How do you overcome a weight loss plateau?

Question

I have recently lost 97 pounds, well since november of 2005. I work out everyday, and i am eating well. I have dropped pants sizes, My cltothes are getting looser, the scale just isn't moving. I have about 50 more to loose, and I am getting really frustrated. Please give me some advice

Answer 1

Congratulations!! How long have you been at your plateau? With losing so much weight, a pateau for a while is completely resonable. Let your body adjust and get used to your new weight for a while before continuing your journey. If you are still losing inches without the numbers moving, you are still on the right track. It only means your body fat/ lean muscle ratio is shifting. In other words, you are still losing fat, but holding or gaining muscle - which is GOOD because muscle weighs more than fat (fat takes up more room). There are more ways to measure prosgress than numbers on a scale. You can go by dress size, or go to a gym and have your body fat percentage measured.
When you stop losing inches AND weight, then you need to step up your workout to a more intense level. Remember when you started working out, and it was really hard? Now, you are in better shape and it is easier for you. Now you need to make it hard again. Every 4-6 minutes, increase your intensity to where you get out of breath for 30 - 60 seconds. Also, add some weight training if you haven't already.
With your diet, try varying your intake. For example, Day 1 eat what you normally do now. Day 2, reduce your amount you usually eat. Day 3, eat more than you usually do on day one, just make it healthy. Repeat. This will work with any diet plan you are on now. For example, if you count calories, Day one is 1500, Day 2 is 1000. Day 3 is 2000. That way your body doesn't get used to lower calories, but on average, you are still at an amount that allows you to lose weight. This method is great for breaking plateaus!
One last thing you could try is to take a week break from diet and exercise, then get right back into it. Your body will get out of the calorie and fat conserving mode. Sometimes it is just what you need to get the ball rolling again.
Good luck to you.

Answer 2

First off, congrats on losing 97 pounds. Way to go!!
Of course I'm a guy, but when I plateau when dieting it is usually because I am either taking too few calories, working out the same everytime, or cheating! The things below have worked for me.
Try changing up your routine for a week at a time. Example, instead of cardio and then weights, try the weights first then cardio. Might trick your body a bit. If that doesn't work, try a complete different type of workout. If your riding a bike, try stair stepper or rowing. Also make sure you are eating enough. You might want to cheat on cutting calories to get you there, but the body may go into stealth mode thinking it won't get no more food. Good luck!

Answer 3

Not really knowing much about your workouts and what your goal is other then making the scale go down, here is what I think. First of all its MUCH easier to put it on and MUCH MUCH harder to take it off. Fitness is a lifetime change, not just one goal that you reach and then you're done. If you are serious about fitness you will continue to make new goals and it will become a part of your life you can not live without. I would advise to change your workouts. What you were doing before was obviously good enough to drop weight that was easier to drop. Now you have reached the point where you have to figure out what works best for your body to get rid of the stuff that is harder to just melt away... and you have to keep yourself motivate. If you want to drop weight and you are working out everyday not seeing any changes, you should be doing something like running or swimming. I would also recommend strength training... muscle does help to burn fat, but don't forget that it does weigh more than fat... and just because the scale doesn't change that doesn't mean you are not replacing fat with muscle... with time, fat will be dropped... If you are not a runner, just start by speed walking... and this is no joke. Everyday that you go to the gym get on the treadmill and tell yourself "I stay on this for 30 minutes if I walk, if I run... but I don't get off unless the building is on fire" and you have to stick to that no matter if an hot young blond gets on next to you and runs like that what god intended... who cares about anyone else in the gym! You are only there to work out, so do just that and you'll be fine. If you just simply stay on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day, your body will get better and better at staying on the treadmill- no if and or buts. Sure its not what you probably want to do, but it works. Maybe the first month you will walk, and the second you will incline with a little faster speed. You also need to continue to remember that you have lost 97 pounds and not that you need to get rid of 50 more... that kind of thinking with eat your motivation away fast. Just always remind yourself how far you've come and then think of where you will be in two years at the rate you are going... don't think about how you will look later that day, or tomorrow. Be realistic... REAL RESULTS come with time, and only those who understand that and make fitness a lifetime goal will ever reach a happy level in fitness and where they want to be. Make a realistic goal to run a full mile, or 3 miles every day by the end of that year....BY THE END OF THE YEAR. A year is a looong time, and you can do this. Then when you can do this on a treadmill join a 5K-this is part of keeping yourself motivated. There are tons of people in need, kids that are sick and trying to raise money to save themselves from cancer. You pay 20.00 to run/or walk in their 5K (3 miles) and you feel good about yourself and what you've done to help someone else-plus you usually get a neat shirt to show that you run! You will also find a new world of a different kind of people. Some of which started where you are. Also always continue to learn, but don't try the get skinny quick bs things you read and actually expect them to work... these things usually just frustrate you and aren't really ever realistic. My advice is learn to love to run... :) And don't ever give up on yourself. Think of the role model you can be to other women, and how good that will make you feel. :) Good luck, be strong... because that is all it really takes.

Answer 4

WHAT PEOPLE DONT UNDERSTAND IS YOUR BRAIN CONTROLS YOUR PLATEAU. FIRST YOUR BRAIN IS TELLING YOUR BODY THAT IT IS O.K. TO BE THIS WEIGHT. SO A PLATEAU IS A GOOD THING. SECOND... TRY EATING SOME MORE CALORIES...REALLY!!! THIRD... CHANGE YOUR WORK-OUT. DO A VARRITY.LIKE, PILATIES,AND TREDMILL,OR SCWATS. I LOST 75 LBS AND I LOOK GREAT AND FEEL GREAT AND I NOW WORK AT A GYM.YOUR QUESTION ALSO HAS OTHER ANSWERS TOO. READ FITNESS MAGAZINE. IT IS FOR WOMAN.

Answer 5

Try another diet. Your body has become accustomed to the diet you are on. If you are on low calorie, try low carb..or vice versa...if you are on low carb, try starch based.
I lost weight on Sugar busters (low carb) and then switched to the exact opposite (McDougall www.drmcdougall.com) and lost just as much weight as if I had just started a diet. Remember that out metabolisms titrate to our eating habits. If you change everything....it starts the weight loss again. Good luck to you. Remember to eat healthy and dring plenty of water. Cardio but remember moderation.

Answer 6

pass on pop youll be amazed by how much weight you drop by simply switching to water

Answer 7

try to have a little lean protein with each meal as protein tends to be more satisfying than carbs or fats

Answer 8

wash halve and seed two acorn squash then watch them bake for 30 minutes

Answer 9

skip processed foods