I have hit a Plateau....Help

Leigh P. · April 1st, 2007, 08:48 PM

Every person is different, if you want help you are going to have to take the time to write out in detail all your information. If that is to much then we certainly can't help you. Be patient, we get to everyone when we can, and this is not a site in which that we get paid. This is simply a free forum support group.

DeepGreen · April 1st, 2007, 08:48 PM

Just have faith...and everything will work out all right. As long as you are eating the right things and doing the right exercises, you are on your way to a better body.

JonJon · April 2nd, 2007, 02:12 AM

obstacles are unavoidable.. for instance.. if you reduce your caloric intake to acquire a 155lb body.. once you hit 165 or so.. you weight loss will decrease obviously.. and if you don't realize whats goin on.. and still keep doing the same routine.. then you wont change once your 155.. just adapt and overcome.. realize whats stopping you. and give it the middle finger

pimpinpurplepon · May 5th, 2007, 05:26 PM

I am trying to prevent hitting a weight loss plateau by doing my normal reduced calorie amount 5 days a week, then upping my calorie intake by 300-400 calories 2 days a week. I wasn't sure how other people were doing it so I just thought I'd get some feedback. I also wanted to know if you needed to exercise more on the days you were supposed to eat more (or if that defeated the purpose)?

KissMyHuman · May 6th, 2007, 12:01 AM

We'll you're adding 800 surplus calories at the end of the week, not the best thing for a diet. You could cycle your calories, for instance if you needed 1800 calories, you could alternate days of 1600 and 2000 calories.

That said, plateaus happen for a number of reasons and even preventative tactics can't totally stop them. Plateaus are a way of your body saying it's setting itself to new lower baseline weight. Some people freak out and diet and exercise even harder and that creates a stress on the body that will make it try and conserve weight and will make you lose a lot slower.

You may also want to consider an alternate way of basing your health level during a plateau. Are you losing inches? Do you have more endurance during exercise sessions, etc. The number on the scale isn't the ultimate measure of health.

wishes · May 6th, 2007, 12:41 AM

you would be better doing 4 days higher cal, 3 days lower to be honest i think.
Though eating more often, and making sure you do some form of cardio or HIIT will keep your metabolism going strong.

Kat74 · May 28th, 2007, 02:43 PM

I've hit a plateau and I've been on it for almost three months...I'll give you a quick history of my weight loss and exercise/nutrition....

I lost nearly 40 pounds in 3 months...(which was pretty fast) and now I can't seem to lose at all...not even a pound...

I work out 6 days a week/2x a week with a trainer and the other four days I do spilt workouts...chest/back, then triceps/biceps, glutes/legs, then the one day just cardio

When I do cardio...I try to mix it up....one day I will jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes, on other day I'll do the elliptical, and I will incline hill on treadmil and run/walk on that...and I try to do HIIT 2x week...I don't use machine weights just free weights...

My nutrition (just a sample)

Breakfast-1/4 cup of plain oatmeal/ 4 eggs with one yolk
snack-1/2 cup cottage cheese/pineapple
afterworkout- protein shake
lunch-4 oz chicken/1/4 cup brown rice/8 oz veggies
snack-yogurt or 1 cup of milk and strawberries
dinner- 6 oz of chicken/fish/or lean meat/8 oz of veggies

and I try and drink 100 gallon of water a day...usually its about 90 oz...

I don't know what more I can do to get over this hump...its so frustrating to work so hard and not see the results you want!

I would appreciate any suggestions...thanks in advance!

Oh by the way...I'm 32 year old female/5'5"/185

[Squall] · 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kat74

I've hit a plateau and I've been on it for almost three months...I'll give you a quick history of my weight loss and exercise/nutrition....

I lost nearly 40 pounds in 3 months
Major congrats on your weight loss....(which was pretty fast) and now I can't seem to lose at all...not even a pound...

I work out 6 days a week/2x a week with a trainer and the other four days I do spilt workouts...chest/back, then triceps/biceps, glutes/legs, then the one day just cardio
First off, Get off that lousy split. Either stick with a full body done 2-3 days a week. Or a upper/lower split 4-5 days a week. Either way the workouts should be comprised of compound, multi joint movements. few to no isolations.

When I do cardio...I try to mix it up....one day I will jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes, on other day I'll do the elliptical, and I will incline hill on treadmil and run/walk on that...and I try to do HIIT 2x week..

.I don't use machine weights just free weights
Excellent, free weights by far superior....

Next, keep your workouts to 5-6 days a week. Weights should always be done on NON-consecutive days.
The majority of your Cardio should be done at an intense pace.

My nutrition (just a sample)

Breakfast-1/4 cup of plain oatmeal/ 4 eggs with one yolk
snack-1/2 cup cottage cheese/pineapple
afterworkout- protein shake
lunch-4 oz chicken/1/4 cup brown rice/8 oz veggies
snack-yogurt or 1 cup of milk and strawberries
dinner- 6 oz of chicken/fish/or lean meat/8 oz of veggies
Overall this looks low on Omega-3 fats.
Start entering your food into Fitday.com Allow us to see a calorie/macro breakdown of your food. After this we can give better judgment onto what needs to be changed through diet.

and I try and drink 100 gallon of water a day...usually its about 90 oz...
Lol im guessing you just typed that wrong. 100 Gallons a day = death.

I don't know what more I can do to get over this hump...its so frustrating to work so hard and not see the results you want! plenty!

I would appreciate any suggestions...thanks in advance!

Oh by the way...I'm 32 year old female/5'5"/185

Read bold.

Kat74 · May 28th, 2007, 06:09 PM

Thanks I appreciate your suggestion...I'll try to do full body 3 days a week and the inbetween days some intense cardio...

I usually consume between 1480-1625 in calories...I tally it up by this book I have...but I'll check out fitday...thanks for the link to that...

LOL that was a typo...oops...

again, thanks! I'll change up my exercise routine and see how that goes.

Motorhead · June 14th, 2007, 04:36 AM

To introduce: I'm a 32 year old male. My fathers recent passing and the realization that if I don't my lifestyle has motivated me to become healthy. I'm a classic overeater (and drinker)... My starting wieght was around 295lbs...

I have moderated how I eat. I really haven't been counting calories or following any 'diet'. I've stopped over eating and drinking to excess. I started jogging 4 days a week (2-3 miles) and going to the gym 2 days a week (lifting wieghts and cardio).

To date... since I started over 2 months ago, I have lost 20lbs. I feel very good about myself physically. I'm in the best shape I've been in years.

The last two weeks I haven't dropped any weight. Its getting frustrating. I am pushing my body to its limit. My left knee is about to give out.

Any advise to help me get out of this rut would be greatly appreciated.

-Michael

maleficent · June 14th, 2007, 04:47 AM

what's said over and over again here, is weight loss is a matter of using more calories than you take in ... you might want to start recording you calories in an online food journal like FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal or one of the other 50 or so free programs that do the same thing - to see how many calories you really are getting.

Working your body to the point your knee is going to give out doesn't help you in thelong run... take care of your knee

sunkized · 05:10 AM

Hi Michael,

I feel very nervous being the first to post something... but consider my advice as ... something before what someone else will post! Being stuck at a plateau myself, I figure I should follow some of these too, if not all!

- Have you tried to write in a journal/notepad/anything every thing you eat & drink for a whole month? Food diaries are interesting in that they tend to show how we can underestimate our little binges, bites, sips, and more.
- Along with the food journal, maybe counting one day in the week where you look up the facts on the food you buy/eat. The idea being looking at what we eat may be less healthy than we think sometimes, or pretending to be healthier than it is.
- The workouts look good - but then I'm not an expert -, particularly if your body "feels" it/is challenged and that the resistance/weights you use have not remained static for too long... But definitely lookout for other comments on this one! The knee thing... It does sound harmful... (listen to Mal on that!)
- Along the same lines as the two first things, maybe look at making sure you don't under-eat either...!

Just some things I will try to use to overcome my own plateau! And good luck whichever way!

Steve · June 14th, 2007, 06:06 AM

As said above, if you aren't in an energy (calorie) deficit, you aren't going to lose weight. Without know for sure how many calories are going in and out, best bet is this is where your problem lies.

Add to this fact that weight loss is not a linear phonomena.... meaning, weight will not always come off on a consistent basis. The body is a "finicky" thing.

You have 2 choices:

1. Do nothing at the moment and keep doing what you were doing when you lost the last 20 lbs (congrats btw).

2. Start tracking your calories using something like FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal. Pain in the ass, I know, but most likely worth the time and aggravation. I find many people actually get used to it. And for those that don't, there are ways to get around having to count calories everyday. However, I still think it is wise/necessary for starters.

Another option, which I don't think should be one, is the one you are currently doing: Pushing your body to the max day after day, harder and harder, trying to trigger something. Boat loads of cardio is NEVER the answer. It's so much ridiculously easier, effective, and efficient to manipulate diet.

Motorhead · June 14th, 2007, 10:59 AM

Thank you so much for your replies.

At first I was looking at this from a healthier lifestyle standpoint. I was very excited when I started seeing weight drop off. I wanted my moderated food intake and increased physical activity to be how I lived and not something I did to lose weight. I had found a comfortable medium zone where i felt good about myself and wasnt depriving myself of food.

I guess if I want to continue to lose weight I'll have to look at it as a diet until I reach a weight I feel comfortable with.

After looking at my calorie intake I do see some days (especially on the weekends) where i could cut back some more.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be back.

Paulena · June 16th, 2007, 08:09 PM

Things that help break plateaus

- Changing your exercise routine.
If you are doing longer more relaxed workouts, change to shorter more intense workouts.

- Eat more protein in your diet

- Do cardio before breakfast

- Lift weights, or change your weight routine/lift heavier.

I have hit a Plateau....Help

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