Fighting a Losing Battle with a Plateau

I'm really aware of where I am right now, and I am in this one step forward one step back pattern. All the usual things, lazyness, justifying etc etc. I'm not losing progress (which there has been a ton of) but I am not making progress.

Looking for one really good idea to knock me through this. Should I be, should I just keep on my current path and it will just happen?

Thu. Apr 20, 3:48pm

Have you tried upping your intensity of the cardio and adding up more weight of your weightlifting?
Try splitting your cardio in two - half in the morning half in the evening (I'd do at least 20 min per segment no less).
With spring here, once a week on weekends plan a whole day or half a day of fun activities - walking, hiking, biking, playing outdoors. Even the lowest intensity, the hours add up you'll end with huge calorie deficit - but it wouldn't be much difficult if you do fun things.

Thursday, April 20, 2006, 4:20 PM

I have tried a TON of ways to break a plateau, and I finally did it after 11 horrible weeks. However, it's a little hard to figure out from the way you describe it if you're actually on a plateau...to me (and most), it means that you're dieting and exercising but the scale is stuck for at least 3 weeks. It sounds like maybe you're on a motivational plateau...the scale is still moving a bit but you're just getting tired/bored/impatient?

I'm sure you will get lots of advice about shaking up your eating (more calories, less calories, different foods) or your exercise (double it, halve it, change your cardio, add weights, etc) or return to weighing/measuring everything you consume (major cause of plateaus)...and those work for a lot of people. Once upon a time, they worked for me. But if your motivation is at the point where you're about to give up completely...well, you might just want to cut to the chase.

Here's one of the winners: for 5-7 days, eat a VERY high fiber (35g a day, no joke!!) vegetarian diet... vegan would be even better if you can stand it. The one I did was 55-60% very complex carbs, 20-25% protein, 15-20% fat. It will basically detox your colon and stoke your energy/metabolic furnace. Also, do as much low-medium intensity exercise (light or no sweat) as you can find time for. Your results should be pretty dramatic, kind of like the week you started dieting all over again.

Good luck.

Thursday, April 20, 2006, 4:46 PM

I would agree with the above poster... a plateau for me means 3 wks or more at the same weight. no movement on the scale at all.
if I read your post correctly, you're losing a pound a two, then gaining a pound or two, then losing again... ? is this correct?
I wouldn't call that a plateau. I've been doing that as well, but feel ok with it. I know I don't do as well on the week ends, and I usually gain back a pound, but I then lose it again during the wk, and usually another pound as well. So I keep inching closer to my goal. for me I know it's less activity, and more calorie intake that does it. So now I'm working a little harder to stay busier, and walk more on the week ends.

Friday, April 21, 2006, 6:44 AM

A plateau for me means...

No change in inches OR scale OR body fat% OR the way you look OR the way clothes fit.

If you are tracking all of these things and all of them have come to a stand still - then and ONLY then have you hit a true plateau.

My point being....

Feb 23, 2006 I started a 12 week challenge starting at 167.4 lbs today I weighed 165.4 lbs. You'd think I haven't accomplished much in 8 weeks that I've been doing this but the pictures say it all!!!

During these 8 weeks I have been tracking the following in addition to the scale........

- inches (from size 14P to 10P)
-body fat % (from 35.2% to 33.1%)
-I've been taking weekly pics to track my progress (link below)
-I've got a "clothes-o-meter" - Keep trying on clothes that previously didn't fit

You are not alone - the scale is not our friend! It is not an accurate picture of what is truly going on and if you continue to guage your success with it you are only setting yourself up for failure!!!

Link

Friday, April 21, 2006, 8:33 AM

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