[Newmala]

So, I've heard everyone talk about this "plateau" that will hit after you've lost a bunch of weight. Well I was doing really good losing 2 pounds a week for about 13 weeks. And now....nothing. For the last four weeks i've not lost a thing. This last week I even gained a pound!!! I didnt change anything. I dont understand how before when I ate everything in sight and didnt do any physical activity I maintained a steady (yet high) weight. Now, I eat less and I eat healthy and I walk three miles a day. How can this be happening??? Help please!!!!

[Glory87]

Yep, this happened to me too. My weight loss REALLY slowed down as I got closer to my goal weight. Things to try:

1. Really scrutinize everything that goes in your mouth for a week, sometimes calories can sneak in
2. Increase the intensity of your workouts. Walking is GREAT exercise, but it might not be enough at this point (you are conditioned now! you have to do more to affect your body the same way!)
3. Zigzag calories (up a little bit one day, down a little bit the next day, keep the body guessing)
4. I know this sounds crazy - but for me, I had to eat a little more. I increased calories (but still under maintenance level!!!) and lost the last weight

I plateaued from March - June, I just kept at it. I kept telling myself, at least I am MAINTAINING which was a great feeling for me

[Heather]

newmala -- You've done great! congrats on your loss!!!

What you're going through sounds perfectly normal (though it is frustrating!) It takes fewer calories to maintain a lower body weight, so you maintained a higher weight doing less simply because you weighed more!!!

Plateaus are frustrating, but if you're eating healthy and exercising, keep doing what you're doing. You might want to take the focus off the scale. You know it's sneaky! After all, if you lose a pound of fat but retain a pound of water it will stay the same!!! So, maybe some good things are happening if you look elsewhere. Take your measurements and pay attention to how your clothes feel. If you start to get smaller, don't worry about the scale!!!

Plateaus are a normal part of this process for many of us. We don't have to like them, but we do have to figure out how to handle them.

[JayEll]

My answer to plateaus is to get really strict with my program, meaning I don't go over the calories fitday says I should eat for a few days, no matter what. This always makes a difference eventually (within a week or two). It's like my whole body is rearranging itself before it will drop to the new weight.

I don't zigzag because it just makes my weight loss stall. Sometimes increasing calories for one day will help, but not more than once in one week. One really bad day a week will also stall my weight loss. This is me I'm talking about--you may be different.

Doing longer exercise or a different exercise also helps. Recently I've been able to do 10 minutes on a Stairmaster now and then... Whoa!

Good luck! If you keep going, it will change!

Jay