also help examine the types of food you are intaking for your body's fuel and can help give tips to adjust. Basically other than that, research and read everything about healthy ways to lose weight and if it wasn't written by someone with a PhD, I would be careful as taking it for gold. I hope you find the combination of nutrition, daily calories, and exercise that gets you back to burn mode! Oh and if your drinking, stop. You will not lose weight if you are drinking alcohol. Plain and simple.
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Wow. I'm exhausted just reading all that : )

    Seriously though, some questions.

    1.5 months you've been stalled?
    All these things you've tried ..what period of time did you do them in? Obviously, did it all in 1.5 months. How long did you try each?
    What type and how much exercise?
    How many calories consistently eaten?
    Is your exercise consistent?
    What types of food?
    Certain not underestimating food, overestimating burns?

    In essence, our bodies can only take so much change and seems like you've put it through a lot in 1.5 months.

    Will try to help you more if you can provide more data

    Jen
  • Ash_ah_lee
    Ash_ah_lee Posts: 116 Member
    Try zig zagging your calories... it work for me..here is a link



    http://www.rippednaturally.com/zig-zag-diet.html
  • asimmons26
    asimmons26 Posts: 23 Member
    One thing you have to keep in mind is that your body has a set "go to or safe weight" and you have to RESET that weight. When you plateau your body has decided this is your new "go to / safe weight". Your body will fight working out and eating right by trying to keep that "go to/ safe weight" and everyone's body will fight for different periods of time. That's why diet experts tell you to keep doing what you're doing even if you don't see results. You body has to adapt to letting go of that "safe weight" and usually the longer it takes to reset the more drastic drop in pounds will be. It may take 3 or 4 months to see significant change but remember you are resetting how your body uses the food it gets. Once your body stops trying to store calories in order to keep that safe weight then you're on track to seeing the results you've worked so hard for!!! SOOO in the meantime you will need to change something that you're doing food and or excersize slightly to "reset" again. Just keep in mind that you are working for something that WILL happen if you don't give up. The change that you make might be that you eat a little better six days a week and have a little (not big) cheat day or instead of working out in the morning, try it at night or change one of your workouts to something diiferent. Once you confuse your body again it will have to adapt again. Just change something small for a few months and see what happends....
  • vfnmoody
    vfnmoody Posts: 271 Member
    is your work out body weight based? As you lose weigh your work out might be getting easier without you noticing.
  • thatgirllesley
    thatgirllesley Posts: 64
    Thank you guys for your replies! I had a look into the whole 'zig zagging' your calories thing and it seems it works for a lot of people so I'm going to try it.

    I think I am demanding a bit too much from my body in such a short amount of time. I don't think I'm doing different things for long enough for them to have an effect on my plateau. So let's see how this works. :)

    And if you guys were wondering, I vary between 45-60 mins on the treadmill at high and low intervals. I also swap it over for a level of the 30DS (which I recently completed in full. Yay me!) I don't drink alcohol or anything and I'd recently upped my calories to the 1700s. I only ever eat whole meal/brown rice/all the good alternatives. I do have treats but have them in moderation and always try and keep them under my daily calorie allowance.

    I think I might incorporate skipping rope into my exercise. :) On that note, I'm off to work out! Thank you all again. :)
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Good luck.

    You are on right track. I dont think you were giving each "change" time to work. Can take weeks. AND ! I'd highly recommend doing strength/resistance training. It's a HUGE difference maker
  • jessicapmorgan
    jessicapmorgan Posts: 3 Member
    Please post in a few weeks and tell us what worked! :)
  • ImKindOfABigDeal40
    ImKindOfABigDeal40 Posts: 807 Member
    One thing you have to keep in mind is that your body has a set "go to or safe weight" and you have to RESET that weight. When you plateau your body has decided this is your new "go to / safe weight". Your body will fight working out and eating right by trying to keep that "go to/ safe weight" and everyone's body will fight for different periods of time. That's why diet experts tell you to keep doing what you're doing even if you don't see results. You body has to adapt to letting go of that "safe weight" and usually the longer it takes to reset the more drastic drop in pounds will be. It may take 3 or 4 months to see significant change but remember you are resetting how your body uses the food it gets. Once your body stops trying to store calories in order to keep that safe weight then you're on track to seeing the results you've worked so hard for!!! SOOO in the meantime you will need to change something that you're doing food and or excersize slightly to "reset" again. Just keep in mind that you are working for something that WILL happen if you don't give up. The change that you make might be that you eat a little better six days a week and have a little (not big) cheat day or instead of working out in the morning, try it at night or change one of your workouts to something diiferent. Once you confuse your body again it will have to adapt again. Just change something small for a few months and see what happends....

    ^^This
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