Help Horrible, Horrible Plateau

I am stuck between 150-152lbs and have been for the last three weeks.  I exercise every day - I have a horse and ride 4 times a week (vigorously, jumping, lots of canter etc), use the elliptical trainer for 30-35 minutes 4-5 days a week, go on 1- 1 1/2 hour walks at least three days a week and do crunches, squats, etc. every day. 

I tried increasing my protein % - nothing. I cut my calorie intake from 1400 to 1200 - still nothing. 

I'm 5'4", 21 and female. I started this particular diet at 165lbs, which I had maintained since my last diet in 2004, when I dropped from 210 to 165. I do have PCOS, which led to the high weight at such a young age, but it hasn't caused weight loss resistance in the past. My goal weight is 140, so I have about 10-12 lbs left to lose. 

Any suggestions on beating this plateau? I'm sure I'm not cheating. 

With that amount of exercise, I think you need to eat MORE not less. Try closer to 1600-1700.

Your metabolism is slowing down, and it needs more food.

Good luck!

Horrible, horrible plateau is not 3 weeks!  Try going since October w/o weight loss.  That is a horrible, horrible plateau. 

As much as you may hate to hear this eat more like a previous poster stated around 1700-1900 cals if you stay that active you will be fine. 

I would also perhaps suggest backing off on some of the activity and give your body some rest.  That would be helpful as well.

BTW worst case scenario if you lift weights and do the cardio and eat more is you gain weight, but it will be muscle not just fat,  if you gain the muscle then your body will be a better calorie burning machine.  You will also look better with more muscle, and who wouldn't like that!

Remember, weight management is a marathon, not a sprint.  Calories in need to be only a little less than calories burned, and the weight will come off.  If you starve yourself, your body will react by shutting down your metabolism, because it is still evolved to paleolithic times, when we had to store fat during good times and use it during lean times.  Just keep a steady, slight caloric deficit, and you will get results.  Forget the plateaus, as hard as that may be.  Good luck!

This popped up on the CC e.mail the other day:http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/wei ghtplateaus_2.htm

It is an article with lots of helpful info. about plateaus and what to do to overcome them.  I haven't experienced it yet, only been doing this for under two months, but having success, so sure they are coming.  I hope I can apply the info and be able to beat them on the front end, by avoiding them all together.

Good Luck and I hope it helps.  BTW, I have noticed I started loosing more when I ramped up my cals so my deficit is not more than 500 cals., so I think the other posters who said up your cals for your activity level are right.

your body is like a big wood stove. if you want the fire hotter you have to feed it.  when you feed your body it burns more calories automatically, this may sound funny but try eating say 2,500-2,700 cals per day for about a week & you should gain about 3 lbs... granted it is water. then go back to 14,00 & bet you loose on that.  Your metabo has slowed time to give it a boost., in the bodybuilding world they call it cheat days. but it totaly has purpose & is not just to "cheat"/indulge.

Good luck. Tjlo

Thanks for the link darloola. Interesting info! I have lost 100 pounds over the last 18 months - which I am VERY happy about! But I still have 15-20 pounds to go (I weigh 180- 5'6") I have been plateaued for one month! It is extremely frustrating! I use an elliptical trainer for at least 30 min/day and have kept my cal intake between 1500-1600. I am terrified to "up" my calories for fear of backsliding, but there has been a lot of positive discussion about this tactic, so I think that I will try it.  Also, I think changing up my exercise routine may prove necessary to jump starting my metabolism again...

Can someone offer their opinion on whether these are good ideas or not? I could really use some advice!

let go of "dieting" for a few days or so. dont pig out shamelessly but just eat when your hungry, dont count calories, indulge a bit- then go back to dieting. this usually helps me if i have a slow week, i just let go for a day or two a bit and go back to counting and it starts to drop again

YES YES YES, that's right up your routine! Go for 45 min., or do your 30 min., at a much higher pace.  This too will help jump start the downward trend on the scale. Hope you have started losing again by now. 

PS add pushups in there to burn more cals., as many as you can before & again after your workout & always always increase.

Good luck with all your goals

Tjlo

This might help. Try mixing up your exercise routine. instead of walking and eliptical, try jogging (or a combo of jog 3 min walk 1 min) for 60min 5x per week for a period of 2-4 weeks. During that time, instead of doing squats, crunches, do some pushups (or some other form of uppers) for 30 min 5x per week as well. After having success with that, if you reach another plateau, then go back to some other your previous routines, like eliptical or maybe mix in another activity like swimming.

Best of luck to you. Keep at it!

While I have a HARD time keeping my mouth shut about your metabolism being slowed down by your eating and exercise habits...

That said, if everything you say is accurate - your metabolism is REALLY slow, or your kidneys have shut down, or something is substituting other weight for fat loss - it is something.  I'd go to a doctor to get yourself checked out if this keeps up for another week or two.

Honestly though - you can't slow your metabolism significantly at 150 pounds at 5'4" by eating 1200 calories a day to the point where you will stop losing weight.

Thanks for the advice a few of you threw my way! I am happy to report that I have changed up my routine -incresed cals slightly (mostly protein), and changed my exercise routine too- and the scale has dropped 4 pounds in the last 10 days!