Stymied and frustrated-need experts help!

stormieweather

So, I've been eating healthy, working out, logging calories since June. I also quit smoking the end of May.

Prior to this new "lifestyle", I was on a perpetual "diet" of lowfat foods and deprivation, trying to lose 30 pounds of pregnancy weight. For 4 years, I ate as little as possible with a few glaring exceptions (eating out binges, sugar-loaded SoBe's, fast food Friday's). I probably ate an average of 600-700 calories on my deprivation days and god only knows how much once I was ready to keel over. I didn't lose anything, and slowly gained a few pounds over the years.

I've learned about making better choices and now eat lean beef, chicken, shrimp occasionally, loads of raw and cooked veggies, the rare brown rice and pasta, and whole grain breads/pita/tortillas now and then. Fruit is more of a dessert lately. I still include good fats such as olive oil and almonds. I eat 6 times a day, including a large breakfast. I track Calories/Carbs/Fat/Protein/Sodium/Sugar. I've read and studied and searched for information from here, bodybuilding.com, the JN (Journal of Nutrition), the Mayo clinic, and tons of other resources.

I work out 3 times a week, and include a weight lifting regimen followed by a varied cardio routine - sometimes elliptical, sometimes stationary bike, sometimes rowing, sometimes combination. Always with the intent of stressing my body in new ways. I've seen a marked improvement in my conditioning, my endurance and my strength (and visible muscles).

Now....I've been struggling to find my optimum calorie deficit. I gradually increased my calories to a steady 1400 or so, which is 500 less than what I've guesstimated my maintenance to be. I slowly lost weight, at an uneven rate, but averaging 1 pound a week, until 2 months ago - 08/26.

Then it stopped. Cold.

I tried changing macro ratios by increasing carbs and reducing protein. Nada.
So I reversed it. Nada.
I tried eating no carbs after 5 pm. Nada.
I tried zig zagging. Nada.

Beginning a week ago, I slowly increased my calories (by 125-150 per day) to get to maintenance (1900 calories), which I've been eating for the last couple of days. I've also not done any cardio or weight lifting since I started the refeed. The plan is to eat at maintenance one more day, tomorrow, and then abruptly drop back down to 1400 calories and get back in the gym, and see if I can shock my system into losing weight. The extra calories have been my normal "healthy" foods, no junk "cheat" type stuff.

The weird thing is that my weight has not changed since doing any of this. Not even one half of a pound, either up or down. It did drop down once, but bounced back up the next day and stayed there. It is exactly the same as it was two months ago. My measuring tape is stuck too. No changes in my measurements in over a month. My clothes fit the same. I am not at a healthy weight yet. I am 5'5" and weigh 162 pounds. My BF% is around 31% and I could comfortably lose 30 pounds.

I cannot run due to arthritis and joint pain and I can't squeeze more than 3 nights at the gym (two jobs, three children, multiple extracurricular activities). So my question is, what else can I do to break this plateau?

SHBoss1673

give maintenance a few weeks, let your body get used to eating that much, and then drop it by around 400 or so and give that a few weeks. Your body is probably exhausted from all the change .

Good work by the way, don't get frustrated, it happens to all of us, sometimes you just need to give yourself a break and let your body do it's thing.

BrendaLee

I notice steady weight loss when I work out at least 5 days/ week, and better when I work out 6 or 7 times a week- by workout, I mean cardio. I think you're only doing cardio 3 times/ week, right? Try upping that to 5 or 6 workouts/ week if you can. Oddly, I also see better weight loss when I have the occasional (very) high calorie day.

stormieweather

give maintenance a few weeks, let your body get used to eating that much, and then drop it by around 400 or so and give that a few weeks. Your body is probably exhausted from all the change .

Good work by the way, don't get frustrated, it happens to all of us, sometimes you just need to give yourself a break and let your body do it's thing.

I can do a couple of weeks, sure. I don't want to go that long without working out though, so am going to go back to the gym tomorrow.

stormieweather

I notice steady weight loss when I work out at least 5 days/ week, and better when I work out 6 or 7 times a week- by workout, I mean cardio. I think you're only doing cardio 3 times/ week, right? Try upping that to 5 or 6 workouts/ week if you can. Oddly, I also see better weight loss when I have the occasional (very) high calorie day.

There is no way I can spare that much time at the gym. I can increase my current workouts by 20-25 mins at most. There has to be a way to do this without completely disregarding the other demands on my time. I can only stretch myself so far without neglecting family and employer(s) and house. The stress of trying to juggle it all outweighs any benefit so I am determined that anything in my life must be in moderation or not at all.

BrendaLee

I notice steady weight loss when I work out at least 5 days/ week, and better when I work out 6 or 7 times a week- by workout, I mean cardio. I think you're only doing cardio 3 times/ week, right? Try upping that to 5 or 6 workouts/ week if you can. Oddly, I also see better weight loss when I have the occasional (very) high calorie day.

There is no way I can spare that much time at the gym. I can increase my current workouts by 20-25 mins at most. There has to be a way to do this without completely disregarding the other demands on my time. I can only stretch myself so far without neglecting family and employer(s) and house. The stress of trying to juggle it all outweighs any benefit so I am determined that anything in my life must be in moderation or not at all.

I guess it's easier for me because I don't have to go to the gym- I workout at home, and do my workouts before bed. Sometimes I assume that everyone's in the same boat as I am.

annhjk

could you go for a walk (even 10) min during your lunch or other break (s)? Could you sneak something in - even if it's sitting on an exercise ball at work - or standing as much as possible? How are you at drinking water? Have you tried swimming (I don't know if your gym has a pool)? Or water aerobics? What about delegating some responsiblity to other family members?

Sorry, I'm just rambling ideas. I'm not a great one to talk - I've been stuck within 5 -8 lbs for a long time. The only thing that's helping me now is cutting out all sugar (I still do diet pop though).

stormieweather

could you go for a walk (even 10) min during your lunch or other break (s)? Could you sneak something in - even if it's sitting on an exercise ball at work - or standing as much as possible? How are you at drinking water? Have you tried swimming (I don't know if your gym has a pool)? Or water aerobics? What about delegating some responsiblity to other family members?

Sorry, I'm just rambling ideas. I'm not a great one to talk - I've been stuck within 5 -8 lbs for a long time. The only thing that's helping me now is cutting out all sugar (I still do diet pop though).

Thanks for the suggestions! A 10 min walk during lunch in Florida during 95 degree heat means a stinky, sweaty employee :noway: . I drink a minimum of 64 oz of water a day, ice cold. I eat spicy foods to try to increase my metabolism. My gym does have a pool, but its divided into sections, two for classes and 3 lap lanes which I've never yet seen available (ie: always in use).

I think my body is just compensating for whatever I throw at it. I've probably mistreated it for so long that it's quite accustomed to reacting and dealing with whatever.

A lot of people in bodybuilding say that to get that last bit of fat off, you refeed a day or so, then deficit, then refeed, then deficit, all while working out hard, so that's what I'll try. Keep going back to maintenance, then dropping down for a while, then back up...maybe it will work?