LOOOONG Plateau???????????

I am coming to the March 07 board to see if anyone else has had a stall like I am in. I had surgery 03/06/07 and have lost approximately 130#. But I lost 19 of that in the 2 mos pre op, and lost the rest through October of 07. Since November I have been yo-yoing the same 2 - 4 #'s - up and down, up and down, but no significant loss in 6 months. I still have about 30# to get to goal. I started at 311 (pre op diet start) and as of today I am at 183.8, my goal is 150. I have been trying to be logical and look at basal metobolic rate, what I am eating, the activity I am doing etc, and it doesn't add up, so logic does not hold here. So I am seeking out the "it's not just me" method of justification. Am I the only one who has gotten stuck for THIS long???

Hey Caryn... I had my surgery on 3/12/07 and I have been losing VERY slowly (compared to early on) since the holidays. A lot of this is my own fault. I have made conscious decisions to add in more carbs to what I eat. When I restrict these items again, I lose better. I am in a much slowing losing pattern overall, though. It seems that my weight will drop for about a week or so before I get my "monthly" and then I will go up and down a few pounds until the cycle starts over again the next month. The other thing I have done is to STOP exercising as much. Well, I have signed myself up for 3 5K races (May, June and September), so I really need to get my butt in gear and get training... I am hoping that will kickstart my loss again, as well. Be persistent... keep track of what you're eating and how you're moving. You may find that tweaking one or two things will get things moving again. ~wendy

Caryn, You aren't alone to have your body hit a plateau. It is the nature of our bodies to adjust to what we are doing. It is likely you are in a routine, and your body is used to it. This is the cause of your plateau. In order to bust that plateau, you may need to do something different to shock your body into losing again. This may mean adding different exercises, changing up your calorie intake for a few days (maybe increase healthy calorie intake for a few days, or change up the types of food you are eating), or a combination of the two. No one can tell you what your goal weight should be, but the bigger goal should be for you to be the healthiest person out there. Marathon runners and triathaletes also hit plateaus. They do the same thing, a shock to their system by doing something different. Don't forget to be honest with yourself about how your "lifestyle" has changed. There may be areas of your lifestyle that need to become more healthier and that you may be slipping into your old ways. Take care! --Dave

I am so glad I found these messages.  I had surgery March 07 and hit a plateau and regained weight . I am not alone, I must change my habits as well. Counting calories and increasing exercise. But I did have hormonal issues when I reached  a plateau. ANYone else have this problem?