[GinnyT]

Any tips or tricks for breaking a weight loss plateau? I've tried upping my cardio, increasing my calories (don't want to go lower - eating 1500 at 5'11), varying carbs/protein/fats etc.
What else will break a plateau? I've been stuck at the same weight/body fat percentage for 6 months....
Thanks!

[jiffypop]

ummmm. how close are you to your goal? sometimes the body just won't go any lower...

drinking more water?

varying the exercise pattern?

varying the calorie intake every few days?

i'm sure someone far far wiser than i am will be along soon...

much sympathy to you.

[GinnyT]

Well, I've reached my "goal weight" which turns out not to be my goal body.
What I'm trying to do now is lower my body fat percentage just a bit. I'm somewhere around 19% - 20% and I think I'd like to be around 16%-17%. I seem to be stuck however - I can't seem to move from this plateau. Scale weight is going neither up nor down and body fat remains the same, even though I've increased both my cardio and my lifting. Help!

[MrsJim]

Ginny - Welcome to Maintainers!

Ya know, I have the same 'problem'. Right now, it takes me FOREVER to lose a pound or two. That's the main reason I don't weigh myself. And I don't do the bodyfat testing thing either - I'm not trying to get into a competition or anything. As long as I can fit into my size 4's, then I know I'm doing okay.

19%-20% bodyfat is an EXCELLENT place to be! Don't make your life miserable by obssessing about being a lower BF#. The thing is (as I've painfully learned myself), once you get to a weight that your body is 'happy with', any efforts to get lower will result in a killer rebound. At this point, what I'd suggest is doing a little 'jogging in place' and just keep doin' what you're doin'.

Another thought - how much weight have you lost in total? Perhaps what you're looking at isn't fat, but loose skin and empty fat cells. How have you been measuring your bodyfat percentage? BF measuring isn't an exact science by far.

What I'd suggest is keep up with the exercise and eat right - but don't get all upset about it. You're at your goal weight - now's the time to enjoy life. Summer's almost here - find something active and non-diet/fitness related to keep yourself occupied (with me, that's horses...could be something else for you - golf? tennis? Something active and FUN!).

ENJOY LIFE!

[SeekInnerThinChick]

19% - 20% bodyfat is pretty low for a woman, especially if you're over 18. And you're 5'11" tall, so I imagine you already look pretty slender, possibly more than you think. Sometimes we have "phantom fat" and think we look worse than we really do.

Getting ultra-low body fat can be difficult-- some people are genetically capable of ultra low levels, others have a naturally higher level. The only time in my life I've been below 20% in body fat was when I ran track long distance in college. That was running outdoors about 10 miles a day. And I don't think I could get there at all at my age now.

So I would say, instead of trying to go lower, why not work on reshaping the parts you're not happy with through weightlifting? It can totally change you, build you up where you need it and slim you down, too. It's helped me a lot! You might want to consider posting your pictures in the gallery here to get some ideas, too. (Getting feedback from other people is helpful in getting rid of that nagging feeling of "phantom fat.") There are a lot of experienced people here who can advise you. Good luck.

[GinnyT]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
Mrs. Jim - Thanks for the welcome! I know where I am is not a bad place to be and if you'd have told me a year ago that I wouldn't be happy at this body fat level I would have thought you were crazy. It's just that now I want to see how good I can look, you know? I haven't lost a ton - only about 25 lbs. I'm sure some of what I'm seeing is skin (back of arms, for example) but a lot of it is mush (ie fat). I know there's great muscle underneath and I want it to show. I'm measuring body fat with those stupid impedance testers - I know they're not accurate but that's what the trainers at my gym use. As long as I see the numbers going down, I'm assuming I'm on the right track.
SITC - I'm not sure it's "phantom fat." I will admit I have a bit of body dismorphic disorder when it comes to my thighs but I think in general the fat is really there. Whether I'm at a "set point' and will never be able to go any lower, I don't know. But I'd sure like to find out!!
I"ll see if I can work up the nerve to post pictures.

Thanks again for your help

[jiffypop]

SEE??? we DO have lots of wisdom around here!!!! i don't mean this to sound flip or anything, but sometimes plastic surgery is not a bad idea. there's some stuff that just won't go away. on the other hand, the fact that you're at your goal weight, but not your goal body, might just mean that the old bod just needs some time to adjust.

mine's STILL adjusting after being at pretty much the same weight for close to a year. i'm still losing inches. reshaping things. even the skin left from my double chin is tightening up!!!

soooo, listen to MrsJim and SITC. two VERY VERY smart and experienced women in these matters.