Plateau Help
 

Hi all,
Since plateaus seems to be the the most dreaded part of dieting....I was just curious how long they usually last for you and how you get out of them. Thanks!;)

Well if you are looking for specific advice you'll have to post way more information. Where are you at, how long have you been at a "plateau", what is your calories, how closely do you track them, what is your activity level......etc.

Here's my opinion on this topic.

1. The first solution is patience. We expect our bodies to conform to some mental timetable we cook up, when in reality our bodies are undergoing significant change so plateaus and whooshes are to be expected. Unless you are in a month - 6 week range where you are positive you are in caloric defecit with no change, don't stress.

2. People overestimate their caloric defecit, leading them to believe they are plateauing when they actually are "maintaining". This can happen easily if your defecit is say 300-500 calories a day, but you cheat a couple of times a week. If you do not calorie count, this is a great place to start tackling a plateau, be sure you really are in one;)

3. If you have been in a true plateau for a while and you are sure you are in defecit, here are some things I have seen around here as options to get going again.
a) Adjust your calories (sometimes down, sometimes up, can't provide tips without knowing a lot more)
b) Zig/zag calories (eat an average amount per week, but vary individual days by 200-400 calories above and below that average)
c) Adjust the content of calories (if you eat a lot of carbs, try reducing this a lot but keeping your calories near the same level)
d) Mix up your exercise, change intensity, time duration, type of workout, all of the above. Sometimes we get in habits in the gym and we start doing the same thing over and over, our bodies get good at it and we don't get the same benefit.


All of that said, to be honest, 8 out of 10 times I see this post on here the answer is either patience (you are looking at too short of a time horizon), or inaccurate calculation of defecit (meaning you "expect" to lose more than you really should).

Well there really is no one *usual*. And it's not a given that one WILL plateau. I for one never did and there are others on board here who haven't either.

Many plateaus, though certainly not all, are self-induced. One starts looking and feeling good and then gets a little sloppy with their eating, taking in more calories than they did in the past. A simple food journal is one way to get them back on track.

Also as we get smaller, we require less calories to function, so our calories will need to be adjusted in order to continue to create a calorie deficit. Our calories will need to be adjusted and/or our exercise increased.

With some brutal honesty, a little tweaking here and there - and some patience, (especially for the non-self-induced variety) as long as you continue on, any plateau that may arise can be busted through.

Thank you so much for the advise. You did a wonderful job on your weight loss....congrats!!

I've just broken through one. I was at 203 for a month through no fault of my own. To get through it I just had to have patience. ;) Really, that's all it took. I was already doing everything right. I just had to wait for my body to catch up, and it did.

This was exactly where I plateaued at my lost weight loss attempt. That time I gave up. This time I plowed through!! And I made it. I made it through a plateau for the first time ever!

Like Robin, I never had a plateau. 2 different times during my weight loss I had a week with no loss, but followed by a week of a higher than average loss. But I never had a plateau like I read about here...where a person stays perfectly on plan, exercises, drinks their water and goes months without losing. To be honest, if I would have experienced that, I don't know how long I could have made it until I called goal...lol

Like Eliana, i think patience and sticking to your plan is key to get through a plateau. I have been at this for six months now and have hit plateaus a few times and for me they lasted 2-3 weeks each time.

I'm currently stalled, and I know it's because I'm not keeping my face out of the sugar. I'm not binging enough to gain weight back, but it's keeping me from losing more. Now I'm seeking professional help and 12-step work to get me where I need to be.

Do you think too much exercise can sometimes be the culprit? Building muscle (which weighs more?) Just wishful thinking.

Ummm, no. It takes months and months and months of hardcore strength training to build muscle. Besides if it WERE muscle, which again it's unlikely, that would be a good thing. A very good thing. The more muscle we have, the less calories we burn just standing still.

When you first asked the question I thought it was just a generic question, perhaps you were looking ahead, asking *just in case*, not that you are currently in the MIDST of a plateau.


Why don't you tell us a little about your plan and how long this plateau has been going on for and we can see if we can help you out?

Yes and no, a normal adult female would be luck to be able to put on 6lbs of muscle in a year, however, when you first start working out you can hold onto a bit of water in sore muscles which can account for a little weight.

It was just a plan a head question. I have had some slower times...lasting a couple weeks or so, but my body seems to eventually catch up. Just a general chat...seems like I keep seeing the topic come up.

That makes sense. Thanks for the education.