Plateau Frustration

Ok so I have posted before and am trying again cuz I'M STILL STUCK!!!  I have been eating 1900 calories for the last 2 wks.  (Before I was eating 1700 for about 3 wks.)  I workout 3 to 4 days a wk for about 30 to 40mins at a time.  I alternate between treadmill (doing HII T's), strength training, yoga, and pilates!!  AND I'M STILL STUCK!!!!  I just don't get it!!! I can't understand what I'm not doing right to lose weight!!!  I have been stuck at this weight since the beginning of February...My patience is super thin now!!! I should have lost another 10 lbs by now!! Help me???  I eat fruits and veggies all day for snack... I eat lean meats!  I measure all my portions!!  I don't drink sodas!! I dring water all the time!! What gives??? 

Hi, i felt your pain when I read your post (( It made me go to the trash bin in my email and here is what I found. This is one of the tips that I get from Jillian Michaels (gotta love that tough girl!). So here it is:

"Busting Plateaus
There is nothing more discouraging than stepping on the scale after a week of diligent dieting and grueling workouts and not seeing any drop in the number. The plateau is a common problem among dieters and can typically be waited out, but there are measures you can take to keep your metabolism fired up even as you reduce your caloric intake.
The best way to break a plateau is to keep your salt intake below 2,000 milligrams a day and drink lots of water. Make sure you're not eating any processed carbs, period. That's right — no chips, sugar, white flour, and so on. And hit the gym hard! The boost in exercise will make your body swell and hold fluids for a few days, but after a week you should see the benefits on the scale.
You can also try playing around with your caloric intake a bit, varying it from day to day throughout the week while keeping the same weekly total. The body can't slow its metabolism to adjust to a reduced caloric intake if the intake isn't fixed from one day to the next. For instance, to bust my plateau, I might have 1,200 calories on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then eat 1,500 calories on Tuesday, 1,600 on Thursday, 1,400 on Saturday, and 1,700 on Sunday. Get it?
The plateau effect can sometimes simply be a matter of flagging resolve. If mixing up your caloric intake just isn't working, make sure you're not slipping up on your diet or slacking off in your workouts. I'm serious; it happens.
As with any program, there will be highs and lows, but stay with it. Your body is trying to adjust to the weight loss. Don't get scared or discouraged. Just be patient and know that you are worth it!"

I hope this helps and best of luck!!!!

what are your stats? how much weight do you have left to lose? that's important!! 

I was stuck on a plateau for over a month, and honestly I just upped my calories to maintain/gain for a week or two and have since lost 3 pounds. I'd say it's worth a try before you cut out all processed carbs :)

Are you sure you're not gaining muscle mass from the work-outs while you're also buring fat? Have you been measuring?

I was at a Platue ALL last month. I was working out 5 DAY A WEEK! Eating around 1700 1800 cals (so I was basically just counting my activities as a deficit since I was eating close to my normal maintenience).

I followed the WONDERFUL advise I received from memebers on the site and this is what I learned:

1.(the most important): Don't trust what the cardio machines and cc.com analysis of how many calories you've burned. The machines and cc.com are just an estimate, but many say they are FAR off. So when I workout for about an hour (weights and cardio) and just figure I'm at a light activity level for the day. That way I'm not overestimating what I've burned and this increases my deficit.

2. Switch up your cals throughout the week.  When I'm working out, I eat anywhere from 1400 to 1650 (depending on the mood and workout) and other days I eat around 1400 or I eat my maintinance.  I may not be closer to losing weight, but I'm not gaining and giving my body a rest. (I do this about twice a week...typically Saturday and Sunday).

3. Don't give up!  You're body is just getting used to the process and you need to change it up like I mentioned above.  if you keep working hard and watching the cals, it will come off.

Like I said, the whole month of March I didn't lose 1 pound, but this month I've lost 3-4!  It sounds slow, but I taking it slow to change my lifestyle and keep healthy and the weight off FOR LIFE :)

Also, I would stay away from advise telling you to not eat certain foods.  As long as you're eating healthy ALL day long and watching your whole grains, protein and fiber and keeping sodium and sugar low, there is nothing wrong with giving yourself a treat...even every day.  If you tell yourself "no I can't have that!!!" what happens??? You usually want it more.  So, fill up on the "good" stuff throughout the day and if you're still craving a treat, go ahead, just make sure you leave room for it in your dialy allowance.

Good luck to you!

Original Post by chrissy1988:

what are your stats? how much weight do you have left to lose? that's important!! 

 I am at 199 and want to get to 155.  I'm 5'8"!!

Original Post by marissa7654321:

I was stuck on a plateau for over a month, and honestly I just upped my calories to maintain/gain for a week or two and have since lost 3 pounds. I'd say it's worth a try before you cut out all processed carbs :)

So what was ur maintain/gain goal?? How do I figure that out?? 

Your mainteince goal/cals is what you burn for the day.

EX: Your Burn Meter is at 1900 (w/o activity) = eat 1900

EX: your burn meter is at 2400 (W activity) = eat 2400

it's a "0' deficit day, but it will keep your body constantly shifting.

It might be that you are building muscle. Muscle being heavier than fat.  Did you measure yourself, I bet if you did you would see you are loosing inches in key places.