I woke up this morning very excited to get on the scale. I've been doing so well, exercising, eating right, and saying no to all treats. I stayed well within my calorie zig-zagging range. I was feeling good about myself.

I got on the scale and... nothing. Nothing gained, nothing lost. I can't tell you how quickly my mood plummeted. I didn't exercise, and I didn't eat breakfast. And now before lunchtime I ate 600 calories worth of cheetos. I'm furious with my lack of weight loss, I have been bouncing around between 179-182 since the end of August. No matter how much I exercise or maintain my calories. I zig zag around my BMR calories (1,570ish) consistently, exercise consistently!

This is a very dangerous path for me. It takes 110% of my energy not to binge on a daily basis. All that effort seems wasted these past couple of months. I changed my lifestyle 5 months ago and I'm still obese at 179lbs after having lost 36lbs. I don't know how to keep on keeping on.

I can feel your pain honey, truely I can. Ive been on this path of losing 3 lbs, gaining them back. Over and over. Its been going on for two months now. And its due to my binging. I lose control on Saturday and Sunday nights, derailing all my efforts that Ive dont MON-FRI. Which is usually pretty perfect.

It takes extreme effort (like a drug addict needing a fix) on my part not to binge on the weekends, and I succeed wonderfully up until the evening of the Sat & Sundays. Then it all goes down the damn drain. Ive been getting support on here for it, but it just goes in one ear and right out the other obviously cause every weekend is the same thing. Im getting really angry at myself and at the point to where I dont like myself for letting this happen. I went 9 months obstaining from binging too badly, now its back and much worse. I keep coming up with new plans of action, and none of them seem to deter me from binging. So needless to say, Im kind of stuck right now......hopeless and just sick of myself.

So you are not alone. I feel your pain.

ugh... I'm sure most of the people here can relate to what you're feeling. It's the worst! I'm pretty much in the same spot and it makes it so hard to keep going when you are stuck for months at a time. I lost 30 lbs and then got stuck. I have been stuck between 195 and 200 since August now and I get so frustrated!

It makes me want to stop exercising. It makes me want to eat what I want because I start thinking "what's the point? I'm going nowhere!"

It's even harder when the friend that you started with has not plateaued and while you started at the same weight she has now lost 35 more lbs than you have! So frustrating. I'm happy for her and sometimes it motivates me to think about how far she has come but sometimes it just gets me angry and into self-pity mode.

I wish I could tell you how to get past that plateau, but I'm in the same damn spot! Just don't give up. Keep coming here and sharing what's going on. Support is what will help you get through it. Try looking up ideas for getting past a plateau. If you find something that works, share it! All the best to you!

Well, binging is one way to break your plateau, but we all know you won't be happy with how it turns out, so stop it now!

And as someone with your same stats, and also pretty close to a plateau, you are 4.5 pounds from NOT being obese. That's way better than when you started, and you feel so much better and look so much better, too. As one of my coworkers would say -- '4.5 pounds? A good poop would take care of that!' Strange, but maybe true.

Keep zigzagging, consider changing your exercise routine a bit, and we'll both be there in no time, I promise.

I know what you mean! When that happens to me, I feel like, "Oh, yeah? I'll show...you!!!" Doesn't work or anything, but I feel your pain!

I'm worried. How does someone with Compulsive overeating disorder overcome a plateau? When I've learned to turn to food at any sign of stress this setback could be more than just a number on a scale. How do you get through it when it seems like it's all for nothing?

I guess you tell yourself that it's not all for nothing. Just because the scale hasn't moved for a while doesn't mean you're stuck there forever. The number on the scale is just part of the picture -- are you losing inches? Maybe take a picture, and compare it with other pictures from a while back. That helps me.

But never forget that binging will get the scale moving upward, and you'll feel sluggish, and probably either constipated or something else like that! It's really not worth it.

BTW, I think most all of us have been bingers at some point in our lives, or we wouldn't be here. Work on identifying what sets you off, and then you can start to control it. And I try to keep acceptable binge foods around, like raw veggies, in case it happens.

Try to remember, this is about changing your LIFE, not just your weight. To that end, you are making GREAT progress.

Thank you for the encouraging words. I know we've all been there. A plateau is innevitable.

A plateau in not inevitable. I lost 185 pounds and never had one, although I also didn't binge, and if I had a week without a loss I kept going and by the next week I'd lose double...(whoosh!). A real plateau is not just a few days without a loss, a plateau is going months without losing while sticking perfectly on your plan. If you are cheating here and there or binging weekly and your weight stalls it is not a plateau, it is called maintaining.

It sounds like some of you have just become comfortable at your weight and really not motivated or committed enough to lose more....and that is OKAY.

I'm new here...just joined a few days ago. But I wanted to chime in and say I agree with Lori Bell (and btw, your story is amazing and your transformation is amazing and you look fabulous).....I've been on Atkins for a little over 5 months and I've never hit a plateau. Yes, every time I breach a new, lower number, it may bounce around for a few days.....but it keeps going down consistently. BUT.....I am doing a very spartan plan....have not cheated once...since I started. I decided it takes what it takes and I want it that badly.

And I also agree that if you are comfortable, that is OKAY. But if this is making you unhappy....there has to be a reason why you are stalled like this for so long. I could not get the Atkins diet to work for me this time around but I did some research here and ultimately learned that my body was recognizing artificial sweeteners (which I'd not had a problem with 20-some years ago when I last did Atkins) as sugar and totally stalling me and making the diet not work. Once I figured that out....it's been moving steadily along since....steady weight loss.

If this is really upsetting to you....try and figure out what could be stalling you. There has to be a reason. Or perhaps you could change it up...try a different type of diet and see if that will knock you out of the plateau. But please do not let this make you feel defeated and then have this result in overeating from frustration. That will only make you more unhappy, ultimately.

You CAN move forward again. Think positive and don't let this upset you. Either evaluate what could be stalling you with your current plan or change it up and try a different diet. And put yourself in a positive and motivated place in your head...so you stay focused and don't overeat.

I understand how being unhappy with what the scale reads leads to wanting to throw in the towel and eat more...

Last week it was the TOM but regardless, I was hellbent on losing weight so when the scale gained 1-2 lbs or remained the same... I was so disheartened

My bf was the one who held my hand and pushed me through this depression because he reminded me this is not a temporary change to our lives but a permanent goal to be healthy so every step is progress.

I chose to ignore the scale for a few days and it really helped.
After my temptation to binge passed, I was genuwinely proud of myself for fighting through it.

~~ TODAY I had a huge temptation to buy a Oreo Mcflurry from McDonalds but this is how I ignored my temptation

1) Look up the calories in a mcflurry >.< ~ 550 cals
2) Make a collage of all my ugly pictures and make it my computer background.... reminding myself why I decided to make a life change


Good luck with you~

My personal trainer told me that if I get discouraged about weight loss, it could be motivating to focus on the progress of my endurance. Like, successfully increasing reps on my strength exercises or increasing the incline on the treadmill.

Maybe for my situation it was inevitable. Maybe I'm not as strong as you, maybe I can't overcome my bingeing without slipping up like you, maybe we're just completely different. Your progress is amazing and you didn't cheat at all, but I can't compare myself to you. Maybe our ideas of plateau is different. My idea is that I was consistent for 2 months, exercising and dieting with occassional slip ups and didn't lose a pound. Fine... I'm maintaining.... the point is that I'm not plateauing because I'm bingeing. I'm tempted to binge because I'm plateauing.

Just because I'm having a difficult time with dieting at this moment does not mean that I'm comfortable in my weight, it does not mean I'm not motivated, and it does not mean I'm not committed. I was never questioning my committment in the first place, especially since my weight loss and fitness level speak for themselves.

Maybe the solution is to try to find ways to deal with frustrations without food. I'm still dealing with how to do this myself. I find talking to someone or coming here to vent helps(I hope it helped you)

I also like the idea of working on a fitness goal. Focusing on fitness tends to keep me from binging.

Also have you ever thought about seeing a therapist? Just for someone to talk to about why it takes 110% of your effort to not binge, they may be able to give you insight and help you see why you do the things you do. It has helped me tremendously. BTW I'm not talking about getting to the root of deep issues I'm just talking about getting a different perspective. I happen to go to a non profit place that takes patients on a sliding scale because money is an issue for me. Maybe it will help!