Plateau

[Scout1]

Hey, I'm new here. I first started trying to lose weight around 10 months ago. The first time I did it wrong (eating too little calories, ended up putting all the weight back on once I started eating normally again), then I put quite a bit back on over Christmas and had to lose that again in January. To date I have lost nearly a stone, BUT I have stopped losing weight!! I wanted to lose another half a stone or so but I have been the same weight for around 2 months now. I have heard of this before but did not expect it to last this long. I eat healthily, lots of wholegrain and fruit and veg. I generally have cereal for breakfast (with skimmed milk), two sanwhiches for lunch (with low fat cheese slices). As I still live with my parents and dont buy or cook much food tea time can be difficult but my mum is very good with the whole healthy eating thing and we generally have pasta or curry (never a take away) or just chicken with vegetables (or beans at least). When I'm hungry I eat cereal or fruit. In the winter its harder to get good fruit obviously and now is going up in price too so I cant eat as much but now i'll just eat tinned fruit. I drink a lot of (pure) fruit juice too. I never eat cakes, crisps, biscuits, sweets or chocolate (I cut it out completely and I dont even crave it so I don't end up bingeing). I have an exercise bike which i use everyday for half an hour. I walk to and from college the 3 days a week I'm there and also always end up walking around town for hours after college. If I go into town I always walk. I also have a multi-gym at home that I use for weight lifting, sit ups, and other similar exercises. I very rarely go out drinking (I have been out once in the past 2 months, had 4/5 alcopops and did not eat anything until breakfast the next morning).
So, with all the healthy eating and exercising, why has my weight stayed the same for so long? There isn't much more I can cut out from my diet and even if i did once I ate normally again I would just put it all back on. I always feel frustrated and disheartened these days that no matter what I do I just cannot lose any more weight. Can anyone give me some advice?

Also, does being on the Pill stop you losing weight? Surely it couldn't account for 2 months at the same weight, wouldn't I have lost a little at least?

 

[aprilhunny]

I don't know much about plateaus....but as far as the pill goes I've never had a problem with it making me gain weight or keep weight on. I did a lot of research on that before I started taking it because I think I'd rather take my chances getting pregnant than take a pill that makes me gain 10 lbs (jk, of course) but everything I found regarding the pill and weight gain seemed nonconvincing. Some people say it made them gain weight, some people say it made them lose weight, some people say it has no effect at all. I guess it all depends on your body and how your body reacts to those hormones.
Good luck getting over your plateau!

 

[laceygirl]

Everyone's body reacts differently to the hormones that come with the Pill and for some people it can cause weight gain (mostly water weight), but it would not be the cause of your plateau.

I would recommend that you start keeping a detailed list of your calorie intake to start. Although you're eating whole grains and mostly healthy foods, which is great, part of your problem could be in your portion sizes. Measuring your portions carefully and monitoring your calorie intake will allow you to see more clearly exactly how many calories you need to burn with exercise in order to lose weight. Use one of the online calculators to see how many calories you need to maintain your current body weight and most of them will show you how many you need to eat to lose weight as well, then use that as a way to monitor your intake. I've found that if I'm not consciously thinking about how many calories I am consuming, even though I am eating healthier kinds of foods, it is really easy to over-eat due to portion size!

Besides that, you might want to look at your exercise plan and change it up a bit. The weight gym isn't going to help you lose weight, just tone muscle, so if you're looking to actually shed pounds, you need cardio. The exercise bike is good, but most people only burn 200 cals at the very most doing something like that for an hour, so you might need to add in some other form of cardio.

Your walking is really good, but there's a big difference between strolling around downtown won't really burn that many calories. If you want to burn calories while walking, add a pair of ankle weights and do some power walking.

Remember, if you don't sweat, it's not really exercise!

 

[Shep031]

I'd say add in cardio, but keep the weight training. I lost my first 25 lbs with weight training alone, then I started running and power walking. Not everyone's body is the same, but it worked for me.

And I doubt the pill is making you plateau for that long. I didn't gain anything when I first got on it, but a couple of my friends have gained a few lbs, nothing significant.