Secrets of Success

Intentional Plateuing

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I realize this may be a little controversial. I don't think I would recommend this for everyone, but it's something to consider, and it has worked for me. About every 6-8 weeks, intentionally go into plateau mode for a week or two. Meaning: stick to your current eating pattern/strategy, and not necessarily stop exercise/activity, but cut back on intensity for that 1-2 week period. I wasn't losing weight, but neither was I gaining, and I'm ok with that. I am starting to noticeably lose again.

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What led me to this was that I recently battled a bout of bronchitis, lasting almost a month. In an effort to not prolong the ordeal, I wasn't exercising any more strenuously than doing household chores. I stringently stuck to my food plan, and my weight never fluctuated more than a pound.

- Submitted by LATTELICIOUS 10/7/2010 in Breaking a Plateau | 4 Comments
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Member Comments

  • JONSYL1
    Glad to hear someone say this openly. I've done this and had very good results. Yes, sometimes it is hard to get back on track but if you're mindful you will. - by JONSYL1
  • JOPPERM2
    I have a slightly different pattern. I lose steadily for about 4-6 days, then gain some back over about a 2 day period. Then I intentionally ramp up the calories for a day and then drop them off the next day. I see my best losses for about 4 days after cutting the calories back. - by JOPPERM2
  • PATTYJO22
    I think you may have hit on something here... maintaining for a while after losing and then starting to lose again may be a good way to go. After all, we need to learn to maintain our weight happily in the long run so "practicing" while we are moving along in the weight loss journey could be a good way of doing that. Your approach definitely has provided me with "food" for thought.






















    emoticon - by PATTYJO22
  • ELAINE7089
    It's funny that you should mention this, because I thinking about intentional plateauing (is that a word?) last week. I hit my first plateau after losing 15 pounds, having just started I was frustrated, but after I made it through I began thinking about this. It would almost be like taking a break, just letting your body rest a bit. As long as you are not gaining and still eating healthy foods, it might help in the long run. I wonder if any experts have anything to say about this. - by ELAINE7089

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