Well I should have known it would happen...but I honestly didn't think it would happen this soon. I dropped my first 25 lbs in 9 weeks and now I have been stuck at the same weight for the past 2 weeks. I have been reading this morning how to push past a plateau but I cant help feeling depressed about it. I work my tail off in the gym everyday and nothing is happening. I am still soda and fast food free so my diet I don't think is the problem but I could be wrong. Has this happened to you? How did you move past it?
Last edited by Inkedmama98; 07-17-2009 at 10:57 AM.
It has happened to me, honestly, when this happens to me I eat crappy for a day or 2, no exercise on these days either, then go back to eating healthy. it works, for me and my friend anyway. It's sort of like tricking your body.
2 weeks is not really a plateau. 25 pounds in 9 weeks is fantatic, it is normal for loss to slow down after the first few weeks .How many calories a day are you eating ? Are you drinkjng enough water ? Are you eating foods high in soium ? Just some questions to ask yourself .....and yes, most of us have experienced a slow down , a plateau. It is discouraging but if you continue with your diet and exercise you will start losing again.
I'd look at what you're eating (calories) and what you're doing outside of the gym (general moving around). Just make sure that they haven't changed recently.
With the exception of poor eating and/or no exercising weeks I don't think I've had a plateau in well over a year. I've had weeks where I've lost more (or less), but haven't really had one. However, I eat more than the average dieter, and except for the first month haven't lost at the rate you are losing. Your body may just be fighting back for a week or two. I wouldn't consider it a plateau until after a period though (as you may simply be retaining more water this cycle).
It's frustrating to have the scale not move, but this is perfectly normal! Remember that the scale weighs ALL of you. So it's hard to tell if what we're losing (or not losing) is fat, water, etc.
It's also hard to know what causes plateaus to start or end. Sometimes we think when we do X on day 1 and see a loss on the scale on day 2 that X is the cause. But in fact it could be from Y and Z that we did from the week before that!
Bottom line: Weight loss is not linear. All of us who lose have to find ways to keep motivated when the scale doesn't move. I like to find other ways to measure my progress -- days on plan, or tracking all my exercise, or measuring myself...
When I plateaued, for 3 months (!), I decided to concentrate on how my clothes were fitting versus what the scale said. I stayed 100% OP and didn't lose a pound, but, I lost 3 dress sizes. Sometimes your body needs time to adjust. Track your measurements and how your clothes are fitting, and be confident. If you keep doing everything right the weight WILL COME OFF.
Don't worry. I've just come off a 4 week plateau. Yes, I was frustrated and upset, but I kept on my diet and kept up the exercise and I was finally rewarded when I weighed myself today. Just keep plugging away and the weight will come off. You should be proud of how well you've done already
I plateaued for 5 weeks, and although I`d always be quick to offer verbal support to others it was very frustrating when it happened to myself. I was almost ready to accept that I won`t lose any more, ever, and instead should make sure that at least I won`t regain it.
I then lost 3lb in a week and 1lb the next week.
Frustrating as it is, it`ll pay eventually to persevere...
Thank You all so much! I am going to grab my and keep on keepin on. I keep meticulous track of my exercise and weight...I think its about time I do the same with a food journal. Thanks again! This site is sooo amazing.
I just had a nearly 2 weeks "plateau" but stuck to plan, drank a load of water when the scales weren't going down (10 glasses a day) and then my weight whooshed down by 5lb over 4 days. Try not to be frustrated, stick with your plan, increase/decrease calories if you think you need to, increase exercise if you think you need to, check what foods you're eating, check you are eating the right amount and drink a lot of water and see what happens.
Keep in mind, also, that muscle weighs more then fat. Sounds like you're becoming a fat burning muscle machine !! Yay !!
Actually a lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat. The muscle just takes up less space.
Hang in there. Your body is probably just adjusting. Two weeks really is not a plateau and any number of things can cause the number on the scale not to move. Take measurements and track your loss in inches as well. I find this helps when the scale is not being my friend
Hit a Plateau..ugh. this happened to you?
I am still soda and fast food free so my diet I don't think is the problem but I could be wrong. Has this happened to you? How did you move past it?
it works, for me and my friend anyway. It's sort of like tricking your body.
and keep on keepin on. I keep meticulous track of my exercise and weight...I think its about time I do the same with a food journal. Thanks again! This site is sooo amazing.
