[Butter_Butt]

Having a couple problems. My weight is fluctuating 1 to 7 lbs per day, but am losing inches. Perhaps it is water weight, because am on my period. The second problem is, I'm finding it difficult to lose past 350. Uncertain, but I might have reached a plateau. October 26, 2009, I weighed 378.2. Didn't weigh for a long while. When I finally weighed, my weight was 394. I know I gained well over 400. I say I might have reached a plateau, because there is no telling how much weight I've lost. I can only count my weight from June 27,2011 which was 371.2. Years ago, when I lost an enormous amt, I plateaued @ a loss of 60-80. A friend told me when I reach a plateau to eat anything I want for 1 day, then resume my current eating the next day.

[lynnie923]

Usually when I feel I have reached a plateau I lower my caloric intake and up my water intake and exercise about 10- 15 mins more. See if that works.

[Pacifica Bee]

A plateau happens when you are eating the same amount of calories/energy as your body is using. So, you either need to make your body use more energy (increase your exercise) or you need to eat less. How are you tracking your intake?

[Lovely]

Originally Posted by Butter_Butt

Having a couple problems. My weight is fluctuating 1 to 7 lbs per day, but am losing inches. Perhaps it is water weight, because am on my period. The second problem is, I'm finding it difficult to lose past 350. Uncertain, but I might have reached a plateau. October 26, 2009, I weighed 378.2. Didn't weigh for a long while. When I finally weighed, my weight was 394. I know I gained well over 400. I say I might have reached a plateau, because there is no telling how much weight I've lost. I can only count my weight from June 27,2011 which was 371.2. Years ago, when I lost an enormous amt, I plateaued @ a loss of 60-80. A friend told me when I reach a plateau to eat anything I want for 1 day, then resume my current eating the next day.

1) Weight fluctuates all day long. It is not uncommon to gain pounds from the morning until we go to bed. It's why most people stick to ONLY weighing themselves once a day at around the same time so that they can get an accurate read. I can gain 5 pounds a day easily while eating healthfully and exercising. It's a normal human body thing. Can't be changed.

2) A plateau is when (while sticking to plan) you weigh the same for about 4 - 6 weeks with barely any change. For example: You weigh 350.5 one day. The next week you weigh 351. The week after that 350.5. The week after that 351.5. The week after that 350.5. The following week 350.5 etc. etc. Bouncing up and down very little, but not quite pushing through a certain point. That is NOT the same thing as slower weight loss or occasional up weeks. Which would be: 350.5... 351....350...350.5....350...349.5....350...349.0.. .. As you can see the difference is that the numbers -are- going down, just not quickly.

3) In both cases (if a person isn't content with the weight lost), change is likely necessary. What a person chooses to change or switch up is individual. They might switch around their exercise routine, or lower/raise calories for a couple weeks to see what gives. They might try new foods or recipes. Some people even switch plans for a week or two.

4) Eating anything you want for a day and then returning to normal... it is a change, but as to whether or not that's going to work for you is individual. I would (personally) not like that, because a day of eating anything I want in any amount could easily be 14,000 calories. I could eat a cake. A whole cake. So that's not an option for me.

You have to ask yourself if you're going to be able to return to normal after a day of eating "whatever/however". Or if that's going to spiral out of control for several days/a week which could actually have the OPPOSITE affect and cause a lot of weight gain.

If you're actually on a plateau, I suggest making a change... watching the results of that change for a couple of weeks, and then changing something else up if that doesn't help. It keeps you following healthy habits in the first place, and at some point you will find the combination that helps you to bust through to a lower number.

[rachel1985]

Don't feel bad. It's been happening to me too.

[KingBee]

While I wouldn't eay anything you want for a day, there is actually some method behind this madness. True, you could consume a massive amount of calories, but what is suggested in calorie-cycling is a moderate bump.

For example, if you are on a plan where you count calories and let's say you average around 1600/day. For a day or 2 pump that up to 2000. That's nothing extreme, and it won't sabotage your plan like a massive calorie day.

The idea behind this is that when we limit calories, we are tricking our brain into thinking there is a shortage of food. Our caveman self doesn't want to die, so of course it decreses the rate at which we burn calories. If we give our brain a bit of an upswing once in a while, it never gets into "starvation" mode or any reduced ability to burn calories.

Of course, this is just the sumary I came up with reading a couple of studies and online anecdotes. Check out the web for the actual scientific studies on calorie cycling.

Good Luck.

[SoDetermined]

Well, I am NO expert myself, as I really just started, but here is what I do know. You have to burn 3500 calories to burn 1lb of stored fat. So if you have not upped your exersize or downsized your calories after all that weight loss then you are starting to maintain your current weight, rather than lose more weight. You may want to rechart your BMI and find out how many calories you need daily to maintain that weight, and reduce that, as well as add a little more exersize. Hope it helps, and good luck, and don't give up!! And, CONGRATS on all your progress so far!!!!!!