Big initial loss?

Soapstone

I've lost eleven pounds in just over two weeks of logging calories and exercise. I was trying to stay at 1200 calories and do an hour of elliptical training 6 days a week. I haven't quite made that 360 minute goal per week in exercise, but on the bright side, I have begun lifting weights here and there and walking my dogs occasionally and giving my kid a break
Also, with few exceptions, I usually am unsuccessful at staying at 1200 calories per day. I adjusted my goal to 1600, and looking back over my food diary, I can see that I still had a few days that I went waaaay over 1200 and even 1600- to the tune of 1400-1500 calories over a few times! Yet, I am still losing weight at a rapid clip!!! I am kind of amazed by that, but then again, I have no idea how much I was eating before I started logging. I would say easily 3,200 calories a day, mostly in the evening, and I lived a sedentary lifestyle.
My question is, should I expect to plateau soon? When I do, what's the best thing to do? Lower calories again, exercise more?Both?
When I do the math, it doesn't seem like I should be losing so much. I am a little mystified, but think it may be the shock to the system I have given my body with all the exercise.

iKristine

Cardio 6 days a week? That's way too much. Unless your training for something, that's just not necessary and places your body under unecessary stress. Not to mention you risk plateau if your not eating back cals responsibly. Which it sounds to be the case.

A quick initial loss anytime you change drastically will happen. Mostly water weight, but fat too.

If your doing weights that's great. This is a great way to shock your body into accepting new challenges, will help your endurance, quality of mood, confidence etc. While this isn't a weight loss tool exclusively, it will make your experience better with all the benefits lean mass creates.

I would suggest cutting back on the cardio to 3-4 days. This gives your body chance to rebound from the stress. You CAN cardio and weights the same day, you just have to make sure your eating enough protein to support this. Generally a gram per lbs weight. Basically 110-150g protein is safe no matter your weight, as this is LEAN mass.

1200 cals can be EXTREMELY misleading. One size fits all isn't always the way. Everyone is different. I suggest 1200 to people who are obese, overeat and are sedentary. Your not.

So I would suggest investing in either a HRM to calculate your workout cals, which DONT work well with weights. Or a bodybugg, as this is the most accurate tool and takes all guesswork out on what you did to calculate a deficit appropriate for your goals ( EX 500c/1.5 wk or 1000c/2lbs wk)

To give you an example, I weight 200lbs, of which 125 is lean. I spin 4 days a week, (need to cut back as I do drag by day 4, but I LOVE it so much) lift 3 days a week, hapkido 2 days week and walk 3 miles day at least 3 days week.

On high activity days (walk, spin, weights) I can burn 3000k. So I need to eat 2000 to meet my goals(2lbs wk) I could EASILY reduce my workouts to say walk, weights and be at 2500c burned day and eat only 1500c and STILL meet my weight loss goals. But for me, this is about health. I want muscle, cardio stamina AND to lose weight. So this is custom to me.

When I reach a closer weight (180) I will adjust to only weight and cardio 2-3 days a week. But when I'm ready. This I can easily maintain.

Fitness is a tool you use combined with proper diet to achieve your weight/fitness/health goals. It's not to be used exclusively to meet your goals. -- I cannot stress this enough.

IF you don't manage yourself responsibly, you can expect a plateau. The only way out of one is to either A) prevent it in the first place with responsible handling or your diet and fitness.... or eating higher cals for a few days to reassure your body of it's abundance of foods. This is the idea behind zig zag, spikes, carb cycling. These people are merely doing these activities before a plateau as a regular routine, than waiting for stall then to react.

I say 1200 is too low. 1400 is more reasonable, but even 1600 or 1800 could be easy if your burning enough. Its really hard to say for sure without tools like the BodyBugg.

xraychick77

the beauty of our bodies and metabolism..its NOT an exact science.

you dont have to plateau..you just have to make sure you stay consistant, adjust your calorie intake as you lose, and change up your workouts.

yuckidah

I'm so jealous SoapStone - enjoy the great results you're getting!

Soapstone

Cardio 6 days a week? That's way too much. Unless your training for something, that's just not necessary and places your body under unecessary stress. Not to mention you risk plateau if your not eating back cals responsibly. Which it sounds to be the case.

A quick initial loss anytime you change drastically will happen. Mostly water weight, but fat too.

If your doing weights that's great. This is a great way to shock your body into accepting new challenges, will help your endurance, quality of mood, confidence etc. While this isn't a weight loss tool exclusively, it will make your experience better with all the benefits lean mass creates.

I would suggest cutting back on the cardio to 3-4 days. This gives your body chance to rebound from the stress. You CAN cardio and weights the same day, you just have to make sure your eating enough protein to support this. Generally a gram per lbs weight. Basically 110-150g protein is safe no matter your weight, as this is LEAN mass.

1200 cals can be EXTREMELY misleading. One size fits all isn't always the way. Everyone is different. I suggest 1200 to people who are obese, overeat and are sedentary. Your not.

So I would suggest investing in either a HRM to calculate your workout cals, which DONT work well with weights. Or a bodybugg, as this is the most accurate tool and takes all guesswork out on what you did to calculate a deficit appropriate for your goals ( EX 500c/1.5 wk or 1000c/2lbs wk)

To give you an example, I weight 200lbs, of which 125 is lean. I spin 4 days a week, (need to cut back as I do drag by day 4, but I LOVE it so much) lift 3 days a week, hapkido 2 days week and walk 3 miles day at least 3 days week.

On high activity days (walk, spin, weights) I can burn 3000k. So I need to eat 2000 to meet my goals(2lbs wk) I could EASILY reduce my workouts to say walk, weights and be at 2500c burned day and eat only 1500c and STILL meet my weight loss goals. But for me, this is about health. I want muscle, cardio stamina AND to lose weight. So this is custom to me.

When I reach a closer weight (180) I will adjust to only weight and cardio 2-3 days a week. But when I'm ready. This I can easily maintain.

Fitness is a tool you use combined with proper diet to achieve your weight/fitness/health goals. It's not to be used exclusively to meet your goals. -- I cannot stress this enough.

IF you don't manage yourself responsibly, you can expect a plateau. The only way out of one is to either A) prevent it in the first place with responsible handling or your diet and fitness.... or eating higher cals for a few days to reassure your body of it's abundance of foods. This is the idea behind zig zag, spikes, carb cycling. These people are merely doing these activities before a plateau as a regular routine, than waiting for stall then to react.

I say 1200 is too low. 1400 is more reasonable, but even 1600 or 1800 could be easy if your burning enough. Its really hard to say for sure without tools like the BodyBugg.

I really appreciate your post, and your perspective, but I just don't agree that an hour of exercise 6 days a week is bad for me. I think sitting on the couch 6 days a week with little movement is bad for me.
It may be time to invest in some kind of HRM, though, I agree with that