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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,206
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

Hi all:

 

I started off at 185, eight days later I was down to 177 and have cut out desserts entirely and walk at least one hour a day. I appear to be stuck.   What can I do to help myself?   Will the plateau pass?

 

Thanks for any replies.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,153
Registered: ‎05-22-2012

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

I don't feel like one week equals a real plateau. I'd say keep doing what you're doing for at least another week and then seen what happens before you make further adjustments.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 644
Registered: ‎09-30-2012

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

Yes it will pass.  You are walking which is building muscle so that's why you don't see any difference.  I did weight watchers and it was down 6 then 0, then down 3 for several weeks.  Just keep it up and you will get where you want.  Dieting and exercising is hard especially when you don't see progress.  Best of luck!

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Posts: 38,158
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

[ Edited ]

@newjersey wrote:

Hi all:

 

I started off at 185, eight days later I was down to 177 and have cut out desserts entirely and walk at least one hour a day. I appear to be stuck.   What can I do to help myself?   Will the plateau pass?

 

Thanks for any replies.


 

@newjersey  You may already be doing this, but try small portions throughout the day.  You won't get hungry, your energy level will be up,  the caloric count of the small portions, nonfatty, will be less, and also drink lots of water.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 43,246
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

[ Edited ]

True weight loss if you're really true to your diet and exercise will be around two pounds a weel.  A pound is equal to 3500 calories.  It takes a while to reach a plateau and that is when the body adjusts.  Keep drinking your water, and keep your starches (all breads as well as starchy vegetables) to two 1/2 cups a day, friuts are the same measurement for a serving.  Those big red delicious apples are actually two servings as is a whole banana.

 Think "green" and eat salad greens, greens, green beans, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, celery, onions, broccoli and cauliflower and boc choy (stir fried with chicken).

 You can add a little bit of starch in about two weeks.  That should be two out of) maybe a very small potato, or 1/2 cup of a starchy vegetable, or a piece of bread.

 

If you stay true, you'll probably go down a size every month.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,017
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

Second @m0rgan.  Don't forget muscle weighs more than fat so you may actually gain at some point but your body will be reshaping.  

 

Also, your body gets used to the same thing after a while so change up your exercise when you really hit a plateau and that usually jumpstarts it again.  You don't have to not walk just walk faster at certain points or try a new route with hills or increase the time or walk with weights etc....  If you can run and add more cardio, that's a big holy grail but walking fast or anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time will do if you are not a runner.  I'm certainly not so I do other things I like better like cycling and hiking trails in a local park that can get pretty steep.  

 

I will also tell you that when I finally got serious and gave up ALL sugar not just the sweets, I lost several stubborn pounds in about three weeks.  It's amazing how inflammatory sugar and/or any white stuff like pasta and potato can be.

 

Good Luck on your journey! 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

In the beginning of any diet you lose water weight then you slow down. The only way to success is eat less and exercise more SO ... perhaps you could increase your exercise by hastening your pace as you walk. My diabetes instructor said you should be walking fast enough so you can talk but not sing - if you can sing a song you need to increase your pace and get your heart rate up more.

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Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!


@newjersey wrote:

Hi all:

 

I started off at 185, eight days later I was down to 177 and have cut out desserts entirely and walk at least one hour a day. I appear to be stuck.   What can I do to help myself?   Will the plateau pass?

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

 

 


 

The 8lbs you have lost is probably mostly fluid loss. Humans don't lose 8lbs of fat in a week. As far as a plateau? Again a week tells you little to nothing about the type of weight you want to lose.

 

Most that really hit a plateau have several options that can help kick their body back into gear. Change the types of exercises you are doing. You can up your heart rate by working harder for short periods of time(intervals)and/or spend more time at a little higher heart rate.

 

After only 1 week? Instead of walking for an hour, walk at a faster pace for a half hour. A body needs to be changed up doing exercises because it learns quickly to adapt to doing the same thing over and over and over?

 

 

 

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,889
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

If you're taking in fewer calories than you're expending, the plateau will pass. Try a different type of exercise, vary what you eat, but monitor your intake. Those BLTs, bites, licks, and tastes can add up. Keep a food diary. The weight should come off eventually.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,015
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Weight loss questions/I've hit a plateau after only ONE week! Help!

Change up your exercise routine every couple of days so your muscles do not get used to what you are doing.   Add in some hills or inclines, increase speed or your route.  Also may need to change diet up some too.  Our bodies to adjust to what we are doing.  I bike every day but some days are longer and faster than others.

"Live frugally, but love extravagantly."