exercise and staying in calorie range but NOT losing :(

Hi,

    Im a little discouraged. I have been watching my calories and exercising regularly for 5 months now and have lost 30lbs. I have 30 more to go. Last month I totally stopped losing. I dont know what Im doing wrong. Here is my info.

exercise

60 min High Intensity Cardio Work out

60 min weight lifting

total days working out 5 total calorie burn daily 750 - 850 ( I have a heart rate monitor to keep up with this :) )

Food Consumption : 1700 cals a day on days I work out and 1400 on the weekends

Height 5'10

Weight 195

Age: 23

Sex: F

HELP ME PLEASE :). I feel like Im working my butt off and having no results Im starting to get unmotivated which is the last thing I ever wanted. Any advice would be great !

Thank you in Advance

Are you lifting for an hour 5days/week? And doing cardio?

Yea.

Cardio: Eliptical 20 min tread. 20 min Eliptical again 20 min

Weight Lifting: 2 days upper body 4 diffrent exercises 3 reps of 12 each

       &nb sp;               &nb sp;  1 day pure abs 5 diffrent exercises 3 reps of 12 each

       &nb sp;               &nb sp;   2 days lower body 5 diffrent exercises 3 reps of 12 each

I've heard that if you are lifting for more than 3hr/week, you are overdoing it.

I also think that your calorie intake sounds close to what I do to lose weight, and I'm starting off smaller than you and doing a lot less exercise (a lot less cardio, ~3hr of lifting/week).

So what do you suggest. Should I lower my calorie intake and stop lifting so much?

Well, I think reworking your lifting would benefit (I'm not sure about spending an hour on abs, but that's just me).

But if you keep doing all that cardio, I'd say raise your calorie intake.

Original Post by kayb85:

Hi,

    Im a little discouraged. I have been watching my calories and exercising regularly for 5 months now and have lost 30lbs. I have 30 more to go. Last month I totally stopped losing. I dont know what Im doing wrong. Here is my info.

exercise

60 min High Intensity Cardio Work out

60 min weight lifting

total days working out 5 total calorie burn daily 750 - 850 ( I have a heart rate monitor to keep up with this :) )

Food Consumption : 1700 cals a day on days I work out and 1400 on the weekends

Height 5'10

Weight 195

Age: 23

Sex: F

HELP ME PLEASE :). I feel like Im working my butt off and having no results Im starting to get unmotivated which is the last thing I ever wanted. Any advice would be great !

Thank you in Advance

It's possible your body is adapting to your exercise program. If you've been doing the same types of exercises all the time, your body may know just how much energy it needs to expend to do the exercises. Perhaps changing up your exercising routine may help keep your body from knowing what to expect next, which could start up your fat burners again. It's also possible your body is turning fat into muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Are you doing any kind of tape measurements alongside your weigh-in's?? Another thing to look at is your calorie intake. With all the types of exercising you do, perhaps you need to bump up your calorie intake, keeping your total calories near the same everyday, including weekends.

If you're working different muscle groups on alternate days, I don't think there's any reason you should have to cut back in general.  However, the body does need to rest every once in a while.  I'd say take a recovery week.  It doesn't mean you have to not excercise at all, but just take it easy for a week.  Give your muscles time to heal and get used to where they are now.  And if you're feeling up to it, eat your maintenance calories for the week (scary, I know).  You've lost a lot of weight already, and it's a big adjustment for your body.

Also, have you taken your measurements?  I just went 3 weeks without losing any weight.  The scale just wouldn't go below 147.  But I took my measurements, and in those 3 weeks, I lost inches, so I'd lost fat.  I assume there was water my body was holding onto.  It was lovely this morning to step on the scale and see 145.5.  I guess my body finally decided it was ready to let the water go.

But if she is spending 2 hours a week just on upper body, I think that could lead to over training (or at least not maximizing results).

From Hierarchy of Fat Loss,

However, once you're getting three hours per week of total body resistance training, in my experience I haven't seen an additional effect in terms of fat loss by doing more. My guess is that, at that point, recovery starts to become a concern and intensity is impaired.

 I looks like the trend is to take a break and eat a little more cal's. I will try it for one week. It probally wouldnt hurt since I injured my ankle yesterday too. Im scared to death to gain that 5 lbs . I dont ever want to see that 200 number again :).

I havent taken any measurements. I just know that I have moved from an xl in my work out pants to a month ago a M so I guess thats a coupple of inches. I will try to start measuring my self.

Where do you measure your waist at? Above your belly button or below?

 I looks like the trend is to take a break and eat a little more cal's. I will try it for one week. It probally wouldnt hurt since I injured my ankle yesterday too. Im scared to death to gain that 5 lbs . I dont ever want to see that 200 number again :).

I havent taken any measurements. I just know that I have moved from an xl in my work out pants to a month ago a M so I guess thats a coupple of inches. I will try to start measuring my self.

Where do you measure your waist at? Above your belly button or below?

I have a couple of suggestions for you:

First, I think that you may want to consider reducing your calories by 100-150 a day.  Accroding to the Harris-Benedict equation for caloric needs, your BMR is right at 1724, so with exercise you are looking at slightly over 2600... You should see weight loss with 1700, but you also can afford the 100 or less, which could give your body the boost it needs to get back on track (try to create a caloric deficit of 500-1200 a day). 

Secondly, and most importantly, it is definitely time to change up your workout routine.  There are a few legitimate ways to do this.  You could keep your same routine, but change the weights and reps.  For example, reps of 6-8 at very high weights is strength building (more strength = more metabolism).  So you could go up times and a half at least on the resistance (I know, sounds nuts!), and half your reps (still do 3 sets, but at 6-8 reps only).  The idea should be that the muscle fatigues in each set, with a short break between sets.  It should be quite hard.  Do this for 2-3 weeks, then switch to endurance training:  long sets at easier weights.  This time, you will cut weights IN HALF (from the level where the muscle fatigues at 10-12 reps), but do 25-40 reps to fatigue the muscle. 

Changing your workout should really put a boost on your metabolism. Another thing I would consider is to stop splitting the workout.  Do the whole body each day, and aim to do it in 45 min.  That will mean fewer exercises for each muscle group (one to 2 max), but each will get a more consistent workout, 5 days a week.

Finally, understand that there is no such thing as spot training.  The body just doesn't work that way.  With this in mind, you'll get the most bang-for-your-workout-buck if you workout smart:  target the large major muscle groups.  Muscles of the back (traps, lats, especially), legs (Quads, hamstrings, buttocks), and chest (pecs primarely), and abs to some extent, are the largest muscle groups.  This means that as they get stronger they will use considerably more energy (metabolize more) than the smaller muscle (for example arms:  biceps and triceps barely metabolize anything unless you are a huge body builder...).  SO focus on groups that matter. 

If you change things up for a month and are still at a plateau, consider a personal trainer, if it is an option for you financially.

Lastly, don't be too hard on yourself!  You are doing all the right things.  You are learning lifelong lifestyle changes that will increase your health for years to come.  Continue to log your calories, keep going to the gym and realize that change will happen.  Ultimately, when you look back on all the weight you've lost, it won't matter that it took longer than you wanted it to.  You'll be happy that it's all gone, and that will be the only thing that matters.  Wanting it all gone quickly is a short term desire, and it doesn't really relate to your true goal.  Know that the body will naturally hit plateaus.  You are putting it through a lot, after all, and once in a while, it's going to need to put the brakes on and reevaluate how it's keeping up.  Keep going, your progress so far is fantastic!

Original Post by kayb85:

 I looks like the trend is to take a break and eat a little more cal's. I will try it for one week. It probally wouldnt hurt since I injured my ankle yesterday too. Im scared to death to gain that 5 lbs . I dont ever want to see that 200 number again :).

I havent taken any measurements. I just know that I have moved from an xl in my work out pants to a month ago a M so I guess thats a coupple of inches. I will try to start measuring my self.

Where do you measure your waist at? Above your belly button or below?

There are two different waist measurements I've found.  The first is your natural waist: measure around the narrowest part of your abdomen, wherever it falls.  The second is what I call the navel waist: measure around your abdomen at the belly button.  You can take both...just make sure you know which is which. ;)

Original Post by misstatiana:

I have a couple of suggestions for you:

First, I think that you may want to consider reducing your calories by 100-150 a day.  Accroding to the Harris-Benedict equation for caloric needs, your BMR is right at 1724, so with exercise you are looking at slightly over 2600... You should see weight loss with 1700, but you also can afford the 100 or less, which could give your body the boost it needs to get back on track (try to create a caloric deficit of 500-1200 a day). 

I disagree.  I don't think it's ever a good idea to eat below your BMR.  In fact, the "magic" number of 1200 cals/day that gets thrown around was chosen because it's about the lowest BMR a woman is likely to have.  Rather than lowering calories, I'd say the original poster should raise them to 1800-2000/day to make sure she's solidly over her BMR.  With the number of calories being burnt through exercise, there's no reason she wouldn't still lose weight.

I agree with susiecue, don't lower your cals! A deficit of 1200 is too much, 1000 is really your max. If you keep your intake too low for a long period of time you screw up  your metabolism.  And don't lift half your weight for 25 to 40 reps lol that's probablly the silliest thing I've read on here all day .

I'm with susie and hayley.

Eating less isn't going to give your body a "boost" and eating at a deficit over 500-1000 is not recommended.

Wow ! I cant believe all of the awesome responces Im getting. Thank you so much for the advice. I will start measuring my waist instead of looking at the scale ( it might take a lot of will power though).  I will eat a coupple of extra cals a day. Im going to try 100 extra for the first week and see how it works out. I think I will sit two days out at the gym this week...and then change my work out routiene next week to a diffrent cardio session and maybe some diffrent strenght training exercises instead of increasing my weights right now. I typically get to increase my weights 5-7lbs a month. I just did an increase so I will wait a few weeks for that.

You could try changing up your exercise too-try checking out classes at your local community centre or church: karate, yoga, pilates, dance or whatever catches your eye. If you have a bicycle, you could take it out for a spin one day instead of the regular cardio set.

Anything that gets your body moving in a different way from your regular cardio might be enough to surprise your muscles into a little extra fat burning.

I agree with Choco, your body gets used to the same things and it stops burning fat.  if you change something, usually your body gets off a plateau.  Also, if you aren't eating meals when your hungry, you store fat.  You also have to quit stressing out, stress hormones will keep on fat too.

Also, if you aren't eating meals when your hungry, you store fat.

Huh?

Don't get discouraged! 30 lbs is great. Sounds like you may have plateau'd. The best solution is to change up you routine. Here are a few suggestions:

1. On one day eat the bare minimum of calories and still work out, the next day eat whatever your burn meter is and workout. You can alternate this for 2 weeks. That should send your body out of its comfort zone and keep it guessing.

2. Another option is to shake up your routine, do something different. A quick fix may be Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. If you just want to try it out before purchasing, rent it from your local video store or if you are a member of Netflix or Blockbuster Access than you can rent it from there. Each workout is only 20 minutes but I GUARANTEE I guarantee that this will shake up your routine.

3. The key is to keep your body guessing so that it has to work hard with every workout.

Again, Congratulations on your 30lb weight loss. You'll be at the 60lb marker in no time!