Scales not moving, strength training?

TayJoMama

So here's the deal. I started MFP in late Sept. in the high 180s. By Nov 6, had lost 10. Fabulous. Since then I've gained and lost the same 2-3 pounds. What! I've tried not eating my exercise calories. Calorie cycling, fasting one day a week. Nothing makes a difference. Since starting MFP, I've been on the elliptical or recumbent bike 5 days a week for 45 minutes, burning around 350 cals each day, give or take 50 calories. I've upped my resistance level and pushed myself. Just before Christmas, I measured since the scale wasn't moving and I had lost in inch in my waist, GREAT. But nothing since. I even thought maybe I need to change up my workout at the beginning of the year to include a couple of days of Biggest Loser for Kinect. Still no change. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. Should I go back to eating my exercise cals? I'm thinking of swapping those biggest loser days for strength training days, will that make a difference. I'm just frustrated, that I've been stuck in the 170s since November. What the world? Any ideas? Thanks!

Eidajan

I am in the same boat - hope someone else has some useful ideas! I agree it is frustrating....but I am still following the rules and have not given up!

MarieS1967

I know how you feel. Have dropped a total of 26 lbs since December 2009 - 15 with MFP. Same thing - stuck. Have up the workouts, eaten the exercise calories, not eaten them and keep playing with the same 3 to 5 lbs. Hopefully some one out there has a way to jump start again.

Good luck and keep up the good work you are doing for your body!

TayJoMama

Thanks Guys, good to hear I'm not alone. Hopefully someone will have a idea!

hardybelle83

Everyone's body is different, but I do think that you would benefit from adding more strength training into your weekly workout regimen. The more lean muscle that your body has, the more calories you will burn at rest. You will have more endurance during your cardio sessions, too!

Just be warned that when you start doing new strength training/weight lifting routines, the scale probably will go up (even up to 5 lbs) the first week, but then start to go back down. This is not REAL weight; your muscles will retain water as they repair themselves. Make sure to drink extra water, stretch muscles when warm & do cardio to make that water weight disappear more quickly.

simplywriting

I completely understand your frustration. I am fairly new to MFP but certainly not to the topic of weight loss. With that said, the information I found by reading the topics in this thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
was quite helpful.
More than likely during all of that exercise and fasting and what not, you sent your body into starvation mode (unintentionally!) and because of that your body reacted by storing fat, rather than allowing you to lose it.

Seriously read those topics and I think you'll understand. I was in the SAME boat.

CakeFit21

I didn't start seeing the weight come off until I added in weight training AND eating exercise cals. Since those are the two things you haven't tried, I say go for it. Eat at least 50-75% of your exercise cals and do 3 days a week with the weights. You still want to get your heart rate up though so you can get in a good calorie burn. I was only burning like 350 for an hour of Jillian's No More Trouble Zones so, I would hope on the ellip for 20 minutes after to get more calories. That DVD helped a lot. It utilized weights but also kept my HR up. Not saying you have to use that DVD, (although it's a good one!) but I'm just using ot to illustrate my point For me, weights, and eating more cals were the missing ingredients to weight loss success. Good luck!

TayJoMama

I kind of thought my pounds would increase, that's okay as longs as they decrease soon after! Wow, thanks for the info, that's really helps!

perseverance11

This is purely anecdotal, but it works for me. Strength training adds muscle which burns more calories, leaves me less hungry for a few hours afterwards, and seems to boost my metabolism. The type of strength training has a huge impact on whether I lose weight or not. Believe it or not, the Arnold Schwarzenegger technique of supersetting works best for steadily losing fat weight (combined with a diet) while still eating 2000 calories a day (185 lb male) and maintaining muscle mass.

Supersetting is extremely high intensity, but only takes me 45 minutes for a complete workout. I do 4 sets of each exercise, and pair the exercises. The exercises are paired so that you are working different muscle groups with each exercise in the pair. There are a total of 10 exercises or 5 pairs of exercises. There is no resting between sets within a pair, and only a 90 second rest from one pair to the next pair. For each exercise, you increase weight on each subsequent set and do lower reps after each subsequent set. If you are not soaked at the end, your intensity is too low and you need more weights. Extreme Intensity and blood pumping constantly to the worked muscles is purportedly the key to supersetting success.

You can develop you own exercise pairs, but here's an example workout:

Exercise Pair 1: Bench & Wide Lats Pull

Set 1:
Bench Press: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Wide Lats Pull Machine: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 2:
Bench Press: Add weight and do 10-15 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Wide Lats Pull Machine: Add weight and do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 3:
Bench Press: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Wide Lats Pull Machine: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 4:
Bench Press: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Wide Lats Pull Machine: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)

Rest Break - 90 Seconds

Exercise Pair 2: Incline Bench & Seated Row
Set 1:
Incline Bench Press: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Seated Row: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 2:
Incline Bench Press: Add weight and do 10-15 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Seated Row: Add weight and do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 3:
Incline Bench Press: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Seated Row: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 4:
Incline Bench Press: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Seated Row: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)

Rest Break - 90 Seconds

Exercise Pair 3: Dumbell Flys & Standing Row
Set 1:
Dumbell Flys: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Standing Row: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 2:
Dumbell Flys: Add weight and do 10-15 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Standing Row: Add weight and do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 3:
Dunbell Flys: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Standing Row: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 4:
Dumbell Flys: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Standing Row: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)

Rest Break - 90 Seconds


Exercise Pair 4: Dips & Chin Ups (Use a Lats machine and grab with chinup grip)
Set 1:
Dips: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
ChinUps: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 2:
Dips: Add weight and do 10-15 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
ChinUps: Add weight and do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 3:
Dips: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
ChinUps: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 4:
Dips: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
ChinUps: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)

Rest Break - 90 Seconds

Exercise Pair 5: Decline Bench & Shoulder Shrugs
Set 1:
Decline Bench: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Shoulder Shrugs: A weight you can do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 2:
Decline Bench: Add weight and do 10-15 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Shoulder Shrugs: Add weight and do 15-18 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 3:
Decline Bench: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Shoulder Shrugs: Add weight and do 8-12 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK

Set 4:
Decline Bench: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)
NO REST BREAK
Shoulder Shrugs: Add weight and do 4-10 reps or so until exhaustion (can't do another rep)

You should be soaked and completely out-of-breath. The End.