Slow Progress. Help needed. Am i doing something wrong?

Rhonles
Rhonles Posts: 10 Member
Please note: I posted this question in another forum and someone recommended you guys for guidance and i'm really hoping you'll be able to assist. Here goes...

I've been pretty overweight all my life. As i got older i realized what my problem was and why i maintained my weight for some years and then just gradually gained weight. I never did much exercise (far and few between to really see changes) and while i thought eating less times a day was good whenever i ate i had a big plate of Rice and Peas.
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> Fast forward to 2013, i was going through my mail one night and saw an email from my Gym about a bootcamp competition. Yes the prizes looked good but the ultimate prize looked even better..."A new/better you" I figured i needed motivation and a push so this may just be it so i decided to go.
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> Here's my workout routine. I have bootcamp Mon, Wed and Frid for 1 hour. Bootcamp pretty much include outdoor activities. Walking laps (10times) around a small field, walking/running up staircases, squats, crunches, leg raises, sit ups, plank formation, push ups, walking with logs. I have weights class on a tuesday and thursday for 1 hour. I may not go to all my bootcamp sessions but I definitely make it to the gym/bootcamp on average 3-5 times a week. After boot camp I normally go in the gym and do 20- 25 minutes on the elliptical machine burning 250-270 calories, 10-15 mins stair master 115-175 cal, treadmill 15-25 mins 130-160cal. I usually try to burn at least 400 calories in total on the machines.

My eating is as followed as prescribed by bootcamp
Day 1 Bcaa supplement aka fast day
Day 2 3 protein and carb shakes + 2 protein and fat shakes for the day. Using whey protein/oats/nutella/fruits/yogurt/water
Day 3 low carb day
Day 4 carb depletion day/ protein and veg day
Day 5 Cheat day

My total caloric intake is set to 1410 per day.

My concern is I just don't seem to be losing the lbs. I started working out June 10th
Height: 5'7
Starting weight: 227
Current weight: 217
Goal weight: 160

How many calories do you guys think I should be burning in a workout? Should i up my calorie intake? Should I do s'thing differently? I'm really trying to do this healthy and right way.

Replies

  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    I think 10 pounds since June 10th is fantastic, which is over 1.5 lbs/week. That is I don't see a problem here. Slow progress is 2 pounds and one pant size since March.

    Just remember, it took years to get heavy, you cannot expect changes overnight.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    I'm not sure I could eat what you have listed there. No offense.

    Anyways, I'd quickly like to point out that you are losing weight.

    Starting weight: 227
    Current weight: 217
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Your rate of weight loss seems reasonable to me.

    I would like to know how hungry you feel and whether or not you enjoy drinking so many shakes.

    If you can replace those shakes with whole food sources that are equivalent in calories/nutrients, you may experience greater satiety and that would be a big benefit.
  • Rhonles
    Rhonles Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for your responses but some weeks when i workout pretty hard i don't even lose a lb. I've been stable at the 218 for about 2 weeks now so i was wondering if something i was doing was stopping my progress. Do you think 1410 cal per day is too low? When i work out and burn calories should i eat them back? I've been hearing ppl say i should but i thought by not eating back the calories i burned would result in weight loss.
    Shake Day is quite filling actually. Fruits and oats, peanut butter and yogurt along with Whey Protein makes a variety of my shakes.
  • Minaen
    Minaen Posts: 52
    Hey check out this link:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1014900-the-olivia-method
    This explains the olivia method. Sometimes with our height and weight we determine we should be eating so many calories. But if it's too little, you are starving your body and therefore it's holding onto everything and slowing your progress.
    I'm 5"5 and 150 lbs. and I should be eating about 1300 calories a day. Yet that's what you are eating when you are taller and heavier. Check out the link. Once I started eating a wee bit more, and stopped starving my body... the weight dropped much faster! Since you are working out so hard I'm sure it'll be the same for you. Also remember, it is healthy to lose about 2 lbs a week. So don't get discouraged, as long as you are still losing. Check out the link :)
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
    It's normal and expected that you will have weeks when you don't lose. You will even have two weeks when you don't lose. I agree with the others that you are doing quite well. You should be happy and not fretting about it!

    Not that you asked, but I can't help but think you'd probably be a lot more satisfied eating real foods. I'd look with suspicion at any trainer/bootcamp that asked me to follow that dietary silliness.
  • Per one of the basic reads in the stickies:

    2 weeks is not a plateau.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/841305-corn-used-my-man-parts-as-a-speedbag
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Hey check out this link:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1014900-the-olivia-method
    This explains the olivia method. Sometimes with our height and weight we determine we should be eating so many calories. But if it's too little, you are starving your body and therefore it's holding onto everything and slowing your progress.
    I'm 5"5 and 150 lbs. and I should be eating about 1300 calories a day. Yet that's what you are eating when you are taller and heavier. Check out the link. Once I started eating a wee bit more, and stopped starving my body... the weight dropped much faster! Since you are working out so hard I'm sure it'll be the same for you. Also remember, it is healthy to lose about 2 lbs a week. So don't get discouraged, as long as you are still losing. Check out the link :)

    The link does not work, .but I checked it out via search. Why are you suggesting to use a different 'method' to what we recommend in this group in a post in this group - and a method devised by someone who started a different group? Why on earth at 5 5" and 150lb 'should' you be eating 1,300.

    And at the OPs weight, and the time she has been dieting, her body is not in 'starvation mode'.


    OP: weight loss is not linear and can be impacted by water weight fluctuations, which can be impacted my sodium, exercise, our cycles, macro mix among others. Give it at least 4 weeks to determine is you have reached a plateau.

    The eating plan is unnecessarily complicated.
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