Anyone got over a weight loss plateau? How please?

[musttidyupmusttidyup]

Lost nearly 40lbs since August. Slow sensible loss using MFP and regular exercise. Not lost anything for 5weeks despite having shaved off some more calories.
I am within about a stone of my goal. 1350 calories a day plus some of the extra I get from exercising.
I can't believe I need this little to maintain my weight! I bloody hope not
Don't want to do anything faddy or extreme, am still bf once a day. Any advice?
Thanks.

I was exactly the same. Plateaued a stone above target.

I got over the plateau by changing things around. I did dukan (although protein and veg every day after the first week) - meant no more calorie counting, and actually I ended up eating MORE calories than I was before. It is faddy (as some food groups totally missed out) though but think when dieting long term good to change things around every so often.

Original diet:
Special K and skimmed milk breakfast
Apple mid morning
Granary bread tuna sandwich for lunch
Yoghurt mid afternoon
Chicken breast, veg and brown rice for dinner

My version of dukan diet:
2 egg omelette & yoghurt with oatbran breakfast
Cottage cheese and tuna salad for lunch
Greek yoghurt mid afternoon
Chicken breast and veg for dinner

So not huge change but much more protein.

Once diet is over have maintained weight despite adding fruit, some carbs but still have eggs and yoghurt for breakfast and salad for lunch and will never eat cereal again! Now find it totally tasteless.

Thanks foreveronadiet The whole Dukan thing has passed me by... Is it like atkins? Your 'before' diet sounds much like mine though. Did you Dukan down to your target? Thanks.

Dukan is high protein low fat. He recommends eating only protein every 2nd day but I found that just too faddy and I didn't want DC to see my only eating meat and fish with no veg. Instead I had protein and veg every day - if you use myfitnesspal aimed for carbs around 80g (from dairy and veg) and protein around 120-140g.

Look up dukan online for the list of allowed foods.

Yes I got to target, weight loss had stalled but on revised diet back to 2lbs loss a week and ended up going almost a stone UNDER target (kept on going until next plateau (ie weight loss of less than 1lb a week) which was when BMI was 20) and have maintained BMI of 20.5. So did gain 2-3 lbs but kept the rest of the 4 stone off.

Dukan has consolidation phase which I have continued to follow, although loosely as have been influenced by other diets eg briffa, jillian michaels, tom venuto...

Do you think your body has gone into starvation mode? 1350 sounds very low to me and it may be that your body has decided that it is receiving too few calories, and now has lower fat stores, and so it needs to hold onto those calories.

LaWobble do you think might be the case? When I look up how many calories I should be eating to lose 1lb a week at my height and weight that is suggested. If I increase my calories how can I lose weight?
Have weighed myself this morning and finally shifted 2 more pounds. Hooray.
I think the Dukan thing sounds great but I'm not sure I've got the time or inclination to train myself /learn a whole new way of eating iyswim.

The old chestnut ... are you drinking enough water?

I find that if I consciously up my water intake to 2 litres a day, (whilst dieting) then the weight comes off. Same diet, less water, no weight loss.

Other tricks ... eat as soon as possible when you wake up to start your metabolism ... if you can`t face eating, drink a LARGE glass of ice cold water.

As foreverondiet says, up the protein. You will feel fuller, and consume fewer calories.

Hope this helps!
I`ve just under a stone to go ... so am going to take my own advice!

Starvation mode is largely a myth - unless you have only 10% body fat left...
The scales will catch up soon, just stick with it.

I did wonder if it was Betty. I will up my water 008 I'm sure I don't drink enough. Well done 008 it feels great yes?

Yes 2 litres of water a day very important too.

Don't worry about "dukan" just try and eat more protein and cut the unhealthy carbs esp breakfast cereal (although porridge ok if you need morning carbs). Another breakfast option is yoghurt with museli (choose one with no added sugar).

Feels great - but at the same time frustrating. I am so near ... and now the scales move SO SLOWLY.

They will move though, they simply have to. I know I am eating properly and doing everything right. I also know that I have weighed much less than this ... so if I keep on doing it, eventually I will get down to my "normal" weight.

I Bloody will!