Exercise = Plateau???

[vikki99 1]

Right now I have hit a big plateau at 366 -365lbs for the past 3 weeks. At 6'1, most of my weight is in the mid section..ugh!! My job is stationary from 9-6pm. In the afternoons, I am walking one mile plus weight training, three times a week. I know that I am building muscle, but should I cut out the weight training and focus only on cardio??

Also my calorie intake average is around 1700-1800. My Protein levels are good (80-90 grams). I am STILL trying to lower my carbohydrate intake to at least 70 grams per day. My doctor also suggested that I should lower my calorie intake to 1300-1400. Do you think it is too low for right now?

[sslouha 3]

Right now I have hit a big plateau at 366 -365lbs for the past 3 weeks. At 6'1, most of my weight is in the mid section..ugh!! My job is stationary from 9-6pm. In the afternoons, I am walking one mile plus weight training, three times a week. I know that I am building muscle, but should I cut out the weight training and focus only on cardio??

Also my calorie intake average is around 1700-1800. My Protein levels are good (80-90 grams). I am STILL trying to lower my carbohydrate intake to at least 70 grams per day. My doctor also suggested that I should lower my calorie intake to 1300-1400. Do you think it is too low for right now?

Hi Congratulations you are doing awesome, you have a pretty good regime going, I would just change up your exercise a little more, once your muscles know what exercise you are doing they become complacesant. Reducing your calories would not be a bad idea either. If you can look into the bodybugg, this thing will help you break the plateau issues. Good Luck and keep on working hard you are doing awesome!

Sandee

[vikki99 1]

Hi Congratulations you are doing awesome, you have a pretty good regime going, I would just change up your exercise a little more, once your muscles know what exercise you are doing they become complacesant. Reducing your calories would not be a bad idea either. If you can look into the bodybugg, this thing will help you break the plateau issues. Good Luck and keep on working hard you are doing awesome!

Sandee

Thank you Sandeee. I guess I should try the couch to 5k program. I will look into the bodybug tool. Do you think i should look for it ebay??

[sslouha 3]

Thank you Sandeee. I guess I should try the couch to 5k program. I will look into the bodybug tool. Do you think i should look for it ebay??

Yes or 24fitness.com they have it on sale for 175 free shipping.

Your welcome!

[bambam31 168]

Hi Vikki,

I would first try to focus on the export side before the intake side. Maintain calories and increase cardio - especially the intensity of the cardio. Walking is effective to start - but won't achieve the necessary intensity to burn fat for long. Variety of exercise is the best approach also because your body is a smart machine - it learns how to achieve maximum efficiency. When it does the same exercise over and over it learns how to adapt to it - all the while expending the least amount of energy necessary to accomplish the task. Keep very well hydrated too!

Good luck!

[Jachut 487]

I wouldnt cut the strength training but I would increase the cardio by a couple of miles - of course buidling up to that if you need to.

I just found that to really shift the weight and keep it coming off, I was running 4 to 6 miles nearly every day, I varied the distance of course, I didnt/dont run a whole six miles every day, usually it was about four.

But a lot of cardio works really well to shift weight.

[IAmJacksLapBand 5]

I try and vary everything I can to keep the body from getting used to any one thing. Time in cardio and resistance changes each time I am at the gym. I also change my calories... right now I try to stay around 1200 which is lower than needed for my size. But some days I give it less and other days more.

I found that just plain variety helped me continue to lose.

Keep on the great work.

[vikki99 1]

Thanks Bambam31, Jachut, and IAmJacksLapBand for your suggestions.

Whew!! Since high school, exercising has always been a big battle with me. I pray I will start to feel the same "satisfaction" that I hear from my current active friends. With my next workout, I am going to focus on increasing my cardio by starting the Couch to 5k program along with using the elliptical machine.

[steph_co 9]

Definitely don't cut the weight training. It's a good idea to build up your lean body tissue because that is what will keep you down in weight - by keeping your body furnace (metabolism) going hot. Fat just sits there along for the ride - but muscle burns calories just even when you're sitting around.

If anything - I agree with previous posters that you should up the cardio. 1 mile walking is a good start, but it's not going to get you the results you want. If running is difficult right now, why not try biking? It's easier on the joints, but you can burn a lot of calories. You want to make sure it's an exercise that you will stick to because it doesn't hurt. You can also get your cardiac endurance built up so that if you decide to start running one day, you'll already have a bit of a leg up with your lungs and heart.

As far as the strength training...you might actually consider talking to somebody that does weight training and have them work up a program for you. They might have some good ideas. I had a friend do that for me. When I got bored with his routine, I found a new one in a weight training book for women.

[rosstheboss 21]

Hi, It can be so frustrating when your weight stalls, I am in a similuar position, was banded a year ago and down 50 lbs which is great. Have been working out for 9 months 3 x a week with trainer, and 1 or 2 days additional on my own. And meet weekly with a nutrionist who has increased my food. My weight has been around 250 since January, but I am down a few sizes and recently visited some friends I had not seen since January and they could not believe I had lost so much more weight, they found it harder to believe it when I told them my weight was the same. So keep up the good work and the gym. I too have been pushing to cut down carbs while keeping my calories up. Since January also my calories have gone up from 1200 to around 1800. I was told by my nutrionist not to expect much in the way of weight loss for a number of months, but now I really want to drop an additional 20 / lbs. So hopfully cutting the carbs will help.

[Maggie76 0]

Vikki,

I definitely suggest investing in a tool to help track how many calories you burn each day. Last year I had a three+ month plateau and bought a BodyBugg ("BB"). That really helped break the damn plateau! I realized with the BB that working out for only thirty minutes a day wasn't burning enough calories, so I increased my workouts to 60-90 mintues. I try to burn at least 2500 calories and eat 1200-1500 calories a day, if that helps. If you can, you may want to think about starting to jog/run. That will burn a lot more calories than walking.

Best of luck - just don't give up!!

[Laura Lane 0]

i think you should lower your calorie intake and increase your walk to 2 miles, do you think this is going to be difficult for you?

[vikki99 1]

i think you should lower your calorie intake and increase your walk to 2 miles, do you think this is going to be difficult for you?

Update: I started walking 2 miles (add alittle jogging) and lower my calories to 1300. And guess what I lost 2 pounds!!!:scared2:

I guess the whole idea of lowering my calories to 1300 scared me :thumbup:, but thanks to the lapband it was a smooth transition for me. I still want to get the BodyBugg but I am saving up for some New Balance 1123 shoes $$.