My plateau has lasted three weeks now - its horrible. I have been exercising everyday of the week, except one. This week I have even increased my exercise levels but adding a lot more walking in. It is so disappointing when you put so much effort into something and get nowhere. I can see why so many fail to maintain a diet, and stick to it in the long run.

I have a new job, I'm starting next week. It is at a school providing the IT support, the school is quite larger, with about 5 buildings on campus - this means I will have an increased amount of walking, and stair climbing, during the working day. Hopefully this will contribute.

I even went to the doctors and she said I was making great attempts!

Thing is are plateau supposed to last for nearly a month? Do you think there is a weight your body willl get to and refuse to go any lower?

It's times when Im in public places I feel different and awkward, feeling like the odd one out. There are so many girls that are so anorexically thin it's scary. I dont expect to be that thin, I wudnt want to be, just thin enuf to fit a comfy size 12 or 10.

Loopy, boy am I glad you posted this. My stats look almost identical to yours. I have been up and down with 2 lbs for the past 2 months!! I REFUSE to eat any less. I exercise 6 days also for 45 min. to 1 hr. I CANNOT do anymore exercise!! It is very frustrating. I went thru the stage of not weighing myself until I went to WI at WW once a week thinking I wouldn't stress out if I didn't see a daily change. Now I'm wondering why I'm paying WW to weigh me when I'm sticking to their plan faithfully. I was just talking to my 29 yr old DD last nite, and I think I am going to not go to my meetings for now. I have done WW 4 times now in 20+ yrs and I have finally looked at this as a daily way of life. I just keep trying to stay positive and eating healthy. I do feel better and have gone from a size 18 to a 16. I'm hoping to be like you in a comfortable size 10-12. It is just so aggravating to be losing the weight steadily a pound or two at a time and then all of a sudden gain or stay the same. I REFUSE to give up this way of life. Guess maybe this 49 yr. old body is trying to tell me that it's not going to budge anymore when it comes to weight loss. If that's the weight I'm meant to be, then so be it!! I will just keep eating sensibly and exercising. How could my body be such a TRAITOR?!!Oh well, we can only do the best we can and be here for each other. I used to be 117 when I reached my WW Lifetime Membership in the 80's -guess I'll have to raise my goal weight to 155 maybe instead of 135. Hope someone else posts that has better insight for us. I have had soooooo many people tell me to eat more-tried it. Eat less-tried it. Exercise more-tried it. Exercise less-tried it. Guess everyone's body is different. I will just go to sleep every night knowing that I am doing the best I can. What more can I do to keep positive?

Yes, the plateaus are TERRIBLE. BUT! There may be a good side!!

I was stuck at 195 for 4 terrible, never-ending, discouraging weeks. In April, at 195, I had tried on a pair of my old jeans, I couldn't get into them at all. BUT 4 weeks later, at the exact same weight, I don't know what possessed me to try to get into those jeans again, but I slid right into them, buttoned, zipped---comfortably ! Exact same weight, but different MEASUREMENTS.

So, take heart---your body may just be readjusting the poundage. There is HOPE!

I have been on a plateau for a few weeks too. I know your body will adjust to your new routine and then it will move again. How long have you been doing your curret plan? Are you getting enough water? What about the way you are eating? I know these are probably questions that you have answered before but maybe that will help give a little more insight.

I had that terrible plateau last year - 12 weeks at 140. I finally just gave up and started maintaining and eating more. Over the next 7 months I lost 13 more lbs - but it was slooooow.

Hang in there! If you've made healthy changes, you plan to stick with them for life anyway, right? It wasn't tough for me to stick with what I was doing, I had committed to doing it for my lifetime.

Thanks Mudbugs! You reminded me that I did just that on Mother's Day. I fit into a pair of 16's I'd bought the month before that were too tight to zip and button, but I tried them on before a trip and they FIT with room to spare. Just need some "reminders that it's not all about the numbers. Thanks again for the support:}}

likewise, I fit into a pair the other day that I couldnt fit into two weeks ago. Fair enuf they didnt look great, but they fit - a nice low pair of hipster jeans. I am running for an hour a day for one week, and riding for an hour a day the next week. My calorie intake is between 1200 and 1300 a day. I eat very healthily.

I have noticed a huge muscle increase within my legs. I dont know if this is bike related or because of the fake sit-down exercises I do. I don't wish to maintain, I wish to loose - lets just hope me body gets it arse into gear soon.

You can relax a bit. It sounds like your plateau is totally normal. I was at my last plateau for 2 months (gaining and losing the same few pounds)! I increased what I ate, but still managed only to maintain, and I was still working out a couple times a day nearly every day. Depending on how much progress you've made and how quickly the weight came off, sometimes your body just needs to take a break from losing weight.

As frustrating as it is, just keep up with working out and when your body is ready, the weight will start to drop off again as if by magic. In the meantime, if you aren't already, try to vary your workout routine and the types of food you're eating. Also, maybe try drinking even more water than you normally do; that sometimes helps.

It's hard to be patient when you're working so hard. Good luck and hang in there!

Dont think of it as a bad plateau...think of it a maintenance....I did it for 5 weeks....Now I know whats its going to take to stay at my goal.

I had been stuck at 150 lbs. for 3 or 4 weeks. It was terribly frustrating. I kept eating right and exercising and just yesterday finally saw a 2 # drop. I was ecstatic. I thought my body was refusing to go any lower. I saw a show on TV the other day that said plateau's happen when the internal organs need to readjust to a smaller space. This made total sense to me and reaffirmed that we aren't doing anything wrong and just need to wait it out.

I've been in my plateau for 3 months. I've actually lost some weight during this time, but it was from having the flu. The good news is that the weight stayed off. Anyway, plateaus happen sometimes and there is nothing we can do about it. I've tried every single thing possible to break mine, including eating terrible again just to see if my weight would go up. Yes, I actually did that. But in this time I have continued to lose inches, which is what really matters. I'm able to get into a pair of pants that have pretty much never fit me. Now they are too baggy in the butt and thighs.

Keep hanging in there. This change in the way you eat should be a permanent one. Any extra weight you have will come off if you are eating healthy and exercising. But if you don't want to just sit and wait, you can try to up your calories to see at what level you start gaining. This will help you know not to go above this level in the future. Plus it may just be that your body is waiting for more calories. Who knows.

Don't give up. It will happen. If I can still have faith, then so can you.

You know, I never thought about that; it does make total sense. I've got a funny mental picture of all my internal organs all squished together like too many roommates sharing an apartment that's too small. Thanks for sharing; that actually makes me feel a little better.

You are welcome, this made me feel better too, at times I hit plateau's and it was frustrating. But, knowing the reason why and knowing that is a totally normal physiological response makes it easier to accept.

Keep it up. I hit a plataeu a few weeks back for 4 WEEKS! It was not fun. But I stuck it out and have lost 14 pounds since. : )

Oh I know how you feel. The last 2 months I have lost 2 pounds - I'd normally lose 8. The last 3-4 weeks i've lost nothing. NOTHING.

I know my pill is messing things up - I was waiting for TOM for a month and now it looks like its going for it all over again! I've gotta go back to the docs and get something better.

But it is incredably frustrating. I like the weekly loss. I like that weekly thrill.

Grrrr. Yes I've still lost inches but its not the same as that weekly drop.

No, I'm not going to give up. I like the way I live now but I can't say I'm happy with this stall.