Plateau and Cycling Calories

michelle19na1
michelle19na1 Posts: 20
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
I just need some advice on the plateau issue. I have been the same weight...194-195 for almost 3wks this saturday. I know it may not be a true plateau but it sure seems to me! I have currently lost 30lbs and right around 20inches total. In the past 2wks i have lost 5.5in, so I know I am losing but the scale isn't budging! I work out 6days a week; everyday I do 45min of cardio and at least a 30min routine(legs/arm and ab) plus sometimes do some weight training. I burn anywhere from 600-1000 calories a day from exercising, and I hardly ever eat my exercise cals back I was consuming 1500cal/day per request of my trainer for 2wks to see if it would work...and it has not! So therefore I have researched a little on calorie cycling and have started that this week. Has anyone done this zig zag calorie thing and is it effective? Do I need to return to the 1500cal/day after a week or so? Do I need to increase or cut back my exercise? Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated! I am just tired of feeling like I am stuck when I have another 47lbs to go for my goal wt!

Replies

  • Kammii
    Kammii Posts: 4
    Your body is keeping every calorie you eat. You need to make your body understand that you don't need all the calories that it is saving. So I think the idea of cycling calories can be good for you.

    Anyway, just my humble opinion...
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    How do you know you are burning so many calories from exercise? I mean- 600 to 1000 seems like a whole lot to me. That's based on what analysis? Are you sure it's correct?
  • RosaileenB
    RosaileenB Posts: 49 Member
    What kind of exercise are you doing? What kind of cardio? Are you doing the same thing? How much weight lifting are you doing? Are you increasing your weight? You are losing inches but you have to realize that you are gaining muscle at the same time, one of the reasons why the number on the scale doesn't change.
  • michelle19na1
    michelle19na1 Posts: 20
    I get my calories burned from MFP or the equipment I am using ( I use my own heart rate monitor). So it could be very well wrong, but I know that I burn quite a bit, I literally drip sweat! Even if I burn 500, my net cals are still always around 1000. So should I eat my exercise cals back?
  • tanniew78
    tanniew78 Posts: 602 Member
    I calorie cycle and have had a ton of success. Im not going to venture its scientifically proven because I havent researched it. However, I do use this method and have since the beginning and average around a 5 lb loss a week...

    My disclaimer: What works for me, may not work for you AND this is MY experience thus far... NOT fact or medical/scientific opinion
  • michelle19na1
    michelle19na1 Posts: 20
    My cardio consists of doing 45 min on the treadmill at a 3.5-5incline at 3.5-4mph. And I am switching it up this week, example I jogged a mile, elliptical, incline of 10...My routine before was pretty much the same thing everyday I have to admit. Free weights I use 10-15#. Machines vary.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    the body is constantly trying to find the easy way out, it does not care what you are doing at some point in time it will find a way to strike the balance it wants, so you need to trick it or tweak it rather. Look at your weekly cal count and that is the figure you want to match at the end of the week, cycle them up or down usually up on workout days and down on off days to promote energy and recovery on the days you need it keeping it above 1200 net for a day. Without seeing your diary I can not really offer you any things specific to you that may help but I do recommend the following;
    1) eat 30g of protein within 30 mins of waking
    2) try for 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight if you are training hard
    3) get measurements as the scale is the greasy car salesman of the weight loss world, muscle gain will offset some fat loss or
    even show a 0 loss/gain in some cases.
    4) Eat clean for real fat loss, nourishing the body will automatically trigger fat loss as the body is getting what it needs and consequently will not need the fat stores and it will shed them and get your metabolism working for you and not against you.
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
    Stop exercising for 7 days, go to maintenance calories. Then start again.

    Proper rest periods are so essential. Your body needs the recovery time and your metabolism will be like WTF just happened?

    Its worked for me on two separate occasions.

    I also work out 6 days a week. HIIT cardio one day. Strength training the next. I generally don't eat all my exercise calories BUT I make sure to never go below 900 net calories and never have 2 of those low low net calorie days in a row. 900-1000 one day. 1400 the next. Taking a rest week every 6-8 weeks and eating 1700-2000 calories per day with no exercise during that rest period.

    At the end of the day if I'm ravenous and have been faithfully working out, I'll eat. I've been spending more attention to making my WEEKLY calorie goal rather than daily. I have lost 15 lbs in the last 90 days. 56 lbs total in 9 months.

    Its just what works for me... might not work for you but one solution is to rest recover and EAT.

    good luck :heart:
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    It sounds like you are doing everything right! I don't think adding calorie cycling would hurt- as long as you keep your weekly total the same. IDK how accurate the calories burned from exercise are. I personally don't trust HR monitors- there are a lot of things that affect heart rate that have nothing to do with how hard you are exercising- but it gives you an idea. Keep up the good work and be patient!
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    You might try changing things up - if you do the same exercise routine and eat the same amount of calories, your body adjusts and you need to snap it out of that equilibrium. Try a different gym routine - maybe throw in an aerobics class, or a cycling/spinning class, or even yoga, just for something different. Or try interval workouts. At the gym I go to they say you have to change things up every 6-8 weeks to keep your body off balance. And I find sometimes I'll start losing again after I go out and indulge myself with a dinner out, or a decadent desert (or both) - probably the same principle as calorie cycling.
  • dinahmite425
    dinahmite425 Posts: 9
    YOU NEED MORE WEIGHT TRAINING CARDIO WILL NEVER TOTALLY GET YOU THERE YOU HAVE TO LIFT WTS TRY BUYING CHALEAN EXTREME IT WILL GET YOU THERE
  • dinahmite425
    dinahmite425 Posts: 9
    INVEST IN THE BODYBUGG IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR REALLY BURNING WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO BE EATING ETC IT IS THE REAL SCIENTIFIC SOULTION IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE VALENTINES IVE BEEN 163 THIS JUST LAST WEEK I GOT TO 160-161 SO IM REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE IT FOR MY SELF ALSO
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    I'm not in the same boat, I've only got a few pounds to lose. However, my goal for each day is set at 1250 as my BMR is 1248, once I add in my exercise, it usually goes up to around 1880, today it was 2000. I always eat my exercise calories back so that I'm at a net of 1250 which means that's how many calories my body has at the end of the day to absorb and use for functioning and such. Last week I weighed in at 120-121, this morning I weighed in at 117.8. It took me a long while to realize I needed to eat more due to the amount I was working out. I also eat as clean as possible, all natural foods, most all of my sugar comes from fruit instead of processed foods. I also drink lots of water to flush out excess water as well as toxins and sodium. Calories, how many to eat or not eat, how much to exercise, it's all a tricky mistress you have to just work with to figure out what works for you.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    I cycle my calories, but on a daily basis. One day is 2200 the next 1700 the next 2000 so that my average for the week is 3500 below maintenance. Personally I wouldn't cut back for a week then up for a week. Stick with the 1500 a day but have 1700 one day and 1300 another so that it averages out.

    If you have the iPod / iPhone app it's awesome for keeping track of the week.

    Also if you're still losing inches but the scale isn't moving, you can keep doing what you're doing now with no change and in a week or 2 you'll drop 4 lbs over night. At least that's what I do. :-P
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    So should I eat my exercise cals back?

    Yes! Yes! Yes!

    Your body needs fuel, especially when you work it that hard.
  • michelle19na1
    michelle19na1 Posts: 20
    Thank You Everyone! I will post how this goes in a week or two!
  • michelle19na1
    michelle19na1 Posts: 20
    I started cycling at around 195 and am officially down to 192.5 in one week! I am so excited!
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Congrats! Just curioua did you change anything else or just your daily totals??
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