Let's talk Plateaus

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

So I'm a little late to the plateau party. I know I've read of frustrations from my fellow VVs. I'm just now realizing/admitting that I'm at a plateau. I weigh the same today as I did on August 3rd. I didn't realize it because I've been bouncing around a few pounds up, a few pounds down, and hadn't really looked at the pattern. So now that I've admitted it, what do I do?

• Get a fill. Did that. I'm happy with my restriction.
  
• Eat like crap for a couple of days, then back to good eating. Not sure about this one. Dh looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned it and he's usually super supportive.
  
• Up my exercise. That's just the thing. . .I started exercising right at the end of July, right about when this plateau started. So I already did up the exercise.
  
• Don't worry. I'm leaning toward this one. I think I'm doing the right things, just that my body needs a break from losing weight or something. But how long do I wait? I'm getting a little impatient.
  

Anything I haven't thought of? How long did your plateau last? Did you do something that made a difference, or do you think it would have broken either way? I'd love to hear your wisdom.

[Emily'sDad 0]

I noticed that you said you just started exercising. Speaking for myself, I know that the first few weeks after beginning an exercise program my weight will actually increase due to the Fluid retention that goes with the soreness. Once I'm in the swing of a workout routine the pounds start dropping again. My plateaus have been longer, along the lines of 6-8 weeks. Since I've been exercising regularly I've made much better (slow) progress.

As long as you burn more calories than you eat you'll be moving again soon!

[Ezma 2]

I still don't have a good answer for this one. In fact, I feel like I'm still on one. I only lost 5 pounds between the last two visits to my surgeon, which was a 5 week period. I know it's still okay but I was losing about 10-11 every 2 weeks. Last month I was stuck for 3 weeks. I got a fill last Tuesday. Next day I dropped a pound, day after that I dropped 2 more pounds. I thought I was on my way again. But nooooooooo... for the last 5 days I've been bouncing up and down again. I'm barely eating anything, I upped my exercise a few weeks ago, I tried changing up my diet. Feeling even more frustrated because I'm sitting about 2 pounds from 100 pounds lost. My first major goal and I really, really want to hit it. I'm fearing that I've lost that ole band magic.

I did find this today when i was searching around for plateau stuff. It's from the Jan 08 forum - http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f112/how-break-plateau-66916/

[JaimeSTL 4]

I have plateau'ed two times. The first time, I think I wasn't getting in enough calories and my body kind of freaked out. I upped the calories big time a couple of days, then stayed in the 1000-1200 range. That broke it easily. That plateau lasted about a week.

My most recent plateau lasted about 3 weeks, mid July until the beginning of August. It also coincided with beginning an exercise program. I did a combination of things. First, I took a weekend off. It was not really planned, but it was what I needed to get my head back in the game. I had a blizzard from Dairy Queen, went out to dinner with a friend, went to a bbq with my inlaws...just in general, ate what I wanted (though I find being bad now is far different from being bad before...I just can't eat the quantity I used to). I kept exercising consistenly. I increased my Water intake from about 64 ozs a day to 80 to 100 ozs per day. I increased my Protein from about 60-65 grams a day to about 80+ grams a day. I changed up some of my regular food choices (like, I had been having oatmeal for Breakfast everyday and I started having turkey sausage and eggbeaters). I had excellent restriction (I'd just had a fill before this started). I also noticed that my calorie intake was more in the 1200-1400 range each day. The first week off my plateau, I dropped 5 lbs and another 8 or so since then (that's just the last three weeks).

Make sure you have increased your Water to make up for what you are losing through exercise. Change up your food choices. Vary the amount of calories you eat each day. When I get in a rut of eating just about the same amount of calories each day or eating the same things too much, things slow down. Once you've built up some muscle through exercising, you'll burn more fat.

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

Water intake. That's something I can really focus on. Today I didn't even get in my 64 oz, (yet, anyway), so I could certainly do better.

I'm trying to be patient with knowing that working out can have an effect, but here I am a month later wondering how long it's going to last. I think I'll try having a couple of days off from strict eating and see how that goes. I don't imagine I'll go all out, but maybe I'll make some zucchini bread and have a blizzard or something.

I am in a diet rut, I've had cottage cheese and cantaloupe for Breakfast 95% of the time for the last couple of weeks. It's just so yummy, I'm not interested in eating anything else. Cantaloupes are so good right now, too. I think it's good practice to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season. They're so much tastier and also have the nutrients that our bodies need during that time of year. Citrus in the winter, etc. But anyway, I'll try to come up with some new ideas for meals.

What I love about this is that I'm not about to give up. I'm not on a diet. I've made a change for the rest of my life and so this is just a little bump in the road. I'm so grateful for that perspective.

[Ezma 2]

What I love about this is that I'm not about to give up. I'm not on a diet. I've made a change for the rest of my life and so this is just a little bump in the road. I'm so grateful for that perspective.

Good point. I'm sure I'm more stubborn than any silly plateau. I'm not going back to the way I was even if I could so it might as well give up.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I hate plateaus! I spit on them. pteww pteww

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

Well, I'm doing the two days of higher calorie eating, today is day 2. I am not going all out crazy, just adding a few things that I normally wouldn't/shouldn't eat.

I don't really think it has anything to do with yesterday's eating, but I did see 219 on the scale this morning. That was new territory for me. I'm not celebrating just yet, though. I want to make sure it's a trend and not a random fluctuation down, only to come back up again.

Also, I'm very excited that my body is still getting to be smaller during all of this. I'm sitting here typing this, wearing a size 16 pair of capris. Now, usually I can't get 16s done up, but these are up and wearable. Maybe I should go back and try the ones I tried on a couple of weeks ago that were still too tight.

Bit by bit. We're getting there.

[tapshoes 2]

I HAD to resurrect this thread...the ratsnfratsnfrickinfrackin plateau experience is now mine!!! It's isn't enough that I am a slow loser, now I have to plateau - thanks a lot, body!!! So, quoting from the original post,

What do I do?

• Get a fill. Nope. My restriction is great.
  
• Eat like crap for a couple of days, then back to good eating. I just can't see doing that; maybe it works, but I have worked too damned hard to introduce that eating style.
  
• Up my exercise. I will try this. I pledge to add another 30 min of brisk walking 3 days a week.
  
• Don't worry. Ain't possible!!!!
  

quote]

As noted in another thread, I have committed to eating 1 serving (and only 1 serving) of nuts as my nighttime snack once a week. (I was seriously chowing down on nuts - copious amounts, every night, and sometimes afternoons). So, giving up the nuts, adding 30 minutes more exercise - perhaps these will combine to give me a 5 pound loss by Hallowe'en. That's all I'm asking for - 5 pounds by Hallowe'en!

[Ezma 2]

You can also try increasing the Water and Protein. Increasing the Protein might raise your calorie intake a bit too and that can help.

But I really haven't found anything that helps me much yet. Just hoping to get a couple more off before I go to the doctor next week.

[tapshoes 2]

You can also try increasing the Water and Protein. Increasing the Protein might raise your calorie intake a bit too and that can help.

But I really haven't found anything that helps me much yet. Just hoping to get a couple more off before I go to the doctor next week.

A couple off by next week? WOW! I've never had that experience...1/2 pound/week is my average. I'll take it, but that doesn't mean I don't wish I could lose a few pounds a week. 5 by Hallowe'en is my goal - 5 freakin' pounds by Hallowe'en. If I dont' meet that, the scary face and unearthly screams you here on October 31st are MINE, not supernatural!!

Edited September 8, 2008 by tapshoes
Typo - less haste, Tapshoes!

[tapshoes 2]

Skinnyhappy...did you break your plateau?

I am being very conscientious about my Water intake (not a problem... several liters of Water a day is the norm), and I have upped my Protein - adding a little cheese to meals, or as a snack. So, I am going to have faith that this plus the extra exercise plus the nut embargo will show some results...of course i want the results NOW, but I am willing to wait ...is tomorrow too soon???

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

I love it how you guys call me Skinnyhappy. Thanks for the compliment.

I was actually just coming to post that yes, I have broken my plateau.

Here's what I did:

I did the two days of adding a few decadent treats to up my calories. I didn't go totally crazy, but did up the calories a ways. My weight went down a little, but right back up the next few days. So I don't think that was hugely successful for me.

The numbers on the scale were really stressing me out and so I had dh hide the scale and decided to only weigh on my official weekly weight day which is Tuesday. He's so cute about it. He has taken it on as a personal challenge to keep it's location a secret. This morning the scale had magically appeared in its spot for my weekly weigh in.

During this last week I've continued to exercise and loosened up my eating a little bit, allowing some extra calories here and there. I didn't track calories, but it was not exorbitant amounts of food, just a bit more. Anyway, this morning I stepped on the scale, so nervous, and to my utter joy, I have lost 3 pounds this week!!!! My conclusion to all of this is that hopefully my exercise is finally making the difference, and that with the exercise I needed to increase my calorie intake to compensate for the exercise.

I've been exercising 6 days a week, between 1 and 1 1/2 hours a day. I haven't missed a workout since July 28th and that's about when my weight loss stopped. I felt like at some point the exercise would have to make a difference and that the new muscle mass I'm gaining from exercising would start helping to burn fat. It's taken about 6 weeks for the weight to start coming off again after beginning my exercise routine. I've always heard that when you start exercising, your weight loss can slow down, or even go up, but experiencing it has been hard.

I've just tried to focus on the nsvs that I've been having because they were there. My clothes were getting baggier, my inches were going down and I knew I was becoming healthier. I'm just so excited to see the scale move again. Oh, happy day!

[Donna113 2]

What kind of exercises are you doing?

[Shinyhappymommy 2]

I'm using the T-tapp workout combined with walking. This week I'm starting the Couch to 5K program in place of my walking.

My week looks like this:

M- Full T-tapp workout, short walk (1.5 miles)

T-Short T-tapp workout, CT5K walk/jog

W-Full T-tapp workout, short walk (1.5 miles)

Th-Short T-tapp workout, CT5K walk/jog

F-Full T-tapp workout, short walk (1.5 miles)

S-Short T-tapp workout, CT5K walk/jog

I love the T-tapp workout. It helps define muscles and I feel stronger.