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For most of my life I was either gaining weight or losing weight. Only in the past four years have I been practicing this crazy thing called ‘maintenance.’ So while I often heard frustration from people about being on a weight loss ‘plateau’ I couldn’t actually relate it to my life. After all, I want to stay the same, now that I’m at goal.
Two years ago, however, I had the ‘opportunity’ to learn first hand the frustration of the plateau. After a serious bout of depression I had gained back almost ten pounds. Eventually I was able to halt the gain, but it was a year-long effort to turn things around and lose again. You know what they say about payback!
The interesting thing is that probably 95% of the people that come to me expressing their anger, frustration, anxiety and perplexity over being stuck at a plateau are convinced that its not about the food. They show me their food journals, they wax long about their gym routines, they protest about how much hard work they are putting into the process. ‘I don’t understand it, I’m doing everything now that used to help me lose weight and its not working.’
First of all, let me explain that I believe these people. But when I trot out my standard reply, I often see people feeling hurt, judged, or misunderstood.
Why is that? Well, here goes:
‘When you are experiencing a true plateau –that is, you are not gaining, and you are not losing– it is the result of the fact that your desire to change is exactly equal to your desire to stay the same.’
Oh gosh, this does not lead to smiles or happy faces! And honestly, I don’t say this to judge or criticize, I say it because its generally the truth. And sometimes its hard for us to hear the truth.
So let me clarify that statement in a way that might take off some of the edge of it, by repeating something brilliant that someone told me today. During that plateau, we might be noticing all of the pain and effort and struggle and determination it takes to continue to journal, to cook and shop properly, to get exercise, and generally engage in newer healthier behaviors. Because all of those things take so much conscious effort, we are acutely aware of them and it leads us to expect results (i.e. weight loss).
At the same time, when we’re at a plateau, the desire to stay the same flies under the radar. Inertia or entropy are not, after all, active and visible forces. Eating even just a little extra and exercising even just a little bit less are not as noticeable as the reverse! Those behaviors might just be so instinctive that we don’t even see them happening.
In my case, it took a very long time before the desire to change grew stronger than the desire to stay the same. Throughout that sometimes excruciating year, I continued to journal, to limit portions, to exercise and to practice all the healthy behaviors I could think of. Its just that all of that effort was offset by the pain and anxiety and sorrow that I felt in my life and the comfort I was getting from continually overeating.
Frustrating!
But you might want to think of it this way. Imagine for a moment that you decide to throw in the towel. That is, imagine that you simply stop every single behavior you’re engaging in for the purpose of losing. What would be left?
Yep, the desire to stay the same. Only in most of our cases, that means not staying the same, but rather GAINING.
Let me know if you can think of a kinder, gentler way to say this. ‘Cause I could sure use one.
Once you lose a lot of weight, and feel fairly fit and happy, you may still be 6 , 8, or 10 lbs away from your goal weight. the last pounds are for me, the most difficult to lose.
And the truth hurts, people usually don’t put in the effort required to lose them.
Another truth is, it takes time–for some people, the last 3 lbs come off at a rate of a quarter of a pound per month.
And it does not help that your heavier family members keep saying you are too thin and make weird unhelpful comments.
I am thinking I may have to journal for life, and work out daily for life, and the upside to this? I am keeping a life journal along with the food journal, and I am keeping myself healthy.
I feel better within a certain weight range, and enjoy flat abs and strong muscles more than I can say. I embrace nutrition and I don’t walk around hungry.
It is work to maintain, and I have to accept that it is a job want to continue. Like any other job, I can’t slack off .
I would say that Jonathan is a major contributor to my staying slim, along with the famous Dr. M. Oz, Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Eat to Live), and Miranda Esmond-White. This web site is so helpful.
Comment by stretchy 06.08.06 @ 5:23 amAnother part of the plateau problem is that as we lose, our bodies need less fuel to keep them going. A 200-pound person needs to eat more than a 150-pound person, and a 120-pound person needs even less. If we don’t adjust the calories in/calories out balance by eating less or moving more, a plateau is inevitable. The thing I remember most from participating in the WW Online boards is how panicked people were when they had to reduce the number of points they were allowed to eat.
For me, it’s easier to increase activity than it is to reduce calories. My metabolism is so sluggish that the only way I can lose is to eat 1200 cal/day as it is. Can’t get much lower than that and still have enough energy to exercise. I have about 40 pounds left to lose (I’ve lost 30), so I see myself working out more and more as the months go by.
Comment by Debbi 06.08.06 @ 6:50 amI’m with all of you! I have lost 100 pounds and need (want to, should) lose 10 more. They are the hardest ever! I have lost 1.5 pounds in the last 2 months. I know that I am still making progress, but boy, is it slow.
Likewise, I think, is this really just maintenance? I have worked so hard the last 1.5 years and is this the plan that I will have to embrace the rest of my life? I am coming to terms with it, but it is going to be work forever!
life seems so unfair at times - why can some weigh 125 pounds and not do a thing - and then I literally work my butt off?
Things I must live with -
Cyndie
Thanks for the site Jonathan - you are a huge encouragement!
Hey folks, thanks for sticking with Jack Sprat despite blogspot.com’s problems this week. Its been hard to pull up, so keep trying!
I want to say that so many of you guys inspire me so much in the comments that you write, the ideas you suggest, the support you offer — Richard, “Nana”, “stretchy”, “london slimmer”, and Debbi, just to name a few. Thank you for all of your contributions, and keep ‘em coming!
Comment by Jonathan 06.08.06 @ 8:10 pmI really think that the reason for plateaus is one of two things. Either we have let up in our efforts a bit by either eating more calories or exercising less or we have lost enough weight that finally the amount we are eating and the amount we exercise combine to make it impossible to lose any more. We must continue to decrease our intake as we go and increase our exercise or the weight loss quits. That has always seemed unfair to me but there you have it.
Comment by Greta 06.08.06 @ 9:23 pmIt takes a village (for me) to lose a pound.
Comment by stretchy 06.09.06 @ 5:58 pm
Oh Jonathan, what an eye opener you are this morning! I could have written that blog, I have been so stuck the last 2-3 years. And yet I cook so healthy, try so many recipes, buy a fortune in veggies and fruit, and walk just about every day but I cannot help overeating at night, it seems like an overwhelming craving. I keep sabotaging myself over and over, stuck in a circle of good intentions in the morning and throwing the towel in the evening. Frustrating does not describe it. I do affirmations, I write things down, I meditate and yet my rational mind completely disappears at times and I become a primitive eating machine where thoughts count for nothing. I go to bed defeated, bloated, discouraged, what a bad merry-go-round I seem to stay on. But I am also having a real hard time in my personal life, with something I know I have to do, but scared to act and I think that is what is holding me down. But I lost before, three years ago I was in the best shape of my life, and that still gives me a glimmer of hope that like you, I can do it eventually. We are such complex beings though, even working hard, it is very hard to understand what motivates us deep down. You are an inspiration and a guiding post. Thank you.
grateful Daisy
Comment by Grateful Daisy 06.08.06 @ 5:11 am