[LessEveryDay]

Except for three days where I varied by a pound, I've been at the same weight for 12 days now! Over the course of my weight loss, I've been losing 1.75 pounds per week. Even after the initial drop, I'd been losing 1-1.5 pounds per week. Now, I'm down to, well, zero for nearly two weeks. And, the past four days I've been gardening - and I mean heavy, tilling-the-soil, laying-brick-paths gardening - two or three hours per day! And, I've been more active overall than I usually am. My average calories over this period has been about 1775, but cycling from as low as 1400 to as high as 2000. As I'm nursing and tall, that should be enough to make me drop. In fact, earlier in the year, I had dropped to around 1500 for two weeks and my weight loss dropped to slightly under one pound per week. Do I need to eat more to make up for the exercise?

[lorilove]

12 days is not a plateau. In my opinion you have to stall at least 4 weeks to call it a mini-plateau. I just broke a 6 week plateau and basically I changed very little - just continued to stay on path and work on the variety and intensity of exercise.

Lori

[mandalinn82]

I agree - this isn't a plateau yet. You are -very- close to goal, and your body is going to start slowing down on the losses. In addition, your body may need some time to "catch up" with the changes you've made, resulting in slower losses.

Continue with what you're doing another 2-4 weeks. You can always re-evaluate then if you're still stuck.

[kmg73]

I'm in the same boat. I have been averaging 1.5-2 lbs. a week since early January, until about a month ago. I stalled with no loss for 2 weeks. Then lost 2 lbs. and now I have stalled another 2 weeks. I'm getting ready to incorporate more exercise (which I was planning to do anyway) so I hope that gives me a boost. Otherwise, everything else is the same.

Once my body "catches up" can I expect to return to the regular 1.5-2 lb. weightloss? I expect to have stalls along the way and as I lose weight I may need to lower my average daily calorie intake (right now I average 1900 a day).

Any thoughts or tips are much appreciated.

[Redeemed]

Have you taken your measurements?? I was at what I thought was a stall and then I measured myself and I had lost inches. If you are building muscle, it is possible that the changes won't show as a loss.

[LessEveryDay]

No, I've never measured myself. Perhaps I should.

[aerogora]

When I did my very small garden (it took me all day) I was sore for several days after so I know that gardening really works your muscles. You are probaly just building muscle mass and that is why the scale isn't going down. I agree with Redeemed, measure youself. Don't get discouraged. I understand how frustrating a no loss week or two can be. Keep doing what you are doing and it will start coming back off!!

[coldbrightday]

Yeah, don't forget that muscle soreness almost always goes along with muscle edema. So if you're feeling achy from the gardening, chances are you're retaining some water in your muscles as well.

Just relax, keep doing what you're doing, drink lots of water and see how it goes.