Waaaaaaah, I'm on a plateau!

*whine*

This SUCKS bigtime. I know my weight loss has been a major health change, and my body needs time to adjust, and blah blah blah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! I have a goal to reach before my hubby gets home, and this little hiccup is derailing that.

Does anybody have any HEALTHY tips on how to overcome a plateau? I've recieved some clearly dangerous advice on how to "shock" my body out of it, and I'm not interested in harming myself to reach a goal. Surely somebody out there has been through this and figured it out!

 We're out here, plateau sufferers, unite!!! 

I know there must be a ton of stuff out there, and all over the internet!  I'll try to track down this article for you that really helped me.

Off the top of my head, here's some stuff I remember:

-Interval training (H.I.T.) -- if you're in pretty good shape ('cause this is hard...), you can revv up your metabolism quickly with short bursts of very high intensity with rest/recovery in about a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio.  It can burn more net cal's than steady state, improve your cardio recovery time, give you a growth hormone boost, and keep that furnace burning long after you've stopped exercising.  Here's more info: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtri cks/a/Intervals.htm

-Strength training -- build a better furnace!  You continue to burn calories at a higher rate for up to 48 hours post-workout.

-Eat lean protein -- Protein has a thermogenic effect (it takes energy to burn) and it will help build the muscle you need to burn more calories

-Vary your caloric intake -- Keep your body guessing!  If you've been at a specific # of cal's/day, try alternating between higher and lower amounts -- some  planned randomness will maintain your weekly max's w/o allowing your body to slow down to adjust to a lower intake.

-Drink tons of water

-Measure other signs of progress -- dress sizes, Body fat, or measurements -- even if the scale doesn't move, you can still see positive changes in your body composition.

-Be patient!! 

-Seek community support here!

Some of the folks over on the "Slow Dieters" forum have had month-long plateaus.  They have lots of good ideas!

Good luck!

 :oD

Tara

Hi again!  I didn't find the article I was looking for, but this one's really good! It's from Prevention.com, called, "Dropping the Most Stubborn Pounds".

Might give you some more ideas!

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/droppin g-the-most-stubborn-pounds/c97388dc78803110Vg nVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss/strategies .for.success/diet.plateaus/0/0/1

I've been where you're at!  It's a pain!!  Keep at it, you can do it!

:oD

Tara

Thanks so much for the tips Tara! I've been stuck for a month now, and I'm losing my mind. I completely forgot about trying interval training-- I'll get right on that! 

i totally hear ya. I've been at a plateau for 2 months now and i'm so sick of it. I'm starting to give up because i feel like i'll never break the 130 mark - urghhh

Hi, what's your plateau history. Current age, height, weight. How many pounds lost over what period of time. How many total calories eaten.

I've lost 43 pounds over the last year, and I've had a small plateau after every ten pounds. This is the longest plateau I've ever been stuck at, and it is making me miserable. I'm 24, 5'9", and 250 pounds. 

I just wanted to say I feel your pain!!! I have been on at plateau for 14 weeks now. I have tried everything one could imagine but nothing has helped. Basically I'm just waiting it out now.

One thing I read is that our bodies reach a certain body fat % that it like before and it gets comfortable again. So its not the number on the scale so much as the % it likes. I know its not a solution but I thought this was interesting! I'm 26 5'9" and 200-204 here.

Good Luck!

 

Argh.. 14 WEEKS??  that's frustrating!  Maybe we should have a contest for longest time at a plateau.. haha.. I've been there, done that!