Thread: Weight loss plateau

OK, for the last 3 years or so I've been steadily loosing weight (off and on). So far I've lost in total 4 st 9 lbs (56lbs). I lost 10lbs after xmas when I felt I'd put a bit on and would ideally like to loose another 2 stone (28lbs).

The problem is for the last 4 weeks I've been really good, both food and exercise wise. I've been counting weight watcher points (I eat a healthy vegan diet) and walking my dog for at least an hour and a half each day. I live by a very long, steep hill which I walk up very briskly and have been chopping wood and carrying it in a rucksack. (hmmm, weird insight into my daily life!!) This week I've started to do Aziza's drill DVD every morning too - the shimmies are killer!

BUT no weight loss at all! Not a sausage!! Any tips?

I went to see my doctor today for contraception and asked for advice while I was there. She told me that I was probably still overeating and that I should chase my dog rather than walk it. Since I thought I was doing alright before I feel really mortified and cried for about half an hour when I got home. (This scared hubby to death as he thought there was something medically wrong with me)

Sorry this is all a bit waffley but I'm still a bit peeved with the doctor not really listening to what I was telling her.

So, how do I re-kick start the weight loss?

Perhaps your body is adjusting to the changes you've already made.

Try measuring yourself. You may be losing fat and gaining muscle.

Another suggestion is to look at your portions again and make sure that you are still on track. Are you eating real food and not stuff with a lot of additives? Folks who have lost a lot of weight say that eating real food is important. They also say that keeping on program while in a plateau helps. You may find suddenly that you've lost 5 pounds or a couple of inches.

weightwatchers.com has a free community talk board where you can hear from people who have actually lost large amounts of weight. Try the 100+ board, people are friendly and some have actually lost 100 pounds or more.

Good luck!

That's a nasty response from your doctor! Good for you for losing so much weight - it's a long, hard struggle, and the fact that you have done it over a longer, sustained period of time is an excellent indication that your commitment is strong, your plan is reasonable, and you will be able to maintain a healthy weight.

Aside from her nasty comments, however, there is some truth to what the doctor said; she should definitely have phrased it in a more helpful and informative manner. It is quite possible that your calorie intake is too high and that you will need to up the ante on your exercise (although I fully recognize the difficulty of hauling the wood!!). DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!!! Instead of seeing this as a set-back, which it isn't, view it as an accomplishment. What it means is that your body has become fitter and more efficient at using calories - yes, muscle takes more calories to burn than fat, but the simple facts are that:

a) there's much less of you for your body to carry around, so you won't burn as many calories when you are exercising now than you did when you were 3 stone heavier

b) your body is becoming more efficient at its exercise, so in order to keep it challenged you'll need to up the ante in the workouts. Aziza's drill DVD is great (I use it frequently myself), but I'd recommend doing something more aerobically or muscularly intense and sustaining it for a longer period of time. While Aziza's drill DVD will be physically challenging for a week or two, the shimmy drill is too limited in motion and too short in duration to rely on it exclusively. I like the range of motion in the BellyTwins' DVDs 'Slim Down' and 'Basic Move and Fat Burning' as a starting point for more intensive workouts. There are lots of other non-dance DVDs out there that you could do a few times a week for good workouts as well. Personally, I like circuit training as it gets the heart pounding and strength trains at the same time.

c) your body now needs fewer calories throughout the day for its basic functions, again due to your weight loss. Try reducing your calories by a little bit again - about 200 fewer per day - and see if that helps kick start things again. If you really ramp up your workouts, however, you may not want to restrict your calories - if you start burning another 300 cals a day through heavy exercise in addition to your normal exercise (don't stop walking the dog!) as well as 200 calorie drop in diet, and you start getting shaky and crabby and headachy, add a bit of food back into your diet.

Thank you both for the advice. I am trying to increase my exercise and have already cut my calorie intake by a good amount. I'm supposed to have 21 points a day but cut down to 16 to try and kick start things, but this doesn't seem to be working.

I suppose I'll just hang on in there, as on paper everything's ok. I will start using a tape measure rather than the scales to measure my progress though.

I will also be using the less scientifc approach of crossing my fingers that the weight will start shifting soon!

Cutting back calories (or points) too drastically can be very counterproductive. Maybe cutting back to 18 points would be a better idea, especially if you are committed to upping your exercise.

Oddly enough, I said to hubby last night that I thought I might up the points to 18. Hopefully, it will have an impact.

I'm pretty hopeful that I loose a bit this week as I'm due to start my period and that normally bodes well for a good weight loss week!

I'm also on a plateau and I HATE it! What I generally do to kick start things is to do a 4 day carb-down week. That is to say - limit my carbs to 20 per day. You DO NOT want to sustain that. That usually jump starts me :-) I've another 5lbs till my goal - but it's been the toughest amount to lose.

Be careful about cutting your calories too much, it can put your body into conservation mode and actually slow down your metabolism. It's better to up the intensity of your workouts instead.

Best of luck and congrats on the progress you've made!

Congrats on the weight loss so far! :)

This may sound way counter-intuitive, but what about totally forgetting about calories (or points) for a day? Don't go totally crazy, but eat more than you normally would. It could be that your body has gotten very used to functioning at a certain caloric intake and giving it more calories for a day will remind it that you're not starving so it doesn't have to hold on to the extra weight (similar to what halftruths said). It doesn't work 100% of the time, but I've found it works way more often than not for me.

If a day would make it too difficult to get back on track, try just a meal.

Originally Posted by MaryRaks

This may sound way counter-intuitive, but what about totally forgetting about calories (or points) for a day? Don't go totally crazy, but eat more than you normally would. It could be that your body has gotten very used to functioning at a certain caloric intake and giving it more calories for a day will remind it that you're not starving so it doesn't have to hold on to the extra weight (similar to what halftruths said). It doesn't work 100% of the time, but I've found it works way more often than not for me.

i was going to suggest the same thing! our bodies eventually adjust to all changes in diet and exercise. sometimes, eating over your normal calories will trick your body into thinking it will have more to burn in the future. like mary said, don't go nuts! while i was in weight loss mode, i gave myself a day every week to eat what i wanted and i consistently lost weight.

and a huge congratulations on your weight loss so far! that's awesome!!!

Also, since you are on WW, are you eating all your daily and weekly points? Sometimes, like other have said, eating a little more helps you lose weight.

Thank you so much everyone for all your supportive comments and advice.

I've increased my points to 18 this week and exercised as usual and have lost 3lbs.

I am one happy little bunny!!

Thanks again

Well done, Crow!!