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Weight Loss Plateaus

(30 posts) (13 voices)

Started 9 months ago by Primalchild
Latest reply from Miriam

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Primalchild
Member

So, the final ten pounds. Let's hear from some people who have pushed through and gotten down to their ideal body fat percentage. Tell us about your plateaus: how long they lasted, what you did (if anything) to escape them.

Getting a little impatient with my gut, here. At least it's nice and loose and jiggly, though.

Posted 9 months ago #
RogerDeRok
Member

Ha I hear that, I just hit another plateau and have been the same weight for about 3 weeks. I've still got another 50 to go.

Posted 9 months ago #
Nick
Member

Not anywhere near the last ten pounds, but have been in kind of a miniplateau for the last few days, and was feeling fairly low energy. I tried eating more fat (lowball of heavy cream with my lunch) today, and it raised my body temperature by about a degree and a half to 99 (usually sit around 97.5 all day). I'll let you know if it works.

Posted 9 months ago #
Jedi
Member

I am down to the last 4 or 5 pounds and it's SLOW :)though I am already pretty lean, but have been bouncing around 57-57.5kg for past three weeks. Maybe i too should try reducing protien and increasing fat. carbs are around 50gr per day.

Posted 9 months ago #
Tarlach
Member

I have the top of my abs showing well. Yet to get the bottom to really stand out.

No idea what my bodyfat% is, but it's pretty low. I'm not real worried if I lose any more or not. Just letting my body find its 'groove'.

Posted 9 months ago #
deepthought
Member

I´m not loosing wheigt, just "recomposositioning", less fat, and ganing lean mass...
Veins start popping up in new places, found a new yseterday on one of my shoulders.

Posted 9 months ago #
Primalchild
Member

I wonder what a plateau really is. Is it possible that you could be doing everything you need to do to get to your ideal body composition, but your body still has these natural pauses in progress?

Posted 9 months ago #
maba
Member

How do you all determine what your ideal weight is? According to CW weight charts, for my height and frame, I ought to be 95-106 and I'm aiming for 105. But is there any other way you groks determine that. I must add that I want it to be 105 lbs or 20% BF.

Posted 9 months ago #
Mark Sisson
Key Master

This might be helpful for anyone trying break through a weight loss plateau:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/weight-loss-plateau/

Posted 9 months ago #
TaydaTot
Member

Yeah, the cut even more carbs and IF ideas worked well for me. Reducing from 100-150 grams of carbs per day to about 25-75 per day for one week got my body changing. I didn't like it though because I couldn't eat any fruit and even had to be selective about my vegetables, so I don't see me continuing that as a long term practice. Not a bad short term practice though.

I tried IF two weeks ago and have done a handful of 24-30 hours fasts (just finished my longest one this afternoon, 30 hours!) and it has resulted in drastically better results than cutting carbs. I highly recommend IF for the results and for the experience.

I used to stick to the same old split workout routine (back/biceps one day, chest/triceps another day, shoulders/legs another day) but for the past 6 weeks I have been constantly mixing up my strength training workouts and I have acquired better strength gains and most importantly it was been way more fun, interesting and challenging.

Anyways, those things worked for me so I would recommend IF for weight loss and constantly changing the types of workouts for strength gains.

Posted 9 months ago #
RogerDeRok
Member

Yeah, that post helped me get through my first plateau when I cut back considerably on carbs and fruit.

Don't know what's causing my current plateau but I definitely don't exercise enough and am increasing that lately and also cut out dairy for the most part. Was overdoing the cheese for sure.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

I'm stuck too. I cut out the dairy and the fruit. I did try a couple of IF, but my adrenals are kind of stressed right now I suspect and I didn't think IF was good for them, so I stopped.

I think the fact, because my adrenals are weak, that I am hanging onto some stubborn weight - that, ultimately, is probably water. But dang it is really bothering me that I'm down to about 50 carbs a day and not losing a thing! I only have about 5 or less pounds I'd like to lose but I can't get it off.

Posted 9 months ago #
marci
Member

Ecala I hear you- been Primal for 3 mos & no changes whatsoever. Maybe it'll take a year. Think I'm insulin resistant & with a BF of 29% it's worrisome- esp since I work out 6x week as per my paleo-trainer! And he does not recommend IF for me either (same adrenal probs) Oh well, I may have to be content w/being both fit & overweight- a PB exception!

Posted 9 months ago #
Jedi
Member

I find that despite pretty strict (still have some raw milk in coffee)PB and carbs around 50gr per day I still have to rigorously count and have LOW calories to lose fat.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

yeahh, I don't think my cals are low enough. I love the coconut oil too much :D

marci-- I'm wondering. If your adrenals are weak, do you think it's advisable to workout 6 days a week? What kind of workouts are they?

Posted 9 months ago #
62shelby
Member

@ecala, I am holding water weight and my ND suggested taking taurine,its supposed to help. I empathize (ecala and marci)on the adrenal fatigue, I have had it for ages, but am sleeping a bit better now and take alot of magnesium. I stupidly went to the doctor yesterday as I am concerned about my thyroid, my body composition is changing for the worse, ie loss of muscle gain of fat, and she almost laughed at me, exactly how much unhealthy weight do I have to put on before she takes me seriously? my trainer and some other health practitioners have looked at my fat (accumulating mostly below the waist) and said, yep, metabolic. I am probably still working out too much but have cut right back and try to sleep in more. apparently it takes a long time to recover from adrenal fatigue.

I have fallen off the primal wagon a few times as I am so disheartened, I tried IF too, but it did nothing.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

Hmm.. taurine. I have some of that in one of my supps. Oh yeah, the NutriPlenish Adrenal. If you can get your hands on it-- it's WONDERFUL for adrenals. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, adaptogens and freeze dried glandular stuff.

I find that phosphatidylserine helps me sleep-- I take about 200g at 5:00, then another 400-600 at bedtime. It keeps me pretty much asleep all night. Has to be a good brand though.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

These are the ingredients: (I take 4-6 of these a day)

Contents

PER 2 TABLET SERVING:
BETA CAROTENE 8000 IU
VITAMIN C (AS ASCORBIC ACID) 160 MG
VITAMIN E (AS TOCOPHEROL ACETATE) 150 IU
VITAMIN K (AS MENADIONE) 40 MCG
THIAMIN (AS THIAMINE MONONITRATE) (B1) 6 MG
RIBOFLAVIN (B2) 4 MG
NIACIN (AS NIACIN, INOSITOL-NIACINATE) (B3) 38 MG
VITAMIN B6 (AS PYRIDOXINE AND PYRIDOXAL-5-PHOSPHATE) 4 MG
FOLIC ACID 250 MCG
VITAMIN B12 (AS CYANOCOBALAMINE) 200 MCG
BIOTIN (AS VITAMIN H) 40 MCG
PANTOTHENIC ACID (AS CALCIUM D-PANTOTHENATE) 68 MG
CALCIUM (AS CALCIUM CITRATE, CALCIUM D-PANTOTHENATE, CALCIUM PYRUVATE) 30 MG
MAGNESIUM (AS MAGNESIUM CHELATE, MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE, MAGNESIUM MALATE, MAGNESIUM STEARATE) 100 MG
ZINC (AS ZINC ASPARTATE) 12 MG
SELENIUM (AS SELENIUM ASPARTATE) 40 MCG
MANGANESE (AS MAGANESE ASPARTATE) 10 MG
CHROMIUM (AS CHROMIUM NICOTINATE) 60 MCG
MOLYBDENUM (AS MOLYBDENUM CHELATE) <1 MCG
CHLORIDE (AS BETAINE, PYRIDOXINE) 4 MG
POTASSIUM (AS POTASSIUM CITRATE) 32 MG
PROPRIETARY BLEND: 70 MG
BITTER MELON (FRUIT) 4:1 EXT., STEVIA (HERB), ELEUTHERO (ROOT) EXT., KELP (WHOLE PLANT) 4:1 EXT., l-ARGININE 40 MG, L-GLUTAMINE 30 MG, ADRENAL FREEZE-DRIED GLAND 20 MG, D-RIBOSE 20 MG, L-TYROSINE 20 MG, BEEF LIVER 20 MG, N-ACETYL-L-CYSTEINE 20 MG, PANCREATIN 8X 20 MG, BETAINE HCL 16 MG, DEGLYCYRRHIZINISED LICORICE (ROOT) 4:1 EXT. 16 MG, INOSITOL-NIACINATE 10 MG, L-ORNITHINE 10 MG, PHOSPHATIDYL COMPLEX 19 MG (PHOSPHATIDYL SERINE, PHOSPHATIDYL CHOLINE, PHOSPHATIDYL ETHANOLAMINE, PHOSPHATIDYL INOSITOL), QUERCETIN DIHYDRATE 10 MG, COENZYME Q-10 4 MG, L-5-HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN 4 MG, L-CARNITINE 4 MG, LIPOIC ACID 4 MG, PITUITARY FREEZE-DRIED GLAND 4 MG, VANADYL SULFATE 93 MCG.

Oh I guess there isn't any taurine in this one, but I know it's in another one that I take from NeuroScience.

Posted 9 months ago #
marci
Member

Ecala- currently I do sprints on the treadmill (20 secs on 40 secs off) at my max speed (6.5 to 8.5...but my trainer says I should be at 10! yikes!) I do about 15 reps. On alternate days I do heavy weight-lifting. Each w.o. is done 3x week, after 2 months we change them. I thought it might be too much exercise but I'm also insulin resistant, estrogen dominant, perimenopausal (on supplements to correct all that). Maybe eating less is wise but I still get mighty hungry if I skip a meal. Am mystified- wish I knew how to hit that sweet spot for effortless weight loss Mark promises in the book (50-100 carbs are the ideal he says). I read that & thought great! - makes perfect sense - for everyone else but me!..wahhh...
It's been frustrating & I've said this on other threads so apologies for repeating myself. But I do think this is the way to live- just wish I could drop the lbs & have people notice so I could hit'em with the PB flyer etc. It would be great to be a walking ad for this!

Posted 9 months ago #
marci
Member

Ecala & Shelby- I take Water Ease from Designs for Heatlh thru my ND. Great stuff- has 700 mgs taurine, 50 mgs B6. I take 4 a day.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

marci, in my honest opinion I think your paleo trainer might be off his rocker. That sounds like too much activity for weak adrenals-- heck, it's too much for a normal person, IMO. From personal experience, HIIT (your sprints) was awful for me when I was at my worst, adrenal wise.

I think if you cut back a little on the exercise, you might find yourself losing the weight. I think you're doing too much.

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

He says you shouldn't do IF because of your adrenals, but you should workout 6 times a week? That's crazy I think. Maybe I'm wrong.

Posted 9 months ago #
62shelby
Member

Agree with Ecala re training and adrenals, I have been advised it can stop and/or stall weight loss if you have adrenal fatigue and train too hard, that was on the Mercola site from one of their ND's and a bit of researching has backed that up. I always thought that HIIT would be worse in this situation, probably controversial but I feel better doing lower steady state for forty mins, short weights programme and alot of ashtanga w/ focused breathing.

Posted 9 months ago #
marci
Member

I am totally confused now! I have plenty of energy & sleep fine...so I don't know what to believe! I am only allowed to workout for 45 minutes tops per session- that includes warm up & cool down - so I don't think I'm overtraining, really. Oh well, at least I'm no gaining lbs (which is a miracle considering my love of nuts & coco oil!)

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

Well, as long as you feel good. One tip off for me when I'm over doing it, is I walk out of the gym feeling grouchy rather than uplifted. HIIT used to make me irritable and short fused all day when I my adrenals were particularly stressed.

Posted 9 months ago #
Miriam
Member

Marci try and take a full week off training and see if that breaks the plateau, I used to do that every few months when I was training hard. I now just go to the gym twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday) for heavy weights and cardio is just plain walking throughout the day and my weight has dropped without even trying (my goals were not weight loss just want to improve my overall health but it is an added bonus).

Posted 9 months ago #
marci
Member

Miriam- I like your advice but I am so addicted to the gym I don't think I can skip a day without feeling horrible mentally! I'll give it a shot when I'm on vacation in August. Well, kind of a shot- we go to Nantucket so there will be kayanking, biking & swimming but it's all low-impact. And lots of primal treats like lobster! thanks!

Posted 9 months ago #
Jedi
Member

Marci, I am sure you probably know this but just the fact you can't envision taking a day off from the gym possibly/Probably means a week off would be a great idea ;) REST is an oft neglected part of fitness, and I speak from experience :)

Posted 9 months ago #
Ecala
Member

I agree with Jedi.

Have fun in Nantucket marci! I've never been there- I've been to Martha's Vineyard but not Nantucket. (I live in MA)

Posted 9 months ago #
Miriam
Member

REST should be an essential part of fitness! :)

Marci your holiday plans sound wonderful.

Posted 9 months ago #