Can a Plateau literally last forever?

I'm 5' 2" and I wouldn't be able to lose weight on 1500 calories even when young with a much faster metabolism unless I was exceptionally active.

I'm also 5'2" and there is no way I can lose on 1500 unless I burn at least 300-500 exercise calories. If I dont work out, I cannot go over 1200. My goal weight (125lbs) maint calories are UNDER 1200! For those of you who start bashing me for that, I'm also 50 years old so that adds to the problem. Your body doesn't need as many calories as you age.
I have also plateaued and recently busted through one by changing my walking/jogging to biking after breaking my foot from tripping over my dog while running. lol
I also bought a HRM and now I know what workouts really get me into fat burning zone. If you HR is too high, you aren't burning fat at an optimum rate, if it's too low, you wont either. If you can afford one, get a Polar F4t or something like that. It's the pink one. It really is a motivator! It shows your HR and tells you if you are in 'zone'.
Good luck, DO NOT GIVE UP, keep working at this, keep changing things up and you'll find a way to keep getting fit and healthier! <hugs>

Try cutting out things like salted butter and potato chips. also, are you getting enough sleep? 7-8 solid unbroken hours a night?

I think its time to change your diet then if you are serious about losing the weight. You are eating refined foods, and quite a lot of carbs and some of us just cant lose and eat carbs. Try to cut the carbs way down, and see if you get results. I think for your size 1200-1400 calories with exercise should be good as well, especially if your food is coming from lean proteins and veges... Might be worth a try if you want to break the plateau.

im sorry but id gain weight on your diet, not only because im 5ft 2 but your eating totally the wrong foods .

I plateaued for 3 months. Basically my body got used to what I was doing. It was way easier to lose weight when I had so much excess but then it stopped dead. Now I eat more calories as my metabolism got used to 1200 calories and slowed down. I push that little bit harder in the gym and have increased the amount of weight training as you burn more calories that way, especially with afterburn in the 24 hours following exercise. I researched a lot of stuff and tried a bit of everything. Now although slow, the weight is coming off again. Just try different things and see which works for you. Everybody is different.

the answer is no. but it sure can seem like it is lasting forever when you hit a plateau. if you are actually overweight and your plateau is 8 weeks running, then it is time for changing something. assuming no thyroid or other medical issue, the real key is to be as accurate as possible on the calories in and calories out.

1. research plateau busting from multiple sources (avoid any adice that is trying to sell you something)

2. get your body fat tested by a professional. actual weight is not as important as your true body fat %.

3. try a different approach like eat stop eat or leangains to see if that will help. it surely will not hurt you. it will always be about calories in and calories out but intermittent fasting seemed to help me bust a plateau.

^^^^^^
THIS - And wow Dave, great post.

I really get offended when people say my plateau of almost a year is because I'm not working hard enough or am eating at "maintenance'. That's bull. And they have no clue how intense my effort is.

I work out 6 days a week, 2x zumba, 1x kickboxing, 2x SL 5x5, 1x isolation lifts, 1 rest day. I work two jobs and wear a Fitbit, so I know how frigging active I am. I weigh, measure everything, obsessively. Last year I ran 3x a week and lifted 2x a week. Changing programs did not break the plateau. I did lose some inches when I started SL zumba/kickboxing this year, but nothing in 3 months now. And the scale is unchanged.

I've eaten at 1200 + exercise calories, I've eaten at 1500 no exercise calories, 1700 no exercise calories, 1400 + exercise calories, low carb/high protein, low sugar. I've eaten at maintenance for 3 months (maintenance is 1950 calories + exercise). I try everything for at least 2 months before changing again. I've tried not eating breakfast, I've tried snacking, and not snacking. I don't eat fast food or sodas or processed white stuff, ever. I eat mostly organic and tons of veggies and fruit. RIght now, I'm trying 1000 calories plus exercise calories which is why my @$#(&amp; diary is locked, so I don't get yelled at by the higher calorie people. I've been eating that for a month and still, nothing.

Oh and I've already had my metabolism tested. Last year. RMR was 1800...:noway:

Next step, the doctor.

My best guess after looking at your diary is that you are just plain eating too much. Even on days when you eat relatively fewer calories (1200-1400), it looks like you might be underestimating, perhaps by a large margin, the amounts you're eating of the high calorie foods (salad dressings, dips, butter, coleslaw, pasta/couscous/rice, potato chips, etc).

On the flip side of that coin, you may be overestimating your exercise calories.

Not to mention the vast majority of your intake is junk (Slim Fast and Silk drinks included), but my first point would have a much greater effect on your weight. The junk part is more about long lasting health.

Do you own a kitchen scale?

OK I plateaued since APRIL 14, losing/gaining same 1 lb with travel, TOM, water gain whatever. This is ridiculous. I upped my calories from 1200 to 1500, I took 2 weeks "off" at the beginning of this month from logging and zumba/kickboxing classes, I've "zig zagged" my calories, and still here it is now going on 3 months and nothing. I'm 14 lbs away from my "first goal" and after that I was going to set a second goal of 15-20 more lbs. as my first goal would have put me at 150 lbs and I'm 5'2 and right now weigh 164 which is still overweight. I've not lost any inches in 6 weeks either. I work out 5-6 days a week.

This is always what has happened to me in the past, I'd lose 20-25 lbs and then stall FOREVER, and usually give up and gain it all back and then another 5 lbs. Years ago I did WW and it took me 8 months to lose 17 lbs and I followed the plan, watching people around me lose that amount in a month or two. Is is possible for the body to plateau or adjust to a weight that is still overweight and you can NEVER lose it all except for starvation/being anorexic or having surgery?

Rather than the confusion and overestimates of eating back exercise calories, have you tried just working out your TDEE and taking a defict from there?

Work out your TDEE here - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ - this calculator cgives you the TDEE at your goal weight, but if you put in your current weight it will give you your estimated current maintenance.

Eat at estimated maintenance for a week, and then start again by deducting a 500 defict.

Also, if you use the seach button and type in plateau, you'll find many threads full of advice,

Good Luck.

Bob Harper has a workout dvd called Total Body Transformation that Is supposed to be specifically for breaking plateaus. It is pretty intense so I would think it would certainly help.