Lost a lot, but currently at a standstill

KristaMC1723

I have officially plateau-ed. I have lost about thirty pounds in four months or so, which I am extremely pleased about, but I cannot seem to get past the lower 170s. I changed my routine from Insanity to a sort of Insanity/P90X Hybrid recently in hopes to break through the standstill by adding more muscle-toning to my routine, and I am a genuinely very healthy eater, although recently I have been letting myself slip more often than I used to. I still eat around if not below 1800 calories per day, which is what I was eating when I was losing. I don't know if it is just Easter and the fact that I would have one or two pieces of candy per day, or if there is something different I should be doing (like cutting down my calorie intake even more?), but any advice or encouragement or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

feelslikeadream

Hmm I may be wrong but in doing a little research before I remember seeing that my calorie intake was supposed to drop a little as I lost weight.  Maybe look online and find a calculator that tells you how much you should be eating based on what you weigh now and how many pounds you want to lose still.  If anything I'll bet you need to only make a slight change to get off the plateau.

Off topic but OP I read your engagement story on your profile and it is super cute!  That is so sweet about the teddy bears from the beginning of your relationship when you were in highschool.  If there was a movie about your relationship I would totally watch it

AshnRobo

Your calories do need to drop as you lose weight. I was told by my dr that you should eat 100 calories for every 10 pounds. So if you are 170 lbs you need to eat 1700 to maintain and 1600 to lose weight.

feelslikeadream

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/

Try this one

KristaMC1723

Feelslike adream: It was such a sweet proposal, thanks for noticing haha!

And I will have to look into how much I should be eating. My FH is a health nut and he has told me that I would need to eat more than what the simple chart thing would say because the level of intensity of the workouts I am doing at least six times a week. I'll have to do some research on that :-)

RoxieBee10

i would try something you've never done before.  maybe running or jogging, or swimming? something that gets you out of your comfort zone. just be careful that you dont over do it

KristaMC1723

Great advice all! And you were right, apparently that is too many calories. 1500 here I come!

feelslikeadream

Very true, charts aren't always exact.  However it does have an option for how much you are working out.  For me I am 5'8 160 lbs and I work out heavy.  I want to lose 8 pounds in one month so it told me to eat 1400 (not exact number).  I basically eat between 1200 and 1500 a day.  Mostly I use them to give me an idea.

raynes

If you're working out a lot and at a higher intensity, you absolutely need to eat more calories.  You want to aim for a NET of probably around 1700 (depending on your stats) and not much less. 

A lot of people find when they've plateaued that they actually need to eat more and not less to bust through it.  It just has to be more of the right kinds of foods.

If you've already tried increasing the intensity of your workouts, look at what you're eating.  Are you getting enough protein?  Enough good fats?

JamieR30

I was at a plateau as well and a friend of mine introduced me to a company called Advocare and their 24 day challenge.  My fiance and I did it together and I lost 17 pounds.  We love this company and their products so much that we became members so we could get a 20% discount.  We have so much energy and are now both committed to reaching our fitness goals.  Check out our website for more information and testimonials on their products.   www.milleradvocare.com