How to get past a plateau

I have been stuck at the same weight for about a month now. I have been eating right for the most part at least, there have been a few bad days. I have even started exercising daily 6 weeks ago (doing bodyrock, intense interval training). The first 2 weeks of doing bodyrock I lost about 8 lbs, but since then I have actually gained 2. I am getting very frustrated, was hoping I would be pretty close to my final goal by now. I haven't measured myself in a month, and will tommorow morning, but I dont believe I have lost much that way either since my pants dont really feel any looser. When you hit a plateau how to you get out of it?

You have done a fantastic job~You sure the inches aren't still coming off?

maybe you have just gained lean mass thanks to exercise that's a good thing since it will help you to keep fat off. Ideally one should measure the fat and lean mass percentage and waist cm, the total weight is really not that important since it can vary even considerably due to hydration
or other variable, that is why if you are following correctly your lifestyle it is not very important to weight frequently

i agree with paper,just keep doing wht ur doing and dont obsess over the scale.it will happen.

It doesn't look like you're logging your food, so that's step #1. Until you know exactly what you're eating, it's hard to know what changes to make.

Since we can't see your food and exercise, I'm also not sure what kind of deficits you're running. I also noticed that you're down about 60 pounds already (congrats, btw) so it's important to remember that the pace of weight loss slows as you get closer to your goal weight. I've having the same issue right now, so I understand how frustrating it is.

Try to figure out why you dropped weight so quickly when starting the Bodyrock routine and then it a wall. I would suspect it was either 1) You are burning many more calories than you were before and your body needs more energy- the quick drop and stall is a common pattern when people cut their calories too low; or 2) Because you weren't counting your calories, you unconsciously starting eating more so that you're essentially "eating back" your exercise. Did you feel hungry after those first two weeks? When did you have the bad food days that you mention?

Other than that, I'd say you're on the right track- introducing a new form of higher intensity exercise to shake things up was a good call. If logging your calories shows that you're eating at the right level, then I'd just push through it. I would assume that with your bodyrock routine, you'll see changes in body composition which is a GOOD thing- keep your eye out for changes there. That's where I'm noticing my changes at the moment, rather than on the scale, but eventually, they will translate over the scale. I think you're doing great! Congrats on your success to day and good luck pushing through this plateau!

Thank you all, it really makes me feel better. I know the weight isn't the most important but it can be discouraging. So far I have been one that likes to weigh often because it has helped keep me in check, but I may have to start cutting back on that and really just focusing on the healthy style. I do wonder if maybe I am eating too little calories, maybe I will try uping that a bit. I measured myself this morning and I actually lost 3/4 of an inch around my hips, but gained a 1/2 inch on my waist. My guess is muscle, and maybe my body is just changing shape right now? I know that I have gained muscle because I am much stronger then I was 6 weeks ago, I can even do a few unmodified push ups when before I struggled with just a few modified ones. I need to remind myself to look at the small victories!

I lost 40 lbs in 5 months, but for the next 3 months have been losing and re-gaining the same 4 lbs. BUT I can climb to the 3rd floor now without gasping for breath. So I trying to concentrate on the improved health and stamina and know that I will continue to eat this way from now on. The more I read about Paleo; the more I am sure it is right for me.

I was doing a little bit of I.F. (intermittent fasting - Google "Eat stop eat" ) and had not done that lately. I am trying to skip supper for 1 or 2 nights a week and that seems to help me a lot.

Something else I read just recently was to have a cup of hot tea with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in it. Sounds gross, but it was not yucky at all. I did this last night and tonight right when I got home (around 6pm) and it did cut down on my appetite.

One word: PATIENCE.

Take a look at my weightloss history & graph and you'll see that I've had several plateaus already. I find that if I just keep doing what I'm doing that eventually my body agrees to cooperate and things start moving again. I often wonder if it's just the body's way of taking a wee timeout to re-stabilise after a period of loss before moving on again.

Last time I hit a plateau I eventually decided to reduce my calorie intake by about 50 to 100 cals to get things moving, because I figured the FS RDI was just slightly higher than was working for me. Sure enough, after I lost another 1-2lbs, the FS RDI dropped to the level I thought it should be at.

You might be looking at the mathematics (the numbers on the scale), but the human body is more complex than that. Every one of us is unique and the body does weird things. Just keep maintaining a calorie deficit and eventually you're body will have no choice but to start losing weight again.

It's discouraging at the time, but looking back I always wonder what I was fussing about because I can see that the overall trend is still pretty awesome

When I'm stuck at a plateau, I go on a 1-2 day water fast. It's not unhealthy and your body's not going to go into starvation mode like everyone thinks. Just drink lots of water and exercise self control (but not your body, not eating and being physically active can be dangerous).

I was on a plateau for 1 1/2 months. I had to fix my calorie intake and track my walking by pedometer. You can do it!

When I hit a plateau, I'll usually either try and cycle my carbs (raise them for a few days, then drop back to where I was), or sometimes I'll take a thermogenic product for a few weeks (if you can tolerate stimulant, Oxyelite is great for an extra push over that hump)

I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes eating more can kick start the scale again. Really. I have only lost 6 now, but I lost #60 6-7 years ago, so I have hit plateaus too.

Plateus are tedious, but common, and I think we all see them now and then.

For me, I changed my patterns around and it worked amazingly well, and I never hit a plateau again. Check out my bio page for info on what I did, in detail.

Sorry, I don't mean for it to sound like spam, it's not, but it's a lot to be typing. You can also use the search function for the thread "Ah, the dreaded plateau, are you finally here to see me?".