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Desperate to Get off Weight Loss Plateau

Hello all. I am having a problem continuing to lose weight. I have been working really hard to slim down for about 9 months now. I started at 313 Lbs and I am now at 267 Lbs.
While I am glad I have gotten this far, I have been stuck at this weight for nearly a month and a half now and I am not sure why. I am looking for any advice for those who have been in my shoes to break this plateau.
Here is some basic info about me:
Height: 6'2
Weight: 267 Lbs
Body Type: Stocky
Shoe Size: 12
How many workouts per week: 4-5 times for anywhere from 45 mins to an hour long

Workout Style: I focus on 1-2 muscle groups per day and I usually have two circuits each of which consist of 3-4 exercises for 10-15 reps followed by some form of cardio (jump rope, elliptical, treadmill, etc) for a minute or so and I do the exercises followed by cardio I just mentioned usually 3-4 times and thats the definition of the circuit. Here is an example of My leg day workout:

4 Min Treadmill walk/warmup to get the blood flowing followed by about 4 minutes of leg and back stretches

Circuit 1:
-90 degree barbell squat with one plate on each side for 10 reps
-Jump Rope for 1 minute
-Deep Body weight lunges for 1 Minute
-Repeat the above 4 times

Circuit 2:
-Leg Extensions with about 130 Lbs for 15 Reps
-Laydown Leg curls with about 100 Lbs for 15 Reps
-Weighted Calf Raises with about 100 Lbs for 12-15 reps
-Body Weight Calf Raises for 12-15 reps
-Repeat the above 4 times

4 Minute walk at 3.5 mph at 10% incline to warmdown

End of Workout ~55 minutes

This is the general outline for all of my workouts. I do Legs on day 1, Chest/Back/Abs on day 2, shoulders on day 3, Bis/Tris on day 4, and Legs again on day 5 followed by a day of rest or two days of rest occassionally if I end on a weekend.
My goal in my workouts is to get my sweat on and keep my heartrate between 150 and 160 bpm hence the cardio stuck throughout my circuits. I do alot of reps/sets, so I keep the weight pretty light.

My nutrition outline which I followed literally everyday almost. Every once in awhile I will trade a lunch or dinner for a subway sandwich (~750-900 calories).

Cal Carb Sodium Protein Time Food
240 6 173.33 48 After Workout: around 6:15am Protein (2 scoops) Optimum Nutrition Whey Double Rich Chocolate
460 76 1 18 Before lunch: around 9:30am Kashi Go Lean Crunch (2 Cups w/ 1 Cup Almond Milk Vanilla Unsweetened)

316.5 0 132 60 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Chicken (Deck of Cards = 6 oz)
25 6 290 0 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Ketchup (2Tblspn)
78 15 30 9 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Frozen Brocolli (1.5 Cup)
70 12 132 3.6 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Slice Wheat Bread
80 22 0 1 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Pineapple (1 Cup)
50 12 2 1 LunchTime: Around 12:30pm Strawberries (1 Cup ~8)

422 0 176 80 Dinner Time: Around 5:00pm Chicken (Deck of Cards = 8 oz)
25 6 290 0 Dinner Time: Around 5:00pm Ketchup (2Tblspn)
177 36 96 8 Dinner Time: Around 5:00pm Frozen Brocolli (1.5 Cup Cooked)
50 12 2 1 Dinner Time: Around 5:00pm Strawberries (1 Cup ~8)

1993.5 203 1324.333333 229.6 Total

I drink a gallon of water almost everyday as well.
The only deviation from this is I will occassional have a granola bar or pickles for a snack between lunch and dinner if I get a craving.
I cook almost everything I eat and I only season my chicken. The ketchup is for flavor, clean eating can get pretty bland.

I have some ideas about why I am stuck, but I am not sure if they hold any merit, here are my questions?

Am I eating too much, too little?
Should I restrict my food intake into an 8 hour window (Intermittent fasting)?
Should I skip breakfast? (9:30 meal - see above) (I read conflicting information about this)
Is there something in my diet that points to a slow down?
Are my workouts not cardio intensive enough? Heavy enough?
Am I not pushing hard enough? (I don't kill myself at the gym, but I feel like I get a good workout in usually)

Here is my usual workday:
4:20am - Wakeup and put shoes on (As I sleep in my workout clothes because I am a slow zombie in the morning)
4:25am - Take my preworkout and eat a banana (I don't eat a banana every workout but I do take my pre everytime - Cellucor 4 Fruit Punch)
4:30am - Drive to gym
5:00am - Wrap shins with ace bandages and begin workout (I get shin splints easy, this helps avoid them)
5:55am - Take shower and drink 2 scoops of protein
6:15am - Drive to work
6:45am - Brush teeth and gel hair at work bathroom and begin working
9:30am - Eat Kashi cereal as noted above
12:00pm - Eat lunch as noted above (I usually half 1/2 gallon of water down by now)
3:45pm - Leave work and go home
4:45pm - Prepare dinner if not already done and eat as noted above (I try to prepare my meals two days in advance)
8:30pm - Go to bed once my workout bag is prepared, preworkout set out, and workout clothes put on

I have tried to included everything I can think of so you get a full picture of my situation.
Any and all constructive, well thought out, and well supported statements are welcome.

Thank you very much.

P.S. My job is sedentary (desk job) as a programmer for an aerospace company in Arlington, TX
Also, I take vitamin D, Fish Oil, Optimen Multivitamin, and Torrid ECA Stacker (every other day) 5 times a week

Replies

  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Overestimating exercise burns / underestimating calorie intake. This is the standard explanation.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Overestimating exercise burns / underestimating calorie intake. This is the standard explanation.

    QFT

    It would be better to just open your diary because that makes it easier for people to target where you are going wrong. As you drop in size (looks like you have lost 40-50 lbs already) your room to create a deficit shrinks so you have to get more and more vigilant. How are you tracking your burns. Make sure you weigh all of your food on a food scale.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    and just to add your body adapts to the same thing every day. Vary it some. Swap out blueberries for strawberries. Try special K high protein cereal for kasha.
    Take a walk or swim one day vs circuits.
    Our bodies are made for variety.

    pS and take some time to hang with friends
  • bobbyguns
    bobbyguns Posts: 33
    I'll probably get blasted for this, but oh well. Eating only 1993 calories at 267lbs may be not enough, especially with the amount of areobic exercise you're currently doing. If your calculations are accurate regarding intake and expenditure, you may be experiencing metabolic slowdown, or more spefifically, "metabolic adaptation". At your weight, you're eating less than 8 calories per pound of BW. That's VERY low.
    I would aim for a weekly deficit that will allow you to lose .5% to no more than 1% of your BW. So, that would be 1.3 lbs on the low end, to about 2.6 maximum. That equates to a weekly deficit range of 5845-9345 calories, which comes to only a 650-1335 daily deficit. I dont know what your maintenance is, but based on your job (sedentary) and your activity level it could be somehwere around 3600-3700 cals per day. On the very low end, you would eat about 2450 cals/day to achieve a 1% weekly loss. To lose .5% (1.3/wk) you could eat almost 3000/day and still lose consistently. So the 1993 cals/day seems kinda low to me.

    If you're resistant to increasing your daily intake, a weekly refeed of primarily carbohydrates may help re-stimulate fat loss. Bring your carbs up to somewhere between 1.5-2.5 times your current level, while keeping the fat low and protein static.
    Also, if you've been dieting hard for a long time, it may just be time for a break. Take 2 weeks, eat at maintenance and let your body recover from all the dieting. It places a large amount of stress on your body and your metabolism- specifically certain hormones- and is definitely in need of an uptick. Best of luck to you....
  • Sent you a PM
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    and just to add your body adapts to the same thing every day. Vary it some. Swap out blueberries for strawberries. Try special K high protein cereal for kasha.
    Take a walk or swim one day vs circuits.
    Our bodies are made for variety.

    pS and take some time to hang with friends

    No...

    OP open your diary...chances are you are under estimating your intake and/or over estimating burns