Plateau Hit?

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  • A plateau isn't measured in days, but rather in weeks, typically 3 or 4 (or more) of no scale or measurement change! IP recommends weekly weigh ins.
    Stay off the daily scale if it is causing stress. Stress increases the hormone Cortisol, and too much causes weight gain or stalls on diets.

    There are so many contributing factors to weight loss...many more than carbs/calories in/out, especially for women. Monthly cycles are a huge factor.
    So is another hormone called Leptin.

    One more huge factor: patience!
    Really. We didn't gain the weight overnite, either.
  • Many people have reported that eating a nice juicy steak will break up a lull and get things loosing again.
  • I'm about 27 from goal.
  • I didn't lose any weight for 4 weeks but I dropped almost 14 inches in that time. Watching the scale stay the same was frustrating but the lost inches made it all ok in my book! As long as you are following the plan you will lose when your body is ready!
  • I have also heard that drinking more water will help speed up weight loss. I go by the half your body weight in ounces method.
  • Quote: I have also heard that drinking more water will help speed up weight loss. I go by the half your body weight in ounces method.
    On Ideal Protein that's not entirely the case - you can't "speed up" the losses by altering the program. That said, drinking plenty of water (at least 64oz per day) DOES benefit you in terms of maintaining proper hydration levels so that you don't retain water unnecessarily, and flushing through your kidneys to keep them healthy (high protein diets can be tough on your kidneys/liver).
  • Mine isn't really a plateau hit, but my hydration levels have been going down every week. I drink 8 - 10 8oz of water a day for the 7 days before my weigh in.

    The only thing that I can imagine is that I'm not drinking any water before my appt. My appts are at 8 every Wednesday so I don't think about drinking anything that morning before, plus, I want to weigh as little as possible when I weigh in. Has anyone noticed a difference in their weight if they drink something right before?
  • A gallon of water weighs about 9 pounds, so yes if you drink water before your weigh in you will be higher on the scale.
  • Quote: I had hit a 3 week stall after I was on the plan for several months. Then I noticed I lost after I had eaten out. I realized I was eating either chicken breast or fish for my non IP protein and was using WF salad dressing packets for convenience.
    I had gone down to no fat. The body needs some fat to lose fat.
    I started to put my full allotment of olive oil on my salads, I did not use it to cook;used Pam for that. If you have your oil in the salad it sticks to the leaves and you get it all.I also made sure I had beef several times a week. The stall was broken.

    IP is very low in fat, make sure you are getting all that is coming to you or the body holds on to what you have stored.

    Thanks for this- I think this is why I have stalled as well. I get all my water and packets in but not all my food.
  • What about salads? Do we have to eat 2 salads a day?
  • Quote: What about salads? Do we have to eat 2 salads a day?
    Welcome to 3FC-IP. Im not quite sure you found the right thread to ask this question so I hope you see this answer.
    Some coaches require 2 salads/day.
    The protocol only calls lettuce "unlimited" but does not "require" salad every day.