[scrilla]

I have recently lost alot of weight due to consistent hard workouts and cardio 5-6 days a week, along with very strict diet. I was very happy to see the results i was getting.

For the past 4-6 weeks now, doing the same thing, i'm not losing anymore weight. I'm actually putting on weight again quickly. It's hard, and now im up to 1 hour cardio a day and it seems to not be working. I bumped my calories up 200 or so, and i don't think that's the big problem, but i am putting on weight again and i cant get it to go down


I was eating 1600 cals a day and getting results which is more than 500 below maintenance. I then made a change, because i thought i was starving myself and bumped my calories up to 2000 which is still below maintenance and i started gaining weight again being fat! I dont know how sensitive my body is to calories. At the very beginning i was eating so damn goo, but for the past month or so, i'll toss in a cheat day, still eating very good during the week, so it's not that bad really or is it?

Today i started 5 days a week, getting up early morning on empty stomach and running 2 miles which takes about 20 minutes. (something new)

Workout weights followed by some high and low intensity cardio for 10-15 minutes on monday, tuesday, thursday and friday
(almost same workout as when i first started, except it was monday/wed/fri. Tues/Thurs 1 hr cardio

On wednesday, i was thinking of just doing some cardio at night or just taking the day off, taking and sat/sun off for sure

Eating 1600 calories a day. I hope this works

HELP

[MESSPLAY]

what are your stats

What are the sources of those 2000 calories?


I think that's where you should start.

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by scrilla

I was eating 1600 cals a day and getting results which is more than 500 below maintenance. I then made a change, because i thought i was starving myself and bumped my calories up to 2000 which is still below maintenance and i started gaining weight again being fat!

If you are putting on weight at YOUR CALCULATED 2000 calories then you are not eating below maintenance. It is impossible to gain net bodyweight (tissue not including water) if you are eating below maintenance.

Keep in mind that there will be a significant error in the actual calories consumed versus what you calculate. Are you measuring and weighing your portions (ie 100g of chicken breast not just 1 chicken breast)? Your calculated 2000 calories may actually be 2500+ to your body.

How long were you on the '1600' diet for? You could have stopped losing weight for two reasons: 1) your metabolism has slowed due to extended dieting and/or 2) at your new bodyweight you do not have to use as much energy to carry the extra weight around.

Since you have bumped calories back up your metabolism should be reset. Go back to YOUR 1600 diet for a week or two and see if the weight starts to come off again. If it does not and you are not feeling totally bagged then cut back a little more and try again.

Remember, don't get too hung up on the numbers; they are just guidelines. It is the actual food you eat that your body gets the energy from.

[bassgirl]

Originally Posted by scrilla

For the past 4-6 weeks now, doing the same thing, i'm not losing anymore weight. I'm actually putting on weight again quickly.
HELP

I am certainly no expert, but it could be that your metabolism is adjusting to your lower intake. Try reducing your calorie intake by 10% from what you're eating now.

Sounds like you need a boost in some form. Maybe the guys can advise whats best.

[scrilla]

Thanks for your replies

K, as of right now, and when i first started, meals consist. For the past 2 months or so i was around 1800-2000 calories still working out hard and cardio. My meals were not consitant as they use to be. I started to cheat a little on weekends, and drink diet soda (kinda lost it), but still 1800-2000 calories. So 1600 calories of good clean food is better than 1600 calories of so and so somewhat good food?

When i first started and as of tuesday my meals will consist of
egg whites
quaker oats oatmeal unsweetened
low fat cottage cheese
raw unsalted almonds
whey protein
multi vitamin
skinless chicken breast 6-8oz
broccoli
spinach
uncle ben brown rice
canned tuna in water
apples 1 a day
oranges 1 a day
bananas 1 a day
low cal fat free yogurt
turkey and chicken slices
water

I am 5'8 about 214. Actually tuesday, i will start my 1600 cals and see what happens in 2 weeks

[Xodus]

One or two good cheat meals always seemed to kick off fat loss again for me when I stalled.

[scrilla]

Do you think i'm probably doing too much cardio? Eating up muscle, slowing down metabolism, which will make my body more sensitive to cals?

Should i eat mon-fri 1600 cals and maybe 2000 on weekends to trick metabolism?

[EasyEJL]

I have a hard wall at 196, can't seem to get below that. I bulked some just to get a break from long term weight loss, and i'm hitting that 196 again now. I will see my way through it this time

[azr101]

Something else to consider is that as you diet your body will really begin to "fight" you to hold onto stubborn fat stores. These are fat stores with alpha2 receptors that when stimulated are instructed to HOLD onto fat. What's worse is that hard dieting causes an INCREASE in alpha2 receptors. So it's like the old saying "whatever you resist persists".

Yohimbine is said to "block" the signal to alpha2's thereby allowing your hard dieting and training to lipolize that stubborn fat. If you don't have success with the other suggestions, you might want to give this a shot.

Good luck