[gray eyed girl]

I have been stuck at 222 for almost a week now. I know plateaus happen to everyone and I have said myself that if you just stick with it, eventually you HAVE to break through it. But I hadn't hit one yet and I am really frustrated right now. Tuesday night I overate, because we went out to dinner. I still didn't eat as much as I used to when we went out, but I ate way too much anyway. But for the rest of the week I've done great. I've been drinking water like it's going out of style. What else can I do? Do I just need to be patient? This is really frustrating.

[SoccerGirl]

You know, I hit a bit of a plateu myself not to long ago and the nutritionist told me to eat a bit MORE that week and then go back to the normal caloric intake I was using. Sometimes your body get's used to the food intake and adjusts itself to that.

Don't know if I'm making sense here. But give it a try, if you eat say 1200 calories normally, try 1500 for a week then go back to 1200. It will jump start your body so to speak.

Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP!

[paperclippy]

Hang in there! It maybe not even be a plateau starting, your loss might have just slowed down. Losing .5-1 lb/week is perfectly healthy -- it's not like there's a rule saying if you don't lose 2 or more a week you're doing it wrong. I've only been losing an average of 1lb/week all year, and I've hit some plateaus, but if you wait it out, chances are that like me, you'll keep losing.

One reason your weight loss might slow down is that since you have lost so much already (great job, BTW), you aren't burning as many calories just existing as you used to, so you need to adjust how much you eat appropriately. Now might be a good time to recheck your BMR with an online calculator so you can stay on track.

Don't give up! I wouldn't even call it a plateau unless you've been stuck for two weeks or more. Chances are it's just slowed down a little. Good luck!

[aphil]

I agree-staying the same weight for only one week does not yet constitute a plateau. Now, staying the same for 4 weeks does.

Weight loss slows down quite a bit after a while-I am at the point where I struggle to lose 1/2 pound a month now.

[dona]

I just went through this for two weeks.. finally the scales moved today!
If you are eating less than your burning It's got to move soon.. There were some great suggestions from the girls in my post from yesterday about stuck scales.. Hugs!! Hang Tough!!

[KIMMIFIER]

patience patience and even more persistance with what you are doing RIGHT!
I have gotten a lot of really good advice here in the last few weeks I've been around. Everyone plateaus, it is a fact of dieting. It just means your body is adjusting to the new you. It doesnt hurt to stir things up a bit, add extra calories for a couple of days or workout more or drink more water but the fact is your body will adjust to these things too. Our bodies are powerful wonderful machines. I know mine has to be to have sustained me through 10 years of poor eating and no exercise. 10 years of being over 300lbs. Give your body credit for the weight loss you have had thus far and thank it by continuing to nourish is with good foods and hydrating it the way it was meant to be. And exercise if you are able. I just heard on Denise Austin's Fit & Lite this am that strength training just twice a week can aid in weight loss. Perhaps adding some light weights a couple days a week will push the weight loss forward. Bottom line, you are worth it and your body will budge eventually. Keep up the good work and stay on plan.
Been there!
Hugs!!
Kim




END OF SUMMER CHALLENGE

[gray eyed girl]

Thanks everyone. This is just so frustrating! I have been more successful this time than any other time I've attempted to lose weight and now I feel like I'm failing. I'm not giving up, so of course I'm not failing, but that doesn't change the feeling. I've been eating around 1500 calories most days. I am not overly strict about it, that's just my general guideline. I very, very rarely go over 1600 and am sometimes down closer to 1300 or so. It just depends on the day. I *know* that I'm burning more than I'm eating, which is why this is frustrating. I am making sure to really stick to "the plan" again, as I've slacked a little the last couple days. I just posted my meals in the accountability thread and I have had a lot more sodium and a lot less fruit/veggies than I have been eating so far, so maybe that's playing a part too.

Thanks for the encouragement. I know that I'll start losing again. It's just SO frustrating!

edited to add: my gosh, I need to buy a thesaurus. How many times can I use "frustrating" in one thread?

[haleys]

I'm pretty sure, like I, you said you were doing the elliptical. I've heard its a good idea to switch up the type of exercise you do because your body will get used to the exercise. If you do have a membership to the gym, perhaps you should begin to look at some aerobics or spinning classes. I know the gym I go to has classes at all different times during the day, so that's a possibility. If you don't go to the gym, maybe you could look into some aerobics videos/dvds or tae bo or something, just to switch up the type of exercise. Don't get discouraged, you've lost so much weight already!

[YP1]

I seem to have a "mini-plateau" every month or so, lasting about a week to ten days each time. Over the month my loss averages out at roughly 2lb per week, but some weeks I lose more (usually straight after TOM), and some weeks I lose nothing. Even if you weigh yourself more regularly, if you're feeling discouraged look back to how much you weighed last month. If the figure's gone down, then you're still doing well.

[MorticiaAddams]

Yup been at a plateau myself and they can be argravating as all.
But like the girls are saying it happens and you will get thru it.
Sometimes if your working out to much take a day off, let your body rest, Or try changing up your workouts. Maybe what your doing your body needs a little more of a challenge, More weights a diffrent machine.
Your body will get back in line. Im pretty sure I went a month thru my plateau and that was so frustrating. I just wanted to see the numbers change and go down and they werent they were just standing still and I wanted to scream.
Then is happened the weight started to drop again. Any other time I would have given up not this time I was waiting it out. Continued to eat right and exersise and it happened. It will for you to. Keep workout out and eating right. It will happen cant say when but your body will let you know.

[gray eyed girl]

thanks everyone. I did go exercise tonight - only half an hour today though. I really wanted to do more but I've been having some problems with insomnia this week and I just couldn't do more. I'm planning to go tomorrow though and get in at least another half hour. If nothing else, at least I've started looking forward to going to the gym and I am physically incapable of eating the way I used to because it just makes me feel nauseated to eat that much. So the scale HAS to move eventually. It's just stubborn.

Haleys, you're correct that I usually do the elliptical. I also do the recumbent bike and the weights, so I'm getting a little variety in there. I'm looking forward to when school starts up again, so I can go swimming a couple days a week at the aquatic center at the school. That'll give me a completely different workout 2-3 times a week, and I'll continue with the elliptical the other days .

See, I really am in this for the long haul!

[funniegrrl]

Staying the same weight for a week is NOT a plateau or even a cause for concern. If I weigh myself every day (which I don't do often), my weight not only doesn't drop every single day, it actually goes up and down from day to day. I only "use" the numbers from Saturday to gauge progress, and even then it may not change much if at all in a given week. This has to do not only with the fact that the fat simply does not burn off at a consistent weight, but that all kinds of things can affect your "weight" that have nothing to do with how much fat you have.

I highly recommend this article to help understand what the scale actually measures and why those numbers shouldn't be microanalyzed: http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspart...ight/scale.htm