I've stopped losing and don't know what to do

I had been doing great, I'm down over 30 lbs. this year.  Started at around 200 and currently am 167lbs. (41 year old male 5'8").  The problem is I just don't lose weight anymore.  I eat 1800-2000 cals/day.

It started about 5 weeks ago around 172 lbs., I stayed there for 3 weeks finally broke the plateau by eating really lean for two days.  The first by accident- just one of those crazy days when I didn't get a chance to eat the right way finally had a bowl of oatmeal and went to bed total 1200-1300 calories for the day.  Tha next day I ate more, but still only 1400-1500 calories. 

I started losing weight and within a few days I was down 6 lbs. to 165.  I didn't expect to stay there but was happy to be losing again.  I bounced back to 167 and have stayed there for the last 2 weeks.

I work out hard every other day.  An hour weight training pushing as much weight as I can for 8-12 reps 2-3 sets.  Full body over the week, I do upper body everytime I am in the gym, legs 1-2 a week(upper body needs more help).  Then I do 20-30 min cardio on an arc trainer, puching hard enought for the machine to say I burned 400 cal in the half hour.

Am I doing anything wrong?  I try to mix things up, from eating to training I try to not get into ruts of doing the same thing everyday.  Should I eat more or less?  I don't think I could work out more, maybe a little more cardio on my off days, but that would be about it.

Sorry for the lenghty post but wanted to provide as much info as I could.  So any input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Plateau links that can be found by using the search command. These may help or guide you to ask different questions.

All posted against in the last 4 days.

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/9494 2.html

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/9423 3.html

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/9497 6.html

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/9438 7.html

http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/8448 1.html

The good news is that you're now only very slightly overweight.  If you're doing so much exercise you've probably developed rather a lot of muscle and muscular people are generally a lot heavier than everyone else.  So a BMI of 26 probably makes you quite healthy.  If you're a healthy weight, weight-loss is very difficult to achieve. I estimate your maintenance calorie level between 2800 and 3100 per day.  On that basis, you could probably afford to eat more than you're doing.  Maybe aim for 2300 as you regular intake?

A good way to get off to get off a plateau is to consume your maintenance calories for a day.  Go for 2900, perhaps before dropping back to 2300 and see if it makes any difference.

And another suggestion would be to rein back a little on your gym sessions and to do less strenuous exercises on your days off.  Daily low-impact exercise is better for weight-loss than intermittent high-impact.

Know the feeling on 26 BMI. I have been here for a good 4 weeks now... Ah well.... I can run upstairs without feeling tired now, and my knee joint pains are easing (including warm weather effect).

I would rather be fit at BMI 26 than unhealthy at BMI 23.

Mind you..... I don't think I personally am aiming to lose weight right now, but if it happens.... Nice one! :)

Yep the plateau really stinks- I've been stuck for 23 days now- went from 272 on 12-10-07 to 229 current - down 43 lbs. and haven't moved an ounce for a little over three weeks now--geesh--I've shifted calories added some, dropped some, increased workouts, cut back workouts, drink tons of water etc. and nothing-very frustrating to say the least-however having said that--I had a great doctors appointment on the 23rd--he was thrilled at the weight loss and my blood results were so grealy improved that he was stunned----kept saying things like "this is great" and this is amazing--so I'm feeding off of his excitement and continue the quest :-)

I have been between the same 3lbs for the past two months.

I was at 193lbs when i started in December, I'm between 168 - 170lbs for the past two months -geerrrr.

But today I was at 167lbs (one lb difference then normal) I'm not betting that i broke the plateau but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I have tried so many different things, starting on this past Friday, I have not worked out and ate around 1800-2000 calories a day (just below maintance). I am gona start working out again, 5 days a week no later then Friday regardless if it breaks or not.

The point is, I'm in this for life we have to try different ways until we get there, right?

Everyone is different so just keep your chin up! It will happen.

 

see my post "what I have learned from the Biggest Loser"--get the book and read it.  It is in the library, but I ordered a brand new one on amazon for 1.92.

you will get lots of encouragement and good ideas there...

Thanks for your help.  Maybe I will try more calories, I think that is what I expected to hear.  It is just tough, it goes against everything I've ever heard about dieting, but it does make sence when you hear the science behind it.  And I will have to check out that book dd.

:)

Consider it the way I do...

Healthy living with a weightloss side effect ;)

If you've hit a plateau, your body is now accustomed to the level and type of exercise you are doing. Try to change your workout routine. Start to swim laps a few days a week, or play tennis, raquetball, etc. Engaging in a different exercise makes your body workout differently than accustomed to and will help you overcome that hump to get more weight loss.