I have hit a Plateau....Help

Very good points.

I know when I've gone up and down and fought the battles, the plateaus were the hardest part. Be proud of what you've done so far, and just remember that you're not dieting.. you're starting a new lifestyle. That's the hardest part, at least for me. Anyone can eat 'strict' for a little while, the only way we're going to keep the weight off is to change your lifestyle. You're doing well.

Don't let a pause in the action get you down. Your body is adjusting.

And remember.. it took a long time to put the weight on. Give yourself the time to take it off.
 
First of all, give it some time. The first 8 lbs consisted largely of extra water, after that, you should only lose 1-2 pounds a week at most for your weight.

I would highly recommend that you continue strength training. Don't be too worried about gaining so much muscle mass that it inhibits your weight loss. Muscle tissue takes more calories as a whole to maintain itself than fat tissue does. Therefore, if you do gain some muscle, while it is more weight dense than fat, it will slightly increase your daily caloric expenditure.

Also, in order to gain significant lean muscle tissue, you must be in a caloric surplus and doing some serious weight training. Based on what you listed as your intake, you are barely touching 1200 calories, if that much. When people are in a caloric deficit, and lose weight, they often think they gained a lot of muscle. However, while they may have added some definition to the muscle they already have, mostly, it is that their muscles are more visible now since they lost fat and water, not that they "gained" muscle.

Another thing, 1200 calories for your weight is at the very bottom of the acceptable caloric intake range, and falls below it since you are exercising. Many "diet" programs throw out 1200 like it's some magic weight loss number. In reality, it is low enough that many people do lose weight, but it is not sustainable b/c it is below the needs of your body. Which inevitably results in......rebound weight gain, and the up and down of the famous "yo-yo" syndrome. I would strongly suggest you add in a couple hundred (aim for 1600 or so calories a day) of very quality calories (lean protein, fruit/veggie, whole wheat complex carbs, lowfat dairy). It's the difference between a temporary diet where you lose some weight then gain it back, and a sustainable lifestyle change that you can keep.

oh, yeah, and drink a lot of water.:) it's good for you.
 
Well i definetly know whats your talking about, i stalled at 242 and can't seem to break under that. Just keep fighting, maybe increase your weight training and switch up your cardio, get on the steper for a week or hit the tredmill, switch up your routine and you should see results.
 
Maybe you're not eating enough calories for the exercise you're doing? It sounds like you're doing quite a bit. I went through that... I restricted my diet so much that it made my body hoard everything I ate.

And, I agree.. it does take time. I was all gun-ho for my first couple of weeks now I've calmed down a bit and am learning to take it as it comes. I still enjoy some of my favorite foods, even if it's at the expense of a .5-1 pound every week. I've been dieting almost 6-7 weeks now, and usually lose about 2-3 lbs every week. Remember, it's a lifestyle change and it should be something you'll stick to for good.
 
yes what a helpful bunch indeed, using their free time to help other people out with advice and tips on losing weight.
can you give some more details please? what's been your routine? calorie intake? how much have you lost so far? what exercise do you currently do? we need some information..
 
The Joy's of plateaus.........

The human body is a funny thing. You can push a little harder, watch your diet a little more closely, but in the end, your body dictates what it wants to lose and when. Sometimes even when giving 100% effort we hit that stinking plateau and our hearts sink, our spirits fall and it seems we are at our wits end.... I know this feeling all too well after coming off a 1 month plateau.... Be patient. Be extra careful of your diet to make sure the little things aren't adding up and ride it out. It's not easy, it's not ideal, but there is little else you can do. As long as you are 100% sure it isn't little extra calories catching up with you, just keep going and it will get better in it's own time.

sirant
 
i asked because i would like to know before i start working out and getting in better shape so i could avoid it.. maybe i wont even hit a wall because i dont have much to lose??.. 20-30 lbs at the most??..
 
Every person is different, if you want help you are going to have to take the time to write out in detail all your information. If that is to much then we certainly can't help you. Be patient, we get to everyone when we can, and this is not a site in which that we get paid. This is simply a free forum support group.
 
Just have faith...and everything will work out all right. As long as you are eating the right things and doing the right exercises, you are on your way to a better body.
 
obstacles are unavoidable.. for instance.. if you reduce your caloric intake to acquire a 155lb body.. once you hit 165 or so.. you weight loss will decrease obviously.. and if you don't realize whats goin on.. and still keep doing the same routine.. then you wont change once your 155.. just adapt and overcome.. realize whats stopping you. and give it the middle finger :)
 
Will this prevent plateau?

I am trying to prevent hitting a weight loss plateau by doing my normal reduced calorie amount 5 days a week, then upping my calorie intake by 300-400 calories 2 days a week. I wasn't sure how other people were doing it so I just thought I'd get some feedback. I also wanted to know if you needed to exercise more on the days you were supposed to eat more (or if that defeated the purpose)?
 
We'll you're adding 800 surplus calories at the end of the week, not the best thing for a diet. You could cycle your calories, for instance if you needed 1800 calories, you could alternate days of 1600 and 2000 calories.

That said, plateaus happen for a number of reasons and even preventative tactics can't totally stop them. Plateaus are a way of your body saying it's setting itself to new lower baseline weight. Some people freak out and diet and exercise even harder and that creates a stress on the body that will make it try and conserve weight and will make you lose a lot slower.

You may also want to consider an alternate way of basing your health level during a plateau. Are you losing inches? Do you have more endurance during exercise sessions, etc. The number on the scale isn't the ultimate measure of health.
 
you would be better doing 4 days higher cal, 3 days lower to be honest i think.
Though eating more often, and making sure you do some form of cardio or HIIT will keep your metabolism going strong.
 
Nutrition/Exercise Plateau Advice

I've hit a plateau and I've been on it for almost three months...I'll give you a quick history of my weight loss and exercise/nutrition....

I lost nearly 40 pounds in 3 months...(which was pretty fast) and now I can't seem to lose at all...not even a pound...

I work out 6 days a week/2x a week with a trainer and the other four days I do spilt workouts...chest/back, then triceps/biceps, glutes/legs, then the one day just cardio

When I do cardio...I try to mix it up....one day I will jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes, on other day I'll do the elliptical, and I will incline hill on treadmil and run/walk on that...and I try to do HIIT 2x week...I don't use machine weights just free weights...

My nutrition (just a sample)

Breakfast-1/4 cup of plain oatmeal/ 4 eggs with one yolk
snack-1/2 cup cottage cheese/pineapple
afterworkout- protein shake
lunch-4 oz chicken/1/4 cup brown rice/8 oz veggies
snack-yogurt or 1 cup of milk and strawberries
dinner- 6 oz of chicken/fish/or lean meat/8 oz of veggies

and I try and drink 100 gallon of water a day...usually its about 90 oz...

I don't know what more I can do to get over this hump...its so frustrating to work so hard and not see the results you want!

I would appreciate any suggestions...thanks in advance!

Oh by the way...I'm 32 year old female/5'5"/185
 
Kat74 said:
I've hit a plateau and I've been on it for almost three months...I'll give you a quick history of my weight loss and exercise/nutrition....

I lost nearly 40 pounds in 3 months
Major congrats on your weight loss....(which was pretty fast) and now I can't seem to lose at all...not even a pound...

I work out 6 days a week/2x a week with a trainer and the other four days I do spilt workouts...chest/back, then triceps/biceps, glutes/legs, then the one day just cardio
First off, Get off that lousy split. Either stick with a full body done 2-3 days a week. Or a upper/lower split 4-5 days a week. Either way the workouts should be comprised of compound, multi joint movements. few to no isolations.

When I do cardio...I try to mix it up....one day I will jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes, on other day I'll do the elliptical, and I will incline hill on treadmil and run/walk on that...and I try to do HIIT 2x week..

.I don't use machine weights just free weights
Excellent, free weights by far superior....

Next, keep your workouts to 5-6 days a week. Weights should always be done on NON-consecutive days.
The majority of your Cardio should be done at an intense pace.

My nutrition (just a sample)

Breakfast-1/4 cup of plain oatmeal/ 4 eggs with one yolk
snack-1/2 cup cottage cheese/pineapple
afterworkout- protein shake
lunch-4 oz chicken/1/4 cup brown rice/8 oz veggies
snack-yogurt or 1 cup of milk and strawberries
dinner- 6 oz of chicken/fish/or lean meat/8 oz of veggies
Overall this looks low on Omega-3 fats.
Start entering your food into Fitday.com Allow us to see a calorie/macro breakdown of your food. After this we can give better judgment onto what needs to be changed through diet.

and I try and drink 100 gallon of water a day...usually its about 90 oz...
Lol im guessing you just typed that wrong. 100 Gallons a day = death.

I don't know what more I can do to get over this hump...its so frustrating to work so hard and not see the results you want! plenty!

I would appreciate any suggestions...thanks in advance!

Oh by the way...I'm 32 year old female/5'5"/185
Click to expand...

Read bold.
 
Last edited:
Thanks I appreciate your suggestion...I'll try to do full body 3 days a week and the inbetween days some intense cardio...

I usually consume between 1480-1625 in calories...I tally it up by this book I have...but I'll check out fitday...thanks for the link to that...

LOL that was a typo...oops...

again, thanks! I'll change up my exercise routine and see how that goes.
 
Help with my weightloss plateau :(

To introduce: I'm a 32 year old male. My fathers recent passing and the realization that if I don't my lifestyle has motivated me to become healthy. I'm a classic overeater (and drinker)... My starting wieght was around 295lbs...

I have moderated how I eat. I really haven't been counting calories or following any 'diet'. I've stopped over eating and drinking to excess. I started jogging 4 days a week (2-3 miles) and going to the gym 2 days a week (lifting wieghts and cardio).

To date... since I started over 2 months ago, I have lost 20lbs. I feel very good about myself physically. I'm in the best shape I've been in years.

The last two weeks I haven't dropped any weight. Its getting frustrating. I am pushing my body to its limit. My left knee is about to give out.

Any advise to help me get out of this rut would be greatly appreciated.

-Michael
 
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