I won't give up but...

[sconforti]

I have been lifting and working out hard since last March. When I started I was 305 LBS and just a lump of lard. I started eating correctly and working out and now 11 months later I am 75 lbs less. Body fat is still high, at 28.5 percent. I have had tremendous gains in lifting with muscle and strength.

I cut my carb intake way down to get down in weight. I have hit a major plateau with my weightloss tho. I would like to get down to 210 lbs, but have been the same weight for over 2 months now. I eat right, do 3 days with 45 minutes of cardio each day, and still nothing will budge. I am hoping the information on this site and the advice of professionals and amatures here will help me succeed in my goals.

Anything that you guys may advise of or a place where I can get more information will be appreciated. I can post my daily workout or my food that I eat on here as well to help.


Again, thanks in advance!!!

 

[FranktheTank]

Hey sconforti, welcome to IM You may also want to check out the diet section on this site to see post your current meals so people can get a look to see if your diet is on par.

But, you can try increasing your cardio, tightening up your diet even more, or even take a week off and slowly up your carb intake to at least 1g per lb of bodyweight with 'good' carbs to maybe shock your body and readjust your metabolism, so that you can start losing weight again. After this week, go back to your carb reduction plan and see if your weight loss starts back up.

 

[overboard]

More Cardio!! from your description of your previous weight, gains and where you are now, I think 3 days of cardio is not enough. I would up it to five seperating lifting and cardio by 7 or 8 hours.

 

[duece]

don't just go by scale weight. how do you look. you are adding muscle while cutting the fat. how do your cloths fit and how you look are better guides to go with.

 

[PTYP]

Welcome to IM.

From xp here, when you think your diet is in check, it probably isnt

Def check out the diet section as Frank mentioned, there is alot of good information over there.

 

[Squaggleboggin]

More Cardio!! from your description of your previous weight, gains and where you are now, I think 3 days of cardio is not enough. I would up it to five seperating lifting and cardio by 7 or 8 hours.

I think five days is most likely too much. Creating a caloric deficit very slowly will probably be much healthier than training this much. I mean five days of cardio combined with weight training just seems excessive to me. If he trains with intensity, he can burn plenty of calories and maybe even cut his cardio back to two days with the caloric deficit. Just an idea though.

 

[WantItBad]

or he could run around with Sandbags

 

[GFR]

It just takes time, we all hit plateaus ( sp?) its just your body adjusting to all the changes you have made.

 

[Squaggleboggin]

or he could run around with Sandbags

Go ahead, steal my ideas. I'm fine with it.

 

[WantItBad]

get a sniff.....

 

[P-funk]

post your routine. weights in sets and reps and what type of cardio you are doing.

also, it is all in the diet, so post that too.

 

[The13ig13adWolf]

diet is more important than cardio when it comes to weight loss. you may have cut your calorie intake (specifically carbs) too low and you've hit a plateau. just guessing based on the information you've given. like p-funk said, post the details of your training/diet for more feedback.

congrats on the weight loss thus far and welcome to IM!

 

[sconforti]

Sorry for the lengthy post but here is some information that maybe can help you guys guide me a little.


Diet changes a little bit daily, but you will get the general idea of it. I do HVAC/R and am out of the house on the road. I bring my own lunch and eat late and still manage the gym for about 2 hours a night. Ok here it goes:

Breakfast:
Either:
A: 4 eggwhites with cut up chicken or turkey. 8 oz of apple or orange juice. 16 oz of water.

B: 1 cup of oatmeal with skim milk with 1/4 cup of raisen's. 8 oz of apple or orange juice. 16 oz of water.

C: 2 bowls of bran type cereal. 1/4 cup of raisen's. Skim milk with the cereal. 8 oz of apple or orange juice. 16 oz of water.

Mid Morning:

Minutemaid bottle of cranberryapple juice. 16 oz bottle of water

Lunch:

A:2 can's of Tuna. 2 Table Spoons of regular mayo. 2 Apples. 2-16 oz bottles of water.

B: 5-6 turkey/lettus wraps. 2 Apples. 2- 16 oz bottles of water.

Post Workout Protein Drink.
2 scoops of whey gourmet protein/skim milk/egg whites/1/2 banana

Dinner:

A: 10 oz Steak. Greenbeans or broccli. Salad. 2 TALL glasses of Water.

B: Salad. 2 TALL glasses of water.

C: Turkey or Chicken. Greenbeans. Salad. 2 TALL glasses of water.

Salad I have with low fat Ceaser dressing. 1 Serving.




Workout Routine:

Sundays

45 Minutes of cardio: 15 BIKE 15 Treadmill 15 Eleptical. All not at extreamly fast pace and not a turtle slow pace. Usually treadmill is about 4 MPH i bump up to 6 MPH for 5 min and bump back down.

Chest workout. Flat, incline, decline, flys, then TRICEPTS about 3 exercises for them. I dont' know what they are called but I can look them up for you guys if it helps.

Mondays

45 Minutes of cardio: 15 BIKE 15 Treadmill 15 Eleptical. All not at extreamly fast pace and not a turtle slow pace. Usually treadmill is about 4 MPH i bump up to 6 MPH for 5 min and bump back down.

Backworkout. Pulldowns, dumbbell rows, bent over row type thingy, lower back workout. Bicept workout. dumbbell curl on preacher, standing up dumbbell curl, Hammer with cables and rope, cable curl, Shrugs.

Tuesdays

LEGS
Warm up with light legpress, then squats, hamstrings, quads, heavy legpress, hip abductors, good stretch, calf's

Wednesdays

45 Minutes of cardio: 15 BIKE 15 Treadmill 15 Eleptical. All not at extreamly fast pace and not a turtle slow pace. Usually treadmill is about 4 MPH i bump up to 6 MPH for 5 min and bump back down.

Then a light chest workout. Seated cable bench, flys, seated cable decline bench

Thursdays

Shoulder workout. 3 Cable exercises. Reverses on the fly machine, shoulder press, shrugs.

Light bi & tri workout.


Friday and Saturday

Offdays. I still watch my diet on these days. Fri and Sat I go out to eat but I usually just eat a steak or chicken salad with a light dressing. Anyway PLEASE advise me what to do. It will be greatly appreciated. I need the help because I would like to get to 215 and BULK



My clothes fit a lot better. I went from 3 xl shirts to a mix between xl and large. My pants are down just about to a nice fitting 36. I am so happy and healthy. The doctor for my yearly checkup almost fell over. Cholestrol and all those happy things are PERFECT and he said that people would pay to have the report that was in my bloodtest.

Sorry for the lengthy post

 

[sconforti]

Oh and also I try to do 4 sets of 12-15 reps. I do what I can handle so I can concentrate on burning not bulking.

 

[P-funk]

Oh and also I try to do 4 sets of 12-15 reps. I do what I can handle so I can concentrate on burning not bulking.

burning not bulking??

my head hurts.

 

[sconforti]

I'm new. I'm trying to burn calories and not build massive amounts of muscle. I mean yes i want to gain muscle but I want to concentrate more on burning calories....Did i explain it correctly? I am a bit retarded.


Gimme your address i'll send you some tylonol.

 

[sconforti]

I tried doing this with sets also:

1st set 15 reps

2nd set 10 reps

3rd set 8 reps

4th set 6 reps

Going up each time. the 4th set as much as I possibly can so my 6th set is failure.


Again if I say things wrong I appologize.

 

[P-funk]

I'm new. I'm trying to burn calories and not build massive amounts of muscle. I mean yes i want to gain muscle but I want to concentrate more on burning calories....Did i explain it correctly? I am a bit retarded.


Gimme your address i'll send you some tylonol.

Lifting with intensity (heavier weights) does not make you bulk....Eating more calories then you burn makes you bulk. Lifting at higher intensities will however, increase your muscle mass and help to increase your metabolism so you can have that nice skulpted 135lb beach body that you seek. Also, if you are dieting in an attempt to get that 135lb (I wanna bang Brad Pitt body) the heavier weight will help you maintain the muscle you do have which will help keep your metabolsim up. If you don't stress the muscles then you wont keep them and you metabolsim will decrease and your diet will be unsucessful. It is basic adapation. Stress and response. Use it or loose.

 

[P-funk]

I tried doing this with sets also:

1st set 15 reps

2nd set 10 reps

3rd set 8 reps

4th set 6 reps

Going up each time. the 4th set as much as I possibly can so my 6th set is failure.


Again if I say things wrong I appologize.

pyramidying up isn't terrible but you can try other things as well such as cumulative fatigue.

 

[DOMS]

burning not bulking??

my head hurts.

 

[P-funk]

burning happens when I pee.

Bulking happens when i shit.


I get the best of both worlds.

 

[sconforti]

I don't want a "brad pit" body. I just want to be healthy. I want to do it correctly, and as effectively as possible. Thats where you advice comes in handy. Sure I am the one that has done in this far with my success, but its been from the advice from the 'pro's" at the gym and what not.

Also, that burning when you pee...that should be checked out.

 

[P-funk]

I don't want a "brad pit" body. I just want to be healthy. I want to do it correctly, and as effectively as possible. Thats where you advice comes in handy. Sure I am the one that has done in this far with my success, but its been from the advice from the 'pro's" at the gym and what not.

Also, that burning when you pee...that should be checked out.

good stuff.

 

[maxpro2]

or he could run around with Sandbags

You are forgetting the Farmer's Walks and the C&J's.

lol Squaggleboggin

 

[Squaggleboggin]

You are forgetting the Farmer's Walks and the C&J's.

lol Squaggleboggin

Watch it or I'll pile sandbags in front of your door so you can't leave. Don't think I won't...

 

[sconforti]

I don't get the whole sandbag joke...guess its because i'm a newbie.

 

[Squaggleboggin]

I don't get the whole sandbag joke...guess its because i'm a newbie.

Haha. Basically, I'm obsessed with functional strength (see below name on left). In my quest for strength, I do exercises some consider to be very strange (see link in signature to journal). This includes the implementation of awkward objects, like sandbags. Why am I explaining this? Because I can and because it's awesome.