Plateau =(
 

So, I have hit a plateau & I hate it. I have been stuck at 182 for 3 weeks, and I am doing everything right. I actually had a friend tell me that I am obviously not counting my calories right because there is no reason for a plateau - I almost cried. What's super annoying about this is that my husband & I have decided to try for a baby in a couple months, so I was super duper motivated to get this next 25 lbs off & I haven't moved an inch. I am so depressed about this. I have been working so hard. I even upped my workouts from just doing the Shred to doing 30 or 60 minutes on the elliptical everyday, so I was hoping for big numbers these last 2 weeks & was utterly destroyed when the scale hadn't moved.

The reason for this post is 1)to complain & 2) to make sure that this is normal. I know it is, but I just need some reassurance.

I'm doing a detox for 5 days just to get the junk out of my system (fruits, veggies, & a colon cleanse), and I'm just praying that this is the boost that my body needs to start losing again.

Help girls! I feel so sad about this, and I feel like I have been setback in having a baby. :(

Ya, I have, and I have been losing inches. I posted them in the 30DS thread. But still. It's frustrating.

NOT losing is always a bummer! Do you have any nonscale victories? And I'm with the chick above, check you measurements. Are your pants loser? Keep your head up! You can do it...and the baby will come. I always got pregnant when I was losing weight. Go figure!

One Pound at a Time!

It happens to lots of people, and always seems to me like it occurs at the worst times. Some times your body has to readjust. It doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. :hug:

Chance, i am in the same boat..ever since christmas was over i started back on plan its been almost 3 weeks, and my scale numbers havnt moved once, ive only weighed abt 4 times since...but it is the same 79.3 kg every time. i thought i would never hit a plateu because ive lost more than this before and it never once plateaud.
it is so frustrating and i feel like giving up sometimes, but i guess you just have to keep at it.
it will move one day, and you are losing inches anyway so you know its still working!just dont give up!

Chance, your detox sounds good. Are you good on water? Also, I have found that when I take too much artificial sweetner it anchors my weight.

I'm drinking my water, yes. And I really don't use too many artificial sweeteners. I usually have 1 dr pepper per day & then I have water the rest of the day. But this week I'm not drinking any soda, so it's water & no sugar added juices.

As long as you are losing inches you know you are getting the job done. Soon those muscles you are building are going to eat the crap out of the fat that's holding on right now. It just takes time. And when losing weight that's one thing we seem to have too little of.

Good luck with it all and congrats on deciding to start a family. How exciting!

Its totally normal and SOOOO frustrating. I would maybe try to switch up your workout to maybe another sculpting video? How many calories are you eating a day? Sometimes it helps to up them for a couple days.

Chance, I am sorry. It sucks to work so hard and not see the results on the scale. But just think you are making your body stronger for the baby you will have. Don't give up, we have all been there.

Heather: Yes, I do calorie shifting.

yelie: I was reading up on Plateaus & something I read suggested doing Yoga or something similar for like a week to give my muscles a break. I aim for 1700 calories per day, but I don't get upset if I go over or under. In fact, most people suggest you do that.

First of all, congrats on your weight loss. Second of all, plateaus are normal. I think we all get so accustomed to losses (big or small) and when we see the scale not budge, it really puts a downer on us. That's why I decided not to weigh myself until Valentine's day and I am kicking my butt to stay OP for those 27 days. I haven't hit a plateau but I haven't been doing so good on the weekends - I'm lingering between 222-218 which is just as frustrating! I'm tired of seeing the scale go up & down. Just keep up the good work. Rotate workouts a bit, because your body might be use to your current one. Eventually things will kick into gear. Usually after a plateau you'll see a decent loss!

Thirdly, I wish you luck with having a baby! Because of my weight, I encountered a lot of problems trying to conceive. Maybe it wasn't the right time. But I'm losing the weight so I can be healthy and have a baby after I get married in November. :) Everyone says I'm crazy for losing weight to have a baby..But this is a lifestyle change. And I want to be the best mommy I can be!

If the inches are melting away don't worry so much about the weight. IF you are doing any weights or cardio you could be starting to build muscle which will affect your weight. You could also need to change the number of calories you are intaking. It's possible you should be eating fewer cals now that you've lost some weight.

Wormwood: THEY are crazy for saying that to you. How is it not a good idea to lose weight before you have a baby? I'm doing it FOR my bebes! =) I want them to have a healthy mama that can keep up with them & also so that I don't get all the crappy things that can come with pregnancy when you are super overweight. You are doing a great thing for yourself & your wee ones. Don't listen to your friends - they are wrong.

Nicki: I have adjusted my calories based on my weight loss. Everytime I lose a pound, I go back & recalculate how many I should be eating. It re-adjusted when I kicked up my workouts so I can have more, but I still stay between 1550-1700 calories. I usually hit about 2000 twice a week, so that it is all over the place so my body doesn't get used to one set number.

Hm? Well good for you for keeping up with what you need to do! I'm sorry I can't offer much more to say. LOL. Just stick to what you're doing and you'll see it again

I started at about the weight you are now, and I needed to eat less than 1700 hundred a day to see any really significant weight loss -- I started around that, but I only lost 3 pounds my first month. I targeted 1300 a day the next month and I lost too fast...the next month, I went for 1500, with calorie cycling, and my weight loss picked up to a nice clip but not more than 2 lbs. a week. Now, in maintenance, I seem to be able to eat around 1800-2000 calories a day to hold steady -- and this is with 45 minutes of HIIT cardio 5 days a week and 30 minutes of strength training 3x a week. Since you are not near the "dangerously low" zone calorie-wise, I think I'd try lowering your target number for a couple of weeks, not too low but lower, and see where that gets you -- the calculators are general and do not work perfectly for everyone's metabolism.

It just might be time to shake things up a bit more. Good luck!

Thank you so much Schumeany! I wanted someone to tell me what I was doing wrong. I was getting so frustrated. After this week of fruits & veggies, I will scale it back & hopefully start to see some dropping. :hug:

You're losing inches, so you really aren't at a plateau. Just keep on doing what you are doing!

Chance, I just posted my own plateau woe-is-me story a couple days ago... and again today in the WL Support section. I'm eating 1400-1500 calories a day, working out an hour a day.

The fact you are losing inches means you are not at a total plateau. I've pretty much stopped losing inches. I mean things will decrease a tiny bit one week and go back up the next. In about 3 weeks I've lost .5 inches CUMULATIVE from 10 places I measure on my body.

I'm just starting to change up my workouts. I was rotating 3 days of 60 minutes on the TM, then 3 days of 60 minutes on the exercise bike, then a day of 60 minutes of whatever, usually Dance Dance Revolution. I've decreased the time on the machines and added in other exercises, like weights, pilates, stair climbing, etc. I have calorie cycled for two days. No plateau breakage yet though. :shrug:

Unfortunately, with having a baby, you may have to adjust one of your plans, either the date you start TTC or the weight you are when you start. I understand disappointment. I mean, I'm going on a big beach trip, which I know can't be compared to having a baby, but I have been working out and eating smarter for 3 months now with this in mind... and I've lost only 4 lbs. I'm nowhere near goal so there's no reason my weight should be the way it is.

Hopefully your cleanse will help you. The only problem with them is whenever I've done them or friends have done them, they pretty much gain back EXACTLY what they lost during it. That said, I'm hoping my vacation might even make me lose weight--I'll be in a new place, eating new foods and doing new activities. Hopefully it will shock the fat right off me!

Anyways, good luck to you. I was just going to start a weight loss tips thread. I'm willing to try anything! If people have done anything and it helped them lose weight, I'll try it!

Chance- I feel for you! I applaud your decision to try to be healthier for your babies!
I am also at a plateau and it is killing me!!! I usually do 30DS with treadmill and tae-bo. I really think it is the muscle you are gaining from 30DS that is preventing the scale from moving. And I also agree that cutting calories may give you the boost you need! I am laying off the 30DS b/c I am insane and need to see those numbers on the scale move.
Good luck!

Hi Chance - Just wanted to say sorry and I feel your pain. I've been stuck for 3 weeks now too. Don't you just wish there was a weigh loss manual that had all the right answers. You could just open up to page 58 and it would tell you exaclty what to do LOL Wish I could offer advice but I don't know what the h*ll I'm doing :) Just try not to stress out to much and know you are doing a good job!!!

Plateaus are totally normal. I have personally had one for over a month when I was eating 1200 calories a day and working out.