A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.

Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).

I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.

Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

• Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
  
• Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
  
• Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
  
• Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
  
• Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
  
• Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
  
• Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
  
• Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
  
• Increase your water intake.
  
• Decrease your sodium intake.
  
• Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
  
• Don't skip breakfast.
  

By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!

I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

Jean, this one hit home with me. I am 4 mos out, and down 40 lbs, but SO impatient with myself! I am walking 3 to 4 miles 4x a week...when I have been a couch potato for 30 yrs!

This is a process, not a in a blink miracle....and I need to remember that!! Being off all type II diabetes meds is a huge nonscale victory, and I need to focus on the positive!!

ty for the information....gotta change it up..

Been on my plateau for too long. A more honest way of saying that would be, "I've been sitting on my behind for too long." Thanks for the motivation. Great article.

Thank you for the article. I am so frustrated with myself. Banded in April 2009 and I only lost weight during the liquid phase after my surgery. I weigh 20 pounds more now than I did after surgery.

Do you think the band is the failure or ourselves? I see LapBand failure support groups that seem to focus on the the band not working and not the patient. I am a patient that feels like I am the failure and not the band.

Thanks for the motivation I've been in this platue for too long I need to get back on track on eating healthy measuring and exercises.

ive lost 180lbs in 9 months and i hit 2 plateaus so far. change up Water intake and excercise routine. each plateau i hit lasted about 2-3 weeks.

Thank you Jean! I'm bad about weighing EVERY DAY. Sometimes twice a day. I have often asked God why I wasn't blessed with patience. Obviously my weight is a tool he's using to help me develop my patience. Your article is very well written and encouraging. Meanwhile, this girl is just going to keep enjoying her journey and reaping the healthy benefits!

Thank you for sharing such an uplifting article...will definitely take your advice!

I seriously HATE weighing myself for fear of disappointment..I really like the adjusting calorie intake from one day to the next, will have to make sure I do that.

Cheers!

I have found that at times when weight loss surgery patients hit a plateau, upping the protein can be a great way to budge those numbers on the scale...in the right direction.

Thank you for the motivation and information. I am really fustrated with this stall. I have been so stressed and bored which is causing me to fall back into old habits of snacking on the wrong things. Trying to get back in the saddle has been difficult but not impossible and tomorrow is an new day with new opportunities to get it right. That is my plan to get it right....God didn't bring me this far to leave me.

thanks for the modivation as I am guilty of getting on scale daily.