How to break a plateau? Any and all suggestions are welcome! Please!

astrose00 wrote: »

Selena125t wrote: »

prattiger65 wrote: »

Selena125t wrote: »

astrose00 wrote: »

Oops, one more thing, lol. Years ago, I lost a good amount of weight. I noticed that the scale would move mostly after my rest days. I was working out like a maniac everyday and wasn't allowing myself recovery time. Then I voluntarily skipped a few workouts because I was exhausted, and the scale started moving. Sleep and rest are really important to weight loss and muscle recovery. With the right combo of rest, water, CICO, I think you will start moving again...

You know this made me think for a minute...I went on a cleanse about 3 months ago and during the 2 weeks I worked out 6 days per week. Now this cleanse coupled with exercise was supposed to help me lose a minimum of 5 pounds in these 2 weeks and guess what the day I weighed in (which happened to be right after my second 6 day stretch) I had lost 1 pound since the start of the cleanse. However, I weighed myself every morning for a few mornings after an I lost about 1-2 pounds every day for the next 3 days and I wasn't exercising.

Now, I have upped the amount of weight I lift recently, since the beginning of the month I am lifting 5 pounds more each dumbbell for a combined weight of 10 extra pounds, it's kicking my *kitten* but I know heavier weights will help me continue to build muscle, so it's possible that I have some lactic acid build up. Plus the increase in running may make my body hold on to everything, and I'm going to keep at it, but God Almighty is it hard to keep going when it seems like it's not working.

You are not building muscle AND losing weight at the same time.

I never said I was...

I lift heavy weights as well. The reason is so that I can preserve as much muscle as possible and keep my metabolism higher than if I let my body cannibalize my muscles. That is also why I eat a high protein diet. I eat 40% or more of my calories in protein.

I have read many times that you can't "build" muscle while losing fat but I do believe you can preserve it while you are losing fat by eating the right combo of foods and doing strength training. So it depends on perspective. Even though we aren't building muscle, the decrease in bodyfat% means more of our bodies are comprised of muscle. So there is MORE muscle per pound of bodyweight. Just my two cents (and opinion)...

cathy120861 wrote: »

Sounds like you and i are in similar places. i have lost about 26 pounds since May but have about 40 pounds more to go.

and, similar to you, i went about 5 weeks from the end of november until early january without losing an ounce! i was doing all of the things i always do -- eating less, moving more. then, about three days ago, the scale suddenly decided to be my friend. all of a sudden, the scale says i have lost 4.5 pounds in just a couple of days. mathematically none of it makes sense, but that is what happened.

I think Jaz100-nz has got it right that shaking things up is the way to go. i just did a major readjustment to my diet. (cutting way down on carbs and actually eating a few more calories). one time, when i was stuck for what felt like forever, i totally changed my exercise routine. starting doing types of exercise i had never tried before and cut way down on my regulars.

The other thing is that even when the scale was claiming i hadnt lost, i could feel in my clothes that my body was becoming firmer and more compact.

I don't know if any of this helps. Friend me, if it does, and we can support each other