Need advice to speed up my fat loss

tori_Marie85

I am hoping to get some accurate advice on what I need to change in my workout/diet routine in order to speed up my fat loss. I am currently only losing about 1 lb. every 1.5-2 weeks. I know I am gaining muscle but I feel like I should be losing more if I am shedding fat.

I am a female, 5’2” and weigh 192 lbs.

My workouts consist of 4 days of strength training (2 leg days, 1 day of bi’s and back, 1 day of shoulders and tri’s). I start with a 10 minute warm-up (usually on the stair climber) and end with 15 minutes of intervals on the stair climber (I am gradually building up the amount of cardio I do). Just to clarify, my strength training workouts are provided to me by a trainer, so they definitely challenge me.

Meals (this is a typical day for me, but I do change it up):
Meal 1: 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg with spinach, mushrooms and tomato.
Meal 2: Protein shake
Meal 3: 4 ounces of protein (either chicken breast or a can of chicken/tuna) with a green veggie. If I eat canned tuna/chicken I usually put 1 tbsp. of low fat mayo (I know not the best choice but I don’t want to be miserable).
Meal 4: This is usually a snack for me. Will usually pick 1 or 2 out of the following; Greek yogurt/Banana/Almonds/Oatmeal/Quest Bar
Meal 5: 4 ounces of protein (chicken or salmon) with a green veggie.

I also drink between 80-120 ounces of water a day.

I always hear different opinions on what I should be doing, so any constructive advice would be appreciated!

StaciMarie1974

How many calories a day do you consume? How do you measure the # of calories? As in, use a food scale/estimate portions/something else?

When did you begin this calorie intake goal, and how much have you lost since? Did you start the new eating level at the same time you started the workout plan? (If not how long since you began the workout routine?)

vismal

First, hate to burst any bubbles but you are not gaining lbs of muscle. This is a common mistake people make. A women who is intentionally trying to GAIN weight can at MAX gain about 12 lbs of muscle in a year, and that is if she is completely untrained. If you are actively trying to lose weight, any gains to lean tissue is going to be fractions of a lb at most.

Your strength workouts seem odd to me. Why no chest? Why only hit legs twice? Natural trainees do best hitting all muscle groups 2-3 times a week. For most people a total body strength workout 3x a week is good. Something like a 5x5 (stronglifts or ICF 5x5 are great). If you really want 4 days of strength training, and upper/lower/upper/lower split would be best.

Weight loss is going to be determined by calories in vs calories out. If you want to lose weight faster you either need to eat less, exercise more, or both. What are your total calories in per day?

tori_Marie85

I have been on this workout plan for about a month, I started my diet at the same time. Before that I was mostly doing cardio and not following an exact diet plan but watching what I was eating. Based on the diet below, I am only consuming approximately 1,100 calories. I got an idea of how much I was consuming by entering my meals through this app. My focus was to consume approximately 20g of protein per meal. Since then I have only lost 3 lbs.

tori_Marie85

I assumed I was "gaining" muscle because of the changes in my body and because of the fact that I am able to lift more weight. Maybe this is incorrect.

Workouts are pre-planned by trainers at the gym I go to. I just happen to not go on the day they do chest.

I know I am consuming less calories than I am burning. That is why I am unsure what I need to change.

vismal

Any cheat days at all? Eating anything you aren't tracking? Are you weighing all your food on a scale or guessing at portion sizes? Also opening your diary can help so we can look at it.

StaciMarie1974

You've lost 3 pounds in a month - and it sounds like you're not weighing your food. You're off to a good start - give it time to work. Though when things really stall (4-6 weeks of no change) then fine tune by weighing all your food.

burtnyks

You definitely should weigh your food to be consistent. I always thought it was "soooo hard" to lose weight until I started weighing my food and knowing exactly how many calories I was eating. Since I started weighing food I have found it to be much easier to gain/lose weight depending on my goals at that time. Also, I tend to see big weight fluctuations throughout the month so I started looking at my losses or gains as a 4 week average. I may go up as much as 3 or 4 lbs in a week and then drop back down 2 weeks later. Trying to monitor your progress week by week will drive you nuts. Try to have patience before going and changing things up too prematurely.

But to answer your question, if you want to lose at a faster rate you need to create a larger deficit. If you aren't currently weighing your food it might be difficult to just eyeball fewer calories.

embracingashley

My PT had me doing my reps very quickly regardless of the what day it was. Leg days I would rotate between three machines @ 15 reps each as fast as I could, same with every other muscle group we worked. My heart rate was always up in the 160s, how are the rest of your macros?

vismal

My PT had me doing my reps very quickly regardless of the what day it was. Leg days I would rotate between three machines @ 15 reps each as fast as I could, same with every other muscle group we worked. My heart rate was always up in the 160s, how are the rest of your macros?

Training in that style will certainly impact how much weight you can move. While it does burn more calories, caloric burn should not be your motivation for lifting weights. I'd rather lift in a slower, heavier, more controlled manner then do 30 minutes of cardio afterwards or on an off day.

embracingashley

My PT had me doing my reps very quickly regardless of the what day it was. Leg days I would rotate between three machines @ 15 reps each as fast as I could, same with every other muscle group we worked. My heart rate was always up in the 160s, how are the rest of your macros?

Training in that style will certainly impact how much weight you can move. While it does burn more calories, caloric burn should not be your motivation for lifting weights. I'd rather lift in a slower, heavier, more controlled manner then do 30 minutes of cardio afterwards or on an off day.

I wish there was a simple "like" button.

I will probably change my focus once I get down to a more reasonable BMI.

ashleeei

I have been on this workout plan for about a month, I started my diet at the same time. Before that I was mostly doing cardio and not following an exact diet plan but watching what I was eating. Based on the diet below, I am only consuming approximately 1,100 calories. I got an idea of how much I was consuming by entering my meals through this app. My focus was to consume approximately 20g of protein per meal. Since then I have only lost 3 lbs.

I have been at this weight loss thing for a couple years now but not fully dedicated until the last 6 months or so. And there have been many times that I stall or feel like I am going nowhere even with busting my butt!!! 1 thing someone here told me and it really stuck with me is when you cut your calories down so low example: 1100 calories, yes you will lose weight…But when you stall and need to cut more calories you can’t really because anything less and you’ll be considered in starvation mode most the time. I have added in more calories lately and even more carbs and have seen my stalled weight loss finally pickup again!! I would slowly raise your calorie goal so that you can lower it more later on…