Plateau - That Dreaded Phase

ShifuYaku
ShifuYaku Posts: 504 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, I see there are some posts out there about plateaus. I am in a pickle myself, and am needing some advice.

My daily caloric intake is 1800. I work out when I can... I know I could do more. But the thing is, I have been at a plateau for 2 months now, fluctuating between 186 and 184. My question is, what more can I do while I'm at the gym to burn calories faster? Lifting doesn't burn, it only increases muscle so that your body will burn while not working out, I know this. I do cardio and lifting. However, I don't think it's enough. I usually only have 30 to 40 minutes a day to work out, and hardly ever more.

What sort of exercises are fast calorie burners? What foods should I be eating more of? I don't think I'm getting enough nutrients, as well.

Thanks! :)

Replies

  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Have you tried HiiT in your carido?

    High Intesnsity Interval Training. basically it's like runing sprints at intervals throughout your workout. I do it on the elliptical. Go normal speed for a minute or so then kick it up to a crazy speed or for a bit then back to normal...backa nd forth. I'm sure you could find specifics on how long to do each segment.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    You're wrong, lifting does burn calories!! I am a proponent for doing more in less time. I also don't have hours to sit at the gym (nor would I want to be there that long) so I do workouts that are intense for shorter periods of time and I've had great success!!!

    2-3 times a week I do HIIT cardio on the treadmill for 20 minutes, sprinting/jogging. I am wiped out after that and I burn around 200 calories.

    2 different times a week I do a weights circuit, lifting as heavy as I can with minimal rest between exercises.Try it out! It takes about 30 minutes and you'll feel the burn. Obviously this isn't lifting to build muscle, it is more of a cardio circuit w/ a twist. It beats traditional cardio!

    2-3 rounds (I do 3)

    30 step ups w/ dumbbells (I use 20lb dbs in each hand)
    20 planks w/ donkey kicks
    20 glute bridges
    30 walking lunges (I use 15lb dbs in each hand)
    15 dips on bench
    20 kettlebell (or dumbbell) swings (I use 25lbs - 1 db)
    50 situps on exercise ball
    15 sitting pulley rows or bent over rows (I use 45lbs)
    15 deadlifts w/ dumbbells (I use 25lb dbs in each hand)
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    First, any action burns calories... that includes lifting. It's just that lifting has the two-fold benefit of burning calories in the moment and later because your muscles are bigger.

    Second, I hovered around the same weight for months now. I recently recalculated my RMR based on NROFLW's formula and determined that my RMR had dropped by 70 calories and my TDEE had dropped by 80 calories. So I shaved 100 calories off my daily goal. Suddenly, I blasted right through my plateau.

    Also, I resolved to stop weighing in weekly and only weigh in monthly. I think that relieved some performance anxiety that I had about actually making the scale move, and as a result, I think I could be producing less cortisol because of it.

    Just some things to think about. Take a look at your BMR, RMR, and TDEE in relationship to your current calorie goal. Your deficit should only be around 10% to 20% of your daily intake if you have less than 50 lbs to lose.
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
    Have you tried HiiT in your carido?

    High Intesnsity Interval Training. basically it's like runing sprints at intervals throughout your workout. I do it on the elliptical. Go normal speed for a minute or so then kick it up to a crazy speed or for a bit then back to normal...backa nd forth. I'm sure you could find specifics on how long to do each segment.

    Yep, this! Also consider circuit training.
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
    Like others said, lifting DOES burn calories.

    If it were ME, I'd cut a couple hundred calories and just keep doing the exercise you already are.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    1. You say your intake is around 1800 but your diary shows you at 500 to 1000
    2. Given what you are reporting (in your diary) you are NOT eating enough at all... AT ALL... a 5 year old needs more than that.

    My immediate guess would be that due to you eating so incredibly little (anorexia level) and throwing on daily exercise, that your body is doing everything it can to protect itself.

    Most likely your cortisol levels have been elevated for a significant amount of time (which will prevent fat loss). So, you need a break. Take it easy at the gym for a week and up your calorie intake to maintenance for a while. Basically your body has adapted to what you are doing. You theoretically COULD power through it by going harder and faster, but that will not restore your original hormone balance, so it'll continue to get more and more difficult. Once you restore your hormone balance and your body gets used to being back at a normal state (maintenance, not gain), then you can return to eating a BIT less and doing your exercise and it should come off.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    HIIT workouts my friend. :)
  • mulderpf
    mulderpf Posts: 209 Member
    How many calories are you really putting in? As DanaDark said, looking at your calories, you are either not reporting it, or eating WAY too little. But my guess is that you aren't logging anything as there are several days with nothing logged. How can you be sure how much you put in over these days?
  • Wpbarr
    Wpbarr Posts: 142 Member
    Circuit training ..
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    1. You say your intake is around 1800 but your diary shows you at 500 to 1000
    2. Given what you are reporting (in your diary) you are NOT eating enough at all... AT ALL... a 5 year old needs more than that.

    My immediate guess would be that due to you eating so incredibly little (anorexia level) and throwing on daily exercise, that your body is doing everything it can to protect itself.


    ^^^^^^ THIS.

    If you are tracking all of your food, you are not eating enough at all. Also, your protein level is very low. You should eat at least 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass (you can calcualte your body fat percentage to get this number).
  • ShifuYaku
    ShifuYaku Posts: 504 Member
    Yeah, you guys are right, I don't log all my food, but from mental calculations of my food, I usually figure my ending caloric intake at the end of the day, it's probably around 1400.
  • summerfool
    summerfool Posts: 72 Member
    bump
  • Casey45
    Casey45 Posts: 160 Member
    Yeah, you guys are right, I don't log all my food, but from mental calculations of my food, I usually figure my ending caloric intake at the end of the day, it's probably around 1400.

    Given this, I'd guess you are underestimating your caloric intake. Log every bite - and measure/weigh everything you eat.
  • RandiJP
    RandiJP Posts: 7 Member
    You're wrong, lifting does burn calories!! I am a proponent for doing more in less time. I also don't have hours to sit at the gym (nor would I want to be there that long) so I do workouts that are intense for shorter periods of time and I've had great success!!!

    2-3 times a week I do HIIT cardio on the treadmill for 20 minutes, sprinting/jogging. I am wiped out after that and I burn around 200 calories.

    2 different times a week I do a weights circuit, lifting as heavy as I can with minimal rest between exercises.Try it out! It takes about 30 minutes and you'll feel the burn. Obviously this isn't lifting to build muscle, it is more of a cardio circuit w/ a twist. It beats traditional cardio!

    2-3 rounds (I do 3)

    30 step ups w/ dumbbells (I use 20lb dbs in each hand)
    20 planks w/ donkey kicks
    20 glute bridges
    30 walking lunges (I use 15lb dbs in each hand)
    15 dips on bench
    20 kettlebell (or dumbbell) swings (I use 25lbs - 1 db)
    50 situps on exercise ball
    15 sitting pulley rows or bent over rows (I use 45lbs)
    15 deadlifts w/ dumbbells (I use 25lb dbs in each hand)

    Thanks for such a specific workout! I've just put this into my iPod and am going to crank it today!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    If you're not logging you probably are over-eating. That's what causes almost all plateus.

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