I've Plateaued!

For three months - no weight loss. I've cut back on portions, excersice 2x a day now, run more... all that jazz. Does anyone know if this is normal, or could it be... A MEDICAL PROBLEM (dun dun dunnnn)

Tue. Jul 17, 12:50am

how many cals a day do you consume? i've heard several people say adding just about 200 to 300 calories a day gets them through the plateau. .. you may not have been eating enough?

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 9:03 AM

Everything I've read about plateauing says to mix things up, i.e. dont' stick to your usually eating/exercising program. Examples would be to try swimming laps instread of jogging, eating a protien for your morning snack instead of a carb, eat the same amout of calories, but space them out through out the day, etc. Change things and keep your body guessing so your metabolism doesn't "predict" it's fuel supply. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive and will "anticipate" what we give it. Hope that helps, good luck!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 9:44 AM

It's also good to mix up your calorie intake each day.

Only walking today? 1350 calories

Ran 5 miles today? 1750 calories

It's good to have some high days and some low days (I'm just using those numbers as examples) to keep your body guessing.
Also, make sure you're eating something every 3 hours or so - small snack size meals - it helps to boost your metabolism as well.

The advice about switching up your workouts is spot on, too. Change your routine. And are you lifting? If not, start weight training asap. If you are, make sure that you increase your weights and change your routine regularly as well.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 10:55 AM

I know this is a little off topic, but what are some good methods of getting rid of the last 5 pounds? I am very close to my goal weight, I just want to lose 5 more pounds. I feel that my body had adapted to itself now, and does not want to lose more weight nomatter what I do. This is a plateau of sorts right?

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 11:04 AM

Yes, you've plateaued. Try adding exercises that add bursts of energy (e.g., if you jog, do sprint intervals every few minutes; same deal on cardio machines) and this should spike your calorie burn so that you start losing again. Also add weight/resistance training to your regimen, if you haven't already. Change the amount of resistance you're pushing/pulling each time, as well as the order in which you do your exercises and you'll start losing again.
FINALLY, be sure you're adjusting your calorie intake for your new weight (e.g., you weigh less now than before so it takes less calories to maintain your new weight, therefore to lose you may need to adjust your intake down a bit more too. Re-measure your base metabolic rate to be sure.)

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 3:55 PM

(by the way, that last response is intended for 11.04 poster, not the OP)

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 3:56 PM

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