Weight loss plateau

amanda3284

On New Years Day, one of my resolutions was to lose weight and get fit. I have had a lot of success including losing 15lbs and doing my 1st 5k. I have been focusing on cardio but seem to have it a plateau. Should I start strength training and will that help me get back on track. I am a scale person and weigh myself once a week and don't want it to look like I am gaining weight and get discouraged. Please any advice would be helpful. Thank you!

angelarene626

Congrats on your 15 lbs!! But as someone who has been strength training since January, I am warning you that stepping on the scale will become a nightmare if you start strength training. You will not see all your hard work from using weights immediately on the scale. It takes a lot of time. But strength training is the best thing I could have ever started. My body is so much more toned, my butt, which is usually flat, is now perky and round, and my huge arms are finally showing slight definition. So yes! Definitely weight train, but know that it will take some time to see a difference on the scale.

To help yourself overcome the lack of results on the scale, take pictures and measurements. If I hadn't taken bi-weekly pictures, I would have never noticed a difference. Its crazy because I can see a difference in my pictures first before I ever see the number on the scale go down. So keep that in mind.

I have lost a total of 10 lbs since January... After losing the first 3-4 in January, I hit a plateau for most of February and the beginning of March. I kept up with my exercise regimen, a mix of weights and cardio 4-5x a week, but in mid-March I started cutting unhealthy carbs (bread, potato,pasta) during the week and have seen a 6-7lb weight loss!

Just slowly adjust your exercise and diet and see what works for you. And remember that if you start weight-training, don't be scared to fuel before your workout and eat a healthy, protein-heavy snack for recovery after your workouts, this will help you see the weight loss even faster.

Aaron_K123

On New Years Day, one of my resolutions was to lose weight and get fit. I have had a lot of success including losing 15lbs and doing my 1st 5k. I have been focusing on cardio but seem to have it a plateau. Should I start strength training and will that help me get back on track. I am a scale person and weigh myself once a week and don't want it to look like I am gaining weight and get discouraged. Please any advice would be helpful. Thank you!

How long have you been experiencing this "plateau". If it hasn't been two months it probably isn't actually a plateau. During weight loss due to random fluctuations in your weight caused by things like water retention and your monthly cycle you can appear to maintain weight over many weeks or even a month or so even if you are still losing fat.

So before you go changing anything about your routine has it been long enough to really call this a plateau?

eldamiano

There is no such thing as a plateau. You just arent eating at a calorie deficit.

asciiqwerty

well done on your weight loss so far, very few people manage to keep up a new year's resolution

weight loss <> calorie deficit

plateau isn't a word i use - but if you're stagnant on the scale and other measures (waist, hips, neck, BF,...) then you are eating as much as you are burning

many people see stagnant spots on the scale while dropping inches - this isn't a plateau - just part of the process, and women see large monthly fluctuations with their cycles

as you have lost weight, the calories you burn for hte same excercise (time intensity) will be dropping, the recomendation is generally to review your calorie intake goal every 1kg or 5lb weight loss

so if none of your measurements are changing: then your calories in= calories out, if that isn't what your tracking and loggin tell you then you are probably overestimating burn and/or underestimating consumption

i find that i lose more when I'm more accurate with my logging

good luck - i hope it works for you too

SezxyStef

On New Years Day, one of my resolutions was to lose weight and get fit. I have had a lot of success including losing 15lbs and doing my 1st 5k. I have been focusing on cardio but seem to have it a plateau. Should I start strength training and will that help me get back on track. I am a scale person and weigh myself once a week and don't want it to look like I am gaining weight and get discouraged. Please any advice would be helpful. Thank you!

Congrats on the loss.

Your diary is closed but are you sure you log accurately? do you weigh portions? measure liquids? If not start and also be careful of the entries you use...there are lots here that aren't correct.

I am not going to say no to strength training...it's great but I am a bit biased. I have been lifting for almost 7 months and love how it's changed my body...but that being said if you are concerned more with weight than health/fitness...don't.

Once you start a new exercise your body will hold water/glycogen for 2-4 weeks and you wont see the scale go down...and you might not even see the measurments go down....

In the long run weight lifting is worth it for me tho. I weight 157lbs and wear a size 5/6....3lb weight loss from weight lifting allowed me to wear a dress that didn't fit in 4 weeks...with only 3lbs...it makes a huge difference on the way your body looks.