Frustration. Utter frustration

JDMPWR

Hello guys.

For those that know me, you know I hold a pretty solid diet and workout routine. Well around Xmas it all came crashing down. I was at about 185 down from 231 and shot up to 190. I worked my but off in Jan and got down to 180. I then just broke down and shop up to 185.

I then started to work out real hard and noticed more muscle growth in my arms and back but while I saw the muscle growth I saw my weight hit 190. I have now been working my butt off as always and I am stuck at 188-190 even when burning and leaving 1000 cals on the table or burning and eating back 500 of those and leaving 500 on the table I still dont budge in weight.

Clothes dont really fit any different cept my arms and back. I just dont see how I could gain 10 lbs of muscle. It just doesn't happen over night. I can see a 4-5 lbs gain in muscle mass.

Take a look at my diet. I have cleaned it up the best I can and I please dont speculate that it's the sodium because 100-400mg's over is not going to make me retain 10 lbs of water. I know because throughout my 50lb weight loss I was over my sodium content dam near everyday.

LurayneMarie

Im only throwing this out there...but are you eating pretty much the same thing everyday? Maybe you should shake things up a bit in your diet (although I know you seem to have a good variety already) Maybe your body is just used to getting the same foods everyday?
I dont know its just a suggestion
Best of luck!

JDMPWR

I guess I could see that.

I am going to have to rethink my whole diet....maybe change up 1 or 2 meals that I normally eat to something else.

ladybug1620

I've heard things about calorie zigzagging to get out of a plateau, maybe you can give that a shot? The website that gives the zigzag plan is http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Also, I notice you tend to do the same exercise all the time. Maybe try something different to confuse your body/muscles?

dlaplume2

That's a tough one. Your diet looks good. I don't see any water tracked though. Are you drinking your water?

The only thing I could possibly think of is if you are not eating enough. I have a friend that is a boxer. He works out twice a day for an hour or more each time. He was struggling to lose 10 lbs and finally went to see a nutritionist. He did and she told him based on his workout he should be eating about 4000 cal a day. (Keep in mind he is a professional boxer training for competions and doing intense cardio workouts, for all of you in disbelief about the 4000 cals a day.) He did increase it and the weight fell off.

I don't know what you are doing for exercises, but maybe you are just not eating enough. The other thing is if you are working out those muscles and not givign them a chance to recover they will retain water. I think I read that somewhere recently, but may pertain to women.

You are eating a lot, and a lot of the right things, at that. If all else fail try patience. Not fun I know.

Good luck.

stormieweather

My suggestion is to ease up for a few weeks. Gradually increase your calories (by 50 a day or so) until you are at maintenance. Eat at maintenance for a week or two. THen drop 500 calories from maintenance and see how it goes.

JDMPWR

That's a tough one. Your diet looks good. I don't see any water tracked though. Are you drinking your water?

The only thing I could possibly think of is if you are not eating enough. I have a friend that is a boxer. He works out twice a day for an hour or more each time. He was struggling to lose 10 lbs and finally went to see a nutritionist. He did and she told him based on his workout he should be eating about 4000 cal a day. (Keep in mind he is a professional boxer training for competions and doing intense cardio workouts, for all of you in disbelief about the 4000 cals a day.) He did increase it and the weight fell off.

I don't know what you are doing for exercises, but maybe you are just not eating enough. The other thing is if you are working out those muscles and not givign them a chance to recover they will retain water. I think I read that somewhere recently, but may pertain to women.

You are eating a lot, and a lot of the right things, at that. If all else fail try patience. Not fun I know.

Good luck.

10 glasses a day on average. I just dont know how I got down to 180 with ease and now it's heartache to drop more then a lb or 2.

ncahill77

Plateau's happen to all of us, I think that's where you are. When you start lifting a lot more you retain more water at first and yes you put on some muscle weight too. If you want to experiment, stop lifting as much and go back to more cardio, you'll probably drop those pounds again, but honestly if you are like most guys you'll realize 5 pounds heavier looks better when it involves muscle.

rthompson81

It may be worth it to make an appointment with a nutritionist. He/she may be able to point out things that you don't recognize about your diet. I'm not sure if you're around a university, but I know at the University of Texas, there are nutrition graduate students who will go over your diet with you for free or for a negligible cost.

Hang in there... you've come so far!

JDMPWR

It may be worth it to make an appointment with a nutritionist. He/she may be able to point out things that you don't recognize about your diet. I'm not sure if you're around a university, but I know at the University of Texas, there are nutrition graduate students who will go over your diet with you for free or for a negligible cost.

Hang in there... you've come so far!

One of my good friends is a nutritionist. He has viewed my diet and says it couldnt be more perfect outside of the sodium which he admits is almost impossible to stay within with as high of a protein diet as I am on.

I want to shoot myself. Why can't I stop gaining and dropping, gaining and dropping. I want to shoot myself(figuratively)

ChristineMiller2

Hi,
I'm no expert but could it be your body is at a healthy weight? Your picture looks like you are built nice, not too big not too thin, do you really think there is more to lose??

sarahleelee

Firstly, you look amazing, so take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back for all you've accomplished.

I noticed that I dropped weight when I upped my calories 200 per day, so maybe you're not eating enough, since you workout so much? Also, do you ever have a cheat day where you can have anything you want for 1 day? I found that I've lost weight doing that as well, because a high fat, bad day shocks the hell out of my body.

Anyway, I understand the frustration, but always remember that you're looking great and doing great things for your body. Sometimes you say at one weight for a while and one day you wake up 5lbs lighter.

Hope that helped...probably not, lol.

stormieweather

Are you doing the same workouts regularly? I notice they're substantial and you eat most of the calories back. What if your body has adapted to the exercise you're doing and so, you're not burning as many calories now as you did when you started off? You may want to buy a HRM/bodybugg/fitbit, if you don't already have one.

For example, years ago, I used to cycle daily, 10 miles or more each day, so when I started biking again, I burned next to nothing. My body knows that routine. But when I got on an elliptical for the first time, I about died after 5 measly minutes. 6 months later, I could easily get through a hour at the highest difficulty and was looking for ways to make it harder. So now, I'm starting Tabata Intervals. Maybe you need to change it up some?