[ItstimeforME]

Ok I need ya group. I have been plateauing for 2 months and everyday I say ok I WON't snack at night and I end up grabbing some chez its and last night I actually had 2 full glasses of milk and cookies. I have been TOTALLY good since Dec and I feel like Im too comfy in my weight which I know I NEED to loose 50 more just need to get back on track. I Need your words to keep my butt in line. Thanks.

[lucky]

Try and remember that you are losing weight so that you can be healthy, active, and happy. It doesn't matter what the scale says. Regardless of how long your plateau lasts mindless snacking and empty calories won't get you to where you want to be.

Ask yourself this. Are you happier at 220 than you were at 258? Do you feel better now than you did 38 pounds ago? So, what is the WORST that could happen? That's right, the WORST thing that could happen is that you are stuck at 220 forever. And isn't that still a better alternative to eating your way back to 258? Of course it is. But I KNOW and YOU KNOW that you won't be stuck at 220 forever if you stay the course and keep moving.

I've hit my share of plateaus and I now how discouraging they can be. If you don't change a thing about your program you will eventually break through it. But there are plenty of things you can try that might get the scale moving for you again. Try staggering your calories so that instead of eating the same number each day you average your intake over the course of the week. Switch up your exercise routine - try something new or just change the time you workout. Mix up your menus. A plateau
is not the time to get bored with what you are eating.

The last plateau ended for me when I began exercising first thing in the morning instead of at night. Consequently, the intensity of my workout was higher because I wasn't worn out from all that I do during the day. At the same time I increased my calories a bit (from 1500 to 1600, some days as high as 1800)mostly by adding a little more protein to my diet. The first week the scale dropped 3 pounds and I am back to losing at least a pound a week again. I know that in the next few weeks I will have to reduce my calories again and devise another workout plan. It will be trial and error from here on out and that is perfectly okay. Whatever gets me to my goal is what I am going to do.

All of our bodies react so differently. Everything you read works for somebody but none of it works for everybody. You know your body better than anyone. Read as many suggestions as you can. Take the bits and pieces that make sense to you and that you think your body will respond to. Put them into action and see what happens. If the scale still doesn't move, try again. In the meantime, don't put so much stock in what the scale has to say (easier said than done, I know). Again, it all comes back to a happier, healthier you and the scale is by no means the best indicator of either.

Good luck!

[almostheaven]

Why are you snacking on milk and cookies? Snacking isn't the part that gets ya, it's what we choose to snack on. Try grabbing a piece of fruit instead, or some nuts, whatever. Practically anything is better than cookies. I had an urge for a snack last night and had a hunk of watermelon. That's good and filling. But you don't have to fight the urge to have a snack. You just have to remember cookies aren't a snack, they're a treat. It should be something we reach for to reward ourselves not just because we're hungry. We should reach for healthier items to satisfy the hunger.

[Ahealthierme]

It's really hard to keep up with healthy eating when you arent seeing many changes on the scale, BUT you just gotta keep at it! Believe me I've been SO SO SO discouraged this week, that I was willing to give up almost daily (luckily I had my fiance telling me how good Im doing, and just to keep up with it) and as of today I'm down two pounds...now if I had let the plateau derail my efforts not only would I have never seen that two pound loss but chances are I would have slowly eaten myself back to my original weight.

You can do it!! You just have to stay the course, no matter how challenging it is or how frustrated you get you gotta just keep going!

[ItstimeforME]

Thanks ladies, I really appreciate the insights and YES I do have to keep telling myself keep going it gets better and you will ever feel better the more weight I lose. Thanks AGAIN. YOU all are the best.

[jillybean720]

Originally Posted by almostheaven

You just have to remember cookies aren't a snack, they're a treat. It should be something we reach for to reward ourselves not just because we're hungry.

We must be VERY careful about thinking of food as a reward. Non-food rewards work much better. Using food as a reward can have a lot of negative side effects. You begin to think of food as a reward, then every time you do something well, you grab cookies or ice cream or cake...not good. You should never deprive yourself of something you love--even if it's cookies. This will most likely cause binges for the feelings of deprivation piling up. If you must have cookies, have 1 cookie instead of the handful (or entire package) you used to eat. Have some fruit and a glass of water first to be sure you really need that cookie. If you're satisfied after the fruit, then you won't even need to reach for the cookie after all. Using food as a reward, though, has always been a problem, and is still a big problem, especially in schools today. Teaching kids that doing well on a test or in a class earns them pizza, ice cream, or candy is a horrible way to begin their relationships with food. I'll get off my now