[Eliana]

My weight loss pattern is to lose big one week and stall the other three out of every month. And I stick to plan like glue. So I don't call it a plateau until it has been two months. I've just broken my 158 plateau that has lasted since early October. Based on current experiences, I'd say I like what skinnyby25 has to say. If I had it to again this is the approach I'd take from the beginning. It's hard thing mentally to know you're going to gain 4 pounds in water weight though.

Plateaus happen. It's ok. What's important is that you just stick with it. The trick is to find reasons to be happy where you are, even if you never lost another pound. Keep on keepin' on, because you have to do this for life anyway.

We have similar stats and all I can tell you is that no two people will lose in the same way. Two people following the exact same plan will lose differently. Some of us are fast losers, some slow. I'm slow. I started out with 10 pound losses, but quickly at around 200 pounds dropped to more like 6 pounds per month. Now it's one. Yes, one pound per month. I can't say I'm thrilled with that, but I'm very happy with where I am too. I have a lot of muscle and am trying to focus more on the fact that I'm in a size 6 rather than focusing on the fact that I am still "overweight".

[natamars]

Same here. I started at 157 and I'm in the middle of a plateau now at 130 since the end of November. Pretty frustrating to say the least. I haven't given up, but it's hard not to. (I'm terrified of gaining any weight back though, so that fear alone does a pretty good job on keeping me on track. It was hard work getting where I am; I don't want to have to do it again!)

wild, you are my HERO sticking to plan through a plateau, especially over the holidays! How I wish I had done that, instead of ending up 10 lbs.up.

I figure I'll hit this plateau again in the spring if all goes well, and am already thinking about how not to fall off the wagon again.

[Wildflower]

I didn't hear this mentioned, but I was wondering if anyone tried to eat in their maintence range for a few weeks - then restarted their plan - in order to break a plateau? It seems like, for me anyway, right around the time I plateaued was also around the time that I started losing my appetite and it became easy for me to stick to my calorie range. So I feel like my metabolism slowed and perhaps that is why I hit a plateau.

I suppose in a few weeks I can report if this method works. I am starting back on plan today after about 3 weeks off plan with no gains (in fact, I went down about a pound when off plan). Wish me luck that this starts my weight loss back up for me!

[fitmom]

I definitely hit a plateau when I hit the 125 mark. I couldn't move the scale for anything. Then I tightened my diet a little more and started doing some serious cardio before the scale started to move again.

[belmagick]

I've just got out of a plateau. I have fluctuated between 133 and 131 for the last seven weeks. Although it coincided with finishing my exams, getting my results, graduating and leaving university.

I kind of relaxed my standards a little and allowed myself to estimate what I was eating, although still stuck to plan and followed what I'd learnt about portion sizes from obsessively weighing my food. (Although I've also been pretty stressed out about suddenly being unemployed and have lost a lot of my apetite.)

This morning I hit 130 and happily during the last 7 weeks I lost an inch off of my thighs (which doesn't sound like a lot but it is my problem area!)