Weight Loss Plateau

[Healthbefore30]

Hi everyone.

I've been on a calorie deficit (managing suprisingly well) and do up to 7 hours of exercise (usually cardio classes) a week, since January. I also stopped drinking alcohol 3 months ago. I take daily multivitamins with iron, vitaminc c and b12. I've lost 22 pounds so far but my progress has completely stopped for the last month, no loss.

Any ideas on how best to overcome a plateau? I don't want to drop my deficit as I eat 1500 and I'm not sure what else to do as I exercise often.

Thank you in advance, I'm feeling very defeated. ❤️

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Welcome to the forum, Healthbefore30

The likelihood is that your metabolism has slowed along with your reduction in intake. Understandably, you don't want to cut calories any lower - that would be miserable and would just take you down the road to the next plateau and reducing further etc .....

It may be time to look at what those 1500 calories are made up of. "A calorie is a calorie" is very misleading as we process different foods in different ways, even when they have the same calorie value. This is a good summary blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-t...

And this covers key points in relation to plateaus (Zoe has a paid for service which I'm not advocating, just sharing some useful information) zoe.com/learn/weight-loss-p...

I don't know what you eat at present so can't comment, but there may be something in those posts that gives you ideas. We have a Daily Diary, where member share their meal plans, and there's a monthly Springers Specials, where we share ideas and recipes on a theme - salads this month. You'll find them and everything else you need including the Weigh in, by following this link healthunlocked.com/weight-l... - scroll through so you don't miss anything.

We've found that active participation is key to success so I hope we'll see you around, joining in with different posts and trying new approaches

[Healthbefore30 2024 June in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thank you for taking the time to respond to this, I agree, I think I need to evaluate what I'm actually eating as I'm not as disciplined as I was at the beginning of the year. Appreciate your advice!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Healthbefore30]

You're welcome 😊

[Frenchfields Restart Jan 2025]

A few plateau-busting ideas that I’ve heard ( was a weightwatchers member, and its a common problem)Have a week off, relax what you’re eating and reduce excercise. Maybe have a glass of wine. Then get back to it. Change what you are actually eating, not necessarily more or less calories but different foods to normal. Introduce some non-cardio exercise, our bodies do get used to us doing the same thing all the time -lots of ideas for muscle building exercise online. Make sure your protein intake is adequate , apparently its too easy to metabolise (burn) our own muscle mass, meaning we’re not losing fat, but lean muscle. Similarly with dietary fibres -keep your gut healthy. Drink plenty of fluids. Weightloss will also diminish when we lose weight and losing the last half stone ( or whatever) can be a struggle -obviously I don’t know how close you are to your desired weight. But sometimes just sticking at it and your weightloss will start again. Hope you find something that works for you.

[Healthbefore30 2024 June in reply to Frenchfields]

Thanks for your helpful reply, a few good things to look at here!

[Pear_drop 2024 June]

hello. This is my first response on this forum but I am curious to ask when you say no loss for a month now, do you mean loss of weight on scales or loss of weight in general? I found that when I did cardio it wasn't as good as weight lifting. While I didn’t see much of a movement on scales when lifting, I could see it on myself and my clothes. Granted I stopped and went back to my old self but just a thought.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Pear_drop]

Hi and welcome, Pear_drop

Having read your bio, I wonder if you've had your thyroid function tested, as your symptoms can all be attributed to hypothyroidism. You might like to join the Thyroid UK forum, as there's a huge amount of information available healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

You may also like to have a look at this post healthunlocked.com/weight-l...

All of the information you need about the forum can be found as Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I hope you'll be joining all the Events, Challenges and Clubs that we run.

We've found active participation to be key to successful weight loss and, of course, it's a good way to get to know people, find inspiration and share support and encouragement.

Wishing you all the best

[Pear_drop 2024 June in reply to moreless]

Hi moreless,

Thank you for your response.

I have had it tested many years ago (2017 I think) and not since. I do struggle to get an appointment with any of the GP at my surgery, let alone get them to send me for tests, however; I will try again.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Pear_drop]

A private finger prick test would be much more comprehensive than an NHS test and the majority of the Thyroid UK members do their own testing. Join the forum and all will be revealed

[Pear_drop 2024 June in reply to moreless]

It’s been a month. A month of not looking after myself but I took the step of buying private thyroid, anemia, diabetes etc test. I sent my sample off this morning. We’ll see what it comes back with.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Pear_drop]

Don't forget to join the Thyroid UK forum and post your results there.

[Pear_drop 2024 June in reply to moreless]

I might.

[Pear_drop 2024 June in reply to moreless]

I am still a little confused about this website and still learning. Can you point me in the right direction of thyroid group please?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Pear_drop]

Sure healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

[Pear_drop 2024 June in reply to moreless]

Found it! 🙂

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Pear_drop]

Well done!

[Beth_19 7lbs Restart June 2024]

I agree with what others have said your body might be stuck in a metabolism rut. It is not an easy place to be but you can do it.

When I first started my weight loss journey I had a lot of weight to lose and there were times that I plateaued. I found looking at what I was eating (not all calories are equal) and when I was eating. I would also up my calories to the higher end of my calorie allowance range for one week and then go back down to mid then low range. I found this sort of reset my system and allowed me to return to losing weight.