I need to kickstart my weight loss

[mom0299]

Since last fall I've lost about 10lbs. It was coming off slowly, but at least it was coming off and staying off. For the past month I seem to have hit a wall when it comes to weight loss. I will fluctuate a couple pounds each week, but I don't seem to be losing weight like I was. What can I do to jumpstart my weight loss again?

 

[heatherlynn444]

we would need more information on what you are doing now. Are you exercising? what kind of diet are you on? (calories per day?)

 

[crewmatt]

It's called a Plateau. So basically any series of exercises or diets you do apply a "stress" to your body, which it adapts to in many ways. For instance, running (yea sorry I run - among other sports). If you run 1 mile a day, 5 days a week, in say 8 minutes, your body will adapt until it is as good as it needs to be to run that. It will then stop adapting. The only way to improve the fitness in that case would be to either try to run that mile faster, or run more than a mile.

The same is true of dieting, if you say reduce your calorie intake by 10%, your body will begin to burn fat as well as attempt to make its own physiological processes more efficient - note a reduction in fat cells and muscle cells reduces the number of calories your body function. So as time goes on you will plateau there as well.

In general neither of these solutions will work in a vacuum. You need to have a combination of both. In addition I wouldnt recommend cutting calories too much as that will cause your body to basically go into emergency mode, where it will use as little energy as possible. You'll feel fatigued, tired, weaker, your core body temperature will drop a little, all resulting in you burning less calories per day.

But if you've hit a plateau, its time for a change, to add something, another stress your body will need to adapt to. In general early in a fitness program of some kind, this would usually be met by adding more distance to what you're already doing (no more than 5-10% a week of total weekly volume). So if you're simply dieting then I'd add in some walking or jogging or biking or elliptical, something to boost the metabolism and burn calories. If you're hitting the gym like a champ cant imagine going ANY longer, then maybe you're actually going too hard. Being able to go 80% for 3 days beats being able to go 100% for one day, 0% the next day. Maybe you need to switch up exercises, so elliptical one day, bike the next.

But I agree, if you could provide more details it'll be easier to come up with an exact recommendation

 

[LAinSEA]

Good information in above posts, but let me add one more thing...fluid intake. After metabolizing fat from cells, they will fill with fluids and help you retain some of the bulk and weight even though the fat is really gone. To get your body to release that fluid you need stay hydrated. I lose/maintain losses best when I drink half my body weight in ounces of water a day. (It's tough to do, I'm a teacher and I can't just leave my classroom any time I need to run to the ladies'.)

So if you know you've put in the effort in exercise, and have been diligent about your calorie intake, try upping the amount of water to take in and see if that doesn't break that plateau.

Laurie

 

[Minniemama350]

I recently started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. What a pain, but it is working well because you alternate strength and cardio within the workout. ALso, it has 3 levels to choose from, should the lowest one not be enough! Good luck!

 

[mom0299]

Thanks to everyone. I guess I'm going to amp up my exercise and increase my water intake. I think I'm doing pretty well on eating. I don't count calories, I've just cut way back on sugar and bad carbs. I've added more veggies and am eating smaller portions. I have about 20 more pounds to go to get to my goal. If this weather would cooperate I could get outside and be more active. I'll just have to settle for the exercise bike and Wii fit.

 

[pjlla]

Thanks to everyone. I guess I'm going to amp up my exercise and increase my water intake. I think I'm doing pretty well on eating. I don't count calories, I've just cut way back on sugar and bad carbs. I've added more veggies and am eating smaller portions. I have about 20 more pounds to go to get to my goal. If this weather would cooperate I could get outside and be more active. I'll just have to settle for the exercise bike and Wii fit.

Since you are not counting calories, are you using any method to track your food? If not, you could easily be eating more calories than you are burning. Even 100 extra calories per day could result in a "plateau" situation. Try finding a way to track your food.... there are other ways other than straight calorie counting. This may help you find out why the plateau has hit......P

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I found a plateau buster if you are on Weight Watchers is the Wendie Plan (check it out on internet). What it is is a plan that alternates points within the WW point range. For example depending on your weight you might have 25 pts a day to spend but it works off total points per week so 20 pts monday 25 tuesday, 20 and so on it calculates so that one day a week you use 30 pts. IT works. You are using the same amnout of points but tricking your metabolism.


This explains it MUCH better than I can.
http://www.stormpc.com/ww/wendie_plan.htm