hmph...should i stop working out?

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kcallas88
kcallas88 Posts: 192
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have lost 15lbs since July. Lost 8lbs June-July, then stopped working out and maintained weight until October. Started working out again mid-october and lost another 7lbs between mid-october and mid-december. Since mid-december I have stayed within the same 2lbs (128-132). So I can safely assume at this point I have plateaued, and i realize that it is completely normal.

About a month ago, i tried upping my calories from 1200 to 1600-1700 calories per day. I drink probably close to 100oz of water a day (i love water with crystal light!!)

I'm considering taking a break from working out. Does this sound like a good idea? Any other ideas to help me??

Slightly frustrated and open to anything!
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Replies

  • quara
    quara Posts: 255 Member
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    So you're trying to lose more weight? I wouldn't stop working out - there are so many benefits to working out than just losing weight. Depending on the types of exercises you're doing, you may be changing the shape of your body, but not seeing the numbers on the scale change. Are you taking measurements too? :)
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    If by break you mean a few days then maybe.

    If you have been doing the same workout routine your body has likely adapted. I think a complete change in your routine is likely to have much better benefit than stopping working out.

    You may also have some luck trying intermittent fasting or adding a spike day to try to get you off the plateau
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Working out is very good for your overall health, so I doubt anyone would recommend quitting.

    For weight loss purposes, try switching up your work out. Do you do cardio or weights? Try the other for awhile. If you do both, switch the ratios.

    Or just try a completely new exercise - just using new muscles can often jump start your body again.
  • kimmiedunne
    kimmiedunne Posts: 82 Member
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    I stopped working out about a week ago - my body was starting to yell at me so I decided to give it a break. I have been pushing myself so hard lately (to look great in a wedding dress in April!) and so I am giving myself a break. I want to lose another 5 pounds before the first dress fitting and and I lost a pound last week so as long as you still stay within your calorie limits, you can lose weight without exercising. Not that you should give it up completely, but taking a break isn't a bad thing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    What do you do for your workouts? If you've been hitting the weight room hard since October it is quite possible that you are displacing fat with lean body mass....to which you wouldn't see a lot of scale movement, but you should see changes in your measurements.

    If you're doing a ton of cardio, it's possible that you are creating too large a deficit if you aren't netting to your caloric goal (ie fueling that exercise) and your metabolism is slowing.

    Maybe rather than stopping your workouts, mix it up a bit...if you're not weight training, start...if you're doing tons and tons of cardio, dial it back to 30 minutes of intense cardio 3x weekly. Exercise is good for your overall fitness, heart, and strength so I wouldn't stop it.

    Also, it looks like you have just under 10 Lbs to go...it gets pretty tough to lose the closer you get to goal weight...the body naturally wants to hold on to fat stores at a certain point. I plan to go to .5 Lbs per week when I'm within 10 Lbs...I have a buddy who tried to continue with 1 Lb per week when he was in range and his body just wouldn't do it...but his body did find .5 Lbs per week to be acceptable loss when he was that close.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Just seconding what others have said. There are so many benefits to working out aside from weight loss. If you've plateaued, the first place to check is your diet (you can always eat your way through any amount of exercise). And if you've gotten into too much of a routine, it's time for changing it up. Running? go farther (longer time, or faster speed). Videos? time for a new one or two - check with the library, it's a good source for free checkouts. Or completely change what you're doing - bike instead of running, try Zumba instead of Jillian Michaels, etc. I hope that makes sense!

    And don't forget to take measurements! The scale is a fickle beast, and there are a lot of things that can make it not move when we've really made progress. Measurements (and before & after pictures) give a much better picture!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    this is like asking if you should stop brushing your teeth.
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
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    Thank you for all the feedback!

    I started off doing cardio 4-5 days a week on varying machines like elliptical and the bike and rarely the treadmill. About a month ago I started doing p90x weight training disks and have seen differences :) however I'm feeling burnt out and discouraged and I wonder if my body needs a break to readjust its metabolism.

    Ill eat my BMR during it though
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
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    this is like asking if you should stop brushing your teeth.


    I agree. I think that everyone should exercise for the health benefits regardless of weight goals. I would try eating at maintenance calories for a month (plus a bit more if you do exercise a whole lot), and then try again. Don't let the calorie deficit be too large, though.
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    do less cardio and add some weights
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    If you're feeling burned out then maybe try new routines, decrease your intensity, or cut back on number of days per week. But exercise is something that is going to be important to your over-all health for your whole life, especially as you age and your body begins to change. If you don't exercise for years (or ever) until you're 50 and then suddenly realize that you need to be doing it...it's going to be hard to get into the habit. Keep the habit going. Just change the way you do things. You don't have to work out like a maniac at a super high intensity all the time. Even taking walks every other day can be beneficial.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    this is like asking if you should stop brushing your teeth.

    I like that.
  • surfergirl1970
    surfergirl1970 Posts: 13
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    You should be taking a week off for every 6-8 weeks of strenuous exercise, and each week should have at least one rest day and one day of active rest, like stretching or yoga. But don't stop altogether -- it's so good for you in so many ways!!
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Remember his is a lifestyle. You need to whatever it is that you are going to do for a lifetime.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Also, and I don't know your height...but you would seem to be at an already healthy weight. This also makes losing more that much difficult. If you are truly at a healthy weight, definitely start picking up heavy things and putting them down....weight training is the only way to change your body composition; it would seem to me that body composition is the real issue here, not necessarily weight.
  • kramalicious
    kramalicious Posts: 143
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    Agree with what naomi said. Maybe you just need to change it up.
    I did cardio and weights for months, was having good weight loss. I got sick and had to stop for a while. When I started back, I just felt out of sync.
    So, I added some other things to focus on, doing yoga and core work. Yoga done correctly is more of a workout than you would think, as you know from the P90X Try a class done at a slow pace, or a spin class, or just get a bike and ride!. Dance classes such as Zumba are fun and can be challenging too.
    This helped a lot and now I am ready to go back to my usual .Maybe this will help you too, changing it up.

    You have done a great job! Just switch it up to give yourself new challenges. Doing P90 x is a real accomplishment, so give yourself credit.
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
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    Thanks everyone :)

    p90x yoga is definitely challenging...i agree...definitely changed my opinion of yoga.

    I'm 5'2"...130lbs...the lowest i've ever been since high school was 127. I think im at a weight good for myself and I agree with the fact its probably body composition that i need to be working on at this point.

    I also guess i should of been cleaner when i said stop working out...i meant give it a break for a week(or as long as I can mentally stand to go without working out...)

    My BMR for a sedentary lifestyle is around 1330...so id maintain that for a week or so...and then start back up...shorter cardio sessions 2-3x a week and 3-4 strength sessions a week (and by strength i really mean p90x yoga, or weight discs, or core plyo...)
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
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    So you're trying to lose more weight? I wouldn't stop working out - there are so many benefits to working out than just losing weight. Depending on the types of exercises you're doing, you may be changing the shape of your body, but not seeing the numbers on the scale change. Are you taking measurements too? :)

    Yes, I amtaking measurements. Not really changing at all. Which is why im considering laying off for a week since i've been going hard for 12weeks.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    To me, exercise is much more than just controlling your weight. It is vital for heart health, joint function, muscle tone, and bone mass. If you lose those things in your youth, you can not get them back in your old age. My grandmother shrunk 5 inches after age 70. My mom stopped exercising in her early 40s.. now in her late 60s she is having bone loss, loss of flexibility, loss of rangle of motion in her joints, and other things. I watched my mother-in-law develop a hunched back that was a direct result of a lack of muscle tone in her back muscles. You can't stop time, but you can control how you experience it.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    And i just saw that you meant just a week or two of taking a break. LOL Ooops.

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