[Eliana]

I am starting a thread to track my progress as I try to break this lovely plateau of mine. I've lost about 1-2 pounds since October. I can't say "I've tried everything" until I've actually tried everything. LOL!

Under the advice of some very wise 3FCers, I have been planning an exercise break. Today was my last day of exercise for two weeks. I may do some yoga...and light walking. I'm not going to be a slug. But I am not going to do strength training, running or spinning for a solid two weeks.

Following that, I will be hitting the trails again just in time for the new year. Perfect timing. I plan to calorie count meticulously and do some calorie cycling including some "re-feeds" with complex carbs to maybe get my metabolism back up again.

I'm going to keep up with this thread to let you all know how it goes and get some moral support. Honestly, it's going to be hard! I'm quite scared! I can't fathom not exercising at this point. One, I love it! Two, it's just so ingrained. Three...the scale. I know it's going to go up.

And then once the calorie cycling starts...well gosh, how. Where's my personal chef and automatic calorie counter? LOL!

I'm going to track through March for my amusement and am going to start tracking my daily weights HERE instead of in the daily weighing thread so I will keep this thread active. I have a tendency to start threads like this but they die because they fall out of my current threads in my user CP. This one I really want to keep up with.

So, without further ado:

December:
17: 157.2 (Last day of exercise)
18: 157.8
19: 154.8
20: 155.6 (PF Chang's last night)
21: 155.8 (under terrible stress which may throw this whole experiment. )
22: 154.8
23: 153.6
24: 153.4 (Re-feed day)
25: 153.4 (Re-feed day)
26: 154.6
27: 156.8
28: 156.4
29: 157.0 (Couldn't take it...went back to the gym)
30: 156.8
31: 157.8

January:
1: 157.6
2: 155.8
3: 155.0
4: 154.6
5: 155.4 (TOM blip...has to be)
6: 156.6 (pppt)
7: 156.4
8: 156.0
9: 155.2
10: 154.4
11: 153.6
12: 154.2 (re-feed day)
13: 154.2
14: 154.2
15: 153.6
16: 153.0
17: 152.2
18: 151.0
19: 151.2
20: 151.2
21: 151.6
22: 152.2
23: 151.2
24: 151.6
25: 152.2
26: 151.6
27: 152.4 (Really thought I'd lose today. )
28: 151.8
29: 151.0
30: 151.2
31: 151.6

February:
1: 152.6 (TOM blip)
2: 153.0
3: 153.0 (Forgot to weigh, actually, but was 152.2 post workout)
4: 153.0
5: 152.8
6: 151.6
7: 152.8
8: 152.8
9: 152.6 (Begin restrictive calories)
10: 151.0
11: 148.8
12: 147.8
13: 146.8 (Re-feeding today...expecting a blip up tomorrow)
14: 147.8
15: 146.0
16: 146.2
17: 146.0 (Re-feed...feeling weak)
18: 145.8
19: 146.6 sore!
20: 146.8 still sore!
21: 145.0 (Not sore anymore)
22: 145.6
23: 146.0
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:

March:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5: Deadline...cousin's wedding

[mkroyer]

Eliana-- PM me... i have something for you

[goodforme]

YOU ROCK!!! I can't wait to see the pounds start flying off of you!

[cherrypie]

I'm looking forward to seeing how you do.

[matt_H]

You sound excited! Awesome

I understand the logic behind the calorie cycling, but I don't get taking a break from exercise. If your body has adapted to the exercise you are doing, wouldn't it be better to try a new activity?

[VickieLou]

Good Luck, Eliana!

[Arctic Mama]

Good luck! Working out hard with heavy calorie restriction is honestly metabolically disastrous... You're asking your body to consume energy and not giving it energy to consume, and the body is a smart enough setup to default to preserving itself before wasting away (as all metabolic indicators would indicate, though we know better, seeing what we look like).

Now, the difference between sufficient calories to run our bodies without them going into conservation mode vs, the amount we need to actively lose weight.... That difference tends to be smaller than many people realize

But I'm not worried about you overeating on your refeeds, I think you'll do great!

[vdander24]

You are making me excited just hearing about your plan! I can't wait to here how you are doing. good Luck!

[PinkHoodie]

Eliana - You have been such an inspiration to me! I am really interested to see how you do with this plan, and I think it will work. I have noticed for me if I take a break and eat some maybe off plan stuff and stop my workout for a day or two I will have a couple of pounds drop off really quick which is weird, you would think it would be the opposite but I think it shocks your body a little.
Can't wait! You are so awesome!

[joyfulloser]

That's GREAT...I'm rooting for ya!

I'm with Matt on the exercise tip???..don't understand the logic in quitting exercising though...I personally would not do it...but hey..hope it works for ya! If the scale starts climbing you could always alter the plan I guess.

Anyhoot...enjoy!!!

[seagirl]

Good luck! I can't imagine 2 weeks with no exercise, barring some sort of injury.

[Oboegal]

Best wishes, Eliana. I hope you can break this $%&@*# plateau. I'll be interested to see how it goes.

[kuchick]

I'm cheering for you, too Eliana! I've been considering calorie cycling, too but still haven't because Daily Plate goes accusatory red when I go over their recommended calories - I need to get over it.

Hope the plateau breaks soon

[saef]

Good luck with this.

But I think sometimes our weight mirrors our life, and plateaus when our lives plateau.

Deal with all your plateaux in ingenious ways (like this) and your weight will follow.

[ubergirl]

Well, I'm interested to see where this takes you.

I am truly puzzled about why I remain on a plateau. I have attacked every single angle I can think of, I've eaten more, I've eaten less, I've exercised more, I've exercised less, but NOTHING GIVES.

I'd love to know if there is something that works....