I was wondering if anyone else seems to be hitting plateau's. My weight dropped from 229 to 217 at a regular pace. When my weight hit 217 it stayed that way for almost 3 weeks. not loosing anything. I was getting ready to give up I was so frustrated. Then it started to move again and dropped to 213 over the next 2 weeks. so its almost like it got stuck there for awhile.

is anyone else hitting plateau's and what was it. did you do anything special to break it.

Yes and I think it happens to the majority of people. To overcome them I began to change my eating habits. I would either change what I was eating or how much. I think your body begins to adapt if you give it the same amount of food especially during a calorie deficit.

Very good advice. I have also found that changing up or switching my workout has helped when my weight has stalled. If I was mostly doing treadmill workouts, I biked for awhile...or hiked instead of regular walking. Anything a little different to kinda prod the body back into losing weight...

Good luck!

It is perfectly normal to experience a stall lasting for a couple of weeks like that. Like Di - I used to change things around a little or increase my exercise when that happened for me. We also have to remember that our weight is affected by much more than the fat that we are burning so things like water retention and toilet activity can have a major impact on whether or not we lose any weight. When I was big I could expect to see a level of weight loss every week. As I got smaller the water retention was more apparent and could literally cancel out any fat lost causing initially a lack of downward movement and later a gain at the scales.

Although it can be very demoralising - a weight loss stall of a couple of weeks is not really a proper plateau (although naturally it can be the start of one!). Some people experience plateaus that last for years... One of my friends experienced a two year long plateau. They can be caused by people trying to live on too low a level of calories and I have known people solve them by increasing their calorie levels. Sometimes it can indicate medical problems too.

Taking measurements can be good as we sometimes see a change in inches when there is no change at the scales.

I had been stuck at 220 FOREVER. No matter what I did I couldn't get the scale to move. I went on vacation and lost 5 lbs while eating whatever I wanted and not working out. I can't explain it, but I like that WAY more than restricting. I started back on my "diet" and have lost 3 more lbs. I think your body just needs a change of tempo every now and then.

There are lots of reasons you might plateau. I think almost everyone has hit one at one time or antother.

I would take a good look at your eating habits. After losing a significant amount of weight, your body's calorie needs will change, so it's possible that you may need to adjust the amount of food you're eating.

Also take a look at your nutrient levels - make sure you're getting sufficient amounts of protein and healthy fats.

Finally, take a look at your exercise routine. It is possible for our bodies to adapt to the amount and type of exercise we're doing and stall out. Switching things up, adding in some interval training, weight training, or other variations can help kick start weight loss again.

Ooh, thanks for the info everyone I was wanting to make a post about this too ^_^;

Just wondering how often you switch things up or if you just wait until the scales stop moving for a bit?
I read that every 4-6 weeks you should change your exercise routine in some way to prevent plateauing... does that make sense?
Today begins week 4 for me, so I'm just curious if I should change anything yet, or just wait a bit and see if I keep losing with how things are

Any input is greatly appreciated! (And sorry if this takes away from the original posters post... I just thought it's related!)

There's no need to switch things up at a planned time. If you're still making progress, then stick with what you're doing. The only reason you NEED to switch up is if you stop making progress or if you are so bored with what you're doing that you find yourself slacking off.

I know people who do something different every day because they get bored. OTOH, I know people (like me) who prefer to do the same thing because they like the routine. For me, I like the routine of the same workout, but I change it up by adding weight or varying the intensity of my cardio. But within that range - I like to do the same thing. It saves on stress.

I've hit my fair share of plateaus in the past. I would go on a new nutrition or workout plan and have great success for 2 weeks and then suddenly it seems to stay at that point for at least a week or 2 before progressing further. The key is just to stay motivated and make sure you are not missing something.

What helps for me is having small goals for each day. Staying focused on today rather than the big goals seems to help.

I'm currently in a plateau. I started at 277.75 lbs, then I dropped all the way down to the 220's. Once I got into the 220's, I started plateauing (is that even a word?!?!?!). I was at 223, then I was at 219, then I was at 221, then I was at 226, then I was at 223 again. It went on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on are you still reading this part and on and on and on and on and seriously are you on and on and on because on and on and on and on and if you are on and on and on and on then I'm going to and on and on and on and on and on and on and on spit and on and on in your and on and on mouth and on and on and on and while you are sleeping on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.

What were we talking about?

I had my share of weight loss plateau but I knew it was just a phase so it didn't stop me from my goal of losing weight.

I am definitely at one right now. except the plateau is my fault. My exercise had fallen off and I am binge eating at night which is bumming me out. I am trying to get back to journaling and back to exercising 5 days a week.

i hit one after losing 25 pounds. and then another after losing another 25 lol. the scale hasn't moved for a few weeks. it sucks. i have been keeping my calories under 2000 but have been doing less exercise. i was doing a 40 min uphill hike everyday before the plateu.

its bouncing around, 248-250 but i think some of it is water weight because i take in a lot of sodium

hopefully it starts moving again as i start to get more active around the house and then start hiking again. im optimistic.