Best way to shock my system out of a Plateau??

Hi! I have been here since January and have lost just over 40lbs. Though, for the last month I have heen hovering between 185-190. I can't take it! (Yes, I've lost 20% of my weight so I think this is officially considered a plateau.) I've been going to the gym M-F, usually burning 700-800 calories while there, staying mostly at 1500 calories....some days 1200-ish. Granted, I have been doing the same ol routine of the treadmill (though I try to alternate between 3.5 with high inclines, Random cycle, speed intervals--3.5/5.5) and the Elliptical machine. I lift 2x a week. I drink tons of water and green tea. (more water than tea)

I need some serious suggestions on how to pull through this! I have just come back from taking '2 weeks off' so that idea is out. I have been 'back on' for two weeks and still have the same deal. I have about 40 more to lose and don't have time to let this stinkin' plateau get in my way! Help!!

:)

Recheck your burn meter now that you've lost. Have you lowered your cal intake now that you're using less energy to carry your body?

That sucks, but hang in there. I've been in a plataeu for about a month (weigh in is on friday...wish me luck).

I zig zag my diet, but lately I've been back to getting "strict" again (keeping around 1500).  I feel lighter so we'll see...

Also, the scale isn't freaking me out bc I do measure myself every couple of weeks. If one tool of measurement is frustrating, usually the other shows results...I always know I'm on the right track.

If those don't work...HANG IN THERE! I've heard of them lasting a while so keep trucking ... you'll get there!

I started zig zagging only 2 weeks into my diet because I heard it prevents plateaus and keeps your metabolism guessing so that it never becomes stagnant. 4.5 weeks in and I've lost 10 lbs, never hungry and don't feel any kind of deprivation. Go to the link below, use the tools and read the article. Good luck!

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm#

What worked for me was I introduced more raw veggies and natural colon cleanser foods, grains and cereals which are nutrient rich and high in fibre with more water(with no pills or kits).    I was then able to move on!  lol 

When losing weight like you have, it takes time for the body to adjust, in a way it is testing you to see if your going to give up and just go back to your old ways.

Healthy food will help your body do what it is suppose to do. 

surfkitty  Is right, variety in a any diet is important, trying new foods is all part of the change we who want to lose weight for ever, will go.  I have started going to a health food store, a bulk food store and an organic food store..I have food many different foods, which are all healthy and good for a diet..but a new taste!

It does take time too...

Thanks, everyone. Can I ask, which foods exactly, are considered natural colon cleanse foods? Thanks

Does your gym offer any classes? I had never biked before and when I started going to a spinning class 2 -3 times a week I lost 8 pounds.  Your booty will hurt for a week (the seat takes a little while to get use to), but it changes things up, and makes your legs look amazing.

To answer your original question, I think you may be undereating. At that weight range and caloric burn there is no way that your body is getting enough nutrients. (though honestly, the machines totally exaggerrate. To burn 700-800 calories, but I'm sure that since you're a regular visitor of the gym, you probably know how much you actually burn as most people figure that out through other stuff like heart rate, energy expended, etc.) Anyway, even if you're only *really* burning, say, 400 calories daily in addition to a 1200 calorie diet, your NET calories consumed is 800 calories, which is definitely not enough for even a person who weighs 105 lbs, let alone 185/190.  I know that they say that 1200 is the lowest "healthy" amount of calories a person should consume daily, but that's definitely not the case if you are an active person. Sure, this figure can work for some people, but it should not be used as a general rule of thumb. I learned this the hard way. For a while I was totally inactive and just diligently watched my intake, which I slowly stepped down from 1400 to 1200, and I lost about 20 lbs. Then I started working out regularly and I actually ended up GAINING about 12 lbs because apparently my body was shocked from not getting enough food and it was under the impression that I was starving myself. This totally infuriated me, so that's how I actually ended up on this site. Apparently my recommended caloric intake is 1340 or so, and I eat anywhere between 1300 and 1500 a day, adjusted for how hard I run.  So far I've lost about 5 lbs since the beginning of the month, which isn't all that spectacular, but it's good enough. Anyway, moral of the story is that you should probably bump up your caloric intake and see if your body responds. You should not be creating a deficit greater than 1000 calories between what you are burning and what you are consuming. That's really the most important ratio to watch for... The suggestions above about zigzagging are great, too. Even if you shift 20-50 calories in either direction, it may still be enough to throw your metabolism off the course of homeostasis.

To answer your question about "colon cleanser" foods, it's basically anything high in fiber. Any sort of fruit (eat it fresh with the skin), apples in particular, are always a great choice. Leafy veggies and broccoli are great ones too. Whole grains have tons of fiber: think super dark or super coarse grain bread, oatmeal, shredded wheat, bran, lentils, beans, and popcorn are also full of fiber. You can always take those FiberOne or Metamucil or whatever other crap (no pun intended), but I guarantee that the more natural your fiber source, the better the outcome. Drinking tea is great-- it's a dieuretic and it flushes your system. They make "colon cleanser" teas also, though I've heard from a few friends that they aren't always pleasant, to say the least.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks so much for your reply! Good thing is I have most o those foods already. Think I'll try to eat as much as I can of them the next few days. I will try zig zagging and some new variations to my workout this week. Scared to up cals, but I have heard that works. It's just a hard idea to swallow when you want to lose weight. I know alot of people are scared of doing that. Thanks for all the replies!

I feel your pain! For the past couple weeks I have hovered within the same weight (give or take one or two pounds). After seeking advice from people here on CC, I took a small "break" from dieting. In fact, it was completely unplanned since I had to go out of town for work. I still ate well , but I definitely ate closer to maintenance throughout the week, and  I cut back on my exercise a little bit. Needless to say, I will weigh in today to see if that helped moved my weight at all. You may find that taking a "break" from dieting and switching up your routine upon your return will definitely help. Also, I am an avid gym member and oit seems as if I am beginning to master most of the cardio machines. So in order to keep my body guessing I have decided to give the Jilian Michaels 30 day shred a try. The best thing is to keep your body guessing before it becomes to comfortable in your routine.

Hope this helps some! Let me know once you get out of this, and what worked for you.