Broke through the Plateau!!!

Thursday, July 05, 2012

In my last blog I cited some plateau breakers that I had read about and decided to try.

Well, they seemed to have worked. I lost 4 lbs last week!!! Wow! I'm going to keep these in mind for the next time. . .and I know there will be a next time. Although it would be great if we could just follow our nutrition plan, get in the exercise and automatically lose 2 lbs a week. . .but we all know that just doesn't happen, not for the long term anyway.

So, anyone that's having a problem breaking through a plateau, just hang in there, change a few things up and persevere. You really will lose on the scale, keep the faith.

By the way, I'm down a pant size and people I got together with on July 4th, that I hadn't seen for a couple of months, noticed the weight loss and they didn't even know that I was dieting. That was a big positive reinforcement too.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MJREIMERS 7/5/2012 10:07PM

Keep it up! Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYJAKE1 7/5/2012 8:48PM

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Day 67

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Well, I'm stuck on a plateau and I've been here for 3 weeks+. So in an effort to do all that I can to get back on track, I've gone on line and researched the "experts" methods to break through a plateau.

I have started trying calorie confusion - eating 300 calories a day for a couple of days and then go 200 calories below your range for a few days and then do it all over again. . .okay worth a try, can't hurt right?

Mix up your exercise, do bursts of cardio 15 minutes at a time - higher intensity exercise. Also, I've learned that it will help to do the cardio before the weight training. . .oops I was doing it backward. Okay, started this - check!

De-stress. Easier said than done, but I'm trying to do this, taking time during the day to do some deep breathing and stretching and hopefully this will work. . .check.

Fidget - okay, haven't heard it stated quite like this, but worth a try. I sit at a desk at a computer 9 hours a day, with just a few trips to the printer, the bathroom or to fill up the water glass - so I've started getting up every hour, walking to the end of the office and back. I have also started doing to leg lifts at my chair and some core exercises where you try to suck your belly button back to your backbone. . .now that's a ways for my belly button to go, but I'm trying! Check.

Finally, one of the sites said that a deficiency in Vitamin D could be a problem, so how do I do this without drinking a lot of milk, which I don't like? I'm eating one more yogurt a day and more green vegetables. And, with summer here, I'm taking my lunch break outside. Luckily the building I work in has a great patio area for employees to enjoy. Check.

So, there are the 5 methods I saw the most in my research. I will do those for the next 30 days and I'll blog again to tell you howe well I stuck to the "break the plateau plan" and if I started moving the weight loss ticker again.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

NIAGCHRIS246 7/5/2012 8:44PM

I think that during a plateau your body calls a weight loss time out so it can re-arrange what is left. Your friends may starting noticeing you look thinner even though you haven't lost for a while. Report Inappropriate Comment

MEETSADMAMA 6/26/2012 10:17PM

Another suggestion - sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves. I found that after 6 weeks at the same weight I just excepted that the next week would probably produce the same results and that I would just except it and not let it get me down. I looked into increasing motivation and started putting up more reminders about how far I've come. I started taking measurements so that I wasn't just going by the scale. A lot of times we lose inches but the scale stays the same - a success is a success, doesn't have to be a scale movement. I also noticed that my body was rearranging itself. Some of my very bad problem areas were smoothing out (still large but not as nasty lol) and that was a big thing for me too =] I had changed my entire outlook on weight loss - the scale was no longer my measuring tool, but instead one of many measuring tools. It was barely a week after I started changing my outlook that I started seeing results =] I've lost 5 lbs now this month and last month I only lost 1 lb - big difference!! Might be a coincidence but I've struggled with self image all my life and this is the best I've felt about myself in years!! I hope you find something that works!! No matter how long it takes - it's always better than the results you get when you give up =] Can't wait to hear the news that the scale moved for you!! I know you have it in you!! Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 39

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Well, my weight loss has really slowed up. I think I've been doing pretty well, I've only gone over my calorie range 2x during 39 days. It has taken me 2 weeks to lose 2 lbs and those 2 lbs came off practically overnight! I'm not getting discouraged, I really am in this for the long haul. However, I would like see if I can figure out a way to make this more regular if you know what I mean. I've read over my food tracker and I noticed a pattern. If I'm going to be under on anything, it seems to be protein. So my experiment this week is to make sure I get the minimum amount of protein in my nutrition range. We'll see if this could be the slow down in my weight loss. I'm trying not to obsess but with all of these trackers it does make it pretty easy to see trends in our habits.

I am feeling a lot better since starting Spark People. I have more energy and the clothes are getting loose! I'm even sleeping better so that's a really good thing. Like I said I'm in this for the long haul, I am determined to get healthy, get off some of these meds and loose weight. I'm hoping the weight loss will make the arthritis pain less.

My goal for June is to lose 5 more lbs and to increase my reps in strength training and my time in cardio workouts. Hope everyone has a super month.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MEETSADMAMA 5/30/2012 3:48PM

Great goals =] Just remember to stay motivated and try not to get discouraged (LOL ya ok - easier said then done LOL). Discouragement can be very self destructive. I try to tell everyone to mind some momentum and stick with it as long as you can. The positive attitude really helps us to stay on track and to see the results. Instead of looking at the # on the scale, keep track of your measurements too. You can log them in the same place as your weight. Sometimes our weight stays the same cuz muscle weighs more then fat, which is a great thing to be replacing fat with. The inches we've lost can help us to recognize our success when we feel like we're failing. Other suggestions in the meantime - make sure you're also logging in ALL your beverages. If you have coffee with cream or sugar - the cream and sugar can add up pretty quick. So does juice and milk. Not saying you're not already counting this but it's a common thing that gets overlooked. Also make sure that over time you're adjusting your workout. Strength training, make sure you're fatiguing your muscle by the end of every set of rep you do. If it's not wither go up a bit in weight or do a few more before you end your set.. You can also add another set over time too. This is really important when you start. Our bodies aren't used to any training and with consistency can change quite quickly. As for cardio, make sure you're heart rate is high but in a comfortable place. You should be able to carry on a conversation but also should be sweating. You don't have to push yourself a lot to increase the intensity. You just have to focus more on a part of your body while exercising (like make sure your really using your arms this time around or really work on that form when doing the workout this time). Good luck on June's goals and I'll be looking forward to hearing how you made out =] Trina Report Inappropriate Comment

KPETSCH 5/30/2012 1:37AM

You have lots of positives going for you - looser clothes, more energy, sleeping better, some weight loss and I'm sure you're learning a lot. Don't get discouraged. Report Inappropriate Comment

GAELA-I-CAN 5/29/2012 8:58PM

I've have virtually stopped losing. I see a pattern of eating over my carb. Quota So this is where I will try to fix. Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 18

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

I seemed to have hit a small snag. . .I'm hungry all of a sudden! Not sure what that's all about. I've gained back 1 lb and am not too happy about that as I thought I was doing everything right. . .maybe my portions are out of wack, that's about all it could be at this point. I'll add more vegetables and see what happens and exercise a little longer. . .that's hard to do with my knee, I've been doing more exercises that work other parts of the body lately as the arthritis has flared. I also had a change in my medications. . .can blood pressure meds cause a weight gain? Maybe. Just by blogging this I've thought of some things to tweak!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MEETSADMAMA 5/18/2012 9:04PM

Blood pressure meds can have various effects. My mom is on 3 different blood pressure meds and one of hers effects her weight and the other she has to avoid the sun or it makes her very drowsy and somewhat ill. Next time you fill the script maybe ask the pharmacist what some of the common minor side effects are. Report Inappropriate Comment

TELFERS01 5/8/2012 6:45AM

Don't obsess Report Inappropriate Comment

End of Week 2

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Tomorrow will be 14 days using Spark People programs to lose weight and get healthy. For the most part it has been pretty easy to do. I was going to wait until tomorrow to weigh in, but couldn't wait so got on the scale this morning.
WOW 10 lbs down! I am very happy to say the least! I realize that I can't expect this type of loss as I continue my weight loss journey, but 10 lbs in 2 weeks is a real motivator for me. I have to go back to the cardiologist in 2 weeks and hope to be down 15 lbs since I last weighed in at his office on 4/19/12.

I love Spark People! The trackers, the articles, the blogs, the message boards, you name it, it's all great!