hey everybody!

could really use some advice. after losing like 17 lbs in the last two months (yay me), i've been stalled at like the same weight for a few weeks for seemingly no reason. it's starting to get really annoying. and i'm still overweight so it's not like my body kicking in saying "ok you've hit goal weight now". i've been doing the same things as before when i was losing weight (keeping calories 1200-1400 and exercising 5-6 days/week for at least 45 mins usually more) if not even picking up the exercise. ****, the other day i jogged 15 miles at a 10 min mile pace in one go! that alone should've made the scale budge. but nada. wtf. anyways, after that disappointment i fell off the wagon for two days, nothing too crazy but definitely ate closer to 1800 calories and didn't exercise :\ but, cue scale: no change for the worse either. so yeah. what gives?! sorry for ranting. but i defer to your (collective) expertise:

any suggestions as to how to get the scale moving down again? i had a halloween goal that i really wanted to meet (amongst other goals) so any brilliant insights from all y'alls' successes would be much appreciated!! thanks a bunch friends!

I would suggest switching up your workout routine. Have you heard of HIIT? Instead of jogging at one steady pace do a shorter workout with higher intensity bursts. Also add in the 30 day shred. It's a very challenging 25 minute workout! Your body has just gotten too used to what you've been doing, you need to confuse your muscles.

1. stop the negative self-talk. totally uncalled for. You have had great success! remind yourself of how far you've come.

2. it's not flat-lining. plateus get such a bad rap. we all want that chart to be a straight sloping line going down. totally unrealistic. especially when most of us are so busy. Plateaus are practice for maintenance. that is a gift. you can say to yourself, yes the weight is gone for good! i won't just gain it all back. this is a lifestyle change. it's more than just the scale.

3. looking at your ht and wt, seems like you are getting down on the low end. the closer to goal we get, the harder it is. we can still get there, but we need to be patient.

4. how long has it been? i wouldn't say the loss is stalled untill it's been maybe 2 wks or more for some people. some people get closer to goal and only lose 1/2# a week.

I had a plateau lasting all summer. i got close to 100's and got scared. I was stressed. still over eating on the weekends. now i've lost 12# past the plateau. almost 5 of those in the last week. what did i do about it?
first, i discovered online support. you've already found that, good for you!

now find some friends and personally connect. find some blogs you really like. We are not alone!

i decided i had to stop focusing on the weightloss, and figure out why i couldn't get past that wall. 200 for so many of us, is the lowest we remember for years. it's hard to get past that.

I really just stopped thinking about it eventually. Instead:

I listened to Inside Out Weightloss. IOWL. it's a free podcast. no ipod needed, just play it on the computer.

when i had hard times and triumphs i pmed my good friend online. She understood. i felt better, instead of stuffing my face. not saying that's your issue, but it's a common problem when we don't have enough support. people that really 'get' it.

I focused on other aspects of health.....
consistent w/o. a little, alot. something everyday. I'm home everyday. there's no reason i can't exercise, except my mind getting in the way.

focus on gaining muscle, learning new strength training exercises. training in new ways to challenge my body.

joined 2 check ins for accountabilty. everyone needs some kind of accountability. for alot of people, it's more effective if it's a real person/group of people. real life,virtual. or your own solution of accountability.

most recently, i signed up for the 5# challenge, biggest loser challenge starting next week. and counting and logging my cals and activity on fit day. i love all the charts. logging it makes me think twice before i eat something. So far, it's been easy to keep my cal low and healthy.
you've got to go back to what motivates you? where is your commitment? and of course it goes without saying, if the scale isn't moving, you might be losing inches still, gaining muscle. body composition matters more than the scale.

Try something new! plyo, tabata, speed skaters, side lunges, longer distances, hills, sprints, find the joy!

hopefully, this helps lots of people. try not to be too discouraged about the number. it doesn't define us. there can be success in everyday. try to improve just a little everyday.

if they haven't already, someone should put info about breaking plateaus on a sticky somewhere.us

yea, what shytown said lol. i forgot to say Hiit. you can use a free online timer for that too. and people have them on cell phones too.

How long is a few weeks? Remember that fluid weight fluctuations can happen for many different reasons and can mask real weight loss. I tend to lose about a pound a week when averaged over a period of several months, but I often don't see that loss when it happens because of other fluctuations of +/-2 pounds or more.

Also sometimes after a big loss - and 17 pounds in two months is quite a big loss, more than many of us ever see - your body may just want to pause for a little while to adjust. Sometimes people see changes in their shape during these periods of several weeks without loss on the scale.

This process takes patience. You will not see regular weight loss every week like clockwork. If your plan has worked so far - and it sounds like it has - then give the scale at least a month before you start messing with your plan.

I want to share these two articles by Lyle McDonald that I turn to whenever I feel down about a plateau. They always cheer me up

Not Losing Fat at 20% Deficit
Of Wooshes and Squishy Fat

15 miles at a 10min pace holy crap you should feel good about that alone! That seems pretty rock-start to me!
Definitely listen to the advice posted above, throw your body some curve balls, eat some things you've never tried before or don't usually eat. Try some more strengthy type exercises.
Also If the scale is not co-operating put it in the basement for a while- or in some other place out of sight. You know your eating healthy food and have an active life style so just take some pleasure in that. If the scale is frustrating you- just avoid it for a while.

thanks for all the helpful advice everyone! gonna start spicing things up a little bit per recommendation and lay off the scale for a few days and see what happens! suggestions greatly appreciated