Plateau? HELP! Please :]

JoseRan_
JoseRan_ Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

Just about a year ago I decided to commit to the program INSANITY: Asylum with a calorie deficit. I wasn't tracking my calories properly and was eating waaay bellow my limit. I had no clue what I was doing. Anyways, I lost nearly 20 lbs, however I was still left with a bit of fat around my lower abs. I gained some weight back, however lost it again during last summer. Since then, I've been dieting trying to lose those last 5-10lbs at a deficit. It's been almost 5 months and have seen very little progress, definitely not like when I had lost the weight in the beginning. I change my workouts ALL THE TIME from intense cardio, to HIIT, to strength. I believe my diet is where I need to make some adjustments because I've been dieting for so long, I'm afraid I have hit a plateau.

I'm Male, 22, 140lbs, 5'6" and active. I've been keeping my calories at 1,770 over the past few months. Is that too low?? All online calculators tell me I should be somewhere around 2,500-2,700 to maintain. Minus the deficit it's around 2,000. That seems like a lot to me and I'm afraid to try it because I do not want to gain the weight back. I'm not sure if I should continue what I'm doing and be patient (even though I've been doing this for many months) or take my calories up.

Any suggestions!?

Thank you all so much :]

Replies

  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    Why do you think body builders go through bulk/cut cycles?

    They always look way better/stronger after a bulk/cut cycles too.


    Go to bodybuilding.com or something, read up some forums + articles about bulk/cut cycle and carb loading.

    It looks like you may suffer from yo yo dieting + your diet is most likely too strict(not enough fat, etc) ... I'm judging this by what you've written so I may be wrong.

    You can even be 180 lbs at 5'6 and have a ripping 8 pack and bulging muscle.

    So by upping calorie and gaining mass, you won't necessarily be 'fat'. It's called 'bulking'...
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    As a male you are eating 170 calories more than me a day...think about it.

    Male min is 1800.

    As for what you are doing you have a bit of a belly left that is done through deficet but I suspect that really isn't the issue...

    I mean what is your goal? to be skinny? to be a certian weight? to look a certian way?

    When you figure that out what you need to do will be clearer...

    you say you change it up ALL the time why? Why cardio?

    It's good for heart health...

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