Hit a plateau

Morning guys, I'm stuck, no matter what i seem to eat or do i can't seem to lose anymore. I had lapband surgery on 12/6/07 tipping the scales at 472, as of today i'm 50 pounds down, For the last 2 weeks i've been bouncing between 422-427 and i can't get past that point. My meals are Breakfest Protien Shake (8oz fat free milk, about 43 grams of whey protien, 2 scoops of GNC mega man multi vitamin power, 2 table spoons of all natural peanut butter (no fat,2grams of suger,8 grams of protien, about 200 caleries), 7 ice cubes) Lunch if im hungry, half the time i skip this and just eat dinner grilled chicken sandwich (chicken,tomato,some light honey mustard, in a pita) Takes me about an hour to hour and a half to eat the whole thing, rarely i'll eat the pita Dinner some sort of a chicken or an omlette with egg beaters and ff cheese  Snack (if i feel hunger coming on) a snack cup of ff and suger free pudding or a sting cheese oh and i'm constantly drinking water at work and when i get home i'll have crystal light As you can tell i eat mostly chicken due to thats really the only meat i can handle at this point (tried some chop meat and steak and neither seem to go down to well) Exercise treadmill for 6 min a night and thats about .20 of a mile, i can't seem to do more than that due to hip and knee problems, (can't really walk around out side since its about 10 degrees out in NJ and im constanly cold since surgery)i still have problems lifting things so weight lifting is pretty much out. Any suggestions on what to do or change? Sorry for the long winded post Thanks Mark S

Don't worry.  I just spent 3 weeks at 222, but now I have lost 7 pounds in 7 days, and I didn't change anything.  Its just your body going into defensive mode.  It will adjust. The Kevinator

I'm sure you'll bust your plateau.   What kind of Protein Powder are you using?  Make sure it is not too high in calories.  I was using Muscle Milk and GAINED weight hardcore.  I quit it, and I feel as good as I have felt in 2 months. If I remember, and you got the money (cause it ain't cheap), JAY ROBB makes a good protein shake.  Nutritionist recommended. Good luck!

I'm using body fortress, looking on the container it has 230 calories. Is that high? Glad you mentioned that about muscle milk, on days i'm in a rush i would pick up one of those premade muscle milk shakes at the gnc in penn station on the way to work. Maybe i need to cut the musle milk off Thanks Mark S

One disclaimer on Body Fortress.  They have recently started putting CREATINE in it.  And they don;t make one without it.  Creatine isnt realy weight loss condusive.

I would sugest to not skip meals. try setting a eatting schedule and sticking to it. when you skip meals it slows your metabolism and you body will stop loosing weight because it thinks its not getting enough food. there are more on here that could tell you why we do this but its not me....lol Our bodies do what the want when they want it. dont worry it will happen just keep doing whats right and it will pass. derrick

Good advice.  I have been eating 3 meals per day this week, and I feel great!

Hey Mark.   I posted the following for a bud a few weeks back.   Plateaus suck but they can be busted.   Hope this helps...

Plateus suck and I'm sorry you have to experience one but if you say you are losing inches then you may be actually losing weight and putting on muscle.   That's a good thing!  You could ask 10 people and get 10 different answer on plateau busting but the following has worked for me in the past... 

1) Weight Training and Cardio - Lifting weights will increase your lean muscle mass which will in turn increase your metabolic rate.   Both weight training and cardio are gonna burn calories and you even burn a set amount of calories a day doing nothing. (your Basic Metabolic Rate)  Combine that with the calories you burned from exercising and if you total caloric expenditure for the day is more than you consumed you will have a deficit.   Have a deficit of 3500 calories and you lost a pound.  You also may want to consider altering your exercise routine as well.   If you are doing low intensity exercises try some high intensity things like sprinting for a few days and see if that helps.

2) Alter your food intake by eating more frequently - How do you make a fire hotter?   You throw some fuel (wood) on it.  Think of your metabolism as that fire.   The food you consume will make that fire (your metabolism) burn more efficiently.   If you are eating 3 times a day up it to 6 and make sure they are all high protein foods.   Go very easy on the carbs with the exception of the green, leafy veggies.   As a rule of thumb stay away from the white stuff.   (potatoes, rice, etc.)

3) Go easy on the carbs - As in the above go easy or eliminate the bad carbs altogether.   I know it's easier said than done.  At least in my case it is.   You are pretty far out so I don't know if you have any problems with dumping but in my case I can (and sometimes do) eat the sugary stuff.   Old habits die hard I guess.   Stay away from them and that may be the key to busting the plateau by itself.

4) Trick your metabolism - Some people don't believe in this but it's worked for me.   I will stay religious to a 'diet' during the week (M-F) and trick my metabolism one day on the weekend by eating whatever I want.   This relaxes my metabolism and makes it think that I'm back to the old habits and when I go back to the 'diet' on Monday I shock the system again.   Like I said some people disagree that this works but I've done it for awhile now and it works for me. 

5) Drink water - Sometimes when  you think you are hungry you are actually thirsty.   Drink 16oz of water and sometimes that's gonna do the trick.   Personally I shoot for 128 ounces a day.  At a minimum try to get in at least 64 ounces.

 

Thanks everyone for your advice The strange thing is i'm losing inches but not the weight, I'm now down 6 pant sizes, I started at a 52 at time of the surgery and i tried a 46 on last night and it fit, and even had even had extra room to spare. Thanks Mark S