The Last 20, How Did You Do It?

dsjohndrow

The scale has gone down again, yay! But I have gained and lost the same 7 or 8 pounds for about a year. The doc still wants me in wonderland, and I would like to be there too. I run 100 miles a month, I cross-train 1 day a week and lift 2 days, log everything and well, I need to get this done.

What do I have to do!?!?!

dough21

Opening your diary for other to analyze would be a good start.

dsjohndrow

OK, it's public for now. It's always been open to my friends.

TheRealJigsaw

Don't stress it. You have lost 66 Ibs. Keep doing what you have been doing..

dough21

Seems pretty good to me. Try upping your water intake. I consume at least 20 cups a day. It's hard at first but you get used to it. You body can't distinguish between food or water so have a full glass of water first thing in the morning. It'll kick-start your metabolism.

Francl27

Yeah amazing job so far. Maybe I'd try and eat back less of my exercise calories and make sure to stay under goal on days I don't exercise.

dough21

I'm in a similar boat. When I first started out the weight was melting off of me. Now I really have to work at it. Fat is stubborn but so am I.

I'm not giving up!

cedarghost

Seems pretty good to me. Try upping your water intake. I consume at least 20 cups a day. It's hard at first but you get used to it. You body can't distinguish between food or water so have a full glass of water first thing in the morning. It'll kick-start your metabolism.

No. No it won't "kickstart your metabolism" and your body can definitely tell the differencein food and water.
Now. Here are some things you can try to kickstartloss.
1. It may be time for a full diet break. A few weeks eating at maintenance may be the break your body needs right now to reset hormne levels, etc. Try eating at a smaller deficitafter the break. The last pounds are thehardest to lose.
2. Change your exercise routine. Try HIIT for example, if you have never done it. Or try a different lifting program.

dough21

Seems pretty good to me. Try upping your water intake. I consume at least 20 cups a day. It's hard at first but you get used to it. You body can't distinguish between food or water so have a full glass of water first thing in the morning. It'll kick-start your metabolism.

No. No it won't "kickstart your metabolism" and your body can definitely tell the differencein food and water.
Now. Here are some things you can try to kickstartloss.
1. It may be time for a full diet break. A few weeks eating at maintenance may be the break your body needs right now to reset hormne levels, etc. Try eating at a smaller deficitafter the break. The last pounds are thehardest to lose.
2. Change your exercise routine. Try HIIT for example, if you have never done it. Or try a different lifting program.

http://shelitawilliams.com/7-simple-tips-to-jump-start-your-metabolism-for-fast-weight-loss/

Jennnifit

I'd also cut back on the sodium intake and try hard to stay within your daily sodium goal. Too much sodium can cause your body to hold onto water weight longer. Congrats on the 66!

cedarghost

Seems pretty good to me. Try upping your water intake. I consume at least 20 cups a day. It's hard at first but you get used to it. You body can't distinguish between food or water so have a full glass of water first thing in the morning. It'll kick-start your metabolism.

No. No it won't "kickstart your metabolism" and your body can definitely tell the differencein food and water.
Now. Here are some things you can try to kickstartloss.
1. It may be time for a full diet break. A few weeks eating at maintenance may be the break your body needs right now to reset hormne levels, etc. Try eating at a smaller deficitafter the break. The last pounds are thehardest to lose.
2. Change your exercise routine. Try HIIT for example, if you have never done it. Or try a different lifting program.

http://shelitawilliams.com/7-simple-tips-to-jump-start-your-metabolism-for-fast-weight-loss/

Try reading different sources. This is a great place to start if you're interested in really learning.
Sorry, the link didn't post, it's http://www.bodyrecomposition.com

Chieflrg

I'd also cut back on the sodium intake and try hard to stay within your daily sodium goal. Too much sodium can cause your body to hold onto water weight longer. Congrats on the 66!

This is what I noticed making the biggest difference for me. Takes a little work, but when I'm close I lose weight consistently. If my sodium intake is high for the days I eat a ton of calories due to high calories burned, I just make sure to drink a lot more water.

dough21

To each their own.

cedarghost

To each their own.

I can agree to that. You have found something to work for you judging by your pounds lost. It just wasn't drinking water to jump start your metabolism in the morning.
Congratulations on your loss so far!

misssiri

I'm a 5'6" 134lb female. I'm training for my first half marathon right now and I am doing stronglifts 5x5 two days a week. I eat more than you most every day. Have you thought about increasing your food? I think someone else suggested going off the diet all together for a while?

Also, about the drinking of the water. Just another thing you can find conflicting opinions about. I've read drinking too much water can be bad for your metabolism because it lowers your body temperature. Find what works for you. I also don't think sodium is the devil either unless you have a medical reason for keeping your sodium low.

mthr2

Yeah, it looks like you may be eating below your BMR......starvation slow down!

AuntieMC

bump.

haanmom

Have you mixed up your workouts in the last few months? I would suggest changing up your workout routine in some way. I think someone else mentioned HIIT, which would probably help you break through your plateau.

Pkiddy

I like the idea of going "out" of your diet and into maintenance mode. give your body some time off.... i bet if you do two or three weeks of maintenance you will start to see a difference when you go back and make a deficit on the calories. i know, with your heart issues, you are already watching the sodium, so water weight gain is not really an issue. did i mention that you look awesome!

melissanorth35

Let me know when you figure it out!

I have 8lbs to lose and it is driving me nuts. It is so stubborn!

I'm running a half marathon next weekend and I'm convinced this is the problem. After this race, i'm going to ditch the running and focus on Spin classes, some HIIT, and some weight lifting. I think my body is so efficient at this type of cardio that it is having little effect on weight loss. Don't get me wrong, my heart and lungs are rock solid, but I want these last 8lbs GONE and what I'm doing right now is not cutting it!

i know i'm not eating too much. I keep within my calories (and obsessivly weigh everything) I'm not starving myself-I feel satisfied at the end of the day. I think my activity level needs to change.

Brad805

I am in about the same boat. I have lost around 80lb, and would like to drop another 15-20lb yet. The last bits fight harder for sure. I seem to pack on water mass very easily with what was a typical cheat meal once a week (ok, maybe had some appy's with buddies too on Sat). Do you take pictures and measure? You might see some changes that you cannot measure on the scale. I made the claim to my coach that I had made no progress and she pointed out the ab lines that had appeared since my previous sign in.

I snooped through your diary, and you calories sure dip low some days. On those days where you drop down to 1500 how is your mood or energy levels? I tried dropping my daily intake to 1700, and my energy level tanked and my workouts suffered too much, so I added back the 200.

Your protein intake seems to fluctuate and might be a little low depending on what your goal is. Have you thought about trying higher protein and less starch for a week or so?

From your pic I don't imagine your BF level is very high. You look great in your pic, so I wonder how the doc determined the magic number you are seeking.