Weight Loss Stuck in Neutral

Hi there. I have been a vegan since mid July and have been doing great - lost 17 pounds, eliminated cholesterol medication, lowered my blood pressure and stabilized my blood sugar. I started at 232 pounds and now I am at 215 pounds for the past 3 weeks. My challenge is that I haven't changed my eating habits or my exercise routine and I am stuck at the same weight. I really want to get down to 200 pounds but seem to be stuck in neutral. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Congrats on making this significant diet change and on your impressive weight loss.

While we don't encourage calorie counting, if you are stuck, it might be helpful. Use the rule of 10, described in Dr. Barnard's book, Breaking the Food Seduction. If your goal weight is 200 lbs, be sure you don't eat less than 2000 calories per day (or 10 x goal weight), or you may slow down your metabolism.

If you are getting at least 2000 calories/day, you might try increasing the frequency or intensity of the exercise, assuming you don't have any medical reasons not to do so. You might try some intensity training, where you do 10-15 very short (30-120 second long) bursts of intense activity alternating with active but non-intense work as part of your regular work out. It might be useful to talk to an exercise trainer to get a program that would be specific to your fitness level and goals.

Finally, stick with a healthy plant-based diet. Realize that the weight did not appear overnight and will take time to come off. There are benefits to this nutrition approach that cannot be measured on the scale.

Keep us posted - we are rooting for you!
Caroline

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

I am totally resistant to logging, writing and calorie counting. When I get "stuck" I focus very heavy on green veggies, lighten up on the fruits, grains and starchy veggies. Usually within 2-3 days the scale will start to move again. I know it sounds weird, but sometimes I eat a huge salad for breakfast. ALL green veggies, garbanzo beans, ground flax seeds and fat free dressing. It fills me up for very few calories and I'm not hungry until ready for a late lunch. Steamed brocolli, kale, spinach or brussels sprouts are very filling and nutient dense,
again you can eat A LOT for very few calories.

Don't get impatient, focus more on your health than the scales. The scales will catch up and you'll be healthier
for it.

Hope that helps!

Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try and let you know the results. Overall sticking to low fat vegan based on Dr. Barnard's books has been extremely easy and has paid off.

Congratulations on your perserverance and it's wonderful that you keep the food fun! A couple of other tidbits that might help: Rotate a nice variety of the beans, peas, and lentils in your diet. They hold blood sugar constant longer than any of the other food groups, and are rich in soluble fiber and amino acid profiles! Also, be sure you are hydrated - even at the cellular level. Unflavored Pedialyte(TM) or Ultima Replenisher(TM) an help 'jumpstart' the process and the fruits and vegetables are all packed with B-vitamins which help, too! Keep us posted! Bon Appetit!