I'm so FRUSTRATED!!! Plateau City Here I come Again!

OK...Let me just quickly give you my stats before I get caught up in a rant and forget! I'm 5'7, 172 lbs.  I exercise 4 times a week: 2 x 45 mins of cardio (inc. warm up & cool down so probably 20 - 30 mins full steam), 1 x 40 mins of callanetics and 1 x 30 mins of pilates/yoga.

I hit a plateau about a month back and so rechecked my stats on phord (www.phord.com/cc/) and found that I should be eating around 1536 cals/day (it's the same for lightly active and moderately active).  In the last week I upped my cals to between 1400 & 1500 (which is still over 300 less than my sedentary burn rate). Previous to this I was eating around 1300, but logged myself as "sedentary", added in my workouts and "ate back" any extra calories I'd worked off.

Anyway...I've been the same weight for over 3 weeks now and I keep telling myself "it's OK..."embrace the plateau"! It's just your body adjusting", so imagine my horror when I get on the scales this morning to find I've gained.  I know it's not a huge amount (only 0.5lb...but I've gone up 0.5 when I should have lost about 4 in that timeframe)), but I've been working so hard for the last month and I have absolutely nothing to show for it!!!! I very nearly cried.  I just feel like I've been putting in so much effort and I may as well not have bothered.  I also have a bit of a history of restricting my calories to silly levels ( going back a few years, but 700 - 900 cals was the average...obviously not sensible and obviously doesn't work! :o)).  I was so proud that finally, after 15 years of disordered eating, I loved myself enough to respect my body and do this the healthy way.  Now I'm just starting to feel a little disillusioned. Especially when my boyfriend tells me he doesn't understand how I expect to lose weight by eating more (and in all fairness...the last 4 weeks is simply strengthening his argument!!)

OK, ranty bit over (thanks for listening if you are still tuned in!)  I do actually have a couple of questions:

A) Am I eating too many calories? (perhaps I've overestimated the exercise?)

B) Could the weight gain be my metabolism ramping up on the new lot of calories?

1400 - 1500 should be the right level for you.  However, what I think is happening is that your body has got used to less food.  If you've been dieting for more than a couple of months, that can happen.  There are a few things you can do to try to shake things up a bit....

1.  Add one or two long walks (8 miles or so) or cycle rides to your exercise.   These sunny autumn weekends are very good for that!!!   Long, slow-burn activities are meant to be more effective for weight-loss than short-burst cardio alone.    On the days when you're not at the gym, try to get at least a half-hour walk into your day.  Daily exercise is more effective for weight-control than sporadic, every-other-day exercise.

2. Change your food around.  Try new foods & new recipes as often as possible all week.   Aim not to eat the same thing twice for breakfast, for example.   Choose natural wholefoods in preference to processed or 'diet' foods.  These tend to be bulkier for the same calories and can give your body more to work on. 

3.  Have one day where you eat your maintenance calories... In your case around 2000 cals.    Long-term dieting (even when it isn't crash dieting) can result in a slowed metabolism and this is the best method I've found for giving things a shot in the arm.  If it 'works' you'll notice that you feel hungrier than normal the following day.  Tip... don't step on the scales for a few days afterwards!

4.  Be patient.....  Bodies have an odd way of losing nothing for a few weeks and then popping down several pounds for no apparent reason.   Keep remininding yourself how far you've come already.  Congratulate yourself on your efforts to date.   Love the new you, so far.

I’m so glad I read this post, because I’m also extremely frustrated. I’ve been dieting (consistently) for almost a month and have lost about 2lbs! I’ve done everything right: increase my daily activity, increased my fiber and protein intake, portion controlling my food, and I given up eating a half bag of cookies or chips day. I’m consuming approx. 1400 – 1500 calories per day. I only drink water and tea, but nothing is happening. My clothes are tight and I’m so annoyed. I feel like I look thinker, but my clothes tell a different story. This morning I wanted to give up, but I figured it do more harm than good. But, I’m really confused. Usually the weight starts to drop off by now. I don’t know what else to do.

Note: I’m not an exercise person and find it hard to stay consistent especially when I don’t results from dieting.

Are you trying to lose much?  If it's more than 10% of your body-weight it tends to be easier than if it's <10%, for example.  2lbs in  two weeks would be pretty good going for someone who doesn't have much to lose.   And even if you do have a lot to lose 2lbs is quite a chunk of body-fat.  Not to be sneezed at.

I'd suggest keeping one eye on the 'bigger picture'... which is that even if you don't lose any more  weight, you're doing a lot of great things for your health and well-being.  Great reasons why you shouldn't give up and go back to the cookies and chips.      Make sure 1400-1500 is what you're actually getting i.e. don't guess weights but measure them wherever possible.  Keep smiling.

Hi Gi-Jane,

Thanks for the encouragement! I’m starting to miss my daily gorge on cookies, but I guess it’s time to be a little more disciplined  I’m 5’8” and at my highest weight of 165lbs, so I need to lose at least 20lbs. It seems harder to lose and easier to gain weight since I entered my 30s.

Plateau's are painful for sure-I've lost 52 pounds since 12-10-07 and am real happy about that. but I keep joking with everyone that "I've whittled myself down to a fat guy". Fact is I still have plenty to lose weighing in at 222 and 6" tall. The weight came off until two months ago and then nothing-I've done all the recommended things and nothing changes-Oh well I guess I'll just get used to it (sigh). On the bright side my doctor is thrilled and my blood results for my last two doctor visits are now perfect-which they were not before the lifestyle change-keep up the hard work-it will help your overall health in the long run :-)

LOL - maybe we should start a "I'm plateauing YET AGAIN" support group ;-) and you're right dfs52.  I'm a lot healthier for this!

Thanks for your words of wisdom gi-jane: given me lots of little new things to try (I find it easier when at least I'm trying to do something :o) )

I'm feeling a lot more positive after everyone's comments & the fact that the sun has come out!

Hi Ladies,

I am also with you. This is my first plateau so I'm feeling all sort of emotions: pride that I've made it here, dissapointment that I'm not further, sad that I'm working so hard and can't see any results and some freaking DETERMINATION that I'm in this for the long run!

My first plateau - Yeeee-A!

I'm in this club, too!

I started out at the end of July weighing in at 185 lbs.  (I'm 5'7" trying to get down to 130 lbs.)  and by the end of August I had lost 15 lbs.  and was feeling GREAT.  Now, here it is the end of September, and now I'm stuck! I haven't lost anything! I haven't gained anything, but I haven't lost anything, either! Until I read this, I started to feel like I should just give up.  I have been exercising every day and watching what I eat, and all for what?  

It should also be noted that I plateaued for awhile in August, but that only last about two weeks.  

It is most FRUSTRATING!!! 

I just want to say - listen to gi-jane, she's smrt :)

I got through a DP on her advice (although I didn't really realize I was taking her advice at the time, i just did what seemed like the most logical plan, and it worked).

Also I think sometimes that our bodies just need to take some time to adjust...giving it that time it needs, and being patient, and glad for your healthier habits, is really good advice too.

I sure hope next time I head into one I remember all that and don't get discouraged! This isn't a race, this is developing better. healthier eating and exercise habits for life.