How to break a plateau

I started working out every day and dieting on August 10. I have lost 20 pounds since then. I hit a mini-plateau about 1 month ago where I had 1 week of no weight change, but thankfully I had found a post from Cassie and she had advised on a lean protein, complex carb, healthy fat diet and I changed my eating to that and I was able to start losing again. Now, I am stuck. I have been at the same weight for 3 weeks now.
I have read all over on the internet on how to break a plateau. I had already been doing the HIIT…so I increased my time and worked harder on my workouts. I change up my work out daily from treadmill, bike, and elliptical. I thought maybe I was working out too much, so I took a couple of days off to catch up on rest and that didn’t help. I read where you should switch calories, higher one day, less the next and I tried that…still no luck. I only do weights on the weekends and usually 1 or 2 times during the week I will do a 20-25 minute session. I am feeling pretty toned and my jeans are very loose now, but still only measuring like 2-3 inches off my waist, thighs and chest, and 1 off my leg area. I really wanted to be 40 pounds lighter from my weight I started at by Christmas. I had lost 10 by Sept 15, 10 more by October 15, but now I don’t know what to do because I haven’t lost any for the past 3 weeks…no matter what I do.

Any advice from anyone that has broke a plateau or knows how to would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks- Jenn

Hi Jenn!

Lets take a look at your diet.... Post an example of a typical day and we'll go from there.

Cassie

Workout: 4am
(I try to eat a piece of string cheese before working out)
Breakfast: 6am
5-7 egg whites with salsa, (either a packet of oatmeal or mini wheats), apple, water
Snack 1: 9:30am
String cheese, grapes, 10 almonds
Lunch: 11:30am
Chicken breast with Tabasco sauce, peas, yogurt or fruit
Snack 2: 2:00pm
Lunch meat, grapes or strawberries
Snack 3: 4:30 pm
String cheese, 10 almonds
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 pm
Whatever I make for family(just cut down to small portion)
Could be roast, spaghetti, chicken, etc…, cottage cheese, sometimes instant potatoes
I usually don’t eat after dinner, but if I do string cheese or almonds.

I drink green tea most all day, but I do have 1-2 pepsi’s during the day. I also drink 5-7 bottles of water daily.

Thanks, Cassie!

Perfect there are lots of changes we can make. I would switch up a few things... try something like this:

Pre-workout: LOW FAT string cheese
Meal 1: 5-7 egg whites with salsa, old fashion rolled oats (not in the packet), apple, water

Meal 2: grilled chicken breast, fish, lean beef, or even slices of low fat lunch meat, grapes, 10 almonds

Meal 3: chicken breast, tobasco sauce, veggies (brocolli/asparagus/green beans/spinach/peppers/zuchini/celery), 1/2 cup complex carb (brown rice/sweet potatoe/quinoa/legumes...choose one)

Meal 4: low fat lunch meat, veggies (from list above)

Meal 5: low fat string cheese, almonds

Meal 6: If youre doing pasta go for whole wheat, cottage cheese go for low fat or fat free, instant potatoes really aren't a good choice... do a baked sweet potatoe instead,

If you eat after dinner go for things like chicken, eggwhites, veggies, almonds, low fat cottage cheese, lean beef, lunch meat. You're relying on string cheese a bit too much. Definitely switch to low fat and cut back there.
As for pepsi... I would almost guarentee that if you cut that out you would instantly start losing weight again.

These changes should help immensly. Let me know how it goes and please keep me posted.

Cassie

Eliminating the Pepsi can help a lot too.

Thanks..I will try that new diet plan..except the oatmeal. I don't like plain oatmeal, so I might just drop it all together. And I am going to try really hard to quit the pepsi. I had quit drinking it for the first month, but I think I got stressed and then got to drinking it again. I also like green tea a lot, but got burnt out on drinking it.
I will keep you posted.

I am wondering do you think I should do anything different with my workouts?

Thanks..I will try that new diet plan..except the oatmeal. I don't like plain oatmeal, so I might just drop it all together. And I am going to try really hard to quit the pepsi. I had quit drinking it for the first month, but I think I got stressed and then got to drinking it again. I also like green tea a lot, but got burnt out on drinking it.
I will keep you posted.

I am wondering do you think I should do anything different with my workouts?

I wouldn't drop the oatmeal all together as you need a carb there. You could do plain oatmeal, add a packet of stevia, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and chop up some of that apple in there then cook... this will give it some flavor. You can also add banana, peanut butter (natural), blueberries.... even pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and stevia. Get creative.

I would take the pepsi out, cut back on the string cheese and replace with low fat varieties, add in more veggies in place of afternoon fruits, and see how that goes before you change up your workouts again. I think these things will DEFINITELY bring results. If you hit another plateau down the road we'll look at your workout, however right now i think its the diet thats getting you. Weight loss is about 75% diet and 25% workout... you can workout until youre blue in the face but if you're diet isn't on track you'll be wasting alot of time.

Cassie

Eliminating the Pepsi can help a lot too.

Soda=sugar=bad. No empty calories.

Soda=sugar=bad. No empty calories.

Equations are the very best!