Martine:.

A while back I went in search of info about plateaus. Being someone who always wants to find the positive about something...I found that plateaus are not a bad thing...they are a natural part of the weight loss process. Here's a link to my post about this:.

I hope that this gives you encouragement to hang in there. Best thing to do is to just keep on following the plan. Get in all 5 Medifast without fail, weigh & measure your Lean & Green, watch your condiments & snacks, if you are exercising keep it at no more than 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day, make sure you are drinking at least 64oz of water. In other words, go back to the basics. If you keep doing your part, you body will keep doing it's part and the fat cells will have no choice but to give it up.

Good luck & let us know how it goes...

I hit a plateau about every 6 weeks during the first 7 months I was on the program. The scale wouldn't budge for about 2 weeks, then BOOM! It would bump down 3-5 pounds the next time (I averaged 1.8-2.6 pounds a week after the first two months)..

Just keep your water going (don't go overboard), eat all 5 Medifast meals (yes, I experimented with 4 meals a couple of weeks and the scale did NOT move), and depend on your clothing to tell you that it's okay..

My experience is that when the scale didn't move my body was redistributing and shifting. During every single plateau I ended up in a smaller size even if the scale didn't move.

I've decided that the body takes these opportunities to "reboot"..

Hang in there and don't despair!.

Mommameow.

(I lost 70 pounds from 8/06 - 4/07 - then took a sabbatical (maintenance) until September 4th... now I'm in my fourth week back on the plan to lose the last 20 pounds)..

When I seem to level off, I really look at what I've been doing. Often, I've noticed that I've upped my exercise to over the recommended 45 minutes. I mean, after all, exercise is good, right? So I cut back down, raise my calorie level to over 900 and that seems to jump start the loss again..

Every body is different. What works for me may not work for you...

I had 3 or 4 plateaus, can't remember. The longest was 3 and 1/2 weeks. I tried this and I tried that and in the end I decided nothing works except time!.

I think they are the body's way of adjusting. And for me, I decided, they were practice for maintenance. A way of learning to eat right even when you DON'T see that reward on the scale..

So my advice is to hang in there, try to relax and trust the program and know that you WILL lose again..

And take your measurements, because when the scale didn't move I often lost inches!..

Martine, I am in the same boat as you. I'm in week 7 and I have hit a plateau, I'm bouncing between 172.5 and 174, I can't seem to get any lower. I have noticed that my clothes seem to be fitting looser this weekend, but I still want to see the scale move. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in this, it's getting frustrating. I hope I get past this soon. Good luck!!!..

Two things..

First, I only lost weight about 3 weeks out of every month. The others I maintained or even gained a pound of two. Hormonally (is that a word?), I seem to retain a large amount of water at weird times of my cycle. I did not consider these plateaus, just a normal part of my weight loss. Tracking my losses really well in a spreadsheet helped, because I knew when to expect this nasty weigh-in..

Second, as for true plateaus. I remember hitting one about every 2 or 3 months. But then I would have a big drop. All of the maddness averaged out to about 2 pounds per week over the course of 10 months...

Don't let a plateau freak you out. I have been unable to get below 214 for a month I don't go up, I don't go down the scale is completely stuck. However, I kept up the exercise and have continued to lose inches each day my pants are easier to zip and a little baggier in the butt. I figure the scale will catch up if I just keep on track...

I hit a plateau about every 4 weeks. What I have discovered is that if I tweek what I am eating it jump starts the losing. For instance, after the first 10 days on Medifast I stopped eating a bar everyday. Last week I went back to having a bar (5 or 6 days out of 7) and the scales started moving. Most days I am eating about 820 calories. Now I allow myself to have a day that is closer to 1000 calories and that seems to help also. I think our bodies get tuned in to what you are eating and make adjustments, so we just need to help it along...

Thank you all so much!.

The scale finally budged down to 199.5, and between being in Onederland, looking at my spreadsheet (dbbthreads, I was so glad when you said you participate in the spreadsheet insanity too!), understanding about the rebooting, reshuffling, resettling experience thanks to Cowgirl At Heart, and coming up with excuses about why my pants aren't fitting right (before MF, I would complain about the first day after washing jeans. Now I'm complaining if it isn't the first day after washing them! I have never had such fun things to complain about!), all of these things helped me through.

I lurvs you guys.

Thanks for the insight, support and guidance!.

Martine..

Hi guys would you please be able to post a sample spreadsheet. thanks..

MartineMarie, my MediFast experience has been one of constant plateaus.... I would say that at least two days of every week I am having some sort of plateau whether I follow the plan perfectly or not! The trick is not to give up, to hang in there. While having one of these typical plateaus, somebody suggested that I switch my L&G from evening to lunchtime. I didn't think it would make a difference, but it did. Play around with what time you eat what kinds of things. Drink, drink, drink water or even iced tea.

Not going to the bathroom can cause a plateau! Do not give up...