Pulverising Plateaus and Stomping through Stalls!

[Neen]

That's another one too isn't it? Getting complacent!
I have found that didn't help me all last year actually, because I had lost enough weight to get the readily available clothes, more mobile, more "normal looking" , more comfortable in my body...not anywhere near healthy but a lot moreso than at the beginning.
I think I just wasn't quite uncomfortable enough to get into action mode...not happy either because being a shorty, it still feels like I am uber big ..
This year I hope I have in within me to not settle for close enough.. I want to be as far away from what I was to start with as possible. xx

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

Some great posts here. I know not relying on the scales to measure how I am doing is not for everyone but it has really helped me to focus on the health benefits and the permanent lifestyle changes I need to make in order to ensure that I get the weight off but then maintain. Neen I can so relate to what you are saying because my start weight was not much below yours and yes I sometimes feel overwhelmed by how much I have to lose to get anywhere near a healthy BMI. As I have posted before it is about getting your head in gear that is a big part of the battle.

tranquil x

 

[Neen]

One of the main reasons I count the cals and weigh weekly TB, is because if I don't...I sort of veer off course almost automatically. I feel being a compulsive eater I am sort of in food rehab at the moment.. I have to do this tighter rein on myself because I know I will not be able to shift any more unless I keep to a very definate routine.
The weekend fuddle keeps me from going awol all week and I am desparately trying to keep this plan of action going enough for me to get to a healthier BMI.

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

I think that is great Neen and certainly logging things for me is helping. I am sort of counting calories by just avoiding anything that is very calorie laden if you know what I mean.

You are doing fab!

tranquil x

 

[Sarah Metcalf]

I now weigh 16st 1lb, so I'm a step closer

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

Cool Sarah you are doing really well. I am so excited for all of you. I cannot remember the last time I was anywhere near 15 stones.

tranquil x

 

[Neen]

OOOH Sarah !!! Keep going xxx


Btw
I had this email today from the Jillian Michaels club and how appropriate it is for this thread!!!

Have a Weight Loss Plateau? Let Me Help - Weight Management Center - EverydayHealth.com
Busting through a Plateau


There is nothing more discouraging than stepping on the scale after a week of diligent dieting and grueling workouts and not seeing any drop in the number.

The plateau is a common problem among dieters and can typically be waited out, but there are measures you can take to keep your metabolism fired up even as you reduce your caloric intake.

The best way to break a plateau is to keep your salt intake below 2,000 milligrams a day and drink lots of water. Make sure you're not eating any processed carbs, period.

That's right — no chips, sugar, white flour, and so on. And hit the gym hard!

The boost in exercise will make your body swell and hold fluids for a few days, but after a week you should see the benefits on the scale.

You can also try playing around with your caloric intake a bit, varying it from day to day throughout the week while keeping the same weekly total. The body can't slow its metabolism to adjust to a reduced caloric intake if the intake isn't fixed from one day to the next.

For instance, to bust my plateau, I might have 1,200 calories on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then eat 1,500 calories on Tuesday, 1,600 on Thursday, 1,400 on Saturday, and 1,700 on Sunday. Get it?

The plateau effect can sometimes simply be a matter of flagging resolve. If mixing up your caloric intake just isn't working, make sure you're not slipping up on your diet or slacking off in your workouts. I'm serious; it happens.

As with any program, there will be highs and lows, but stay with it.

Your body is trying to adjust to the weight loss. Don't get scared or discouraged. Just be patient and know that you are worth it

 

[wildthing]

Thats interesting about the calorie and salt thing

 

[Neen]

I have heard of the salt issue before...basically for good weight loss, the less processed food we can use the better I spose!

 

[Cazraline]

Did anyone get into the 15's last week? If not fingers crossed that we start heading down into that weight this week xx

I did just! 15.12!

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

Well done Cazraline.

tranquil x

 

[Neen]

YES!!!! WOOO! Well done Caroline xxxxxxxx Onwards and downwards we go folks x

 

[Neen]

LOL I am stuck the same again this week
Oh dear!!
Think we have to try and get it into our heads that we can't be put off by a couple weigh ins of no change , what I would usually do at this point is think "Well fine it's not working , might as well have whatever rubblish food I want and stuff myself" but this time I hope I can grit my teeth and plod on with my plan regardless...at some point down the line my body hopefully will know I mean it this time and release a few more pounds (stones!!!) for me!

 

[Neen]

Some more useful plateu avoiding help from Jillian!

Quit Yo-Yo Dieting and Get Real Results!

How many times have you started a diet in your life? Probably a lot more than just once. If you want to lose weight, you have to do it the right way. I'll tell you right now: Skipping meals or following an extremely low-calorie diet is not in any way, shape, or form the answer for losing any amount of weight. Extreme calorie deprivation only sets you up for yo-yo dieting, or "weight cycling." Your weight will continue to go up and down for the rest of your life. If you want permanent weight loss, then listen to me.
The lack of understanding about the right way to lose weight can set people up for big-time failure. Even if you do have initial success on one of these extreme diets, the toll it takes on your body is not at all worth it. Extreme diets that promise big weight loss in a short amount of time cut out macronutrients like carbs and fats — which is horrible for your hormone balance and your metabolism.
Why are you in this pattern of fasting, then slipping up and bingeing, then fasting again? Maybe you desperately want to lose weight for a special occasion and figure that only a couple of weeks at 800 calories a day can give you results you want. And maybe it does…but then what happens when you go back to a normal eating pattern? Simply put, you're toast. While you weren't taking in enough calories, your levels of T3, the thyroid hormone that boosts your metabolism, plummeted and you slowed down your metabolism. Also, your response to insulin has taken a hit, so instead of glucose entering your cells, where it can be used for energy, your body lets it roam around in your blood, where it can cause trouble. Your sensitivity to leptin (which regulates appetite) is also reduced, so you're never quite sure when to say, "Enough!" at the table. Plus, the hormone that tells your brain you're starving, called ghrelin, shoots higher than ever. That is just the beginning of your problems. When you inevitably start gaining back weight, you start the cycle of yo-yo dieting all over again. It gets more and more frustrating every time you do it. It's time to end this vicious cycle, and the way to do that is not to "diet" but rather to make a lifestyle change. Shift your thinking from merely "cutting back" to simply eating proper portions of the right foods. Whole, nutritious foods will repair, nourish, and support every cell so that your body will work for you and not against you. Be good to your body and it will be good to you!

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Working Out Matters​

When you're trying to lose weight, you can't change just your eating habits. You have to work out to maintain your muscle mass, too. This ensures that the calories you do consume go toward rebuilding and repairing your muscles. If you restrict calories without working out, once your diet is over, you're in big trouble. Your body is smart; it tries to think about long-term survival and wants to hold on to all the calories it can. When you starve yourself, you're making your body think it's going through a famine, so it does everything it can to conserve calories — including cannibalizing your muscles for fuel. Without those muscles, your metabolism is slower. Muscles are crucial to keeping that metabolism humming, so keep yours strong!​

 

[Neen]

Mending your metabolism!

Jillian Michaels

Many people suffer from the backlash that can result from years of yo-yo diets. What happens is this: When people let their calorie levels drop too low, their body's survival mechanism kicks in, lowering their metabolic set point (or basal metabolic rate). When they go off that crash diet and begin to eat normally again, they gain back any weight lost — plus. And what follows that? Yup, another crash diet.

The cycle is often very frustrating, but it CAN be reversed with time, consistency, and patience. What you'll need to do is the exact opposite of what we call shocking the metabolism; you have to allow your body time to adapt to a new metabolic set point — by being consistent, you'll force your body to adapt.

Okay, here's the game plan: First, set your daily caloric intake at 12 calories per pound of body weight. (For example, my weight is 117; 117 x 12 = 1,404 calories a day.) Then stick like glue to that calorie allowance for at least one to two months, depending on your metabolism. This will allow your body time to readjust your metabolic set point accordingly.

Now, here's the other part of the equation: The absolute best way to pump up your metabolism is to EXERCISE. You'll be burning calories not only during your workout but also up to 48 hours after — all the while increasing lean muscle tissue, which speeds the metabolism over the long term.

Aim for five hours of exercise a week if possible, but no fewer than three hours a week.

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

Great post Neen.

tranquil x

 

[Leesh]

Hi Neen,

Thanks for the post. Im so confused about this calorie thing! Not so good at maths but this article seems to advocate a lot of calories (in my case 12x225 = 2700)! Is that just to sort out your metabolism?? I am definately one of the yo yo dieters who has messed my body up. Been doing it for 20 years since I was a little girl. My husband is totally shocked at how I can stick so rigidly to a diet without loosing any weight at all. I need to get this sorted I think.

I have been concidering slimming world red days as its a lowish carb diet and not calorie counted but not sure if I can face slimming clubs again.

Help!

Leesh x

 

[Neen]

I hear what you're saying Leesh xx How about try something not as scary like between 1200 and 1600 a day for a week?
You know the basics of the red days already, we know not to eat too much fat and sugar so use your best judgement about meals.
I had a bad couple of days and now the hot weather is here I'm going to try slimfast/protein shakes for bfast & lunch and the evening meal go for grilled chicken/ turkey/ tuna/ lean ham/ boiled egg & lean bits of bacon etc with lots of green salad and a measured amount of salad cream/dressing etc.
I keep trying to remind myself to drink water so I make my shakes with tonnes of ice and have lots of little water bottles ready in the fridge.
Also do your 10k steps a day (get a pedometer) if you can.... or at least do 45 mins walk a day.

 

[Nightwitch]

i need to push myself and get my butt below the 16st mark too...was stuck at just over 16 and half for months, but as i have started geocaching and that is getting me out and walking more and whatnot i seem to be losing a little again (woot) so have lost half a stone in the last 2-3 weeks.

We can do it!!!

 

[Neen]

Well done Michelle! It's definately easier to get motivated in the hot weather!

I have been on the exercise bike and in the garden doing general garden stuff! I would love to get safely into the 14's by the end of the year as I'm coming up to my 3 years out!