Over month long plateau - Need to break through!

[knmcd 34]

I am weighing in at 163 right now, and have been jumping back and forth between that and 165 for over a month. I weighed 169 at my last fill appointment, and only lost 4 lbs. I am feeling defeated! My goal is to get to 135-140, which is the recommended weight for my height of 5'2". I go for jogs every day or every other day, and I do no less than 2.5 miles in 30 mins. I don't eat Breakfast, I just have 2 or 3 cups of coffee. For lunch I may eat a piece of meat or some boiled eggs, and for dinner I eat a meat and veggie. No more than 1/2 cup of food whenever I eat. I track everything I eat on My Fitness Pal. I don't understand because I am watching what I eat, how much I eat, and I'm exercising. I even did a 4 mile walk/jog last Thursday, I'm pushing myself further every time I get out and jog. Has anyone been through this, that can give me some advice on how to push through this plateau?? I would greatly appreciate it!

[2muchfun 8,927]

Are your clothes fitting looser? If you've amped up your exercise program you could be adding muscle and still losing fat. One month is not much of a plateau once you get down to that last 25 lbs. If you burn off 500 calories a day more than you consume you could lose 4 lbs in one month. But that's 4 lbs of fat. If you're building/replacing that fat with muscle, the scale won't know the difference and will not show it.

It's this way for most of us. Those last lbs are incredibly difficult to shed and requires a lot of focus and intense control over how many calories we eat. Be satisfied with 2 lbs a month if you can get there?

[BeachBish 123]

^{YOU look WONDERFUL!!!!!}

^{I can too relate to the plateau! I am on 6 weeks and it is aggravating!}

^{I think mine is not enough activity!}

^{Are you eatting enough?}

[620to? 23]

sounds like your metabolism is copensating for the reduced calories and increased activity. eat something at breakfast it starts your metabolism. your metabolism is far more responsible for calorie burn than the few hundred calories you burn in exercise.. also your body will adapt to a level of exercise after awhile. try changing it up. increased and something different. weight lifting will help increase your metabolism by requiring calories after the exercise is over for repair. you don't have to get crazy with it just enough to tone up you don't have to be a body builder. good luck

[knmcd 34]

Are your clothes fitting looser? If you've amped up your exercise program you could be adding muscle and still losing fat. One month is not much of a plateau once you get down to that last 25 lbs. If you burn off 500 calories a day more than you consume you could lose 4 lbs in one month. But that's 4 lbs of fat. If you're building/replacing that fat with muscle, the scale won't know the difference and will not show it.

It's this way for most of us. Those last lbs are incredibly difficult to shed and requires a lot of focus and intense control over how many calories we eat. Be satisfied with 2 lbs a month if you can get there?

Clothes are definitely fitting looser! I have thought that maybe I've just been losing inches, because I can see a difference in the last month in some areas shrinking. Just thought that it wouldn't last as long and I'd start losing lbs again. I'm all for losing inches. Guess we just get it in our heads that the number on the scale has to go down for us to be losing weight or getting healthier. Thanks for the advice!

[knmcd 34]

^{YOU look WONDERFUL!!!!!}

^{I can too relate to the plateau! I am on 6 weeks and it is aggravating!}

^{I think mine is not enough activity!}

^{Are you eatting enough?}

sounds like your metabolism is copensating for the reduced calories and increased activity. eat something at breakfast it starts your metabolism. your metabolism is far more responsible for calorie burn than the few hundred calories you burn in exercise.. also your body will adapt to a level of exercise after awhile. try changing it up. increased and something different. weight lifting will help increase your metabolism by requiring calories after the exercise is over for repair. you don't have to get crazy with it just enough to tone up you don't have to be a body builder. good luck

I don't know how many calories a day I should be eating! The nurse practitioner at my dr's office was absolutely no help with that. They just gave me a list of things I should and shouldn't eat. I asked about calorie intake, and she said it's not about that it's about what I'm eating. No help at all!! Also, in the mornings I'm not hungry at all, and when I do eat my band is tight. Any recommendations on things that are easy to get down in the mornings? Thank you!

[knmcd 34]

^{YOU look WONDERFUL!!!!!}

^{I can too relate to the plateau! I am on 6 weeks and it is aggravating!}

^{I think mine is not enough activity!}

^{Are you eatting enough?}

Thank you by the way!!!! Hope you get through yours soon!

[2muchfun 8,927]

620 made a good point. Something I've done in the past and I've seen others here do it too, is to increase your caloric intake maybe up to 1400 calories a day for a weekend so that your metabolism increases, and then go back to maybe 1000 a day? Keep your body guessing with a varied diet and a varied exercise routine.

Still, your current routine will work too, it just may not seem to kick in as quickly?

tmf

[620to? 23]

i can't help with what will work well with the band. i won't get mine for another 9 days. i have been fairly successful dieting without one though and i was like you. never ate breakfast, but that was cause when i did it was the wrong stuff and made me miserable, plus i'd trade a half hour of sleep for making and cleaning up breakfast dishes any day. any way now i eat scambled egg substitute or something with high Protein. staying away from refined carbs and high sugar fruits works best for me.

i'm seven weeks into a plateau myself, we just need to keep our heads in the game. good luck

[HotButterFly 981]

Excuse me, but you're a HOTTIE

[knmcd 34]

i can't help with what will work well with the band. i won't get mine for another 9 days. i have been fairly successful dieting without one though and i was like you. never ate Breakfast, but that was cause when i did it was the wrong stuff and made me miserable, plus i'd trade a half hour of sleep for making and cleaning up breakfast dishes any day. any way now i eat scambled egg substitute or something with high Protein. staying away from refined carbs and high sugar fruits works best for me.

i'm seven weeks into a plateau myself, we just need to keep our heads in the game. good luck

Thank you so much for the advice, and good luck on your journey!!

[knmcd 34]

Excuse me, but you're a HOTTIE

Lol Thank you!

[BeachBish 123]

I don't know how many calories a day I should be eating! The nurse practitioner at my dr's office was absolutely no help with that. They just gave me a list of things I should and shouldn't eat. I asked about calorie intake, and she said it's not about that it's about what I'm eating. No help at all!! Also, in the mornings I'm not hungry at all, and when I do eat my band is tight. Any recommendations on things that are easy to get down in the mornings? Thank you!

It certainly isn't shaved turkey as I just had and now I am feeling PAIN! I do best with a Protein Drink...Guess this will be the breakfast of Champions for me from here on out and OHHHHHH How I miss breakfast! My favorite meal of the day!

[ndyoung77 142]

This happened to me . My dr told me so stop the hard core exercise and take a break that lasted only two days but I'm down 10 lbs since.

[LanaLang 6]

Take breaks in between your exercises, and eat more vegetables In your diet. Good luck, you look fantastic just the way you are, the perfect size!