I've lost about 20 pounds in the last couple of months and things are slowing down. Really slowing down. I've been around the same weight for the past couple of weeks and the scale has been see-sawing back and forth between the same couple of pounds. I waited to see if things would change but I don't think they will. Something is off.
I'm exercising approximately 40 minutes a day (brisk walking). Due to PCOS I'm eating less than the average person of my size -- around 1200 calories. I'm drinking lots of water, taking vitamins, restricting my sodium intake, and eating plenty of fibre.
But.
I'm constipated. Have been for the past few days. The scale won't move.
Have I hit a plateau? I don't understand plateaus or what causes them but I'd really like to get out of mine. I need to lose this weight desperately and while I'm happy about the 20 pounds, it's really not enough. I'm still huge. My PCOS is still making my skin terrible and I just feel so down.
How do you break a plateau and get the weight moving again? What can I do better?
I wish I didn't care what the scale says, but I do. When it's such a huge number I'm seeing it only makes sense for me to care deeply about what it says.
I've read several things on 3FC as possible solutions for breaking plateaus, like:
That said, I'm officially DONE with weighing myself every day and will be taking myself off the daily weighing thread. It's not helping me at all.
Hope you'll be feeling better. I only weigh weekly myself because the daily weighing drives me nuts and makes me super-obsessive. Doing so allows me to concentrate on my healthy habits and how I feel rather than look for reassurance through the number on the scale.
Hope you'll be feeling better. I only weigh weekly myself because the daily weighing drives me nuts and makes me super-obsessive. Doing so allows me to concentrate on my healthy habits and how I feel rather than look for reassurance through the number on the scale.
Thank you.
Yeah, it's doing that to me, tbh. I'm getting way too obsessed and see every tiny fluctuation as a personal failure. I'm going to be weighing weekly from now on; I don't think I'm strong enough to handle daily weigh-ins just yet!
I also have PCOS and my most successful weight loss effort ever was using calorie cycling. I did a version of the Up Day Down Day Diet and lost 50lbs. On my down days (low days) I ate low calorie and low carb. On my up days I ate whatever I wanted.
This worked really well for me for about 6 months when I hit a roadblock that was, in hindsight, probably more related to personal stress. (Financial...this whole thing happened when the economy tanked and my own personal economy was in a serious depression.) The stress got to be too much and the failure of the diet was really more about me not having my head in the game than it was about the plan itself. Due to the high level of stress, the high days got higher and higher and the low days got harder and harder, until I gave up.
Now, I am doing a similar plan but, cycling carbs more than calories. I really believe in the cycling theory because of past success and because I bought the book that Dr Johnston wrote (you can google JUDDD, a lot of the plan is online) But in the book, I read up on the science behind it. So, I understand better why it works. On a similar note I also bought one of the PCOS IR Diet books. I didn't necessarily follow either of the plans to a T...but as they say, knowledge is power. I learned some important things about PCOS, nutrition, balancing carbs with proteins and the science behind weight loss.
I also believe in the cheat day. It was the ONLY thing that kept me on track for six months. Most of my other weight loss endeavors only lasted a month or two before I started feeling too deprived. If I know there is at least one day where I can indulge, I can stick to the plan better all week. Maybe it isn't the answer for everybody. But, I do believe it works for me which is why I tried it again when I finally got my head back in the game.
I believe that is another important component of success. Eat less, move more sounds simple. Calories in, calories out, also simple enough. But, a huge part of your success in weight loss is mental. You have to figure it out and wrap your head around the idea. Invest in it emotionally. If you don't get there mentally; it will be almost impossible to get there physically.
Your PCOS body is going to fight you along the way, you--specifically the "yous" who are my cysters -- have got to be mentally strong. It can be and has been done...even with obstacles like PCOS, diabetes, insulin resistance and/or hypothyroid. Most things worth having are worth working for and I believe our health is one of the things worth having.
Most things worth having are worth working for and I believe our health is one of the things worth having.
Thanks for your great response. So well-put.
I'm really interested in calorie cycling, I think I made a thread asking for info earlier this week, so I'm going to read up on that later tonight. If I do try it I want to make sure I'm doing it right.
I agree that weight loss is mental as well as physical. Definitely. But I don't know if I have the mental part down yet. I'm very anxious and neurotic about it at the moment as it's all very new to me. There's no sense of calm or "it doesn't matter if you're not losing at the moment; everything will be okay!" Because I didn't get a loss this week I feel like a failure. Maybe I've been too strict. Maybe I'm overthinking everything. I've been very annoying making posts here at 3FC this week, and I'm sorry for that, everyone! but I need so much help with this.
So far I haven't allowed any cheat meals for fear of falling off the wagon, but I'm just going to trust myself and have one. If you guys never hear from me again, I failed BADLY at the cheat meal and may not resurface for another six months!
....No, that's a bit dramatic, lol, but sometimes I'm scared that will happen. I want this so badly and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it.
I wish I could be like some of you sometimes. Just... relaxed. Calm. Assured. In comparison I feel like a baby bird squawking and flapping my wings.
Thank you mariposssa for your response; it's always so inspiring to hear from other women who have accomplished weight loss with PCOS.
I do all three of those you suggested.
I would recommend reading up on the Spike diet. It is based on a once a week splurge that is twice your BMR and then through the week you cycle between low and high calorie days. "High" calorie days you eat at your BMR and low calorie days you eat at 500 below your BMR, unless that would be lower than 1200 calories and in that case you just eat 1200 and try to make up the rest with cardio.
It is actually a fun way of dieting and don't worry, the spike day added with the rest of the days will still result in weight loss. It helps to know that things you are craving can just be added to the menu on spike day.
I have recently been combining Spiking with IF and I love both of them. During the week I try to keep my carbs a little lower and then on Spike day I don't pay attention to carbs or protein or anything.
Check it out and see if it would work for you. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Whatever you decide to do, it is natural for your body to stall out at times. The times the scale has stalled out for me (when I was still on plan) was usually when I would see more inches being lost. I think the body has to kind of "recalibrate" and then it will begin losing again.
Also, find something for that constipation. Two of my preventative measures are to take either ground flax or chia seeds with lots of water (about a TBSP of either daily) and/or take a magnesium pill at night and it will work by morning usually. For the flax/chia, you can either mix it right in the water and gag it down or you can sprinkle on your food, just make sure you drink a good amt. of water for it to absorb. The reason I use that over metamucil or something is because it has the omega 3 and other benefits too. I also take fish oil daily and I think that helps too. I have heard lots of people say that their unhealthy foods kept them much more regular than when they ate healthy. Good luck!
I do all three of those you suggested.
I would recommend reading up on the Spike diet. It is based on a once a week splurge that is twice your BMR and then through the week you cycle between low and high calorie days. "High" calorie days you eat at your BMR and low calorie days you eat at 500 below your BMR, unless that would be lower than 1200 calories and in that case you just eat 1200 and try to make up the rest with cardio.
It is actually a fun way of dieting and don't worry, the spike day added with the rest of the days will still result in weight loss. It helps to know that things you are craving can just be added to the menu on spike day.
I have recently been combining Spiking with IF and I love both of them. During the week I try to keep my carbs a little lower and then on Spike day I don't pay attention to carbs or protein or anything.
Check it out and see if it would work for you. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Whatever you decide to do, it is natural for your body to stall out at times. The times the scale has stalled out for me (when I was still on plan) was usually when I would see more inches being lost. I think the body has to kind of "recalibrate" and then it will begin losing again.
Also, find something for that constipation. Two of my preventative measures are to take either ground flax or chia seeds with lots of water (about a TBSP of either daily) and/or take a magnesium pill at night and it will work by morning usually. For the flax/chia, you can either mix it right in the water and gag it down or you can sprinkle on your food, just make sure you drink a good amt. of water for it to absorb. The reason I use that over metamucil or something is because it has the omega 3 and other benefits too. I also take fish oil daily and I think that helps too. I have heard lots of people say that their unhealthy foods kept them much more regular than when they ate healthy. Good luck!
Thanks!
I think I need to take something for the constipation as I hate it and am not used to it at all. It's weird that more fibre and healthier eating habits results in less regularity than terrible eating habits! Thanks for the tips!
Do you find it's easy to get back on track after the 'cheat' meals?
I had my first one tonight and all up I've had about 2500 cals today. I feel pretty gross (already super-thirst bc of the sodium!) but I'm hoping it'll break my stall. I know it's normal to stall but I wasn't expecting it quite so soon.
Tbh, I probably would have given up already without 3FC and all the things I've learned from the members here. Usually when I stall for more than a week I throw up my hands in defeat and cry into an extra large bag of potato chips. I'm just grateful for this place and the fact I'm still here after a month.
Are you drinking TONS of water? BC if you are indeed eating more fiber than ever but are still constipated, you may just not be drinking enough water and everything is just bulking up down there as opposed to passing easily.
Your "cheat" meal should help get things moving for no other reason than that it will prob upset your tummy a little. But try more water too. More water is always useful.
Advice to get the weight moving again?
I only weigh weekly myself because the daily weighing drives me nuts and makes me super-obsessive. Doing so allows me to concentrate on my healthy habits and how I feel rather than look for reassurance through the number on the scale.
-- have got to be mentally strong. It can be and has been done...even with obstacles like PCOS, diabetes, insulin resistance and/or hypothyroid. Most things worth having are worth working for and I believe our health is one of the things worth having.
