Hello all! Just have a question here, and I havent seen it on another thread. Has anyone else hit a never ending (or it feels like it) plateau? I havent lost a thing in 3 1/2 weeks after loosing about 47 pounds so far. I'm certainly not complaining about how much I've lost, pretty happy about that, but this stand still is killing me! If I had cheated even once I could chock it up to that but I havent. I've tried up'ing my Protein intake, staying away from anything white, and hell, this week I'm exercising less. I've only gone to the gym once as opposed to 3-4 times.

If anyone else has had this happen, and I'm sure someone has, what did you do to get that scale moving down again? My mini goal was to loose 50 by the end of May...dammit May is gone, so 50 by the end of June? I hope!

Thanks!

(((Gina)))

I just had a fill on Tuesday! Before the fill I had been on a six week plateau from heck (yeah, you spelled it right). I was starting to joke about how I had wasted so much time, energy and money. Now... I have dropped the five pounds I had been playing with (on, off, on, off) plus three more. Much of this is water (probably), but I am still LOVING it.

Where you are right now is incredible. 47 pounds? What size is your band? Are you restricted? It can take 4 to 6 months to find restriction although a few get it right away. Have patience and take this time to master your skills: Water, Protein, and Exercise

These determine not only the speed at which you lose, but how healthy (and healthy looking ) you are when you near goal weight.

If you are in a bigger band you might think about an adjustment.

Thanks for responding! :girl_hug:

I have a 10cc band, and going in for my 3rd fill on the 13th. I think right now I have 5cc's in. Not to much restriction but I do get full much much faster.

I'm just as determined as I was in the beginning even with this plateau, I was just curious if our bodies give us the big NO-NO and without switching things up weight loss wont happen. Maybe I think my fat is smarter than my brain. hehe

I've been reading up on plateaus because I don't want to despair when I eventually hit one. A lot of fitness experts say that plateaus are what happen when the body catches up with the scale. For example, you lose 15 pounds in 3 weeks, well that's really almost impossible to do, at least not 15 pounds of fat. So that 15 pounds includes a lot of Fluid loss. As your body regains fluid and loses fat, your losing real weight, but it doesn't show on the scale. I hope I've explained that clearly.

What you should do when you hit a plateau is divide the total weight you've lost by the number of weeks you've been dieting. To go back to that 15 pounds if you hit a two week plateau after the initial loss, you divide 15/5 and have achieved a weight loss of 3 pounds per week which is much more realistic. Hope this helps. I know I'll be using this formula when the plateaus hit.

Gina, you are doing well with little cheating and regular exercise. You should be proud! Maybe your quantities are high and need a fill? Maybe log in your calories and activities for awhile and see what's going in and out. Try fitday.com, it's free and easy.

Good luck. Shawn

Plateaus suck!! The following link has a great plateau busting diet. I haven't been on a plateau long enough to try it but still keep it in my favorites, just in case.

http://www.digitalhorsewoman.com/plateaubusting.htm

Tricia,

Thanks for the link to the plateau busting diet. I havent hit plateau but have saved it for when i do too!

Gina,

Not to burst your bubble.....but a 3 1/2 week plateau isn't all that long. After all the significant weight you've lost so far, your body needs to adjust to that loss. As someone else mentioned, replenish it's fluids where they belong. Measure yourself. You may be losing inches and as frustrating as it is to not see pounds lost on the scale.........those inches are just as important.

I'll give you my own example. I haven't lost more than 2 lbs since February (that's a 4 month plateau, and I've had a big fill in between). BUT, I've lost 2 clothing sizes. I'm O.K. with that. Just because the scale is being stubborn, I'll take the smaller clothing sizes. That means something's changing and something shrinking even though the scale isn't budging.

Remember, if you're exercising and building muscle......muscle weighs more than fat. It also metabolizes more energy even at rest. So muscle is good. That may be another reason that your scale isn't moving.

Be patient, it'll move again when your body is ready. Stay the course, make the right choices, follow the rules. It'll work.

Ddiedre,

You and me are in the same boat (come on, kick me out and let somebody else have a ride!). I have been on the longest plateau known to man and I hate it. But you are right about the body changing, I can see that. Right now I have noticed a huge differnce in my bat wings (heck they are bigger than bats wings, I wish they were the size of a bat) back to the story, my upper arm fat has really diminished. I thought there was no way I could wear a sleeveless shirt but if I hold myself "just" right, I am not self concious about them at all. So I know things are changing, it just gets dissappointing not to see that scale move. I know, its not about the numbers but you know all the way up the scale it always WAS about the number, now they tell me its not.... hard concept to adjust to. I feel restriction. I am being good and exercising.... just not seeing the scale move. At this stage I am just happy not to see the numbers go UP! I have not tried that diet yet.... I have been thinking about it an awful lot tho. I figure when I have just had it, then I will try that. Sorry I cant be helpful at all.....

P.s. I just noticed we were banded at the same time, started at about the same weight and lost the same.... think there is anything to that? I was banded on 4/8/05, started at 287 lb.

If you're doing the right things, it will move again. It takes a long time to lose real fat, its a very slow process. Hang in there, and try to look for other victories besides scale ones.

Thank you so much for all the replies they have been really helpful :girl_hug:

I will not give up, and I will definatley look on that plateau website. Hell, anything can help. I will also add it to my favorites. I do need to seriously measure myself, cause of I'm loosing inches I dont know it. Though people at work telling me to stop wearing tents is a pretty good indication that I am. :rose:

Gina,

I was in your boat yesterday. I had been stuck for 3 weeks and was extremely frustrated. But this morning I broke through! Emmence amounts of celebrating followed. I understand the frustration, and as cliche as it is, just keep working hard. You will break through soon enough. Keep us posted!

Weight-Loss Plateaus - Fast Weight Loss Explained

Plateau Busting

I was on a two month plateau. It was horrible. I broke by going back on the liquid diet. It's so much easier when you do the Protein drinks and you know exactly how many calories are in them. It's easy to think you have written down every bite you put in your mouth, but unless you're using a measuring cup and a scale, your calories can be off.

Plus when I am doing liquids only, I don't sneak a bite of anything else and forget to track it.

The other thing that broke my plateau was getting a good fill.