How do I break a plateau? HIIT? Other suggestions welcome.

I tried to search this in the archives, but there wasn't all that much, or maybe I just spelled it wrong lol.

Anyway! I've been the same weight for 2-3 months. I feel like the weight that isn't being lost is somehow migrating, because my clothes fit better and some are looser. I'm guessing it's the lose weight/gain muscle phenomena I read about in the archives. This is great and all, but I still have a ways to go, and I'd like to see that scale budge!!

I just started HIIT this week, and am hoping it is something I can keep up (respiratory-wise, it's a killer!, hoping endurance will increase with HIIT).

I eat around 1,500 calories and I would like to keep it steady since I don't have too much flexibility with meals (GERD, and I am in a CSA so they pick what I eat lol).

Will HIIT do the trick?

What worked for you?

What has always worked for me is to have a day where I eat a lot more than normal.  Long-term dieting can mean that your body gets accustomed to operating on fewer calories... gets more efficient and using them up.   (I know when this is happening because I stop feeling as hungry.)

To get around this, a day where you get your full energy needs (typically 2000+) is a good idea.   If you use CC to work out how much energy you use (the blue box top right of the screen) then treat yourself to that number of calories one day and then resume weight-loss the next day on your usual 1500, assuming that's an appropriate number.

Weight Watchers tells you to actually INCREASE your calories for awhile.  It fools your metabolism.  Same basic idea.  Good luck.

People here have some good ideas.  I too struggled with plateaus.  Most of them were short-lived and due to undereating, as people suggest.  Recently - that is, the last year or so - I was hovering between 235 and 240 and unable to break out.  After the plateau had stuck for 4-5 months I gave myself a break from counting and caring, as long as I made sure to eat all my veggies and fruits.  It didn't break the plateau but it was nice mentally.

I *think* I may have finally broken it now.  My routine changed utterly - I moved and started vet school, so rather than being slightly active all day (as a vet tech I was on my feet moving around all day), now I exercise for 60-90 minutes every morning and then sit on my butt for 8 hours in classes, and I started counting calories again.  That started in mid-August, and I'm finally seeing results on the scale.  I think the first part of it may have been a fat-to-muscle conversion because I definitely feel thinner and my weight-lifting has improved.

Good luck!

One thing I've noticed is that you need to break which day you eat the higher calorie count, if you always do monday your body will even adapt to that.

Basically going to say the same thing as everyone else: eat more for a short period of time.  If you have a half week to a week of 2000 calorie days, it wouldn't set you back in your weight loss, and will likely jump start your metabolism again and make you lose weight instead!

I recommend eating more protein as well, rather than more carbs and fat to increase the calories.  After a three week plateau, my husband and I went to an all-you-can-eat Brazilian meat restaurant, and I weighed in two pounds lighter the day after.  Weird, but true :P  Get out there and eat some steak, girl!

Also, good luck with the HIIT...with the asthma, I could never keep up with those things and just embarrass myself >_<;;  It really works wonders though if you do it!