At what point did you plateau?

I keep reading about plateaus and how get through them but when should I expect it to happen, if at all? Does everyone plateau at one point or another? Does it happen after a certain amount of weight loss?

I realize it is probably something that is specific to each person's body but I was just wondering when people hit a plateau.

I mean, at what number of pounds lost or what time period? Ex: after 25 pounds I hit a plateau or after 3 months of a change in eating pattern I hit a plateau.

Thanks

I think it is probably different for everyone and different every time (like a pregnancy :-)   I have plateaued after 20 lbs. of weight loss and once not until I hit 50 lbs. of weight loss.  I always seem to plateau at a weight I have been before for a long period of time (I think they call it your set point)  I think it is pretty normal to hit one during the weight loss process, espeically if your journey is long.  The best thing you can do is to cycle your calories each week (i.e. if you are aiming to eat 1500 calories a day, eat 1500 one day, 1700 the next, 1300 the next etc... so that your average is 1500), rotate your exercise... remember your body is trying to hold on to all of it's reserves and you have to trick it into letting go of the fat.  If you get too much into a routine, your body will adapt and find a way to hold on to it.  But, if every day is different, your body doesn't know what hit it, and it will shed the fat before it has a chance to adapt.

I also think how often you diet plays a role too.  I have tried to lose weight so many times, my body is definately onto me. :-)

Good Luck!

i hit mine at around 25lbs

I don't think there is a set formula that applies as to when you hit the plateau.

I think its safe to assume that the less you vary your exercise routine, the more constant you are with the calorie intake (as in, always hittnig the same amount each day, eating the same foods), the quicker you may plateau.

I hit my first after about 20 lbs, then my second only 6 lbs later.  I think it just broke hehe.

I joined CC in the hopes of losing 16-18 pounds, and plateaued after losing only 8... which is pretty disheartening. I am actually working right now to apply some advice from the community and try to zig zag those calories and change my exercise pattern to see if I cannot jolt my body back on track.

Stay tuned! ;0)

Which time? It happened a few times to me.

I get the impression the steeper the gaps between intake and calorie expenditure the more likely you are to plateau. That's why increasing calories kick starts things.

I hit my first plateau after 10 pounds, and this most recent one has been 2 months long at 50 pounds gone.  I wouldn't call this a true plateau, 'cause my exercise and eating were not as clean as they need to be.  I'm calling it my "Hibernation Plateau".

Thanks for the input but more people are welcome to reply as well.

I assumed that the results would be different for each person but I just want to be prepared on when it might happen because I do get discouraged, like a lot of people when I am doing all the right things and I don't lose. In the past it would set off a downward spiral to quitting but I want to work past that this time and being prepared for it will help I think.

hopefully this will be a really interesting thread when more people post - i havn't hit a plateau yet and I'm dreading it happening, but forewarned is forearmed!!

does it really work to rotate your calories? i have found that i am in a rut and keep eating the same things. i keep increasing my workouts, and making them more and more intense. but it is driving me batty that i am not losing any weight

I joined CC 3 months ago with the intent to lose the 16lbs that I put on last fall.  I've plateaued only 4 from goal and I'm getting pretty PO-ed.

i plateaued after losing 10 lbs, and it's been MONTHS stuck at the same weight. it's really discouraging. 

I never really zig zag my calories for more than 150 or so, but when I was on a plateau, I did up my calories and changed my exercise routine and it seemed to work.

You need to keep in mind that the closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to lose the weight.

Also, if you are on a plateau for a long time, you need to ensure that you havent gone into starvation mode by depriving your body of the energy it needs, either by limiting consumption or too much exercise.

I hit a plateau about 3 months ago. Just before the holidays. I had lost about 55 lbs. at that point and couldn't go anywhere. I was hoping to stay about the same through the holidays but I ended up gaining about 8 to 10 lbs. But I have lost off of that and then some. Seems like I started all over again. Since January I have lost another 16 lbs. So and slowly still loosing. So eating more calories sometimes does kick in your system. But according to my trainer at my gym I weighed in and according to her I have only lost 3 lbs from the last time I weighed in to this past week that I weighed in. But I have lost 3 inches have lost fat and gained muscle. Remember muscle weighs more than fat so you might be working out, but not loosing anything because you are loosing fat but gaining muscle. People also think that fat turns into muscle that is incorrect. You actually lose the fat, but gain it in muscle in other places.  Just keep up working out and eating right it will all happen, but it won't be over night. As long as you are loosing inches that is what really matters and if you like the way you look or are starting too that is a bonus as well.

I hit a plateau at about a month along (its been 2 1/2 months now since I started) I was SO discouraged (i weigh myself once a week), that I almost gave up but my family and friends told me to not give up... I kept going and the next week I dropped a steady 2 lbs, and havent hit another plateau yet. I eat more (1,200-400 cals a day, used to be about 900..i know it was bad) and switch my routine up a bit between four different exercise machines 5-6 days a week. It was an awful feeling though. 

I plateau 10 days during the middle of each cycle.  After that, I usually lose 3-4 pounds within the first 5 days when it breaks.  Everyone says they plateau or gain during TTOM, and I wanted to find out for myself.  You may try charting your weights and cycle. 

I have hit those plateaus as well.  I do find that weighing myself less frequently - such as once a week - or even once every 2 weeks - hides those plateaus from me so it is not so discouraging, did that make sense?

I hit my plateau when I lost 15 pounds and 2 months (started 11/13/07) of watching my intake. Took about 2-3 weeks to lose again.  Lost 5 pounds since then.

well i am curious as to how to get off of it, and i  up for any ideas, i am currently running about 800 calories and i am doing 600 crunches, doing an eliptical machine for a half hour, a stepping machine doing 300 steps and then i do some rowing, and bench presses. i would think that i would be losing. i have not gained or lost for almost 3 weeks now

help this sucks without results

As a self-title "veteran" dodgeman, you should know that it doesn't matter how many hours you spend at the gym and quite frankly, I'm not interested.

BUT, from what I have learned through c-c maybe some things you should be looking at is how many calories you are taking in. Maybe your body is in starvation mode. Maybe you need to shake it up a bit and eat more calories. I don't know the answer but there are a lot of posts about what you can do to get through the plateau.

what does me being a veteren have to do with my question? i see you are one of the bashers from the other post. why don't you leave me alone and go find someone else to bother. i will not even consider anything you bashers have to say, i tend to seek advice from friendly people, who don't bash or call names or even threaten. if you are not interested, then i would appreciate it , by not responding to this. i am only interested in FRIENDLy advice from people who have expirienced similar things as i have. lettin me know what has worked for them or not. and if you really wanted to know i was only giving my activies so that you could get an accurate picture of what i was doing so that you could give good advice. not bash