5 Ways to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

I have been reading more and more, and there are even commercials out about this…that drinking milk, or taking in more calcium can help you lose weight. I just read another article on http://www.radthemag.com about the same topic. What is your experience with this idea?
http://www.radthemag.com/program/read/article.asp?id=32&cat=1

Pam, I remember from Jim's what are you eating today post that he drinks soy milk, so I'm guessing he's dairy-free. I know I lose weight better while having my (skim) milk, so it is worth a shot if you like milk.

Jim, this is possibly the most informative, best post I've ever read here. I know I've said this about previous posts, but you keep outdoing yourself. Good job.

I love that quote from Franklin!

Personally, I think that adding strength training could possibly make the most impact because, as you state, it increases the metabolic rate. However, if you went down this path you have to be careful not to use your weight as your only measure of progress as you will probably gain weight (muscle) as a result of the training. Use body fat monitors and the old favourite of 'how you look in the mirror' to gauge progress too!

The "zigzagging" calories thing works really well too. On the WW plan, a lot of people alternate a week of eating towards the lower end of their calorie range and then a week of eating towards the higher end. I did that a couple of times when I'd have a plateau and it did work. The trick is to not pig out when you eat the higher-calorie menu and not starve yourself when you are on the low-calorie part.

Strength training is also a really great way to bust out of a rut. It builds muscle so you burn more calories without even trying that hard.

I've given up completely before when I hit a plateau that lasted 2 months. I now have a scale that measures body fat as well as weight. Now I can see if maybe I'm not losing weight, but losing fat. We'll see.

BTW... I joined Sparkpeople from a link on your site. I have lost 20 lbs so far and going strong. It's easy, motivating and really fun.

BTW, there are two editor's that post here. I am not the one that makes grammatical checks on Jim.

I lost 85 pounds in one year. I hit a genuine plateau twice during that time. I almost went stark raving mad in trying things and following others well-intentioned advice. I did it all. What really works is time. Each plateau lasted exactly four weeks despite it all. You get through it and if your sanity is intact, I believe nature runs its course. What helps is to track your measurements and be amazed at the tale of the tape even when there is no weight loss.

Jan - you are observant. The Dairy-free thing is a story for another day. The "calcium for weight loss" issue is something that deserves some scrutiny I feel.

Editor - I noticed two editors around. You are right about time. That's why I say - chill out.

Thank you so much for addressing this issue! I have searched high and low for information or just someone to talk to! I lost 25lbs between November/December (05) and have not changed a thing and since then have lost about 1.5lbs... it is enough to drive a person mad! I'm on a strict 1200 - 1400 calorie diet and have since become a calorie expert... it just doesn't make sense! I work out for a minimum of 45 minutes 4 times a week. I have changed this up a bit and changed up my calories, higher somedays, lower others, etc. So, last month I measured... yesterday was one month later and between my arm/waist/hips/thigh I have lost about 6.5 inches. I couldn't believe it! Only 1.5lbs... so I encourage you all who have plateaued and found yourself here, to measure, measure, measure! I'm still struggling, but any tiny bit of motivation I can get helps, and the measuring is better than seeing practically nothing on the scale. I'm about 45lbs from goal... wish me luck!

Sara, you are doing a great job. Congratulations.

What's really useful is to measure, measure, measure. Even understanding that thee is a clear calorie
difference in burning calories when doing yark work versus sitting at the office has been enlightening to me (http://www.mlrose.com/calcalc.htm) and has helped me lose 30 pounds in the last 5 months.

Re: "The plateauing effect has to be the biggest motivation-killer there is." If you knew before you started how long the plateau was going to be---and you can---you'd be happily anticipating the end of it, not climbing the walls in frustration.

"Zig-zagging, or calorie cycling is the process of varying daily calorie intake, while maintaining the same weekly intake." Spectra, why can't you do this every other day rather than every other week? And why not do this from the start, instead of waiting for a plateau? All you need to know are the Day 1 zig number and the Day 2 zag number.

And "Editor (Feb 28/06)" is dead-on: no plateau lasts longer than four weeks. And there's a way to make it even shorter.

Mary, you can change your calories around and strenght-train from the very beginning. Sadly, for people with metabolic issues, a plateau can last longer than 4 weeks. I went as long as 3 months without losing an inch or a pound after I'd lost most of the weight.

Jan, if your plateau lasted 3 months, it wasn't a plateau; it was a support level. If a client has a support level (and I don't allow it to go on for more than a week), we lower the amount eaten on the high-calorie day and/or the low-calorie day.

Everybody has a metabolic issue, Jan, every so many years. Gosh. If I tell you much more, I won't have a business.

I missed two excellent opportunities in this plateau post:

1. Congratulations, Jim, on your losing 30 pounds in the last 5 months. Boffo.

2. To answer Spectra's concern that "The trick is to not pig out when you eat the higher-calorie menu and not starve yourself when you are on the low-calorie part."

You are much less likely to pig out, Spectra, when you zigzag daily than when you do it weekly. What makes people pig out is the backlog of hunger that builds up after they've cut calories drastically over a prolonged period of time. When they regain all the weight they've lost, and then some, they declare: "Diets don't work."

They work if they work with the body, rather than against it. If you zigzag every day, your body doesn't get a chance to build up this backlog of calories. You fool it into going along with your plan. It takes 21 days to reassure it that you aren't trying to starve yourself.

You will need a good plan before you start a zigzag method. It should include a constant spread between the zig number and the zag number (the reassurance thing); the regular times of day you'll eat (the reassurance thing); and a list of low-or-no-calorie "pacifiers" you'll use while you're getting used to the system (the 21 days). Preparation is Job One because the munchies WILL happen. It's all part of your body's programming.

For those that are having a hard time and have plateaued... take up a new sport or activity! It's hard to find time in our lives to take up something new, but by introducing something new into the mix, you will see some more changes to your body. Take up racquetball, swimming, cycling, tennis, golf, gardening, anything that will add some exercise to your routine.

Ok Mary, semantics. So it was a support level. My body likes to support being pretty fat, what a surprise. And no, I'm not talking about "temporary metabolic issues", I'm talking about taking full replacement for a non-working thyroid, taking steroids for non-working adrenal glands, and being insulin-resistant and having the testosterone of a 14-year-old boy (and nope, the metformin didn't help with weight loss at all).

I also didn't ask for your suggestions on how to break out of a plateau, so your business is safe. I have not had good experiences with dietitians and wouldn't take advice from one, not even for free. No offense.

Jan: No offense taken. You do have serious health issues. I hope you have confidence in your medical care givers and I wish you better health.

I apologize to you Mary. I had just read a pretty offensive comment by someone else on another topic and it made me sound pretty harsh, rereading what I wrote.

Great info. I am 40 and have high cholesterol and BP. So I decided last xmas to get back in shape - my wife and doc would like to see less stress and better vitals.

I have lost 17lbs since last Dec 05. Counting calories with FitDay and averageing

Thanks and great blog.
Ben

...I am sooo glad to have found this site! All this plateau stuff is very new and foreign to me. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what my caloric intake vs. what I should be trying to burn is. Any suggestions from someone with more experience? I have been working out for the first time in my life; have lost about 7 lbs. over the past 2 monthes, and am most certainly on the plateau. But all whining aside, I definately feel better already, and am open to suggestion and support. Thanks to all for sharing!

J Terry, I did develop this calorie intake calculator for estimating calorie needs. Have a play with that.

Jim, thanks for your help! I have a question that maybe will get a laugh because it seems like the answer should be obvious; but do you subtract the amount of calories burnt from your intake for the day? (example: yesterday I took in 1386 calories, but in my workout I burned 465... Does that mean I only count 921 for yesterday?) This has been confusing my since the start. Once again, thanks for your input.

It depends what your goal is. The intake calculator provides a broad estimate of daily calories - based on personal stats and exercise levels. If you are working out (for example) 3 times a week, this is also plugged into the calculator to give you a daily average of what you should be eating.

The more you are working out, the more you should be eating - to fuel your workouts. Personally I think you can get too technical on these things. But you do need to ensure you are eating enough.

Jim, thanks again. Being that this is my first official health kick, I just want to make sure I get off on the right foot; so that it sticks. There are sooo many different calorie calculators and theories for what a person should be taking in, I guess now that I've reached the diet plateau I'm just really going to have to do the ever-popular "whatever works for you" method and just keep trying until I get it right. It's good that this site is here for info and support.

To speed up your metabolism, you must decrease the amount of fat in your body and develop more muscle. Muscle has a much higher metabolic rate than fat and burns more calories even when you are sleeping.

Muscle weighs more than fat.

Lean muscle has the highest resting metabolic (calorie burning) rate of any tissue. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, day and night! Muscle burns calories even at rest, while fat tissue is virtually dead weight.

To lose weight, do as little aerobic exercises as you can. Aerobic exercises (with oxygen), do not help you to lose weight.

To lose weight and fat, do anaerobic exercises (not using oxygen, without oxygen).

Anaerobic exercises are intense exercises that can be tolerated for only a few moments. They are short bursts of all out activities. They are activities using muscle groups at high intensities that exceed the body's capacity to use oxygen to supply energy. They create an oxygen debt by using energy produced without oxygen. They are activities in which oxygen demands of muscles are so high that they rely upon an internal metabolic process for oxygen.

Anaerobic exercises are sprinting, running up stairs rapidly, jumping high, long and vertically with intensity, rapid cycling, rapid rowing, rapid swimming, weight throwing, weight lifting with low repetitions, hand balancing, gymnastics, chins, parallel bar dips, roman rings, rope climbing, tubing, bands, pulleys, wrestling and martial arts.

Some site i was going thru mentioned that one needs to have a calorie count of atleast 1500-2000 calories a day (depending of current weight).. is it true?

"To lose weight, do as little aerobic exercises as you can. Aerobic exercises (with oxygen), do not help you to lose weight." -G

I have to say I disagree. Aerobic exercises are vital to daily maintenance of metabolism, endurance building, and body fat reduction. (Fat cannot burn effeciently in an oxygen poor environment.)

Personally, I do both. 30 min of aerobic exercise to "lose the weight", 40 min of weight training to "keep it off".

As far as plateaus are concerned, I find it helps to remind myself "How many people do I know that eat 2000 healthy calories a day, go to the gym 4 days a week and play racquetball 2 days and weigh what I do." Then, I just continue to be one of those people and let my weight take care of itself. (And it always does, sooner or later.)

I have hit a plateau after losing 50 pounds (since Dec). This plateau has lasted longer than 4 weeks! Since my last body reading my fat % went down only slightly my overall BMR was worse! and I didn't lose any inches! I weightlift for 45 min three days a week and do tons of cardio (mostly treadmill walking 5-6 days a week, I vary speed and incline). I am on synthroid so there are thyroid issues but right now I feel why bother, nothing works for me (I still have 100 pounds to go). The center suggested I cut back on the cardio and increase the weight lifting, but I thought you were supposed to do it only every other day and isn't a calorie a calorie no matter how you burn it? Do you agree with decreasing the cardio?

I just have to say, muscle does not weigh more than fat--a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat--a pound! However, a pound of muscle is leaner and takes up less space than a pound of fat, so muscle appears smaller. (Not very technical, but you get the idea). ANYWAY, I have to agree with a poster above--when my weight loss slows down, I seem to lose inches. Weird, but welcome! Now if only I can remember that at my next plateau, ugh!

Like Susan above, I have a thyroid issue too, so after losing 10 lbs on a strict no caffeine, no sugar, no alcohol, no red meat, no flour, no dairy diet and working out 5 times a week for 1.5 hours I wonder if this is not a plateau , but maybe my body being ever able to get back to my normal weight due to thyroid issues...argh!!! help, i need a success story!

I have never been a part of a blog, but I was reading and really wanted to repond. I have been on Weight Watchers since February 2nd of this year. I have been on average losing 2 lbs a week; currenly I have lost 46 lbs. But I got on the scale today and it said I lost .2 lbs. Not even 1/2 a pound for heavens sake! I wasn't totally discourage as I know plateau's happen. But I was just hoping I wouldn't have one. But, I think I may be here now. Over the last 3 weeks I lost 1 lb, then .8 pounds and now .2 pounds. So.. this blog was helpful for me. I have never heard the term "zigzagging" but I understand and will try it. I do work out (Curves) which is circuit training and I walk 1.5 miles almost every day with my dog. So, the thought to increase exercise may not be realistic for me. I will try zigzagging and see if that works. Any other suggestions, please let me know!!

Well.. as for the plateau... I have been on one for 3 months.. as for a support level, yes maybe... However I have been eating 2000 less kilojoules per day than my body requires and exercising at a high intensity for 3 hours 3 times a week. I have tried going up to eating -1000, down to eating -4000.. whatever i do it wont change, different exercises etc. nothing. I fail to see how my support level is -4000 kJ + 3hrs exercise a week; its not possible. I have no idea, and no-one can tell me what to do! so i do think some people plateau for that long, the only think i can think of is my stupid implanon. However i fail to see kJ in = kJ out + weight lost, accurately describes this situation

for the past 3 months I have drank at least 6 bottles of water a day cardio everyday and started to eat right I have only lost five pounds can anyone please tell me what I am doing wrong the only change is tone and I need to lose a least 60 pounds homeinanna@yahoo.com

I am in the 3rd week of a plateau after losing 10 pounds. But I can attest to the loss in inches. Every week my clothes fit better( looser) than ever. I exercise 4 times a week - treadmill and weights and I am now going to mix it up with my bike. I don't get the milk thing -can someone elaborate? If you know about the plateau thing and anticpate it mentally you can hang in there much more easily. I wouldn'think of undoing what I have done because of a temporary plateau! You have to stare this thing down and not blink. It will give in!

Has anyone ever actually gained weight during a plateau? Also, is it possible to eat too few calories? I have heard that increasing calorie intake can actually re-start weight loss.

I am currently on a plateau...My weight has been the same for 23 days...And, it's so frustrating! It's like I'm doing everything right and the scale won't budge...Finding this blog has really helped me a lot!!! A lot of great and helpful information!!!...Also, now I don't feel like "I'm" the only one who's struggling with this plateau situation...lol..:-)

It doesn't matter how little you're eating and how much you're exercising if your body conditions itself to it. You have to trick your body sometimes, which is why zig-zagging is great.

Proper zig-zagging is far and away the best way to lose weight. However, there are many schemes for how to do this. Some have a high day then a low day, some people have week long high/low periods. So what's the best way? I would have to say the best zig-zagging scheme is probably a high day followed by 2 or 3 low days.

On your high day, eat your maintenance amount of calories, or even more, like 10% above maintenance. This sets your metabolism. I need about 3500 calories a day, so I may eat 3500-3850. So now my body's been conditioned to burn 3500-3850 a day. Eat a balanced diet on this day, with enough carbs to fill your glycogen stores.

On your following low days, eat less than your maintenance. 20% less should be ample. Eat little carbs on these days, and increase your intake of protein and healthy fats.

After 2 or 3 days, your body will realize that you've cut your calories, and will lower your metabolism to account for it. This is when you have another high day to set your metabolism again. Never exceed three low days in a row.

Aim for losing less than 1.5% of your bodyweight per week, or less than 1% if you're not weightlifting. Your body will only liberate fat so quickly, so if you lose more than this, you could be losing muscle. Buy some calipers and check yourself periodically to make sure you aren't. If you are losing muscle mass, you may want to have more than one high day in a row, or cut back less on your low days.

Be extremely careful not to lose muscle; it will make future weight loss much more difficult. If you're trying to lose weight and not lifting weights, you're setting yourself up for failure. Doing only cardio is a common mistake.

I need to lose about 10, maybe 15 pounds. It seems that I hit a plateau almost immediately, after the first week. Is it possilbe? I lost about 2 pounds the first week by eating about 1500 calories and exercising 45 minutes 5 times a week. For the last 2 weeks the scale did not move. What should I do??

It's entirely possible that you're just putting on muscle. If you previously did not exercise much, your body may just be adapting. If no one else has told you, scale weight is not what you should be concerned with. Scale weight really means nothing. It doesn't tell you how much muscle or how much fat you have. What you should be concerned with is body fat percentage.

I'm currently on the weight loss path myself. Each time I switch up my weight lifting routine though, I'll get a predictable 2 week "plateau". In this time, I'm replacing all the fat I'm losing with new muscle.

I love listening to all that you are saying!

3 years ago I lost 25 pounds, hurt my knee, and gained back about 10 pounds. About 2 months ago I started working otu again and 4 weeks ago started watching what I ate by doing WW. However, after losing 5 pounds, I have now been stuck in a platue. It's so frustrating, but than I remember I went through it before, so as much as it makes me want to give up, I just have to keep on going!

Also, Id like to bring up the fact that doing WW I tend to pick a day, usually Saturday, where I do not care about what I eat so I never have those pig out days and then Stay on the lower end of my points the two days following, I found that this, along running and some weights, helped me lose and boost my metabolism the most compared to when I didn't add that "bad day" into my diet. Any thoughts on why that worked?