taking a week off ...food or exercise?

femmerides · June 2009

Hi Everyone,

So I've hit a plateau. I eat EXTREMELY well and never go over in calories, I work out 7 days a week, I do everything right. I've lost 69lbs since my daughter was born 11 months ago. Of those 69lbs, I've lost 34lbs in 10 weeks. But I just can't seem to get past 183lbs. I'm so frustrated.

I'm seriously considering taking a week off from everything and starting over once my week is over. Maybe that'll trick my body into losing more weight. I'm not sure.

You guys are all so smart and helpful I thought I'd ask you. Should I continue eating 1200 cals a day and just stop vigorously working out 7 days a week for one week or should I maybe add some cals and just keep my work outs low key? I love running and don't do it all that often. Maybe just stick to running?

Please help!

Cyndi1 · June 2009

Don't take a week off- because that leads into two ..then three and so on. Modify your eating- change it up. Make breakfast changes such as eggs one day, cereal another day, then the day after have toast with fruit- always eat your fruit before your meals, it works better because fruit is full of fibre and it doesn't have to wait for the rest of your food to break down before going thru the intestines. Make sure you have snacks then light lunch then a snack and a nice balance supper- I still have treats but half of what the packages states. I know what you are saying about the plateau I have been there, only now have I seen changes but it's hard work- like they say hard work pays off- in time, not instantly. Good luck, you can do it. Just get encouragement from here to get you thru your plateau.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

verykristin · June 2009

If you take a week off from your eating plan, chances are you'll gain weight. So you may lose it again quickly when you are back on track, but still plateau at that same weight. Probably a waste of your time. If you like to run, I say go for it. Eventually you'll come out of the plateau, especially if you continue to eat well and up your cardio. Good luck!

pcbta · June 2009

NO...I do not agree with the last two posts (sorry!

)
definately DO take a week off now and then. mix things up. do NOT let your body adjust to a 1200 cal amount.
keep exercising to keep fit and keep your muscle tone...but UP UP UP your calories. eat right up to maintanence...well into the 2000's and you will not gain weight. you may gain a pound IF and only IF you over eat every single day by quite a bit....but in one week? NOT LIKELY.
even if you gain a pound, your body will thank you and drop more weight later.
I honestly don't believe in a lifestyle where if you take a day off, or week off, your'e doomed.
balance!!!

Cindy

nickie929 · June 2009

Have you tried adding weights to you routine? Weight lifting can help get you past your platau. Also, are you measuring your sucess in pounds and inches.

Sometimes the scale will make it appear we aren't losing but when you check your inches...they say different.

femmerides · June 2009

Don't take a week off- because that leads into two ..then three and so on. Modify your eating- change it up. Make breakfast changes such as eggs one day, cereal another day, then the day after have toast with fruit- always eat your fruit before your meals, it works better because fruit is full of fibre and it doesn't have to wait for the rest of your food to break down before going thru the intestines. Make sure you have snacks then light lunch then a snack and a nice balance supper- I still have treats but half of what the packages states. I know what you are saying about the plateau I have been there, only now have I seen changes but it's hard work- like they say hard work pays off- in time, not instantly. Good luck, you can do it. Just get encouragement from here to get you thru your plateau.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

I don't really eat dairy. Actually, For the past 2 weeks I ONLY eat fruits and veggies. I've had bread maybe twice. Like I said, I eat really healthy and organic .

I've decided to take a week off. It's the first week I've taken off since February 2007. I think it's well deserved. I have exercised 7 days a week since 2/2007. lol. WOW! The only time I took off any time was when my daughter was born and I took TWO days off. So, my goal is to take 7 days off. Let's see if I can hold out. :laugh:

Zara11 · June 2009

eating your exercise calories?

mrsyac2 · June 2009

Hi Everyone,

So I've hit a plateau. I eat EXTREMELY well and never go over in calories, I work out 7 days a week, I do everything right. I've lost 69lbs since my daughter was born 11 months ago. Of those 69lbs, I've lost 34lbs in 10 weeks. But I just can't seem to get past 183lbs. I'm so frustrated.

I'm seriously considering taking a week off from everything and starting over once my week is over. Maybe that'll trick my body into losing more weight. I'm not sure.

You guys are all so smart and helpful I thought I'd ask you. Should I continue eating 1200 cals a day and just stop vigorously working out 7 days a week for one week or should I maybe add some cals and just keep my work outs low key? I love running and don't do it all that often. Maybe just stick to running?

Please help!

You work out 7 days a week? How can you walk? Do you lift weights or do you just do cardio? There is no possible way for me to work out 7 days a week and never take a day off and roll right into the next week- But then again I hit the weights really hard- For example I just worked my calves really good and they are super sore and Im walking funny--

You can take a break if you want too that would be up to you or you could just take a rest day- You may also want to switch your workouts up and make them harder your body can get used to workouts you should switch your workouts up a bit like if your lifting you should increase your weights to make them more challenging- For example when I first started with the weights I was leg pressing 130lbs now I am at 170 3 sets of 12-15 this week I will stack on another plate to take it higher. I have to keep my muscles guessing-

Same goes with cardio if you usually just do 30 minutes on the treadmill try doing those 30 minutes at a higher speed- Or do the elliptical- or add an incline-

mrsyac2 · June 2009

Just some advice though when you take a week off its really hard to get back on track

Ahmee2034 · June 2009

NO...I do not agree with the last two posts (sorry!)
definately DO take a week off now and then. mix things up. do NOT let your body adjust to a 1200 cal amount.
keep exercising to keep fit and keep your muscle tone...but UP UP UP your calories. eat right up to maintanence...well into the 2000's and you will not gain weight. you may gain a pound IF and only IF you over eat every single day by quite a bit....but in one week? NOT LIKELY.
even if you gain a pound, your body will thank you and drop more weight later.
I honestly don't believe in a lifestyle where if you take a day off, or week off, your'e doomed.
balance!!!

Cindy

:ohwell: Okay, I agree with Cindy but I also agree with the last two posts before. I still think it is all about moderation. Yes, I DO NOT think you will gain excessive weight if you take a week off as long asw you don't go "HOG WILD" (pardon the pun) and pig out everyday. I had hit a plateau for a few weeks before I returned to work. When I went back to work, my routine was all screwed up and I wasn't being as diligent as I usually am. I have to say, I feel invigorated. I've started back up with a new routine that fits my summer schedule and I feel like I'll finally break my plateau. That being said, I ate stuff like fried shrimp po-boys (3 in 1 week actually :blushing: ) but on the days I ate that, I didn't eat "extra". You know what I mean? Anyway, I haven't gained one pound...I've lost 3! So, in my opinion, it all depends on your body AND your mind. Don't lose focus of what you're trying to accomplish and be ever mindful of the big prize. You'll do fine if you keep the basics in mind.

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

Learning2LoveMe · June 2009

I would take a day or two off, but I think after an entire would I would bounce back to my old habits. So maybe just take a day or two off every week for the next couple weeks.

daywater · June 2009

Zara11 raises a good point, you state you are consuming 1200 calories and working out. How many calories are you burning per day with your workouts and are you also making sure you consume those so that your total intake still equates to 1200? I watch Biggest Loser when I am on the treadmill (and watch old episodes when a show is not airing) and I know Bob (trainer) always gets so upset with his team when they don't eat enough calories. Something to consider... Good Luck to you. Our goals seem similar. I started @ 255 Jan 2004 and am currently 188 lbs. WE CAN DO THIS!

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Online Calorie Counter

ilike2moveit · June 2009

Rest up. You deserve it.

AJCM · June 2009

Hey Femme,

I hit a similar plateau, and could not move. For about a month. Maybe longer. I had lost very successfully in the beginning - the first week 5lbs, the next week 2, then 2,2,1,1,2,2,1,2,1, then.... nothing....

I struggled, and then started to resent the restricted calories, as I thought, "Why bust my butt when I am not getting anywhere?".

After a lot of research, and a lot of advice, here is what I did.

I moved to maintenance calories, ate those, and still exercised 6-7 times a week, and did NOT eat those calories. Just my maintenace. And I really tried to shift my focus off the obsession about it all (it helped that it was the summer). Some weeks, when there was a social event, I went over on cals, but I figured my exericse calories balanced that. I basically lived a "normal healthy lifestyle". I did this for about 2 months.

Then, once I was rested, and had eaten some nice treats that I had missed, I felt really motivated, and started "again". I got a new workout (it was the Shred actually), went back to calorie counting strictly, and I would often split my workouts into morning and night to re-rev my metabolism. The weight started to move again. I lost my last 10 lbs fairly quickly. My av pic is from my rest period - before losing the last 10 lbs - but see how happy I looked?! (I'd just had a margarita at the pool actually!).

It seems that in my fitness research, it is often recommended that you "shock your body" once again, and a "rest" period is good - but don't go crazy. I ate my maintenance calories, did my exercise, and did not gain or lose during my rest (more than a 0.5 lb here or there).

You've moved your body through A LOT of weight loss, and your body must just need a chance to deal with it all. That is what I figured!

Good luck! PM if you need any support through this!
:flowerforyou:

femmerides · June 2009

my main exercise is Turbo Jam, ChaLEAN Extreme and running. I like to be dripping sweat at the end of each workout.

I just haven't been feeling good lately. Being at this plateau is killing me. I'm getting so frustrated with my body. It feels like it's becoming an obsession. I'm tempted to throw out my scale but then I KNOW that I'll go crazy. I just hate how I can weigh 183 in the morning then 190 at night. and then other mornings 188 and that night 191. ugh. I feel like i'm GAINING weight.

I had a mini melt down this morning. I feel like I haven't lost anything. I know I have. The scale and the inch loss say that I have but when I look in the mirror I'm still so grossed out by what I see. I really want to take a week off but I don't think I can. I went a little "HOG WILD" today. I didn't realize how much I ate today until I logged everything. HOLY CRAP!

So to give you an idea...

Breakfast: Cantelope, grapes, and apples. (great breakfast...but then...)
Snack: 6 cheese ravioli's (like wtf???)
Lunch: (we went to Costco for shopping and I ate like crap) 1/2 a Costco Polish Hot dog, a churro, and a petite brownie
Snack: sugar free pudding, a trio bar, pinto beans and corn, and a Sparky's root beer.

SO...Total calories at 4:57pm...2,278!!!!!!!! I haven't eaten this poorly in over 3 years!!!! OMG! I don't know what happened. I just lost it. And now I want to go running but I feel like ****. And the worst part... I'm still hungry. :explode:

Honestly, I don't know what to do. All I want to do is get really pissed off. But I'm just so burnt out right now. I forgot how hard it is to lose weight.

Oh, and here's another thing. So yesterday I ran 4.3 miles. Not bad but not great. it took me 50 minutes. Anyways, I get back from my run and I'm talking to the hubby and he's like "oh, we need to buy this and this and this. Oh yeah, and I think it's time to start thinking about getting you some plastic surgery." So at first I was like, "huh?" We had always talked about me getting a "MOmmy Makeover" when we were done having kids but considering we only have one, I thought we still had time. And I thought that I would just lose a bunch of weight and hopefully all the excess skin would correct itself. Well, I said, "But we're not done having kids???" He just said I could do it now AND later. He says the excess skin looks really bad and that it would look better after surgery.

So I think all of these things happening at once are just DRIVING ME CRAZY!!! I know losing weight the healthy way is best but sometimes I just have the urge to work out 4 hours a day and starve myself. I know it's faster weight loss and not healthy but sometimes I'm just SO tempted.

Oh, and to top it all off...Tomorrow is my photo shoot (my daughter is turning a year old and my hubby and I are having our 5th wedding anniversary). Well the dress I was going to wear I tried on today and it fits. HOWEVER, it's white and you can TOTALLY see the excess skin through the dress. So now I have nothing to wear and I feel like crap.

Anyways, man, this was a long vent. Sorry. I hope you guys understand.

femmerides · June 2009

i just did the math...in order to burn off the food i ate today and break even...i need to run for 90 mins...:sad:

so...i think it's time for me to put on my running shoes and get a move on. wish me luck!:noway:

ivykivy · June 2009

Wear body shaper under the dress. It seems like you are being too critical of yourself (we are our own worst critics). I'm sure you look awesome in the dress. And don't forget modern technology can make wrinkles and other little imperfections go away.

Have you considered just going up to maintenance for a while but to continue to exercise? It may be your body's way of saying 'I need to adjust to this weight'. :flowerforyou:

femmerides · June 2009

what do you mean go to maintenance? i'm not sure what you mean...do i set my goals as that? i'm confused.

mrsyac2 · June 2009

Okay the reason why you weigh more at night compared to the morning is because everything you take in during the day weighs something it isn't 5lbs of fat- Also your flip flopping of weight through out the days is just normal weight fluctuations you can fluctuate 5lbs in a day- No worries

And as for being tired of your plateau I have been plateaued for 8 freaking weeks- Change your workouts up do something else. Try to do your run faster or go buy some heavier weights for the house to do with your dvd workouts.

Don't stress yourself out-

ngwife4life · June 2009

It seems to me like you are working your body too hard. Work a rest day into your exercises, at least! If you're feeling like crap, it's probably because you aren't eating enough. Listen to your body and it'll treat you well! I think the key to fixing the day of eating you had is to eat more at breakfast. Add some protein and whole grains to your fruit. Your body needs this stuff as fuel. I don't think I could survive on primarily fruits and veggies. I'd be cranky and probably laid up in bed, tired all the time. Everyone's body is different so I can't tell you precisely what to do but my opinion is that you need to take a small break and up yourself to maintenance calories for a few weeks and take a rest day on exercise. And yes, throw out the scale. You shouldn't know what you weigh daily, or even at night and in the morning!!! It's too obsessive and it's not good for our brains! This is what ultimately led to my failure the last time I gave up trying to lose weight. You've come a long way, you deserve to finish the marathon (not a sprint!). Best of luck and motivation! :flowerforyou:

AJCM · June 2009

Femme..... you are sounding EXACTLY like I was sounding!!!! You've lost over 60 lbs, 30 recently, and I think your body needs time to adjust.

Sounds like you are getting obsessive - just as I was - and what the scale told me, dictated how my mood was for the whole day. Step away from the scale. Ahh - get back....

I REALLY think you should talk a breather - that is a very heavy workout routine you have going. Maybe go for some walks, try something new and gentle like swimming and yoga, and take it easy.

Maintenace calories are what you burn in a day to not gain, and not lose - you could even set it to lose half a pound a week and that would be close to where you want to be.

You've probably changed a few clothing sizes too, so I needed to take a month or two, buy a few new items, and just "be" instead of always being in a state of flux.

Breath....
:flowerforyou:

taking a week off ...food or exercise?

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