How do I beat my Plateau

[Big Bones]

Ok so I have been on a diet for about 9 1/2 weeks and have maintained my Lean body mass and lost a total of 40 lbs with 35 of it being fat. Im eating very healthy and watching levels. I have now plateaued at this point and can't figure out how to get through it and lose more weight. I need to lose 60 more pounds of fat. Any suggestions?

 

[ceazur]

Wow, I would suggest shocking your body. Maybe change every aspect of your workout completely. Do more cardio. Maybe some natural supps would help..

 

[Big Bones]

Yeah Im kind of new at this, but I have tried doing more cardio and no luck. I want to maintain all my lean body mass and if I keep the cardio up I lose muscle.

 

[ceazur]

Dam, I wish I could be more helpful.. I'm going to find a link and post it for you.

 

[ceazur]

What causes a weight loss plateau?

Thankfully you can generally blame Mother Nature for your metabolic frustrations. What happens is that as your body changes, it starts to get ‘used' to the new weight and wants to settle there. Your body has given you as many results as possible using the current menu and fitness program you're on.

The reason why your body does this is to avoid starvation. It senses that it's not getting as much food as it used to and so it tries to hold onto what you're giving it. Or it's getting used to the exercises that you're doing, so it's not responding in the same way. Basically, your body is leveling out hence, the term plateau.


But now that you know what a plateau is and what the signs of it can be, you can start to tailor your weight loss routine to prevent or stop a plateau. What you need to do is change up what you've already been doing so that your body has to respond. This can include several things:

• Increase your calorie intake slightly
• Increase the intensity of your exercise plan
• Try adding more protein to your diet
• Drink more water

These simple steps can sometimes recharge your body and put it back into fat-burning, weight-losing mode. A weight loss plateau is something that every dieter will see at one point or another, so don't feel like you're not heading in the right direction. Often, a plateau is that sign that you're doing a good job already, but that you need to tweak something.

Cause of Weight Loss Plateau

Some dieters are anxious to blame their plateau on physiological changes, rather than looking first to see if they are causing the plateau. Ask yourself these questions:

• Have you been watching your calories?
• Have you been exercising at a high intensity?
• Have you been exercising regularly?

If you're not sure that you can answer these questions in the affirmative, you might want to rethink your current actions before you start blaming the plateau on other things.

You can start keeping a food journal and writing down your exercise minutes to see if you could work a little harder. Maybe you've been eating more fatty foods and you just haven't realized it. Or maybe it's time that you try to workout out at a faster pace than you have been.

A weight loss plateau is going to happen at one point or another, but instead of sitting still and suffering through it; you know what to do to overcome it and continue on the path to your weight loss goals.

http://www.healthycookingrecipes.com/articles-submit/lynn-vandyke/weightloss-plateau.html

Try varying your caloric intake from day to day. For example, if you are currently shooting for around 1200 calories per day, try eating 1500 one day and 1000 the next. Often, this is all it takes to shock your body into dropping those last few pounds.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/37098.aspx#ixzz0ikCpkwR2
​

 

[Big Bones]

Thanks dude for the link.

 

[maseco63]

You The Man!

I suggest nothing if those stats are real! 35lbs of fat loss insane! The biggest myth in weight loss is the plateu! If it aint broke don't fix it!

 

[ceazur]

shoot me some rep

 

[Big Bones]

Yeah those stats are real. I have loss about 6 lbs of water, and 35lbs of fat, my fat percentage dropped 6% I just need it to keep going. I want to finish at 245lbs with only 20 lbs of fat left on my body which = cock diesel

 

[DaMayor]

Yeah Im kind of new at this, but I have tried doing more cardio and no luck. I want to maintain all my lean body mass and if I keep the cardio up I lose muscle.

What kind of diet were you following? What kind of activity/training have you been engaged in?

Cardio has it's place, but it is NOT the answer. I would suggest a moderate break from dieting and a good tweak on your workout routine. The diet I am currently following suggests a diet break (lasting one to two weeks) every six or twelve weeks...
Suppliments are helpful, but not cure-alls.

 

[Big Bones]

Im following a 3 macronutrient focus diet. Im eating 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Im maintaining under 40 grams of fat and im trying to make all that fat unsaturated. I try to intake 150-160 carbs. I lift weights three days a week on average for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I do 15 minutes of interval training/cardio.

 

[downtown]

Try doing your cardio every morning on an empty stomach, maybe drink some BCAA's before and during, also make sure you dont consume carbs within 1 hour after your cardio because your body desperately wants to gain back that fat that you lost and it will get it back through those carbs.

 

[Built]

Im following a 3 macronutrient focus diet.

There are only 3 macronutrients. Not sure how else you would set up a diet.

Im eating 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Im maintaining under 40 grams of fat and im trying to make all that fat unsaturated.

Why? That's a pretty unpleasant way to diet! And why all unsaturated - you need saturated fat.

I try to intake 150-160 carbs. I lift weights three days a week on average for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I do 15 minutes of interval training/cardio.

Your training sounds like it may be a bit excessive for such a low calorie diet.
Your fats are, in my opinion, far too low for long-term and your carbs are too high for such low calories: you're eating fewer than 9 calories per pound bodyweight right now.

Your protein is nice and high - you may not need it quite this high at this point, though. Why not try something like 300g protein, 100g fat and 100g of carb? Same calories as you're running, but you'll probably be a lot more comfortable.

 

[Big Bones]

I said its a 3 macro diet because Im only focusing on fat, protein and carbs. I know they are the only three. Also I dont really have a name to call it like atkins, beach diet ect. Just trying to be simple in describing it.
But on the intake, Im having trouble believeing 100 g of fat would be a good idea, also my carbs are running around 150 due to the fact I'm trying to hit a calorie mark. I know my protein is at a solid point, but I thought the body would use the extra for energy also and the carbs would and are just a jump start to activity.

 

[kyle64]

Would increasing the rep speed and shortening rest time between sets help with this issue?

 

[Marat]

But on the intake, Im having trouble believeing 100 g of fat would be a good idea,

May I ask you to expound on this?

 

[Built]

I weigh half what you do and I regularly consume over 100g of fat daily. Why would it be a problem for you?

 

[Big Bones]

So you weigh 145 and you eat 100 g of fat which is 900 calories which yes seems very high. Im assuming I have more muscle which yes consumes more fat aka energy or food. If you could be a little more clear on the reasoning of 100g of fat, that would be awesome cause I do want some help.

 

[Built]

That's right. I routinely consume at 50% or more of my calories from fat.

Fat is satiating. Helps me keep my appetite controlled.

Remember - fat doesn't make you fat. Eating more food than you require does.

 

[forciano]

I don't post here at all cause a good search in these forums most of the times gets me the info I need.
But I can tell you something listen to Built...

 

[Big Bones]

Ok that makes since I guess. So what amount of protein are you intaking. Im amazed that you arent getting more mass but I guess you probably burn it off with cardio.

 

[Built]

I hardly do any cardio.

Cardio hardly burns anything anyway.

Why would you think I'd be gaining mass? I haven't told you what calories I run or my maintenance. I only told you how many grams of fat I consume.

 

[Big Bones]

I figured you were intaking at least 2 g per pound of lean body mass so probably about 125lbs of lean (125x2)= 250 grams on high end so 250 times 4= 1000 plus 900 fat 1900 calories plus your carbs so yeah i figured you would gain mass I wouldnt mind hearing what you are doing. I can tell you know what you are talking about so if you wanna share the knowledge, that would be cool.

 

[Built]

My lean mass MIGHT be 120 lbs and my protein intake is about 1.5g/lb, so about 180g or so daily. Fat varies from 60-120g daily. Carbs are usually under 80g, but I occasionally go as high as 800g of carb in a day, for carbups.

My maintenance is about 2200 calories, so if I eat 180g protein and 100g fat that's 720 calories + 900 calories = 1620 calories. I still have room for 145g carb on that at maintenance, so to cut I simply drop some of my fat and some of my carb intake.

 

[sassy69]

That's right. I routinely consume at 50% or more of my calories from fat.

Fat is satiating. Helps me keep my appetite controlled.

Remember - fat doesn't make you fat. Eating more food than you require does.

Is this a keto-style diet?

 

[sassy69]

How's your energy doing? FWIW, I'm 5'7", currently around 165 lb (at about 20 weeks out from a target competition) and I'm at 2000 total cals, around 150 g carbs and 20-30 g fats. So I'm quite a bite lighter than you but you're eating about as much as I am. Part of me wants to say you need a good shitload or a good carb refeed if you're only running at 150 g of carbs. For a guy, relatively speaking, that's not an awful lot. Your body also tends to stall out when its become accustomed to a particular diet / macronutrient ratio - so that goes w/ someone's point above about 'shocking" your system.

 

[Built]

Is this a keto-style diet?

Sometimes. Not always but sometimes - I do always seem to feel my best in ketosis - and I generally head straight to ketosis when I'm dealing with injuries. Seems to help them heal and settle down.

Now where do I know you from... were you on femininemuscle?

 

[sassy69]

Sometimes. Not always but sometimes - I do always seem to feel my best in ketosis - and I generally head straight to ketosis when I'm dealing with injuries. Seems to help them heal and settle down.

Now where do I know you from... were you on femininemuscle?

I've been a lot of places over the last 10 yrs - used to be active on EF, occasionally on MD, more active on RX & anabolicfitness is my "home". As I've discovered, I was here 8 yrs ago, and I've passed through just about every board on the interwebs at some point.

 

[Built]

Ah, I think it was RX most recently. Nice to see you here. You prepping for a show at the moment?

 

[sassy69]

Ah, I think it was RX most recently. Nice to see you here. You prepping for a show at the moment?

About 20 weeks out ... started early but work set me behind some. Hate when my day job gets in the way of my hobby LOL!