Mamavation Monday: Stuck on the Plateau

I’m going to start with some positives:

  • I feel great.
  • I look better than I have in years.
  • I have new energy and enthusiasm for life in general.
  • Losing weight, exercising, and changing the way I eat has changed my life for the better.

But now I have to deal with the elephant in the room, on the scale, on the goal chart.  I have been at the same weight for more than four weeks. Over the course of six weeks I lost seventeen pounds and then I stopped.  I’m literally half a pound away from seeing a new second number on the scale, a number I have not seen in as long as I can remember.  And yet despite changes in my exercise and continued attention to staying at 1200 calories of balanced meals, I cannot seem to make it to that number.

While I know that my body is continuing to change as evidenced by the pants that I bought six weeks ago suddenly sliding off of my hips and onto the floor, I have to admit – I really want that damn number to move.

So here I am on my weight loss plateau, still plugging away at changing my body, but not getting that fun instant gratification that comes when the numbers drop almost daily.  Or at least weekly.  Monthly?  Please start to move again…

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12 Comments

  • Melissa

    17 lbs in 6 weeks is insane! Great job so far but remember that “healthy” weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week. I’m no expert (just a WW buff) but 1200 seems *really* low especially with activity. I’ve learned restricting that much doesn’t help with respect to maintenance for someone who is active. Maybe your body needs more fuel or – and I bet this is the case – maybe your body is staying exactly where it wants/needs to be! Either way, be proud of all you have accomplished and remember you are more than a number!

    • I think the first 17 fell off quickly because I went from doing nothing to doing a lot. Now I’m not sure what’s happening. 1200 calories is the recommended number of calories for a woman with my age, weight, and activity level who wants to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week according to MyFitnessPal.com. I try not to go under it, but I also make sure I don’t go over it. That means that some days, yeah, I definitely fall under. Maybe that’s the problem?

      • Yea, you might have sent your body into starvation mode which is not good! Def. don’t go under it! And it’s a range … 1200 is extreme, very extreme … trust me — as a sis with a history of disordered eating (who is now recovered, thankfully) it can set you on a very bad spiral. Don’t go there! Catch it now — eat more, maintain the loss you’ve maintained, keep eating well and exercising and IF there is more to lose (and there very well might not be!) you will lose it. But trust me — because I care — you are worth far more than a number on the scale and the very acts of eating well and exercising regularly will pay dividends. It took me a long time to realize I didn’t need to go to extremes to be healthy. 🙂

        • Liss, I just checked out the recommended calories for someone my age, weight, and activity level who wants to lose 1 pound a week (according to the USDA) and it says I need to eat 1800 calories!! I’m going to increase to 1400 and see what happens. THANK YOU!

          • 🙂 That’s more like it!!! And remember, too, it’s WHAT you’re eating more than the calories. Clean eating at 1600-1800 calories can boost weight loss. (I wish I remember what clean eating felt like … it’s been a while ;)) But you’ve inspired me — thanks!

          • Donna B.

            I know when I was seeing a nutritionist she had me at about 1600, so if you keep it in the 1400-1600 range you’ll be OK. Lissa is right, you were definitely in starvation mode!

  • Donna B.

    I hit a plateau too that lasted several weeks. It sounds counter-intuitive but make sure you’re eating enough. Your body may have shut down to conserve energy. I actually upped my calories a little bit (~100), made sure I was eating 3 meals and 2 snacks (not grazing like I’m prone to do), breakfast within an hour of waking, no eating after 8pm and that seemed to do the trick. Everything I knew to do and was doing initially, but I got a little lax when the weight was coming off.

    Everyone tells me as long as my clothing continues to fit looser than it’s OK but darnit, I want to see the numbers change!

    • Donna, yes! My clothes keep getting more and more loose, but that scale….oh, that scale. I think I’m going to increase my calories as well. thank you!

  • Melissa

    Meant to also say you look beautiful – saw the BlogHer pics 🙂

  • Fun Update: The scale moved. Today I saw that second number I haven’t seen in ages. 🙂