Question:
What is the rational for a plateau?

Help I am really getting frustrated. I was down 62lbs but now it is only 60lbs. Tomorrow will be 3 months post op. I have currently not lost in 10 days. I dont understand how exercize, water intake, protein intake, no or minimal carbs can cause such a halt of my weight loss. I am so frustrated. I am doing everything I am suppose to. How could I not be losing? I don't know if I am so convinced that there is nothing you can do about plateaus. Surely there is but I just don't know what. I was curious if anyone has tried this staying strict on no carbs for 6 days and then the 7th day eat anything you like, and it would jumpstart your metabolism to start losing again.    — JODY W. (posted on April 2, 2003)

April 2, 2003
I'm 6mo post-op lost 106# and I just lost 3lbs. in the past 3 wks. it is very frustrating and when I saw the scale moving back up....wow what a basket case lol but I now know that your body does move between a few lbs. day to day and I still went down another pant size, so inches are still coming off! Be patient with your body, it takes time. Everyones body and surgery is different. Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

April 2, 2003
Good question! I've too wondered about trying to "fool" your body - but in reverse of what you said, by eating mostly carbs for a day or two (early into the plateau) to knock your body out of ketosis then go back to the strict low carb, protein, water and exercise routine. Fortunately, my first plateau only lasted 8-9 days, so I wasn't to the desperate to try anything point quite yet. I know the standard protocol is just keep on keeping on and up your protein, water and excercise and it seemed to work for me the first time but now, two weeks later, my body seems to think that it still needs that every day to keep loosing and if I back off any, so does the weight loss! The one thing I do know though is that if you look at other peoples profiles, it does seem to all work out in the end...so, hang in there!
   — eaamc

April 2, 2003
PLATEAUS ARE YOUR BODY TRING TO PROTECT IT'S SELF. YOUR BODY THINKS YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ENOUGH FOOD. METABOLISM SLOWS SO YOU CAN STORE MORE FAT. THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO BREAK PLATEAUS (MOST SAY TO FOOL YOUR BODY) MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING ENOUGH PROTIEN YOU MAY NEED TO MORE CALORIES. ALSO IF YOU ARE EXCERSIZING INCREASE EXERCISE BY 5 MINUTES FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN GO BACK TO SCHEDUAL. PLATEAUS ARE A PAIN BUT THEY DO PASS. TRY DOING A CHANGE UP AND SEE IF IT BREAKS YOUR PLATEAU. GOOD LUCK AND HANG IN THERE. CARLA
   — carla S.

April 2, 2003

   — Linda A.

April 3, 2003
I think I figured the answer to my own question. Well I was drinking fluids that I thought were sufficient but apparently weren't. My nurse practioner I work with told me if I wasn't getting in enough water my body would hold onto it in the tissues. The challenge was to increase my fluid intake so my body would then release the fluids from the tissue. I did that. I increased my fluids a whole bunch and I was voiding all day long. This morning I woke up and weighed and I was 3lbs lighter. It worked.
   — JODY W.