Breaking or preventing a long plateau with Medifast?

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I know this has been gone over a thousand times before but I thoght Imight ask for some insite fom the vet's..

I'm finishing week #14 (offically on Monday). So far my weight loss has been pretty steady. The worst weeks I've had was in week 6, down one lbs and in week 8 (TOM), down 1.8 lbs..

I have never had a week w/o a loss for 13 weeks but that looks like it going to change in week #14My offical weigh in isnt until Monday but so far the scale isnt budging..

I know I shouldnt be freaked about a one week stall, as I have lost roughly 43 lbs in 13 weeks, not too shabby..

I keep my calories on the low end, always have. I try to vary between 800-870 but have never gone above 900. I also keep my carbs around 70-80, with a few 80 carbs days (maybe 1 or two a week.).

For the past 2 months I have been excerising and lifting weights two times a day. I was only doing once a day before then. I actually saw a great consistent loss after bumping up to twice a day (5 to 6 times a week) but I got lazy this week and only excerised 2 times a day about 3 days this week, maybe 4. And then only once a day for the rest..

Could this slight difference in excersie really throw me into a non lossing state?.

I'm afraid this could be the start of my 1st platue and mentally I'm not sure I'm prepared for it. I will not use it as excuse to stop Medifast (look at the progress so far!!) but I have been having incredible urges to cheat over the last 2 weeks, so this week of no loss is making it even worse..

So here's the question:.

Is it better to go a head and have a small cheat, enough to knock me out of ketosis, and then start right back to the 5/1 to shock my body? I hate to wait for 3 weeks of no loss before I consider this as an option.

Has anyone used a planned cheat for this purpose and had it work for them?.

I have not cheated at all since I started the program (about 3 1/2 months ago)..

My calorie burn from excerise has been averaging (before this week around 700-850 a day, 5 times a week and 250 to 500 two days a week)..

Obviously it wasnt the 700-850 excerise burn that was slowing me down, but with this week only averaging 500-600 calories (still staying in the 800-850 calories range) has slowed things down...well stopped them really. I doubt extra protien of calories would work if I've slowed down the excerise rather than increasing it. But I've been wrong before..

I know it's only been 6 days since my last weigh in but I want to scale to move! I'm a daily weigher and usually see things move slowly throughout the week. This week nothing and I weigh in again in 1 1/2 days..

So what are your thoughts? Shock the system with a small cheat that has really been on my mind for over 2 weeks. Up my excerise again, even though I'm findind it more and more difficult to keep up with the extra time this demands in my day?.

Stick it out for another week? two weeks? three weeks and allow my body to catch up?.

I have changed out my excercise routine and I drink a TON of water (usually over a gallon a day)..

Any suggestions?.

Any advice is much appreciated. I know I shouldnt be fretting over a 6 day no loss but it's so hard not to when I'm craving like a mad woman.

I want carbs and fats bad! Is this all psychological?.

I just dont want to be stuck for 3 weeks or more and miserable at the same time..

A planned cheat "might be ok". "might shock the system" ???????????????????.

HELP!!! and kick me in the bootie if needed..

I still have 25 lbs or so before I hit goal (goal currently at 120 but might be raised to 125 depending on how I feel once I break into the low 130's)..

Start weight 4-9-07: 192.6.

Current weight 7-14-07: still stuck at 149 (last weeks weight in)..

*sorry for the rambling...

Comments (22)

More protein...that's my suggestion..

I'm hesitant to call 6 days a plateau....your body has to stop and adjust now and then...but if you think you should do something I would up the calories with more protein..

Good luck!.

Karen..

Comment #1

I wouldnt cheat.. I would do as much excercise as possible.. if you cant work out as much as you use too then thats ok dont beat yourself up. I honestly wouldnt add anything BUT maybe if you eat a bar try taking those out and replace with something else and see what happens...

Cecilia...

Comment #2

Hey Sammy -.

I thought OK, I will mix it up a bit and eat a little bit more ... try some more carbs ... which turned into ... ok just a little bit more etc etc etc ... well here I am almost two weeks later trying to get that sweet taste back in my mouth! It's coming back but I have lost a few weeks, as you can see from my +2. So I wouldn't recommend kicking yourself out of ket.

(Little chicken bites from the grill in a ziploc baggie in fridge...right there ready to snack on when I open the fridge.) This seemed to really help and didn't disturb my ket. I wouldn't get too worried about the six days. You have done GREAT!! so far. You know you are getting close to goal and as that happens the weight loss slows..

Hope this helps you a little bit!.

~Brix...

Comment #3

Oh yeah...another thought...if you are thinking about the carbs/cheats (and have been for awhile) and ALSO have been craving them...RUN FOREST RUN...from any off plan carbs. If you get a little taste bad things can happen to good intentions..

All the best,.

~Brix...

Comment #4

Your body will get used to the same amount of calories and carbs week after week. Try upping your cals to the mis 900's and keep your carbs to low end of the scale. Every time my weight starts to stall, I use this technique and I have yet to hit a (enter P word here). I have been on Medifast since Dec 9th...

Comment #5

Thanks guys. I knew I was lossing my mind and you guys would help bring me back to earth.

I will try to up my protein a bit and vary my calories. I do tend to stick in the same range..

Who knows the scale may be kind to me come monday, as I over slept most of yesterday and didnt get in my L&G (I know very very bad, but I slept all day long). This morning the scale was down almost a lb!.

I will have all 5 and my L&G today and get up for my morning run tomorrow. Hopefully the stall will have ended.

I honestly dont know how people can stand to go weeks without the scale moving. I need to pick up some mental defenses so if it happens to me I will be prepared for it.

I'm still slightly surprised how bad it affected me to not see the scale move for only 6 days..

I never did measure. Perhaps it's time..

Thanks again for all the support. You're advice is much appreciated...

Comment #6

Oh boy how you would hate my body. It's normal routine is to lose ONLY on Friday or Saturday. Otherwise...I'm the same all the time. Ugh!.

Hang in there Sammy! One highlight I picked up on from your post is you probably dipped into Starvation mode when you missed your L&G. This may be the reason things stopped for a bit.

Adding some variation to your calories & protien should be a great way to get right back on to your normal.

Hang in there!..

Comment #7

Ok I'm a big fat idiot. today was weigh in day and I was down 2.6 lbs.

I was completely stressing for no reason. I'm actually kind of suprised at myself b/c I really let it get to me. This coming from the same person who didnt even weigh in for the first month..

I never would have thought I would have lost this much so fast. I'm thrilled!.

I guess I just needed a little grounding (thanks guys )..

Comment #8

I am so happy that you didnt' try the planned cheat!.

HUGS.

We are all so darn WIERD about that scale aren't we.

Heidi..

Comment #9

Thanks! Me too.

I think I was just looking for an excuse really. I have seriously been craving for the last few days.

I went to sleep last night thinking about cheese fries and bacon cheese burgers. What is wrong with me??.

I'm going to try and up my calories just a bit as I have been staying on the really low side since I started Medifast (usually 815-825 calories a day). With my increased activity my body may very well be actually hungry!! Imagine that??..

Comment #10

It's definitely time to measure!!! Especially because you've been lifting weights etc....

I agree with all the above comments...if you need to up your calories...do it with protein, not carbs...so you can stay in ketosis...and in control..

Also...remember that muscle weighs more than fat. So...you may be burning fat and building muscle. Which means the scale may not be moving...but your body will still be shrinking and becoming tighter..

So yes...measuring may help you...during the weeks when you're not losing pounds...you may find that you're still losing inches..

Keep up the good work...you can do it!.

Smiles - Wendy..

Comment #11

This question was taken from a support group/message board and re-posted here so others can learn from it.

candidablog.com

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This question was taken from a support group/message board and re-posted here so others can learn from it.