5 Ways to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
If you've ever tried to lose fat for any sustained period of time - you may have hit a plateau. You have changed nothing, but suddenly the fat no longer disappears. The human body is incredibly adaptive, and will do its level best to maintain equilibrium (homeostasis).
The plateauing effect has to be the biggest motivation-killer there is. Unfortunately many popular diet books are strangely quiet on the issue -- I guess the concept doesn't sell well.
The best single word of advice is to make a change. Don't make the mistake of doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result (Ben Franklin's definition of insanity).
What changes can you make?
1. Zig-Zag Calorie Intake
Zig-zagging, or calorie cycling is the process of varying daily calorie intake, while maintaining the same weekly intake. Instead of consuming (for example) precisely 1800 calories each day - you can mix it up. Eat 1500 calories one day, and 2100 calories the next. This can be as simple as halving then doubling a portion size, or adding a post-workout shake into the plan. Just keep your body guessing.
2. Strength Training
If you are not doing this as part of your program or lifestyle, then it's time to start. Working your muscles will help to strengthen bone tissue, increase lean mass, and ultimately boost metabolic rate.
3. Change Your Exercise Routine
So you go walking a lot? Then try jogging, or swimming, or cycling -- anything that will change the way your body is working. If you are doing low intensity cardio work, then try some high intensity exercise (such as HIIT).
4. Alter Macro-nutrient Intake
Although it sounds complicated, once again, the idea is to change what you are eating. If (for example) you are eating a moderate diet that is higher in carbs - try eating less carbs and more protein. There is no need to get super-technical over the whole thing. If you have a carbohydrate snack every day at morning tea time - change it to a protein snack. Whatever you are doing consistently - try mixing it up a bit.
5. Change Meal Frequency
If you are eating three square meals a day - start adding snacks in between (which may mean reducing the portion size of the main meals). Eating often is an old and common style of eating - once again, you are trying to boost your metabolic rate.
I know all that - What else is there?
Some of us seem to have more adaptive bodies than others. I remember when I was eating a fairly rigid diet, having three strength training sessions per week, and as much as seven (often intense) cardio sessions a week. After 3-4 weeks - the fat simply stopped coming off. The frustration was enough to make me take my meal plans (stuck to the fridge), screw them up and throw them away in disgust. I was furious and disappointed. I felt that I was doing everything "right". So what was the answer?
Chill out and back off... I was becoming obsessional. I started eating more, and gradually reduced my cardio levels. I gave my body and mind a break. In the process I have learnt to eat more intuitively. Every person is unique, and we must learn how our individual body responds - and how to work with that.
UPDATE: You can estimate daily calories here, or see other tips and tools here.
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I join a weight loss center and in the first few weeks I lost 6.5 lbs and after that I plateau. I exercised one half hour cardio and one half strength training and nothing. I have become discouraged. I decided I would only eat when hungrey and yet I feel more bloated then ever. I really need to lost 70 lbs, but at this rate I don't know what to do? I thought maybe I should just fast maybe eventually the weight will come off. I need to break this plateau and I do not want to resort to diet pills! please help!!!
ReplyJoy, I have several ideas, and no, none of them involve fasting.
First, weight training. Try a more challenging program (that means no pink weights, no 50 repetitions, 3 sets of 6 or 8 repetitions, until failure - yes, you'll need to use the "manly weights", no, it will not make you look like a steroid freak cause you are a woman), 3x a week, different muscle groups, so you're only working each muscle group once a week. If you need more specific info, try www.stumptuous.com/iron (yes, it is free - I wouldn't recommend a pay site).
Then, the cardio. Try harder cardio on the days you are not doing weight training, such as HIIT. Stumptuous has HIIT info, but if you google it, you are also gonna get a ton of other sites with good info on it.
Then onto the food. 6x a day, and cut off the processed foods. All of them. I know, hard to do, but I doubt you are not gonna lose weight on just natural foods. If that is *still* not enough, then try cutting out all refined carbs, and lowering carb altogether. Log your food intake on www.fitday.com and bring carb down to around 40 or even 35% of your diet, with 35% protein and 30% fat. If that is *still* not enough, then try the zig-zagging the calories, like Ryan describes on page 1 here, aka calorie cycling.
ReplyThanks for all this interesting information. I googled "plateau" and wound up here, reading all. It is very encouraging because I do know that I've dropped a clothing size at the same time that the scales have just wobbled around at one point for two weeks. I guess that what I really want to hear from somebody is that the weight loss will resume, because I've lost 35 but still have 50 lbs. to go. I really wish I could just ignore the scales for a week or two, but am concerned that if I stop weighing each morning I'll gradually start overeating again.
ReplyI think my weight has reached what Mary called its 'support level' - 52 kilos. I am extremely happy with this weight but getting bored of the 1,500 calorie diet. If I do more weight training to increase muscle mass will I be able to eat more calories without gaining fat, since I will be burning more?
ReplyI have lost a bit over 50 lbs. It has taken me about 15 months. Last fall after losing 25lbs, I hit a major plateau. The problem was more about getting lax with following strict guidelines. That kept me in a range that I couldn't break. Started fresh again at the beginning of this years and have lost another 25 so far. Best decision that I made was to only weigh myself 1x per month. No exceptions. There is nothing more frustrating that getting on the damn scale and getting lousy results. One month gives you enough time to see some results each time you get on the scale.
ReplyI have a super sluggish thyroid (I take medication, actually, to even get it going!)
Replyneedless to say it is very hard for me to lose weight - and don't even talk to me about keeping it off if I ever get there.... I exercise all the time and get my recipes from Weight watchers most of the time, but I wanted to share this with everyone - and if you are a green tea drinker you will appreciate it!
I have recently started drinking green tea 300 and love it... I'm down 7 pounds in 2 weeks!
my friends mom actually got me hooked on it, and she has lost 19 pounds in 2 months...
with regular green tea you would have to drink around 80 cups a day to lose weight!
this is a condensed formula, so each drink is equal to about 30 cups of tea...
if you're running out of options you HAVE to try it!
I love it, and I feel 100 times better -I couldn't keep it to myself because I know how everyone who reads these blogs feels...
paste this link into your browser:
http://tinyurl.com/2ap146
I just wanted to say thanks for the plateau advice! I've lost 35 lbs. since early October, but have screeched to a halt (I still have a long way to go). I'm not counting calories, but eating sensibly and getting a lot more exercise than I ever have in the past: I try to do 3 miles on the treadmill at 3.5 MPH. I've just started doing some upper body work with 5 lb. weights to try and tone my arms while I'm waiting for more weight to go away.
ReplyI have lost 78 lbs I started last Jan as a new years resolution, I have hit 2 plateau's since I started I know it has taken a long time to get the weight off but as long as I keep working at it I feel good. The last plateau was only about 2 weeks long, but now for the last 3-4 weeks I have only lost about 1.5lbs,I am doing cardio and strenghth training 5-6 times a week for 30 min. a day I work long hours as a hairdresser and have no more time to exersize so at night I do some yoga before I go to bed. I was just wondering what else I can do? ooh yea I also have my calories T 1100-1300 a day is that the right amount? thanks sooo much this is a great page!!!
ReplyI love this article and all of the superb comments! You have a great community on this website.
ReplyAnyway, I've got a question. Is it possible to plateau after only losing 15 pounds? I started a very strict low calorie diet about a month ago and seem to have stopped losing weight already. I will definitely take the advice given here, zig zag and also change up my exercise routine. Are there any other suggestions?
Ray, if that fails, eat at maintainance calories for 2-3 weeks, then lower calories again. Think of it as a long zig-zag. Sometimes that was the only thing that would work for me.
ReplyI've been doing WW since Jan. I lost 20 lbs. and 2 dress sizes in the first 12 weeks. But in the 9 weeks since then, I've only lost 2.5 lbs. I lose 1.5 lbs one week then gain 1.5 the following week. It's been 9 weeks of this and I really need to break out of this pattern. I jog about 4 miles (45 mins.) 3-4 times a week and I do Tae Bo, my own ab and arm workout or pilates 2 times a week. I stay within my points and eat lots of fruits and veggies, low-fat dairy, chicken and turkey and brown rice or cous cous. My only "bad" food is 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream or sherbert. I've tried zig zagging, I've tried eating low one week then eating high the next. Nothing seems to work. I still have 20 lbs. to lose to make it to a healthy weight. What else can I try to break out of this! I'm so frustrated. Please help!
ReplyHi Bethany,
It sounds like you're a member of an exercise club. If so, why not try getting a VO2 max test? It will measure your metabolism rate - the number of calories of fat and of sugar you burn as a function of your heart rate. My suspicion is that your metabolism has slowed down, and so you'll need to tweak your exercise - do some weight work, do a bit of interval work - to get back on track.
I'm sure you've already thought hard about this, but are you sure you need to lose 20 more pounds? How did you come up with that amount?
Plateaus are the pits. Good luck.
ReplyThanks Quito,
I'll try the intervals and more weight training. I'll check and see if I can have a VO2 max test done.
As for my weight goals, I'm 5'9 and I weighed 212 when I started WW. I currently weigh about 188. WW says that at 5'9 the top of the healthy weight range is 169. I weighed 135 in High School. I just turned 30 and my ultimate weight goal is about 145. I want to try to reach my ultimate goal by next May because I'm getting married. Do my goals seem about right?
ReplyYou were a tall and slender high school student. Were you athletic? In any case, congratulations on getting back down to where you are now!
Based just on these numbers, I can see why you want to lose 20 more pounds. Jan is more familiar with women, weight, and age, so she might be able to comment on getting back to 145. I wonder if, with all the exercise you do now, you might look and feel great at 155.
ReplyOhhh I needed this today! I know it's an older post, but you're talking me off the ledge ;)
Plateaued for a week, then went UP a pound (GRR) and have been there for 3 days.
I'm going to try a bit of the arc trainer tomorrow to mix it up with my usual workout on the treadmill.
Thanks, this blog rocks :)
ReplyWhy do you hear all the time that losing weight is a simple matter of calories in vs. calories out. As I've been perusing the archives here I've read it at least 20 times alone. If this were the case then there'd be no such thing as a plateau, right?
ReplySo I started my weight loss program in early march at 225, and I currently am STUCK at 170 - 168. my diet was low carb. NOT no carb, I ate good carbs like fruits and veggies. I have been here about 2 weeks now, and it is discouraging weighing myself every morning to see the same old weight. I weight lift 5 times a week and do cardio every day. WHY won't my weight drop anymore, i am so close to my goal of 165 but it just seems so far away. I understand my weight loss was fast, but I am young ang active, so I was not to concerned about that. Lately I started taking multi vitamins hoping it would help me break this barrier. Since I am weight training, do I gain weight from muscle? I thought it would help me lose weight, can anyone help? Thanks in advance!
ReplyI need help as I feel like I have been on a Plateau for about 3 months now. I keep going up and down within a 2 kg range and cant get down below that. After losing 12 kg..I need to lose about another 10 and am currenly doing 60mins cardio 6 days a week. The past 2 weeks i upped my calorie intake to 1600 as I think the 1200cal was too low. how long will it take for my metabolism to reset? And how can I do any more exercise to create a deficit without overtraining? If i start to zig zag how do i know if my high and low is correct given my low cal diet previously?
ReplyHi Natalie,
Just wanted to first of all congratulate you on your progress so far. Keep at it!!
My instinct here is to perhaps actually cut back on your cardio. Do you lift weights? If not - start... this is the best way to achieve long term fat loss and a surefire way to break through plateaus. Vary your cardio (ie. do 2-3 times/wk intense, interval-type cardio for 12-20 min) and the other 2-3 days per week opt for slower, longer bouts. Include weights 3-4 times per week (consider using a split routine).
In terms of your calories - your level sounds like it may be right on. What kinds of foods are you eating and how often do you eat are also important variables.
Try not to micromanage too much. I think the simple act of changing your routine may be enough to spark some change. Honestly, 60 min 6x/week is A LOT! Even if you zig-zagged and did less overall cardio - I'm confident you'll see results.
One last thought... You use the word "need" when you described your goal to lose 10kg. Perhaps try rephraming your goal a little so that it doesn't become a sole purpose. Just a thought!
Let me know how it goes! Keep up the great work.
ReplyThis Spring and Summer I have been training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October. I bumped up to about 80 miles a week with some strength training. I've lost about 30 lbs. and gained muscle, but I still hit two noticeable plateaus. Each one lasted about 2-3 weeks. I would go from losing 2-3 lbs. in a week to losing no weight at all. The body is very adaptive. I was eating sensibly and burning I figure about 10,000 calories from exercise in a week and still not losing weight during the two times I hit a plateau.
Replyhi guys,
ReplyI came across this site when i was researching the platue thing and I must say there's some good info here. I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months and now i've been the same weight for 2.5 moths with no changes. Im getting really frustrated that im not loosing any more and i have another 40 lbs to go. I have done most of what u guys r talking about on here and still no result. Any advise? I'd really appriciate it
thank you
I lost 55 pounds around 3 years ago. I've gained about 45 back. I've stopped eating so many burritos, do about 12 classes at the gym/week (step, kickboxing, weight training, yoga) eat a lot of veggies and fruits and some whole grains, some cheese, eggs, whatever. I try to eat healthy but I'm not obsessive about it. I have been working out this way for a month, haven't lost anything. Not an ounce. WTF? I haven't even begun, how can I have hit a plateau?
ReplyHey Guys, I found this site just browsing for info on breaking through the walls of the plateau. A little info about myself. I am 31 yrs old never was overweight until pregnancy. I went from 175 1bs to 215 (1st child 1997) 240 (2nd 2001) 305lbs (3rd 2006). Since Oct. 06 I am down from 305lbs to 228lbs (77lbs) But have come to a stand still. I work out 3-5 days a week including strength and cardio. I decided to take up running and will try the zigzag calorie intake. Hopefully the scale will begin to move again. My goal is 170lbs and to do a trianthlon with my hubby. Any comments or suggestions is appreciated.
ReplyHi Kay! Glad you found the site and hope you get a chance to check in on a regular basis.
You are certainly to be congratulated on your progress thus far! I think from a psychological perspective - keep reminding yourself of this accomplishment. As frustrating as plateaus may be, it is sometimes helpful to reflect on the progress you HAVE made rather than feeling frustrated by your current situation.
How long have you been stagnant? Could you give us a more detailed breakdown of your current program? 3-5 times per week with both wt. training and cardio is great. What type/intensity/duration/set/rep ranges/exercises are you currently doing? What were you doing dietary wise to lose the weight you have already?
Just some more thoughts;
Is it possible you are still altering your body composition even though the scale isn't budging (ie losing body fat).
How are you sleeping/managing stress? Keeping these items under wraps(as difficult as that may be with young kids) is crucial to continued success.
Have you progressed your workout intensities over the past few weeks?
Give me some specifics and I'll see if I (or someone else) can offer some suggestions.
All the best Kay!
ReplyThanks for responding! To answer your question(s). Under an impulse I joined LA weight loss back in oct. 06. I will admit it has it advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantages is that you feel accountable to yourself for spending so much money on the program and it does provide you with the basic understanding of the foods you need to live healthy. OF course the downside is the expense. So once I understood the concept I continued to use the program but skip all weekly chats and weight-ins. I lost a total 30lbs and decided to joined the local YMCA and to date lost another 47 lbs. I have a workout buddy ( certified trainer) and we work 1 large muscle group 3 routines up to 15 reps and a small muscle group. This is done a min. of 3x weekly (free weights & circuits). As for cardio, 5 days week. I do 30 mins every morning before work (cardio video or treadmill) afternoon cardio is normally 45-60 mins (treadmill/eliptical/step aeorbics). I now jog 30-40 mins 3x week in the place of walking on treadmill. So hopefully good news will follow.
ReplyAs for stress, that's a biggy. I decided to practice meditating for 5 minutes every morning . I have 3 little ones and a husband who travels. So it gets really hard sometimes. But I can't cave in and my children are very much involved with helping me stay focus and make good choices. My husband is in very good shape always gets A+++ physicals so healthy bodies are important to us. I would hate to die because of poor health related to obesity and give another woman my handsome husband and adorable children (NOT HAVING IT!!!)
This has probably been covered and apologies if it has.
Just to throw in my two penneth, I hit a plateau where my results were fluctuating very slightly each week for around a month and had spent a long time looking at and mixing up my routines both weights and cardio to reduce adaption, so I went back to my diet.
A simple old trick of cutting simple carbs after 6pm is what I used. Instead of low calorie rice crackers as an evening snack its beef jerky, last week I put on one and a half pounds and reduced my body fat by 0.4% all good!
P.S. Watch the sodium and sugar count if you get jerky.
ReplyHello, Im Trying To Get The Fat Off My Body And Dont Know The Right Way. Had My Son Last Year And Still Cant Burn My Fat Off. Im 130 And Want To Be 115 Please Help!
ReplyWhat a great site!
ReplyAh the dreaded plateau.
I have been on diets of many kinds since I was 8 years old (not overweight, just had a nervous mother lol... set me up for disaster)and have found that only certain type diets work for me, keeping me feeling healthy as I am a shiftworkin' nurse.
As a nurse, I am on my feet for the full shift (Im the only nurse on my floor) and of course when I am home, I am a regular mother of two children. Last year I lost 58 lb (yay me!!) and some stuff happened in my life where I decided that the weight loss could hang fire while I sorted out the other mess. I put back on 14lb. I have just lost all that and have plateaued.
Pondering said plateau I have come to the conclusion that we get tired. Not the bored type tired, but the needing to get a good sleep tired and this makes the body economise on the energy it uses. I have found that simply trying to rest more can boost my weight loss as my body is then less economical on the amount of energy it expends.
Having said that I now have some night shifts coming up and my chance for decent sleep is about nil lol.
Following these lines the weight training sounds spot on for pushing past the dreaded plateau. When im in this place, aerobic exercise is the last thing I could do. The mere thought leaves me nausiated. Weights seem a much better option. Thankyou so much for that advice.
Pleased to have found this blog topic. I am male, 6 ft tall, and presently weigh 252 lbs. I started at 297 lbs last Sept. I managed to lose about 45 lbs in 4 months through a combination of eating a balanced, sensible calorie diet that averaged about 2400 kcal and beginning a cardio routine (elliptical) that says I'm burning an average of 500 kcal a day at least 5 days a week.
For about the past month, I've been stuck on a plateau varying between 251 - 253 lbs. The effort was so much easier to justify when the results were being confirmed on the scale and in the mirror. A month's worth of effort without visible results is disheartening to say the least.
Fortunately, I have already started to incorporate much of the advice listed above, with the exception of the zig zag idea. Last week I started a weight training routine lifting low reps (6X) one set and focusing on a different area 3 days a week. I reluctantly dialed my calorie target down to about 2000 in hopes of breaking through this plateau. I am thinking now that I will try zig zagging between 2000 and 2400 instead.
I want to thank you for the free advice. And, more importantly, I pledge to let you know when it works for me.
I would like to hear about a few success stories when it comes to plateau busting. I figure, folks google weightloss plateau when they are in the midst of one, but it would cool to hear about the successes when the weight loss resumes.
ReplyI started watching my calories and began a work out routine of weights and cardio. I am a male 5'10" and now weighting 161 lbs. My weight now is not the problem it is my scale that says I am 33.1 % body fat down from 34.5%. So do I just stick with everything and now worry since someday my body fat will go down? I have lost no weight in the last 8-10 days nor has my body fat gone down. Suggestions ?
ReplyI have been on a plateau for 12 weeks now. I have been diligent with exercise, counting calories etc. I run five days a week for 45-80 min. I walk twice a day for 20min and throw in stair climbing (1000 steps) a couple of times a week for good measure. I lost 16 pounds in 8 weeks and then it all stopped. I consume ~1200 calories a day. I'm at the end of my rope but I'd like to be at the end of my plateau. Help!!!!
ReplyA quick follow up.
Based on the advice in the blog and in the follow up posting, I made the following changes:
1. Rather than doing LSD (Long Slow Distance) for cardio, I've started doing some HIIT type intervals on the elliptical (full out sprint for a minute, slow for 2 minutes, then repeat).
2. I've added a Saturday morning Spin class.
3. I've started a gradual 3 day a week weight lifting regimen.
4. I've started to zig-zag the calories between 1800 and 2300.
5. I've started using a heart rate monitor to keep me in my intended zone and to help more accurately track workout calorie expenditure.
The end result is that combined with the steps I'd already taken, that I'm finally dropping weight again. I'd been stuck between 253-251 for about a month. In the past two weeks I've dropped down to 249 and today the scale is flirting with 248. I am quite pleased, especially since I'd been viewing 250 as somewhat of a milestone!
Now that I'm losing again, my next milestone of 50 lbs lost seems very close (246 lb).
Thanks again for the helpful techniques.
ReplyI am 53 and weight is 5'1. I weight 118 lbs and would want to reduce to 105. I started eating 2000 calories and gained weight to 124lbs in the lst two weeks. what should I do to reduce my weight?
ReplyYou don't really need to lose weight. Focus on exercise instead.
ReplyI'm trying to go on a diet for my prom dress. Currently I'm waiting around 115 - 120 . I want to loss around 15 pound from now to around May or June. I want to know is there any health diet that i can follow that wont drestroy my body?
ReplyIf you weigh 115lb, you only need to lose weight if you are 4'8". Assuming you are 5' or taller, you are thin already. Not normal, thin. If you are 5'5" or taller, you are downright skinny.
So the question is, why do you think you need to lose 15lb to weigh 100lb? 100lb is the weight of a child, or an extremely short and small-framed woman.
Stop worrying about your weight and just exercise instead. You'll be healthy, and you'll think of your body as more than the number of pounds you weigh, as a moving, powerful, thing. Eat when you are hungry and eat whole foods (stuff that came from a farm, not a factory). That is it.
ReplyBut the problem is im over weight for my age which im only 14? My doctor say that.
ReplyYour doctor is either not following the recommended government weight guidelines, or you are 4'10" or shorter.
Cause that weight for a girl, 14 years old, 4'11" or taller, the CDC says it is a healthy weight.
You can try out the calculator here:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
Replyim 4' 6..does that count as over weight?
ReplyThat puts you in the "at risk to be overweight" category , which means you could lose some weight if you want to.
Keep in mind you are still growing, so you can't restrict your food intake or it could be harmful. What you can do is change the kind of foods you eat: cut out junk and processed food in general, and try to eat natural foods (as in, stuff found in nature, that came from a farm: vegetables, grains, fruit, chicken, beef, milk, yogurt, cheese - real one, not plastic slices - etc.) That will keep you getting all the nutrients you need, and you'll lose weight too.
Replyso mostly i just need to exercise more n eat rite?
ReplyYes. You'll lose any weight you have to lose. Make sure to get protein (meat, chicken, fish, milk, beans) and your fruit and vegetables to stay healthy. We pretty much eat enough carbohydrate (bread, potatoes, etc - preferably whole-wheat bread), it is the protein and fruit and vegetables we usually lack.
ReplyPLATEAU !!! WHATS THATS !!
after reading the above posts i can only laugh out loud. no offence meant.
calorie counting like misers has never helped anyone lose FAT (not weight), it is important however to keep your carbs with high GI in check and eat as many low GI fruits and green veggies.
eat fish, boiled chicken brest and cottage cheese as much you want.
whats most important is to work out with heavy weights* low reps (6-8) x 4 sets for 2 months and then work out with lighter# (medium) weights high reps (20-30) x 2 sets for next 2 months and keep on changing this every 1.5 to 2 months.
* 75% of your RM (max weight that you can lift in one rep); # 60% of your RM
do high intensity cardio, warm up for 5 mins to make your heart reach 120+ bpm and than for 2 minutes make it reach 145-150 or so that you cant speak while breathing heavy and than again reduce effrt to make your heart rate come back to 120 bpm and than again to intense and make this a habit and slowly increase total time of cardio to max 90 minutes a day buring off 800-900 cals.
i have done this and lost 60 lbs. in 9 months and yes i hit the support levels in between but than i take rest of 7 days without and excercise and than again start off and kick my body to lose fat.
my bicpe are measuring 17.5 inches and have added a lot of muscle to my structure everywhere.
try out and forget the plateau,
i can share my earlier and no photographs with you if you want with my workout routines.
i am working out 5 days a week at elemention health and sports, infinity towers, cybercity, gurgaon, india.
comments and queries are welcome at sandeep0369@yahoo.com or ring +91.9999.35.8857
Replyoooops !!!
please read no as NOW in the line in my previous entry,
Reply"I can share my earlier and now photographs with you if you want with my workout routines"
I have been on Jenny Craig now for the past month. I have lost 5 pounds, and I haven't budged for the past 2 weeks. I have worked out a few minutes more and have not changed my diet, I've being doing everything perfectly.
I was in Jenny Craig about 2 yrs ago and when I would hit a plateau it would only last 1 week, then I would drop about 3 pounds that week after it...I don't understand why it is longer now, and I am very frustrated. I can't do the "zigzagging" method, because with Jenny Craig you have to follow their meal plans...what to do?..
Replyluanne, aside from weight training - starting if you are not doing it, intensifying it if you already are, you could also spend a week eating at maintenance calorie levels, which you could do by eating your jenny craig plan + adding 2 more snacks of fruit, nuts (1oz) and a yogurt. That would be roughly 300 cals, a yogurt, a banana, an apple, and 1oz nuts extra from what you are eating. Then by returning to the lower calories, you should see a difference.
ReplyI'm sooooo happy to have found this site. Super-fantastic info from you all! I never heard of zigzagging before and can't wait to try it so I can break this darn plateau!
ReplyAnd here I was, pulling my hair and gauging my eyes out coz my weight wouldn't barge! thank you all, you've have just rekindled my motivation.
Quick question: does changing the times of exercise help? say from working out in the evening to sweating it out in the morning.
Once again, thank you all!
ReplyI started dieting/exercising when I weighed 197 pounds and lost 20 pounds in 40 days. Now I have hit a weight loss plateau at 177 pounds in the last 20 days. I wanted to find out why, searched and reached this site. It has been very helpful to understand various reasons and remedies. Thanks a lot guys for your comments and eagerly waiting to jump off the weight loss plateau...
Reply