So I started this whole lifting heavy thing because everything I read about weight loss suggested that you might lose muscle while you're losing overall weight. I didn't want that. I wanted to hold onto as much muscle as I could, while losing fat and getting closer to my goal weight. Plus, I was already stuck in a plateau from Thanksgiving to March. I knew I needed to do something different.

Then I got sucked into the "fun" of making all these strength gains. I totally dig it when I can bang out a new weight. I feel badass. I even tried throwing out the scale for 6 weeks. That...was a bad idea. I gained.

But my weight loss results are totally underwhelming, for me. Right when I first started 5 months ago, I shot up around 8 lbs. Today, I'm 2 lbs higher than that. I haven't been able to take off the weight. I take measurements, those haven't really changed. I take pictures, and while yes, overall I'm firmer and look better, I'm still essentially the same size. I haven't really slimmed down. I'm still obese. OBESE. Moderately overweight, I could handle. But not obese.

Here's my question: What if I stopped increasing the weights for a while? Would that be OK? What are the downsides to that? I don't want to quit, but the idea of pushing out heavier and heavier weights with my lack of results is not so exciting anymore. It's like I need a break from lifting, but I don't want to take a break from it. I don't want to disrupt my commitment. I'm afraid I'll have a harder time getting back to it if I stop altogether.

Thanks for letting me unload...

I am in the exact same plateau situation since I started lifting heavy. My measurements are all pretty much the same as they were last October, and I weigh somewhere between 7-10 lbs more. But I look so much better, I feel so much better, and I am so much stronger ... and I know that you are too.

The things that weight training has provided for you are not things that you want to give up. You've added muscle -- embrace your newbie gains and how sexy it is that your body is recomping itself into a much stronger shape. If you're hoping that by not progress your load you'll break your plateau -- I don't think that's the change that you need to make. I've come to the realization that I need to make modifications, too, but we have to make the right ones. Stopping your weight progression is not the right change.

I'm considering changing my lifting schedule to only 2-3 days per week and adding in a day purely dedicated to HIIT (because this is the only cardio I like besides my boxing class). I'm also reeling in my calories a little more.

All of this said, know that you may need to take a week off of lifting. We need that break sometimes ... and it's much better to take a week off than to stop weight progression.

Good luck, Q. I hope you find what works!

I'm considering changing my lifting schedule to only 2-3 days per week and adding in a day purely dedicated to HIIT (because this is the only cardio I like besides my boxing class). I'm also reeling in my calories a little more.

Can you (or anyone) recommend any good HIIT workouts or sites that may offer some?

I just make mine up. I don't think they're exactly HIIT. For instance, yesterday I did 3 rounds of the following: 3 minutes sprint jump rope, the last minute 30 seconds all-out speed, 30 seconds one leg. Followed immediately by 20 jump squats (which was my recovery), followed by 3, 100 foot suicide sprints (a total of 100 yards), followed by 15 push-ups and 50 crunches (recovery). Repeat. 0 or as little rest time as possible between activities. Strict HIIT would be more like, 30 second sprint followed by a 15 second jog, repeat for however long you want. But I find that boring.

I had some gain when I started that it took me a while to shake, and I think it was mostly because I was overeating for a few weeks, I was having a lot of hunger and feeling very IDGAF about it. Have you eliminated that as a possibility? On the flip side -after doing that for a few weeks I battened down the hatches for a few weeks and found it MUCH easier to restrict during that time - I got back down at least to what I had been although I haven't seen a weight below that. So in terms of weight loss, I'm sure you've already got ideas but as you know, food matters.

On the muscle mass maintenance - my understanding is that if you don't continuously increase load you won't get the same amount of benefits of retention, BUT I also don't think it is necessary to increase at the speed that stronglifts indicates. I would suggest trying something like 2 days at the same weight and reps, 2 days at the same weight but add a few reps (1 to each set, or 2, depending on how you feel), 2 more days with a tiny add (since you've got those fractionals, might as well use em). Alternately you could do a program shift. You've been doing this for several months right? If you've passed the 6 month mark I don't think it would be out of line to switch to an intermediate program, even if your weights are not where you'd like them to be yet. Wendler's 5/3/1 includes some higher rep assistance work that I feel has been good for my muscle endurance which is something stronglifts doesn't work on.

I had this exact issue - I started lifting in September 2011 and from that point on my weight loss stalled. I went up and down for teh next 9 months until this past July when I started seeing a nutritionist. I realized, after working with her, that I was eating a bit too much for the amount I was burning in exercise. Weight training just doesn't burn the same calories as cardio. In June I started tracking my weight daily again and watched it rise - averaging 197.5 for the month. I decided to take some time away from lifting, up my cardio, and really focus on the amount and quality of food I'm eating. My weight is down to 191.6 as of yesterday, and I've only dropped my calories by about 200 and upped my exercise calories by 50. I'm still doing resistance training - pushups, planks, and circuit style free weights - so I don't lose the muscle I built, but I'm not doing any barbell work.

I miss it, because I also loved feeling like a badass when I lifted something really heavy, but the weights will still be there when I am at my goal weight. Strangely, what convinced me was the very same article that inspires so many women on here to lift heavy - http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/. In her story, and so many others I have read, all these women lost the weight first, and then added the muscle. I'm sure there are others who've managed to lose through heavy lifting, but it just wasn't happening for me. I'm only 30 pounds away from my goal and I can't wait to get back in the weight room and kick *kitten* again, because now that things are moving again I am confident that I'll get back there soon.

Miss Maggie - the lean gains protocol is generally 16/8 - you do 16 hours fasted (presumably you sleep for 8 of them + an extra 8 hours) and then you do higher carb and higher calories on training day, and higher fat and lower carb on off days. (protein is the same all the time).

He's pretty loose with the protocol - he has some recommendations (ex: larger meal is the first meal on rest days, but the post workout meal on training days) but he tells you to do what works with your schedule and preferences.

He also has mentioned that some women don't do well on 16/8 and they do better on 14/10 (or 15/9 or whatever).

I do IF very loosely - I maintain a longish fasted period - usually 14 hours. I don't really do anything else. I play my calories very loose and easy and just try to keep my protein up.

Something you might try is eating a 20% deficit on off days and 20% surplus on training days, 16/8, rough carb/fat loading.

(check out this calculator to play around with what the calories would looklike, etc http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/)

and - Miss Q - Glad you feel better. Enjoy the hell out of your diet break. And enjoy the increased strength gains while you are eating maintenance - you'll absolutely feel it!