Why am I plateaued when I eat right and exercise with HIIT?

taygrad

Hey all,

I'm 5'8. I started working out late April, and throughout May, I dropped 13 pounds (went from 160 to 148). I would weigh in the mornings and sometimes see 146.8 or 147, and my measurements were dropping about an inch a week. Then, over the last two weeks...nothing. I gained a pound (not a big deal to me, since I've still lost 12!), but my measurements got ever so much smaller. I didn't freak, telling myself that as long as measurements were decreasing, I was doing well. But now we are rolling in on week three with NOTHING to show for it, and I'm starved for answers. Here's my story:

I did a complete overhaul of my eating habits. I haven't been to a fast-food joint since I started. I eat out less than once a week (for my "cheat day"), and eat healthy the rest of the time. I eat about 1200 calories a day and most of the time, I try to eat my calories back on workout days. Tons of fruits and veggies for my snacks and supplements to my meals. Smaller portions, eat more often (at least 5 times a day). I do notice that I eat a hearty breakfast that tacks in around 300-350 calories, a lunch around 250-350 calories, leaving me with a bigger dinner (around 500-700, depending on how high-calorie my snacks are).

I work out high intensity 4-5 times a week: high-intensity spin class (RPM) for 45 minutes twice a week, high-intensity core workout (strength-training) for 30 minutes twice a week, and usually a 30-45 minute run once a week.

I was bad about not drinking enough water (I usually had around 4-5 glasses a day, not counting the water from the fruits/veggies I was eating). I have since bought myself a 2L water bottle and make myself empty it every day...so I've been drinking the required 8 glasses every day for about a week. I had spoken with a weight-loss successor who told me that water-weight was a primary first component to weight plateau. I have not seen a significant difference so far, but I have only been at it for about a week.

My goal is to burn off fat and gain a little bit of muscle. I'm at 148 now and would like to drop another 20-25 pounds of fat and gain back 7-15 pounds of muscle, putting my goal weight around 135 with some muscle tone. My natural body right now is small-to-medium frame (I can put on lean muscle pretty easily without looking bulky or ripped).

So...what am I doing wrong? I know there are proponents of "eat more", "work out more", "work out less", etc. Everyone seems to propose higher intensity workouts, but I'm already doing that. I'm starting to get frustrated and depressed. Please help!

wftiger

Plateaus happen to most everyone. Your body just needs to get its equilibrium back and you will lose again. Maybe try to cut your carbs in half and see if that will kick start it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-move-beyond-a-weight-loss-plateau
http://www.oprah.com/health/Weight-Loss-Advice-Fitness-Plateau-Dr-Katz

You aren't doing anything wrong. It happens for many reasons and just as quick as it started it may end. Or it may take a few weeks. You can try to force it out but weight loss is not linear and so you may not drop for a few then you may lose 5 lbs in one week. Just stick with what was working maybe follow the links above to see if you can hurry it along.

gaia3rd

Are you getting any rest days or are you exercising 7 days a week?

ladyace2078

Weight loss doesn't happen in a predictable linear pattern. Sometimes if you work out at a higher intensity, you will gain some water weight which may make the scale go up or just stay the same if you are losing fat at the same time. Remember that as you get closer to your goal weight you will slow down in weight loss.

If you are working out as hard as you are, I think you seriously under-eating. I highly recommend calculating your BMR and TDEE and eat a minimum of your BMR and at a 15% cut from your TDEE. Check out the group Eat More to Weigh Less for lots of support and great information.

heybales

I'm 5'8. I started working out late April, and throughout May, I dropped 13 pounds (went from 160 to 148). I would weigh in the mornings and sometimes see 146.8 or 147, and my measurements were dropping about an inch a week. Then, over the last two weeks...nothing. I gained a pound (not a big deal to me, since I've still lost 12!), but my measurements got ever so much smaller. I didn't freak, telling myself that as long as measurements were decreasing, I was doing well. But now we are rolling in on week three with NOTHING to show for it, and I'm starved for answers. Here's my story:

I did a complete overhaul of my eating habits. I haven't been to a fast-food joint since I started. I eat out less than once a week (for my "cheat day"), and eat healthy the rest of the time. I eat about 1200 calories a day and most of the time, I try to eat my calories back on workout days. Tons of fruits and veggies for my snacks and supplements to my meals. Smaller portions, eat more often (at least 5 times a day). I do notice that I eat a hearty breakfast that tacks in around 300-350 calories, a lunch around 250-350 calories, leaving me with a bigger dinner (around 500-700, depending on how high-calorie my snacks are).

I work out high intensity 4-5 times a week: high-intensity spin class (RPM) for 45 minutes twice a week, high-intensity core workout (strength-training) for 30 minutes twice a week, and usually a 30-45 minute run once a week.

I was bad about not drinking enough water (I usually had around 4-5 glasses a day, not counting the water from the fruits/veggies I was eating). I have since bought myself a 2L water bottle and make myself empty it every day...so I've been drinking the required 8 glasses every day for about a week. I had spoken with a weight-loss successor who told me that water-weight was a primary first component to weight plateau. I have not seen a significant difference so far, but I have only been at it for about a week.

My goal is to burn off fat and gain a little bit of muscle. I'm at 148 now and would like to drop another 20-25 pounds of fat and gain back 7-15 pounds of muscle, putting my goal weight around 135 with some muscle tone. My natural body right now is small-to-medium frame (I can put on lean muscle pretty easily without looking bulky or ripped).

So...what am I doing wrong? I know there are proponents of "eat more", "work out more", "work out less", etc. Everyone seems to propose higher intensity workouts, but I'm already doing that. I'm starting to get frustrated and depressed. Please help!

You are not doing HIIT if you are anywhere near doing it day after day. The pure definition of HIIT means you could not.

All you are doing at this point is super high carb burn, very little fat, probably upper reaches of lactate threshold.
Doing this day after day is undoubtably draining your glucose stores, which is some weight loss. But then enough carbs eaten finally is a gain back. Up to 3lbs this way back and forth - none of it real weight gain/loss.
Also, your body is improving ability to store carbs since that is the only workout you are giving it.
Also, day after day like that, I'll bet you don't top off glucose stores with your diet, which means by the 3rd workout, you are tearing down muscle to keep blood glucose up.

So you have probably burned off enough muscle to slow down metabolism, you are training body to burn carbs mainly, and your body is probably not getting anywhere near the recovery it needs from the high intensity workouts.

Take your workout calorie burn from several workouts. At that high level, probably easy 80% is glucose calories, probably closer to 90%. Do you eat that many carb calories before your next workout?

And depending on diet level, if your deficit is too much, your body has barely enough energy to take care of basic metabolism and basic repairs, there won't be enough to actually build new.

AntWrig

I'm 5'8. I started working out late April, and throughout May, I dropped 13 pounds (went from 160 to 148). I would weigh in the mornings and sometimes see 146.8 or 147, and my measurements were dropping about an inch a week. Then, over the last two weeks...nothing. I gained a pound (not a big deal to me, since I've still lost 12!), but my measurements got ever so much smaller. I didn't freak, telling myself that as long as measurements were decreasing, I was doing well. But now we are rolling in on week three with NOTHING to show for it, and I'm starved for answers. Here's my story:

I did a complete overhaul of my eating habits. I haven't been to a fast-food joint since I started. I eat out less than once a week (for my "cheat day"), and eat healthy the rest of the time. I eat about 1200 calories a day and most of the time, I try to eat my calories back on workout days. Tons of fruits and veggies for my snacks and supplements to my meals. Smaller portions, eat more often (at least 5 times a day). I do notice that I eat a hearty breakfast that tacks in around 300-350 calories, a lunch around 250-350 calories, leaving me with a bigger dinner (around 500-700, depending on how high-calorie my snacks are).

I work out high intensity 4-5 times a week: high-intensity spin class (RPM) for 45 minutes twice a week, high-intensity core workout (strength-training) for 30 minutes twice a week, and usually a 30-45 minute run once a week.

I was bad about not drinking enough water (I usually had around 4-5 glasses a day, not counting the water from the fruits/veggies I was eating). I have since bought myself a 2L water bottle and make myself empty it every day...so I've been drinking the required 8 glasses every day for about a week. I had spoken with a weight-loss successor who told me that water-weight was a primary first component to weight plateau. I have not seen a significant difference so far, but I have only been at it for about a week.

My goal is to burn off fat and gain a little bit of muscle. I'm at 148 now and would like to drop another 20-25 pounds of fat and gain back 7-15 pounds of muscle, putting my goal weight around 135 with some muscle tone. My natural body right now is small-to-medium frame (I can put on lean muscle pretty easily without looking bulky or ripped).

So...what am I doing wrong? I know there are proponents of "eat more", "work out more", "work out less", etc. Everyone seems to propose higher intensity workouts, but I'm already doing that. I'm starting to get frustrated and depressed. Please help!

You are not doing HIIT if you are anywhere near doing it day after day. The pure definition of HIIT means you could not.

All you are doing at this point is super high carb burn, very little fat, probably upper reaches of lactate threshold.
Doing this day after day is undoubtably draining your glucose stores, which is some weight loss. But then enough carbs eaten finally is a gain back. Up to 3lbs this way back and forth - none of it real weight gain/loss.
Also, your body is improving ability to store carbs since that is the only workout you are giving it.
Also, day after day like that, I'll bet you don't top off glucose stores with your diet, which means by the 3rd workout, you are tearing down muscle to keep blood glucose up.

So you have probably burned off enough muscle to slow down metabolism, you are training body to burn carbs mainly, and your body is probably not getting anywhere near the recovery it needs from the high intensity workouts.

Take your workout calorie burn from several workouts. At that high level, probably easy 80% is glucose calories, probably closer to 90%. Do you eat that many carb calories before your next workout?

And depending on diet level, if your deficit is too much, your body has barely enough energy to take care of basic metabolism and basic repairs, there won't be enough to actually build new.

This!

If the person was doing HIIT correctly, they would have to have time to recover. True HIIT is brutal and most don't reach that level.