Why do you reach your weight plateau?

[NineToTheSky]

It seems to be generally accepted that eventually you will not be able to lose weight at the same rate, and you will plateau. I don't understand why. As long as you consume fewer calories than you expend, surely you will lose weight?

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey hey @NineToTheSky! Plateau is a normal part of a weight loss program, as @Heybales mentioned in this post a plateau is 6 weeks or longer and it's based on many factors including stress, lack of sleep, routine workouts and a straight diet. 

There are several posts about Plateau that will definitely give you some tips to break out of it, as well as great members like @TandemWalker @I-train-hard and @Heybales who are very knowledgrable on this subject. 

Good luck and keep on stepping!

[SunsetRunner]

Even weighing / logging food, constantly think about what you should eat next.. or stepping the scale daily can add to stress.. every day being so focused on weight loss itself.. is possible stress.

Focus on eating healthy when hungry, stop when satisfied. Making healthy choices in the moment. Don't think about to much if possible, the weight loss will follow.. your body finding it's happiest healthy weight range when eating nutritient rich foods mostly.. when desired..

[NineToTheSky]

Thanks for your reply @HelenaFitbit. My question is, at the moment, academic, because I have have been losing about half a pound a day consistently for ten weeks, so I have lost 30 pounds (which is wonderful). But everyone wags their finger and says 'ah but, you wait, you won't be able to keep it up - you'll plateau', which isn't so wonderful.

[NineToTheSky]

@SunsetRunner I was/am obese, diabetic, an alcoholic and sedentary and have depression. I have given up alcohol, I eat about 1400 calories a day, and I go to the gym every day, doing weights and cv. According to Fitbit I expend about 3100 calories a day. I am now much healthier: my blood glucose is in the healthy range, my resting heart rate is good, my depression is much less, and I enjoy life much more. I just want to keep on keeping on!

[HelenaFitbit]

Ohh I see it now @NineToTheSky, well... focus on your current weight loss and health benefits you are reaping at this moment and keep in mind that if you ever stall, it's all part of the process and there are plenty of ways to switch it up. 

[NineToTheSky]

@HelenaFitbit I am looking at the links you supplied. They are interesting and helpful. Thank you.

[emili]

@NineToTheSky- I can honestly tell you that I have never hit a plateau. Ever. I treat it like math- in vs out. less in- I lose, even- stay the same, more- gain. I measure my food, I track my calories and exercise. I eat food that my body needs, not what my brain wants. I don't have cheat days or any of that stuff. On the weekends I have a few drinks and consume a bit more than during the week. I account for that by moving my butt off at the gym. yes, I go up two pounds- so I apply math. I think there are so many factors that go into weight loss- but the biggest one is honesty. with yourself. the more you lose, the harder it becomes because the fat burn slows down. you have to adjust for that. plateau, starvation mode- I am sure they all exist- but I firmly believe to trigger either of them, you have to be in super reduced intake for an extremely long period of time. If it isn't a true medical reason, then I really think its not being as honest with yourself as you should be. Wag your finger back at those people and show off your slimmer self. Good luck!! If you feel like doing some light reading, check this out: www.aworkoutroutine.com. He is for sure not for everyone- but I love how real he is.

[divedragon]

Yea, there are a lot of reasons for it.  Body adaptation, calorie creep and changes in metabolism.  The so called 'Starvation mode" is a myth; however.

I can typically pinpoint the cause of my plateus and am, in fact, experiencing one right now.  I'm stuck around 190, 10 lbs from my goal, but I'm not going to stress over it.  What I know has happened is this:  1) I'm carrying less weight so I expend less calories in a day just with normal movement.  2)  I haven't increased my exercise intensity enough to make up for this loss of mass (its a good thing tho).  3)  I've slacked off a little on the weekends.  4) I'm not paying as close attention to my calories in and suspect I may be consuming a few more than I need to be to lose weight.

I'm not stressing over it becuase I'm still seeing gains in my fitness level.  I've added HIIT and changed up my routine to accomodate this a little better.  I just started this last week, so it will take some time to kick in.  My run this morning was 3 minutes faster than it was last week and my resting heart rate has dropped again.  Try to keep in mind, its not just about losing fat, but getting more fit.  As you get more fit, you'll burn more fat.  It's almost a tug of war.  You have to lose some fat to get more fit, but then you have to exercise more intensely to lose more fat which means you need to get more fit!!!