Plateau frustration
 

Hi, I'm a newbie here. I started watching my calories mid-April and so far have only managed to lose 11 lbs. I have always eaten healthy and exercised by walking my dogs everyday (which isn't much exercise since they're always stopping to sniff things). So I started making very low calorie meals mostly from the 5-2 diet books and trying to keep my calories to 1300-1500 a day. I also added a Zumba class once/week and a Firm workout video with weights that I do 1-2 times a week. Every other weekend I am in the mts doing strenuous hiking. So... What can I do to start losing again? I am 5'3" and currently weigh 142. I am not tempted by sweets or snack foods- my two indulgences are half and half in my coffee in the a.m. and a glass of wine at night! I would appreciate any suggestions besides giving up those things!! (Sometimes I cut out the wine already). I'm afraid I will have to start doing the 5/2 diet to make any progress but limiting myself to 500 calories a day even once a week is intimidating.

You could shake up your physical activities routine a little bit. Drinking water more helps. Staying on track with the diet choices you already have made helps - then you just need to be patient, because it does take time.

You've already lost 11 pounds. That is great! At Weight Watchers, when I hit a plateau, I was told that eating more very lean protein (substituting it for some other food, not adding it to the diet...) helps. And it did. Also, that eating more vegetables and fruits (substituting it, not just adding it on) helps - and it did.

Those are carbs and protein. Fat is more than twice the calories, gram for gram, as either of them. So, if you see that in your meals, just be aware.

Thanks. Kathy. I definitely need to drink more water!! And I'm going to add bike riding when I'm in the mts.

Hi there! I'm new to the boards but not new to Fitday. I have lost 60 pounds over 3 years. Here are my plateau observations:

1) if you are a sensible dieter you WILL have plateaus. At some point I just had to accept that and move on. I was making myself crazy with frustration.

2) plateaus are a sort of "time out" for your body. I noticed that when I plateau that's when my clothing size drops. Just this last Christmas I hit a major plateau. I went for 3 months without losing any pounds. Then, in January I went shopping for some new jeans. The previous summer I had gotten down to a size 20W in Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I got the 20W off the rack and it was too big. So I tried the 18W and it was too big. I went over to the regular size clothing and I fit into a regular size 18!!!

3) look at plateaus as a time of body adjustment to your new weight. I now look forward to the plateaus. BTW, I am now a 16 regular in the same GV jeans.

4) I have found that I don't lose weight in a nice downward graph. My graph looks more like stair steps.

I hope this helps.

Kathy is right water will make all the difference if you aren't drinking enough. Good luck