2 MONTH PLATEAU HELP!!!
Replies
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so you think changing the little things i eat will help me lose weight and you dont think i should adjust the calorie amount at all? decrease or increase??
what about exercise? should i stop doing the c25k and go back to workout dvds?
I think any exercise that will burn the cals is great!! I know in my case workout dvds get boring so I like to do them some of the time but incorporate other workouts so I don't do the same thing every day. I would not increase your cals. I personally prefer a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, I would eat some of them back (not all because I've found that in my case at least, MFP overestimates the cals burned compared to my HRM).
what kind of workouts do you do that you have been successful with?0 -
I did the exact same thing. Had been doing Shred and other dvd workouts, then switched to C25K and weight loss stopped completely. I thought the C25K program's "rest days" meant no exercise at all, but I think they just mean to not run. If you're trying to lose weight and not simply start running, you need to exercise more than 30 minutes 3 times a week. So after 6 weeks of only C25K, I started Shred and walking on my non-running days and started losing again.0
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so you think changing the little things i eat will help me lose weight and you dont think i should adjust the calorie amount at all? decrease or increase??
what about exercise? should i stop doing the c25k and go back to workout dvds?
I think any exercise that will burn the cals is great!! I know in my case workout dvds get boring so I like to do them some of the time but incorporate other workouts so I don't do the same thing every day. I would not increase your cals. I personally prefer a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, I would eat some of them back (not all because I've found that in my case at least, MFP overestimates the cals burned compared to my HRM).
what kind of workouts do you do that you have been successful with?
I really mix them up. Here is a list.
Jillian Michaels 30 DS
High Intensity Interval Training at the gym and outside. At the gym I will use the elliptical and crossclimber and just alternate intensities. For example, go at 90% for 30 seconds, go moderate for 45 seconds-1 minute, repeat. Outside I will run and walk, run and walk..
Strength Training/Weight lifting at the gym and at home. At the gym I use various machines and at home I have dumbells (3 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb sets). I think women can really benefit from more weight lifting.
If I'm not in the mood for high intensity, I'll go for duration instead. I will sometimes go for 1 hr + brisk walks in the neighbourhood. I can incorporate this into my chores like grocery shopping. I would take the long and scenic route and just walk a lot.
I also do circuit training at home with a mix of cardio and weights and floor work. For the cardio you can do jumping jacks, jumping rope, high knee jogging in place, etc and I would intersperse this with my floor and body work like lunges, squats, pushups, ab work.0 -
I did the exact same thing. Had been doing Shred and other dvd workouts, then switched to C25K and weight loss stopped completely. I thought the C25K program's "rest days" meant no exercise at all, but I think they just mean to not run. If you're trying to lose weight and not simply start running, you need to exercise more than 30 minutes 3 times a week. So after 6 weeks of only C25K, I started Shred and walking on my non-running days and started losing again.
oh is the C25K program only 30 minutes 3 times a week? In that case I agree it's not enough. It also doesn't include any weight lifting/body strength work does it..0 -
I don't think you really need to adjust the amount of calories you eat, but after looking through your food diary you should try to adjust the quality of the calories you eat.
Others have mentioned sodium, and I have to agree. Try watching your sodium intake! Recommended daily intake for adults is just 1500 mg a day. From your diary, you're sometimes getting this amount from ONE food item (Pizza Pizza - 3 slices, for example). It seems most days you average around 3000 mg of sodium, that's twice the amount that's recommended. You'll find the sodium content in pre-packaged, pre-processed foods and take out to be outrageous once you really start paying attention to it.
I think if you shift to eating cleaner calories (lean meats like chicken, turkey, pork along with fresh veggies and fruits) and focus on drinking enough water, you'll start to see the weight drop off again. Feel free to message me or add me as a friend if you have any questions!0 -
I did the exact same thing. Had been doing Shred and other dvd workouts, then switched to C25K and weight loss stopped completely. I thought the C25K program's "rest days" meant no exercise at all, but I think they just mean to not run. If you're trying to lose weight and not simply start running, you need to exercise more than 30 minutes 3 times a week. So after 6 weeks of only C25K, I started Shred and walking on my non-running days and started losing again.
I'm not that great at running so I was nervous to do things on the "rest" days because then I thought my runs the following day would be twice as hard b/c I'd be sore or tired from the previous day. How do you feel doing those things on the "rest" days when its time to run?
Maybe all I need is to do something more than long walks on the rest days.. I thought maybe the difference was that doing the 30 day shred I was using weights and that's why i lost weight so maybe that's what i need to do again with cardio?0 -
so you think changing the little things i eat will help me lose weight and you dont think i should adjust the calorie amount at all? decrease or increase??
what about exercise? should i stop doing the c25k and go back to workout dvds?
Yes... I'm pretty sure if you ate different foods you could keep your cals the same or maybe even increase it 100-200 if you wanted and still lose. For example, your Subway sandwich the other night was 1,700 mg sodium (more than half of your day's sodium limit).. one of the reasons I stopped eating Subway altogether. You should probably not just look at the calories in what you eat but the other nutrients as well. You probably could have made that sandwich yourself with a fraction of the sodium and cals. Also I'd suggest getting rid of all whites and switching to whole grain... white bread, white pasta, etc.
I wouldn't discourage c25k but maybe add some crosstraining to shake things up a bit. I haven't really looked up c25k but I assume its all at a steady pace. Your body will become efficient at using the cals you're giving it for a steady state run. Try doing a workout dvd or something different 2 x a week when you're not running. This'll be a double whammy because you will not only strengthen your muscles, but increase your metabolism.
I too recommend protein shakes as a supplement or meal replacement. Don't add it to your cals but fit it into your cals. For example if you decide to stick to 1,420.. fit a protein shake in after your workout to keep your protein up. It'll help you regularly feel more satisfied, and help your body preserve its muscle mass. Also... I'd suggest hitting very close to your goal regularly too. I don't know if you log everything but your days look a little sporadic.0 -
I did the exact same thing. Had been doing Shred and other dvd workouts, then switched to C25K and weight loss stopped completely. I thought the C25K program's "rest days" meant no exercise at all, but I think they just mean to not run. If you're trying to lose weight and not simply start running, you need to exercise more than 30 minutes 3 times a week. So after 6 weeks of only C25K, I started Shred and walking on my non-running days and started losing again.
oh is the C25K program only 30 minutes 3 times a week? In that case I agree it's not enough. It also doesn't include any weight lifting/body strength work does it..
Is it's only 35 minutes, 3 days a week.. and your suppose to use the "rest" days as rest so your muscles are rested for the rest run but I think maybe that's why I'm not losing. I did the 30 day shred everyday except for sundays and I'm thinking maybe since I went from everyday to only 3 days that's the difference? I'm not good with weight lifting though because I never know what to do which I why I liked the tapes. So if you have any exercises or recommendations, please let me know!0 -
I don't think you really need to adjust the amount of calories you eat, but after looking through your food diary you should try to adjust the quality of the calories you eat.
Others have mentioned sodium, and I have to agree. Try watching your sodium intake! Recommended daily intake for adults is just 1500 mg a day. From your diary, you're sometimes getting this amount from ONE food item (Pizza Pizza - 3 slices, for example). It seems most days you average around 3000 mg of sodium, that's twice the amount that's recommended. You'll find the sodium content in pre-packaged, pre-processed foods and take out to be outrageous once you really start paying attention to it.
I think if you shift to eating cleaner calories (lean meats like chicken, turkey, pork along with fresh veggies and fruits) and focus on drinking enough water, you'll start to see the weight drop off again. Feel free to message me or add me as a friend if you have any questions!
sodium has always been a problem for me... I try to watch it but I usually do go over. I don't eat out that much just once on the weekends n use that as my "cheat meal"... I do also have trouble drinking water. I have about 4-5 glasses a day at the most b/c I usually just forget about it.0 -
so you think changing the little things i eat will help me lose weight and you dont think i should adjust the calorie amount at all? decrease or increase??
what about exercise? should i stop doing the c25k and go back to workout dvds?
Yes... I'm pretty sure if you ate different foods you could keep your cals the same or maybe even increase it 100-200 if you wanted and still lose. For example, your Subway sandwich the other night was 1,700 mg sodium (more than half of your day's sodium limit).. one of the reasons I stopped eating Subway altogether. You should probably not just look at the calories in what you eat but the other nutrients as well. You probably could have made that sandwich yourself with a fraction of the sodium and cals. Also I'd suggest getting rid of all whites and switching to whole grain... white bread, white pasta, etc.
I wouldn't discourage c25k but maybe add some crosstraining to shake things up a bit. I haven't really looked up c25k but I assume its all at a steady pace. Your body will become efficient at using the cals you're giving it for a steady state run. Try doing a workout dvd or something different 2 x a week when you're not running. This'll be a double whammy because you will not only strengthen your muscles, but increase your metabolism.
I too recommend protein shakes as a supplement or meal replacement. Don't add it to your cals but fit it into your cals. For example if you decide to stick to 1,420.. fit a protein shake in after your workout to keep your protein up. It'll help you regularly feel more satisfied, and help your body preserve its muscle mass. Also... I'd suggest hitting very close to your goal regularly too. I don't know if you log everything but your days look a little sporadic.
Okay thanks! I usually log everything except for weekends I sometimes forget a meal each day because I get pretty busy but for the most part, i log everything.
I have started eating whole grain pasta and when I have sandwiches at work I use wheat bread too. I'm not a big veggie fan so I do need to figure out a way to eat those more often. So you think I should have a protein shake for dinner after a workout? I'm not sure if that will keep me full and I don't want to snack so there's a problem. lol
Maybe if I do the 30 day shred on the opposite days of my runs it'll help the weightloss? Although I know it'll make me sore which will probably make my runs really hard. I was looking into trying the Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 dvd after I completed c25k, but maybe I should do both? My only concern is wearing my body out because I'm not that great of a runner, the runs are hard enough already.0 -
I did the exact same thing. Had been doing Shred and other dvd workouts, then switched to C25K and weight loss stopped completely. I thought the C25K program's "rest days" meant no exercise at all, but I think they just mean to not run. If you're trying to lose weight and not simply start running, you need to exercise more than 30 minutes 3 times a week. So after 6 weeks of only C25K, I started Shred and walking on my non-running days and started losing again.
oh is the C25K program only 30 minutes 3 times a week? In that case I agree it's not enough. It also doesn't include any weight lifting/body strength work does it..
Is it's only 35 minutes, 3 days a week.. and your suppose to use the "rest" days as rest so your muscles are rested for the rest run but I think maybe that's why I'm not losing. I did the 30 day shred everyday except for sundays and I'm thinking maybe since I went from everyday to only 3 days that's the difference? I'm not good with weight lifting though because I never know what to do which I why I liked the tapes. So if you have any exercises or recommendations, please let me know!
Well the 30 DS has some good weight exercises. You can do a lot of weighted squats and lunges. I like to do deadlifts too, really good for the bum. Overhead extensions for the triceps. Weighted situps (just hold the weight at your chest). Biceps curls. Chest flies on the floor. Sometimes I get down on all fours and do a series of butt exercises like these
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u83bMnU-9tE Just watch your form - don't arch your back and don't do jerky movements, you don't want to hurt your back. Also, for the back: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html
Check out this site for lots of ideas:
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html0 -
Took a peek at your diary and I noticed 3 things
1) Way over on sodium- Need to lower this..
2) Not enough water-drink a minium of your weight/2 in ounches..so if you are 150..drink 75 ounces
3) Not enough calories- long periods of not eating your calories will have your body thinking it needs to retain whatever fat it needs for survival...so eating what you need may be the key
May need to change up your workout..I change it up every 3 months or so..just to keep my body guessing..and its working so far0 -
Okay thanks! I usually log everything except for weekends I sometimes forget a meal each day because I get pretty busy but for the most part, i log everything.
I have started eating whole grain pasta and when I have sandwiches at work I use wheat bread too. I'm not a big veggie fan so I do need to figure out a way to eat those more often. So you think I should have a protein shake for dinner after a workout? I'm not sure if that will keep me full and I don't want to snack so there's a problem. lol
Maybe if I do the 30 day shred on the opposite days of my runs it'll help the weightloss? Although I know it'll make me sore which will probably make my runs really hard. I was looking into trying the Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 dvd after I completed c25k, but maybe I should do both? My only concern is wearing my body out because I'm not that great of a runner, the runs are hard enough already.
Okay that makes more sense. There were a couple days where I only saw like 500 cals and I was like "?? uh oh something's off" lol
Maybe switch out your sandwich to only once or twice a week and instead do a salad with some leafy greens and some form of lean protein.. chicken, tuna, egg? anything you might be interested in. It'll help you get your veggies in.
Just my opinion but snacking between meals isn't a bad thing. A protein shake is high in cals but they're good calories. Your body will metabolize it faster than solid foods. It'll keep you away from bigger sandwiches too and you may find a few servings of fruits and veggies throughout your day a lot more doable but that's just my opinion. Some people would argue with the whole eating smaller meals 5 x a day though.
As you keep going with C25K you'll probably find it easier and won't tire out as quick. The added protein will help in recovery time and a good warmup before working out/running and cooldown after every time should help with the soreness as well. You could do Ripped in 30 also but don't overdo either.. only go as far as you're comfortable with. Listen to your body with both.
Good luck!0 -
Thanks for all the tips. Because I got a lot of comments that kind of said both things I'm still not entirely sure what to do. I'm going to try and watch my sodium that's for sure. but I'm not still not sure whether to increase calories or just watch what i eat more. I think I'm going to try and incorporate strength training to my workouts, but I'm not sure about doing the 30 day shred b/c that might wear my out for my running days. I also think I might look into protein shakes as a meal subsitute, but is it best before or after a workout?0
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Change your goals to 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. Try to eat protein for breakfast. I see you eat oatmeal, cereal and bagels. Lots of carbs. Find ways to add protein without using lunchmeat. Try Greek yogurt. Lean fish, chicken etc. I use egg whites or egg beaters to make a veggie filled omelet in the am with a piece of whole grain toast.0
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Thanks for all the tips. Because I got a lot of comments that kind of said both things I'm still not entirely sure what to do. I'm going to try and watch my sodium that's for sure. but I'm not still not sure whether to increase calories or just watch what i eat more. I think I'm going to try and incorporate strength training to my workouts, but I'm not sure about doing the 30 day shred b/c that might wear my out for my running days. I also think I might look into protein shakes as a meal subsitute, but is it best before or after a workout?
Here's what I suggest:
- leave calories alone but try to reduce sodium
- C25K three times a week
- add in a Shred workout on a C25K rest day and see what happens when you run again. If it goes ok, then do Shred 2 or 3 times a week on your non-run days.
Make sure you have one complete rest day a week (or maybe just a walk) as I finally recovered from a 4-week leg muscle problem because of not having any days off. I was doing Shred and a 2 mile walk with the dog every day, plus adding in C25K three days a week. Learned my lesson the hard way so now my plan is to alternate jogging with Shred and not do them on the same day.0 -
I think that also it could be that your body has gotten used to jogging. I would try doing a bootcamp or high intensity training of some type to shock your body!!0
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One more thing - I looked at your diary - even though you are under calories I think that you are eating a lot of fast food. Have you heard about eating Clean? Our bodies don't process toxins and high fat very well - I think that if you shook up your diet with a lot of lean protein, veggies and fruit you would see a change.0
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bumping so I can read later!!!!0
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Thanks for all the tips. Because I got a lot of comments that kind of said both things I'm still not entirely sure what to do. I'm going to try and watch my sodium that's for sure. but I'm not still not sure whether to increase calories or just watch what i eat more. I think I'm going to try and incorporate strength training to my workouts, but I'm not sure about doing the 30 day shred b/c that might wear my out for my running days. I also think I might look into protein shakes as a meal subsitute, but is it best before or after a workout?
Here's what I suggest:
- leave calories alone but try to reduce sodium
- C25K three times a week
- add in a Shred workout on a C25K rest day and see what happens when you run again. If it goes ok, then do Shred 2 or 3 times a week on your non-run days.
Make sure you have one complete rest day a week (or maybe just a walk) as I finally recovered from a 4-week leg muscle problem because of not having any days off. I was doing Shred and a 2 mile walk with the dog every day, plus adding in C25K three days a week. Learned my lesson the hard way so now my plan is to alternate jogging with Shred and not do them on the same day.
I'll definitely try this!! thanks!0
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