Please help, I'm defeated.... :(

I've been plateauing for like a week on 55kg, although I have eaten more or less the same amoutn of food thesedays, I'm now somewhere between 56-57 kg!!!

I think it's because of the starvation mode I was in previously. I kept my calorie intake to around 600-800 cals per day and maybe my body has finally entered the starvation mode. But now that I've increased in weight, the more I eat the worse I feel. I feel bad for eating that much, but on the other hand, I know I have to eat more in order to break out of starvation mode.

Can anyone kindly help? thanks....

Hey, I know how you feel. I just, like this morning, broke my 2 week plateau - it has not been a fun time.

clairelaine posted a link in my journal (and I think on the forums) that you might find useful.

Aha, here it is.

Check out that link - I hope it helps.

Have you checked with your doctor?  He/she might have some good thoughts for you.  Good luck!

hey tracy...what do you mean 2 week plateau? well i am asking because i have just started...today makes day 12...i have started exercising...weights and cardio everyday but sunday...and i have cut down my cals. i see the difference...i mean there is more muscle in my quads and less cellulite on the back of my legs, but its not all gone. i haven't lost pounds or inches and its really discouraging me. i usually do really intense cardio so today i am going to try and go for a longer time and a casual walk...along with upper body training...do i need to eat more, like you said in your journal the double cheeseburger? i am going out to dinner tomorrow...going to have lobster...think that would help?

tracymarie, thanks for your link, but it doesn't seem to be working,

can you check again? Thanks!

I think I fixed it - give it another try.

bebe, I was losing 2 lbs per week pretty steadily, but then I began a plateau around the end of May that kept on and on until just today. Just as you, I started exercising more at about that time and I know I have been putting on muscle so that of course was part of it. I'm not sure if I have lost inches or not - I don't get measured again until the 22nd.

Yesterday I did have a cheeseburger and this morning my scale dipped down to 214 - no idea if the cheeseburger had something to do with it but take a look at that link and also coachdee's post about cheating to explain why it might have.

Lobster is pretty high in protein - I think that is a good idea. Maybe be careful with the butter, though. I think the premise is if you fluctuate your body will produce more leptin because it is not used to just one particular number of calories each day. Really coachdee is a better teacher and explainer than I am!

i've been working out and counting calories for 2 months, and haven't lost a pound...I definitely see an improvement in muscle tone, but that's about it.

Well, ok, i lost 2 pounds out of the desired 20 which is absolutely ridiculous IMO.

well i did go off of the watching calories this weekend. I had the lobster but not much butter i put lemon on top. it was good but got full fast. also had a big salad. I didn't eat too much but more then usual. Hopefully this helps. Plus i got lazy and gave my body a rest this weekend. but will start again today. Do you think it would be okay to do cardio intense for 20 mins. then slow down and stay in the fat zone for like 45 more mins. or should i switch that around?

i know how you feel, about not wanting to eat more. I didnt want to. but i made myself, eat nuts or cheese, it has tons of cals... i was stuck i made myself eat allot more. about 400-500 cals,  and 15 pounds seems to have melted off!  take it a bit by bit. 150 cals more each day, build it up, or you will loose muscle and gain fat, even if you eat 100 cals more, your body will thank you

stef

My most recent plateau lasted 5 weeks.  I yo-yoed up and down, losing and gaining the same 3 pounds of water weight.  Finally, coachdee gave me the answer - eat more.  I was having 1100 to 1200 cal a day & upped it to my maintenence level of 1800, then dropped it back down to under 1500 and so far this month I've lost 4 pounds.

I know it sounds crazy, but you have to nourish your body with food to get it to burn fat.

By the way, the only way I survived that plateau was because everybody here kept telling me not to quit.  So I'm telling you DON'T QUIT

you definitely have to hang in there and make sure you are eating enough.  Believe it or not.  you can eat to little and will not lose weight because your body goes into starvation mode andhangs onto those little fat modules.  Varying your calories also seems to work.

Hi,

You might be interested in my recent post to a question on this topic titled, “If I eat less food, will I go into starvation mode?"

Mary