We’ve all been there. The dreaded plateau strikes and the scales stop moving steadily downwards and choose instead to meander up, down, around and back again, every day driving us into a deeper pit of frustration and despair. Sometimes it feels like we’re doomed to be running in place forever.

If you stick to the BSD, though, eventually the losses begin anew. Even a small loss is paradise compared to rollercoaster of the plateau, but this thread is about the times when the plateau was followed by unexpectedly great weight loss. That way new BSDers and old timers alike can read this thread when they’re in the depths to feel just a bit better about keeping on the program when the scale is being mean.

I have two major plateau recovery experiences. The first happened during the original 8 weeks. I hadn’t weighed myself the first few weeks, then when I did in the 5th week, it was a plateau. Up and down over a range of 3-4 pounds. To say I was horrified and perplexed is an understatement. That was August 25th. On September 1st, I was down .1 pounds from my first weigh-in ever. By the end of that week, I had lost 7 pounds. The next week I lost another 7. That was the first time I saw in numbers the power of the BSD, plateau be damned.

Those losses were the highest I’d ever recorded. Last month, I had a two-week plateau in the middle of February. I recovered with my usual loss the last week (3 pounds or so), and the same again the first week in March. Then the second week I hit a mini-plateau. Less than 10 pounds from the major goalpost of weighing less than 200 pounds, I bounced around a single pound for 4 days, leaving me a final week’s loss of 1 pound. I was deeply dejected, thinking that maybe my days of steady 3 pound a week losses were over already even though I still had more than 80 pounds to get to my goal weight.

This week I lost 9 pounds, breaking my previous record, taking me 3 pounds below 200 and putting the lie to all those downer thoughts that can plague us when the scales don’t go our way.

Okay, your turn! Share your most inpsiring plateau recovery stories.

Hi Esnecca,
Not sure I’ve got any inspiring recovery anecdotes to pass one. My weight loss was quite slow (well, up and down) anyway and I’ve learned to gratefully accept days with no loss as a hell of a lot better than a gain! 🙂

Maybe I can pass on my thoughts to help people see that a plateau need not be viewed as a total disaster. A weight loss plateau is just a state of non-movement, fundamentally it means that you have been burning the same number of calories as you’ve been eating – in other words, you have got maintenance cracked! OK, it’s not what you want to see until you’ve made your target and I understand people’s frustration.

While it’s so frustrating when we see our efforts not bearing fruit, it is a question of patience, ultimately things will start to move again. And the worst thing anyone can do is just give up – so stick with it. I think that many of us possibly expect too much – we read the success stories and yearn for the same to happen to us. We are so desperate to lose our excess weight that sometimes we cannot see the wood for the trees. Realistically, we are all different and our bodies will react differently, so we shouldn’t compare our results with someone else’s. Nor should we expect to see a loss every time we leap on the scales – I’m a daily weigher and I’ve learned that I won’t necessarily like what I’m reading on the scales – so I find it helpful to step back and look at the bigger picture, i.e. where did I start from and where am I now. I’ve got lots of peaks & troughs & the occasional no movement along the way but the overall picture, while looking like the Himalayas, is definitely downwards.

I seem to remember reading somewhere (don’t ask me where, though) that you need to remain at the same weight for about 3-4 weeks to call it a true plateau. So if it’s only a few days, just think of it as your body having a bit of a rest before it starts letting go of more of its fat reserves. You do a long walk, somewhere along the way you will stop for a rest, won’t you… I think these periods of non-loss are entirely natural.

In a nutshell, what I hope I’m getting across is that there’s no need to panic if the weight does not appear to be shifting, just be patient. Look at what you’ve been eating/drinking and make adjustments if you think they are necessary. Look for the positives in what you’ve achieved rather than negatives, Don’t beat yourself up, just take things in your stride.

Good luck and may your whooshes be plentiful!

Not all weight is fat either, a plateau can often be when the fat molecules are being replaced by water molecules until the complete fat cell collapses and releases the water giving you that whoosh effect. You can tell this is happening if clothes become looser or measurements drop while the weight stays the same, as the water molecules take up less room. Patience and understanding are key to not letting yourself panic.

Hi,

I have been on the fast 800 for 8 weeks and 4 days. I experienced a plateau about 2 weeks ago and stayed the same weight for about 4 days. Then literally overnight I lost 1.8kg. I couldn’t believe it. Now, again, I am on the same weight for four days. Won’t budge, looking forward to a loss soon. If you are experiencing this, don’t give up, continue on the program and a weight loss will be yours before too long!

My advise would be to check your fluid and carb intake. This was the advise I received when I plateaued back in weeks two/three and when I looked at my carb intake it was way too high, despite the calories being around the 800 mark. Tweaking my carb intake and making sure I was taking enough fluid on board, saw me off the plateau and losing again. Have not really plateaued as such since, although I have seen frustrating ups and downs as the body adjusts, sometimes with only minimal lose over a given week. However, sticking with it has meant that the overall trend has been downward and now target weight is in touching distance.

Best of luck everyone, you CAN do this.

I’m a few months in now and about half way to my goal. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but, apart from a couple of glasses of red, I have kept the faith and not felt the need to give up. I agree that keeping a whole view perspective is better than dwelling on plateaus. 40lbs in 82 days is roughly 1/2lb a day since the start – much more encouraging!!

Great post, thank you. I am two weeks into round two of the 8 weeks BSD and have lost 20 lbs in 10 weeks. Not as fast as some, but good for me. In the last 2 weeks my weight has been up and down by a pound or so, but with no overall loss – compared to the more or less steady loss I had in round one. Just as I dropped a pound and thought I was on my way down again, my weight would go up again the next day.

The only difference between round one and round two is that I have reintroduced a small amount of alcohol. I have counted this in with my food on MFP and have not exceeded my calories.

Yesterday I became really depressed by this plateau as it had been going on for two weeks and I began to think my weight loss journey was over. I have decided to cut out alcohol again for a couple of weeks and see what difference it makes.

Hi Seasidenana – actually it might well be the alcohol causing the problem. I find when I drink, even if I don’t go over my calorie and carb limits, it messes with my weight loss. It may be that it causes some water retention maybe? I don’t know, but it definitely upsets things. So these days (over a year in on the BSD with two long vacations along the way on maintenance) I very much limit alcohol consumption, with only a small drink if we are dining out or entertaining. The rest of the time is alcohol free.

Hi everyone. I’m just starting week 6, and for the past two weeks I’ve had a total weight loss plateau. I must admit I did have a little fall off the wagon on Saturday, but I think also having had my period last week upset things. Has anyone else found that hormones make a difference? But reading this thread has also been really heartening, seeing that plateaus do happen, and will eventually end. Pushing through the plateau!

Hi cleona
Hormones have got everything to do with weight loss!
Both your period and the cheat on Saturday would be contributing to your plateau. Ride it out, drink more water, have a bit of salt and the weight loss will kick back in again.
Cheers
Linda

I gained a half pound this morning with no deviation from the program whatsoever. I also happen to be on my period. These two things could certainly be related. They could also be entirely unrelated. I’ve gained weight, likely water retention, during my period, and I’ve also lost steadily during my period.

In other words, stick to the diet and ride it out, just like Linda said. 🙂

I’m a bit down myself with my current plateau. For the past 2 weeks I’ve been dancing between 70 & 70.5kg. I’ve gone back over my food diary, average cals 715 a day, carbs 30g, fat 45g, protein 42g. My car’s been in for repairs so I’ve been walking everywhere. Drinking 2.8-3L water a day. No simple carbs, no cheating. No change in measurements. I’m keeping on, according to ketostix I am in ketosis but it’s certainly discouraging! Before this plateau I was on track for 15%loss over the 8 weeks (8 weeks on Tuesday) but now I think I’ll be lucky to achieve 10%. I know that’s a great result and I wouldn’t have believed it at the start but illogically I am still disappointed!

Any advice gratefully received. I don’t have diabetes, just fat to lose ☺

I hear you, Mariet. I’m up another inexplicable half pound today. I admit freely there was a small bout of tears when I got off the scale this morning. My OH reminded me it was temporary and I got it together. We cleaned the house, went grocery shopping and played tennis. It’s hard not to let it drag you down, so the best system for me is just to distract myself and keep on keeping on.

Hi Mariet, these plateaus really are hard to manage. I had one recently and it was upsetting. It isn’t possible for you to eat and exercise as you are and NOT lose weight though, so please just carry on what you are doing. I do think some of us lose weight more slowly than others too, and it can be hard to read stories of people with incredible weight losses. I have realised that my goal will take time, but that I will get there. The difference is that this time I will keep the weight off, because I understand my eating so much better. Stick with it, you are doing really well. The weight will start falling off again very soon.