can you hit a plateau after only losing about 20 pounds and how long does a plateau last? i dont know what i'm doing wrong. i'm not losing any weight at all. i gained roughly 2 pounds last week. i have been exercising 2 to 3 miles a day, drinking my water and i've actually been getting all my veggies and calcium in. in the last 2 weeks i've had about 3 off days which is a major step up for me since i was cheating all the time there for a while. will it just take me some time to get back on track or what? i know i need to have fewer off days but before my off days weren't really messing me up. i was still losing. i'm about to go crazy!!!!!

You may just need to shake it up some. Try varying your workout some by adding some speed while walking for 5 min. and then lowering it for 5 and then back up again, etc. You also may want to add some light weight lifting if you don't all ready. Also try playing with your eating plan too. Like eating more often during the day but with smaller portions and really spread your food out over the whole day to speed up your metabolism. Sometimes our bodies just get used to what we're doing and we need to change things to get it going again. I hit several small plateaus along the way and these are some of the things I tried to get the scale moving again. This is a long hard road and you've just got to stick with it to get what you want. Good luck, you can do this!

Beverly

that could be what it is. i've been eating 3 big meals a day instead of smaller ones. my doctor even told me to eat smaller meals more often. i just keep forgetting. and also i've been using a lot of salt here lately. it seems like when i'm doing really good and staying OP i crave salt!!! so the extra salting i do plus the pop i do drink i'm sure isn't helping even though i use the low sodium salt.

thanks Beverly!

oops!!!! soda??? drink something else. and you/re right about the salt. and the eating small meals is a great idea, and so are the intervals [even though they DO get challenging]. if you're using a treadmill, many of them have programs and you can find a good interval program, either hills or intervals.

let us know!

Don't despair jkfla! I had a plateau once that lasted for 12 weeks...I lost a total of .2 of a pound during it while staying perfectly on plan the entire time. My frustration was paramount and I think some people are still recovering from all my whining. It's unfair, plain and simple (especially when I consider I gained 6lbs over a two week period this Christmas that is clinging to me unreasonably). So hang in there, because AFTER that plateau ended I did lose several pounds in quick succession. Do you have low sodium, caffeine free, diet cola there? It's not quite the same, but some brands are pretty darn close to the real thing ("President's Choice" does it for me). I really believe cutting the 3 larger meals into 6 smaller ones is key - worked for me anyway. Also, guzzle down that water girl, force it down if you have to! Good luck and never give up!!

Hang in there jkfla. I agree with what's already been said. Shake things up some. Drink more water, change your exercise, and change your food. It seems like your body gets too used to your plan and you need to keep changing things now and then to keep losing.

It's so frustrating to be doing everything right and not see the results on the scale, but your body is changing, even if it doesn't show in the numbers. Keep up the great work and the scale will show it soon too.

jkfla-no worries, you will lose more and will keep it off It takes a lot of courage to talk with us about it-and from here-you know what you need to do which is exercise, moderate those portions-and try not to deprive yourself of everything. Learning to keep the weight off deals a lot with your mind and what you know you crave. If you can reward yourself now and then you've tricked you're body into knowing when it can and cannot have certain treats. Make sense?

Hang in there....I found this on another thread of mine....and I thought of you instantly....

Below is a checklist of possible reasons you are not losing weight like you think you should: (this is certainly not all inclusive, more ideas welcome)

PHYSICAL:

- Crucial: Are you drinking the full allotment of water?

- Are you eating enough veggies, or food in general, so your body doesn't go into starvation mode?

- Good carbs are necessary for your body.

- Are you eating too much ...Ultimately, calories do count.

- Are you eating enough HIGH FIBER FOODS to satisfy and keep you full longer?

- Are you getting enough sleep?

- Are you eating too many fats?

- Are you aware of your trigger foods - foods that promote cravings, for example caffeine?

- Are you planning and preparing?

- Do you need to reduce or eliminate your intake of artifically sweetened foods?

- Are you eating too much salt, contributing to bloating?

- Does your body need to adjust before losing more pounds?

- Are you exercising?

- Do you need to step up your current exercise?

- Women: Do you have raging hormones, is it your TOM?

- Are your age or medications a factor for slower loss?


MENTAL:

- Do you have unrealistic expectations (you can say what you want to happen, but your body will do that which it is capeable of)

- Are you unwilling to be patient enough to lose 1-2 pounds a week, which is normal healthy weight loss?

- Are you willing to examine your emotional reasons for eating? Food misuse is just a symptom.

- Are you taking care of yourself in your life? Making time for yourself, not being harsh with yourself etc

- Have you created for yourself a somewhat fufilling life? Why not? Do you need a hobby? A new job?

- Are you overstressed?

- Do you have a list of things you like to do rather than eat, ready for the difficult times?

- Are you sabatoging your efforts, without examining why?

- Do you want to succeed?

- Are you doing this for YOU?

- Is the emotional fallout from your scale use sabatoging your efforts?

- Attitude can carry you far - is yours positive?

- Do you have fear - are you afraid to face the repercussions of your weight loss?

- Are you in a depression?

- Do you have an unwillingness to change (characterized by anger, fear, depression)

- Do you communicate regularly with a support group or person? Do you journal?


SPIRITUAL - the Big Mystery

- If you have a spiritual practice, are you using it in your weight loss journey? Praying, studying etc


AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS

- Have you been to your doctor for a full checkup?

- Perhaps it's not time yet (for an unknown reason - such as unresolved safety issues etc)

I hope this help....it certainly helped me.....

Hang in there, plateaus can get you down, but at least you're not gaining.

Gina those are good, i'm going to print them out to keep. thank you all so much! i have been thinking about this all day.

i drink caffeine free diet dr pepper. but i only have 2 at the most a day and not every day. i have about 5 18 oz cups of water a day (with lemon ice cubes). i have 5-7 servings of veggies a day but i dont vary it. if i get on a kick for a certain veggie i'll eat that veggie that day and maybe one other one until i get tired of it and move on to another veggie. if that even made any sense.

i did figure something out though!!!!!
the points calculator i was using is WRONG!!!!! i decided to double check on this little calculator thing my step mom gave me and i came up with as much as a 3 point difference on some of the foods i had entered into the other calculator i was using. so today for example i thought i had 18 points left... i recalculated and i only have 11 points left. so starting today i'm going to use the WW calculator to see what happens.