I hate plateaus. In my first 16 weeks of 5:2, I did not lose an ounce in 9 of the 16 weeks. (Here is my rant on that: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/). Three plateaus of two, three and four weeks, respectively. That is just wrong. Weight loss is supposed to be steady (and fast).
Posts on this site mention plateaus constantly. I even did independent research trying to find any kind of answer for the mystery that is a plateau. I remain totally unsatisfied. There isn’t even an accepted definition of a weight loss plateau.
The minimum time before a plateau can be declared seems to be two weeks without weight or inches lost. So if you have not measured your waist, two weeks without weight loss may not a plateau make. Some say four weeks minimum, while one I ran into declares it can only be a plateau if you have gone 8 weeks without a loss (now that is hardcore, but if accepted would get rid of a lot of complaining about plateaus since you could not start complaining for 8 weeks and by then most plateaus have faded into history).
Personally, I think there is no real plateau until four weeks have passed. If you weigh yourself on a day when your body is dehydrated (and also perhaps devoid of as much as usual ‘in transit’ food) you can easily get a weight reading two or more pounds lighter than ‘normal’. Given the slow weight loss associated with 5:2 (and most other diets), it can easily take three weeks for real fat weight loss to overcome any gain in weight associated with reestablishing normal water (and other) weight levels. That also explains why you can notice decreased measurements as the fat disappears, but not have a corresponding weight loss.
If, however, you are experiencing a plateau of longer than a month, you may have to look at two other factors – what your TDEE really is, and how many calories you are consuming.
TDEE is an estimate. And if you compute it on more than one TDEE calculator you can easily find on the internet, you will find you can get numbers that vary 400 calories per day, or more (here is one: http://www.mayoclinic.org/calorie-calculator/ITT-20084939). I actually know what my TDEE is, and I can say the calculator on this site gives me a number over 300 calories a day higher. If I ate to that number on my non-diet days, my weight loss would be quite a bit less than it has been. So I recommend that you try various TDEE calculators, put in less activity than you think you are doing and then take the lowest number you get as your base TDEE. If you start eating to that new, lower TDEE, you may find you will restart your weight loss. (Here is more on TDEE: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/.)
The basic reason for a long plateau is eating more than your TDEE amount (whatever it is) for your five non-diet days. Even though many people don’t seem to like counting calories (like me), that is about the only way to confirm you are not eating above your TDEE.
Researchers looked at people who said they were eating 1200 calories a day but not losing weight. The dieters blamed slow metabolisms and thyroid problems (though not on medications) as the reason they could not lose weight. They were not counting their calories, however. Being experienced dieters, they had a pretty good idea of what they were eating.
The research showed that, on average, the dieters were actually eating 47% more calories than they thought they were. Additional research indicated that dieticians (who should know their calories) estimated they were eating 16% fewer calories than they actually were. Added to this, the research subjects over reported their physical activity by 51% (that activity factor in the TDEE calculators again).
So the most common cause for a long plateau (over a month) is eating over your TDEE on your non-diet days.
‘Breaking through’ a plateau seems to be a topic of much more discussion than its definition (or cause). All of the fitness based sites declare more exercise is the answer. ‘Mixing things up’ – even eating more – is another idea that pops up frequently (it is always interesting to be told to eat more calories to lose weight). Of course, some say eating less is the answer (but what do they know). However, none cite studies with control groups. So if a person suffering through a plateau exercises and starts losing weight again, who is to say they would not have resumed their weight loss without that exercise? I guess some feel it better to do something (anything) to get going again, rather than suffering in silence and inactivity.
Of course, for some a plateau is a handy excuse to quit their current diet. After all, if it is not working, why bother? It is easier to declare the diet deficient and go back to old eating habits. They are easier, more familiar and perhaps more fun. And the weight gain side effect is to be expected, having been experienced before.
However, in the 9 weeks when I saw no weight loss, I also noticed no weight gain. That was unlike what was going on before 5:2. I calculated my current TDEE (for I had lost some weight and my TDEE went down slightly as a result), made sure my diet days were 600 calories or less, and confirmed my non-diet days were averaging my TDEE (or less). And I waited.
I hate waiting. But it works.
6:36 pm
22 Feb 14