I know people say when you hit a plateau you should change it up, but I don't know how I should change it up. I have been consistently loosing 2-4lbs a week since the beginning of the year, and these past 6 days the scale hasn't moved at all. I know I am probably gaining a lot of muscle too, because I am doing weight training with and a trainer who pushes me a lot harder than I would ever myself, but I was really liking seeing those numbers go down. My ultimate goal is get to onderland by May 1, 2010.

What can I do to push past this? Do you guys really think that sleep and stress play a big role in stalls? I wouldn't say I am super stressed but I do have stress, I have a two year old lol, and I am in school and l work. I don't have a day off. I work or go to school everyday of the week including sunday. Here lately I haven't been getting a lot of sleep either probably about 5 hours a night. My trainer keeps telling me I need to get atleast 8, but I never get 8. I have a toddler who likes to be up at the butt crack of dawn!

I wouldn't call six days of no loss a stall. I call that water retention, a colon in need of a cleanse, or just plain life. You're doing a great job!

Are you getting enough water in? I find that helps so much!

I too wouldn't call 6 days without a loss a plateau. We're not machines and therefore can't expect to lose the same amount of weight week after week after week - even if we replicate the same behaviors (food intake and activity wise). It just doesn't work that way.

What to do to push past it? Nothing. I wouldn't change a thing. I'd keep doing what you're doing and sit tight. If after 3 weeks or so (which I don't think that will be) with no loss, then maybe you should consider switching things around.

As far as sleep. On a rare good night I get 4 - 5 hours. Not ideal, but that's the way it is. It has never, ever affected my weight loss and now my weight maintenance.

I know I am being impatient. lol. Eliana- I do need to drink more water. I am really bad about that. I don't hardly drink anything through out the day. I maybe have 2 water bottles tops. I just don't drink a lot I am never like thirsty. I need to make myself drink more water. I think my problem right now is I am not eating enough. The last couple of days I have only ate twice with no snacks or nothing in between. I just haven't been as hungry lately. And I get full really fast.
Like this morning I had egg whites on a whole wheat english muffin with 1 piece of turkey bacon and an Orange. and I couldn't even finish the orange I was stuffed. Like I felt like exploding. Before starting to change the way I eat, I could probably put two english muffins down, and orange and some more lol.

Thanks Rockinrobin and Eliana for putting me in check lol, it's not a stall, I just need to be patient. I was lucky I was loosing more then 3lbs a week before, so I should just keep truckin'

don't underestimate water

in my old ways, i would go through the whole day with almost no water as well, and didn't feel thirsty either!

through "forcing" some drinks on myself though, i now actually feel thirsty and do drink much more.

i think if your body is used to not drinking, then it sort of gives up on it and gets by with whatever you give it and it takes through food. this is just my personal experience opinion though.

I think that is what has happened to me, my body is just use to not getting water or for that matter really anything to drink But I am going to try to start drinking more.

What do you guys think about those crystal light packets, do you think that is pretty much the same thing. I bought some Ice tea ones with lemon and they only have 5 calories. They are the little tubs not the packets and I put two of them in a empty gallon of milk with water shake and serve. I really like drinking that!

yup, they'll do in my opinion

even coffee/tea (i drink it completely black) is better than nothing, and i have been reading that they are minimally less hydrating than water.

sometimes i'll mix a tiny amount of sugarfree squash in a pint of water.

in general, do whatever u gotta to do to drink more

I'm personally an all water gal, but I think most people consider Crystal Lite just like water. It's hydrating.

You are most likely retaining water since you are building muscle! That would especially be the case if you are a bit sore. I'd just drink plenty of water and eventually the scale will go back down. Its probably not really a plateau yet, just a slight weight loss break

I think I am retaining some water Matt! I am sore, yesterday my trainer and me worked on arms and shoulders and they are sore today! Will my body ever get use to working out and not be sore after weight training? I need to drink some water so I can drop a few more lbs before my weigh in on Saturday for this biggest loser contest.

Your muscles get used to whatever you do if you keep doing the same thing, and quickly too. Which is why your wise trainer is going to push you to do different things, so your muscles hurt all the time. You may come to love the sore, believe it or not. There's a difference between sore and pain, though.

I have read that the body retains as much as 2 lbs of water for muscle repair any time our muscles are sore. It seems to be true for me. And yes, it eventually balances itself out.

Nope, you are just making an adjustment. A plateau lasts much longer. You are just doing fine, but do drink the water. Every time I lift weights my weight goes up by about 2 lbs the next morning. If I don't drink the extra water needed, my muscles seem to borrow it from my colon..so them I get constipated... which also adds to the weight...

I agree with everyone else, a plateau lasts much longer. The not eating enough can cause problems, but not usually if it only happens for a couple days. The hydration issue is probably the one you should concentrate on tackling. As for the crystal light, I have had multiple doctors, nurses, and dietitians tell me that it counts for water. One of the docs even told me it is all she drinks herself, she never drinks plain water. I go through more than a gallon of the stuff a day and it hasn't caused me a problem yet. The only problems I have had with it are that most of the ones I like are red and they stain and my niece will steal it from me if I don't watch her close - those two things are not a good combo, lol.

I have used Crystal Light consistently during my weight loss with no ill effects. Whatever gets you to drink more water, in my opinion.

(Roxy, I like the red ones too. My cat knocks glasses over on the carpet for attention if I'm not careful. I am thinking of keeping the Crystal Light and ditching the cat )

As for your six days of not losing, it's probably just your body adjusting to the new workouts you're doing. Building muscle does that to all of us at first. I haven't lost any weight since October. Now *that's* a plateau. Hang in there, you will be moving in the right direction before you know it.