Hi All
Well, over the past 1 1/2 years I have gone from 256lbs to 192lbs. I cannot seem to get below the 190 mark and its getting discouraging!! Right now, I eat mostly fruit and rice cakes, and special k, and yogurt during the day and then WW meals and lean cuisines with salads for dinner. I walk for 45 minutes everyday at lunch. I also do my workout tapes, 5 days a week in the afternoon for 40 minutes. Plus my fiance and I are very active. I am concerned that this is as low as Im going to be able to get????Im also concerned that if I try to exercise anymore, that I wont ever have anything to progress to if I plateau like this again!! Can anyone relate to this??? Any tips on how to overcome it?? I recently joined a weight loss challenge at my work, hoping that would give extra incentive, but Im doing even more exercise and the scale still isnt changing!!!!

Jewels - How many calories do you suspect you are eating a day? The reason I ask is becuz since you are working out so much , maybe you aren't eating enuf.
I'm also stuck myself, also have come a long way......but I'm at the point of trying not to let it get to me too much.....just keeping the fight up...

HI , Every one reaches a plateau at some time or another! You just have to tough it out and know that you will start to loose again. How many calories are you eating a day? You can eat too few, ya know. It slows your metabolism down. Are you drinking all your water? You might want to start lifting weights too (hand weights) for upper body strength. You're doing the right stuff, just keep it up.

Thanks for the replys!!!
I am eating about 1800 calories a day, usually special k w/fruit in the morning, yogurt with fruit, and preztels or rice cakes for lunch. Usually cottage cheese or fruit or a granola bar for an afternoon snack, and then healthy supper. I am drinkining about 120 oz of water a day. I alternate weight lifting as well with my workouts. I also have one of those vinyl sweat suits I wear to work out in to burn extra calories. I know I am doing the right things, Im just concerned because I have been plateauing for 4 months now!
Jewels

I'm no expert, since I don't count calories myself. But maybe your calorie intake is a tad high? Maybe one of the calorie counter chicks on here can reply to that.....

I definitely would NOT increase your exercise--seems to me you're getting plenty. What you might want to do, though, is change your exercise. Doing the same things every week, our bodies settle into the routine and get used to the same schedule, so changing, while not necessarily adding, exercise may help. Try doing a Tae-Bo video instead of your normal video. Try biking instead of walking. Just change it up a bit to wake your body up and kick it into gear!

Also, check your diet a little more closely. Seems to me you're not taking in much in the way of protein, which your muscles need in order to rebuild. Try replacing some of your "bad" carbs (special K, rice cakes, pretzels, etc.) with something more filling and nutritious (cold grilled chicken strips w/dip, cheese sticks, cottage cheese, even veggies for fiber). Maybe a healthier breakfast, too, like oatmeal instead of cold cereal, or even an egg white omelette with whole-grain toast with fruit?

A brief aside, I have heard multiple times that those vinyl sweat suits do nothing but make you SWEAT, not burn more calories. From my understanding, you're just sweating out water, not fat--sweating is an EFFECT of getting your heart rate up, and getting your heart rate up is what burns the calories, not the sweating. Just a thought--I don't think people walking in Alaska burn fewer calories than those walking in Florida just because it's colder

I agree with Jill, try adding more protein to your meals. You might also want to try calorie cycling where you eat say 1500 calories one day then 1200 one, then 1800 another, and really mix it up to keep your metabolism guessing. I would also keep up or increase the weight training a bit and try to vary your exercise routine. I'll bet if you really shake things up you'll break out of this plateau in no time! Good luck and keep up the good work, you're doing fantastic!

Beverly

Im have been sitting at my plateau now for quite some time.
And it can be downright the most frustrating thing to have to go thru when your losing weight. This is my second plateau and maybe my longest.
Im going crazy myself. I hate it, I know it happens but I could even handle losing just a pound a week, at least I would be losing. Nope nothing. And my Halloween goal is about to give me a kick in the butt.
So I know what your going thru to.
Ive tried Journaling and its showing me some errors but nothing to major.
Hang in there its got to end some time. Hope you get thru yours as well.

Yuppers I have plateaued since DECEMBER! That's nearly a whole year (OK well maybe about 8 months!!)! I'm just now starting to shake things up a little and really get back into it! My weight loss has always had plateaus every year or so, then I lose about 10lbs then plateau, then another 10lbs... you get the picture!

I would recommend that you drop your caloie intake slightly down from 1800 to around 1600. I started out at 211, and was able to hit around 190 eating 1800 per day, and right about that point I had to drop my calories a bit to continue losing.
This should get things back on track for you. I would also recommend that you try to change a few of your food choices during the day-maybe replace the Special K with eggs or oatmeal for breakfast (more protein or more fiber than the Special K).
Aphil

Jewels2:

Cogratulations on your weight loss! Wow! You must feel great! I know when I lost over 60 pounds I really could not imagine how much better I felt.

OK, now for the nitty gritty, and please don't take this the wrong way, but it seems to me like you are not eating much real, unprocessed food. Whole grains, fruits (I see you do eat fruit), veggies, real lean proteins, and lean dairy products, not processed meals. Your body needs real, wholesome foods to do it's job, and to fuel all that exercise. Here is a sample menu I stole from Mrs. Jim in response to another poster that I consider to be a great template. She didn't include veggies because they don't add many calories, so feel free to add as many veggies per day as you can.

Good luck, and keep working towards your goals. I admire your persistence.

Hi Jewels

Now that you are at 190 lbs (great job, by the way!), you probably don't need to be consuming 1800 calories. It would be better to do a zig zag with your calories from 1200 calories to 1700 calories. Also, I agree with the other posters that it seems you are missing protein and veggies in your diet. I know it also helps to mix up your exercise routine too.

I know it will happen for you, it's just a matter of time! In the mean time, I realize how frusterating it can be.......I'm sorry you are going through it, but you will definitley persevere!

Melanie