Finally broke my plateau! Questions...long.

SirenSongWoman

SirenSongWoman

Cathlete
Okay, I've been working out forever. Everyone who knows me here knows I dropped from a size 22 to 14 LAST YEAR and then NOTHING. Yea, I started at 224 and got down to 184.5-185 and the needle hasn't budged since. Then, when it became downright painful to get those size 14 jeans on I reluctantly got the same brand in 16. All the time I never addressed my diet but I kept thinking if I ramped up my exercise I could avoid cutting back on the chow. Like someone here once said "You can't work out a bad diet." So I finally began cleaning up my diet. Another step in the right direction but still, nothing.

Finally, I decided it was time to start tracking my eating because, clearly, that's where my primary issues were. It was an eye opener. I've read a lot of what Chad Waterbury has to say (over at FigureAthlete.com) and he's adamant about limiting carbs. I already knew lots of women were doing that but, since I never really food journalled I had no clue how many carbs I'd been taking in. So then someone here mentioned SparkPeople.com and I started tracking my food there. OMG, I was easily eating twice as many carbs as protein every single day. And I had no idea carbs are in everything.

Okay. So then I started cutting carbs, probably too much (got a little light headed). Then I read over on the Diet forum at FA that a lot of women were having real issues with the low-carb Anabolic Diet so I decided not to be quite so drastic with the carb-cutting thing. I have since decided to focus on watching my over all calories and gradually cutting back on carbs while increasing protein and good fats. I always hated vegetables but have since developed a real taste for produce (my late mother would roll her eyes) and I'm really paying attention now. One problem: I have no idea how many calories I should be eating and have just been trying to keep it under 2,000.

Two days ago, for the first time in ages, I got my weight below 184.5. I weighed in at 181.5! Woo-hoo! Yesterday, I was back up to 184 (pot luck at work and I indulged a tiny bit so I wasn't surprised) but today I almost cried. When I got on the scale I was at 179.5! OMG!!!!! So I'm very happy about that and inspired to continue my diet vigilance. But here's the problem: I have no clue how many calories I should be ingesting and pretty much just randomly picked 2,000 because it's a nice, round number.

Shouldn't the calories you take in vary, depending on whether the day involves weight training, cardio or is just a rest day? Also, my job is an extremely physical 8-hour/5-day workout involving lots of pushing, pulling, heavy lifting and moving fast.

Any advice?
 
No advice, but sounds like we're paddling the same boat!! Yours is beginning to move, but mine is still a bit stuck!! Just wanted to send you some "HOORAY"s and "WOO-HOO"s

Nan
 
Hi SSW:

I'm so happy for you! That's REAL progress! Your story is a true inspiration!

I have the same issue as you, and so many others, in that I just simply did a horrible job of eating... I thought that for sure if I started working out that I would see SOME improvement over being completely sedintary... Yet, like you, I couldn't out exercise a bad diet either.. So, starting on 1/5/09 I started lugging around a little notebook and logging everything... I use Fitday.com, but like you was amazed at what I was really eating...

I don't know about SparksPeople, but I do know that www.fitday.com will allow you to enter your personal information and will give you a calorie range you should be eating based on your goals and physical data...

I have also been reviewing BFFM and although I am having a hard time with the 5-6 smaller meals a day, I do agree with the premis and also have been trying to do more research on the caloric 'zig zag' method for keeping your body from getting used to a specific caloric range as well...

So, as I am also new to this eating change journey, I am greatly inspired by your success! I also did the "happy dance" when I dropped consistently under 180, albeit just by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin (that's a double chin)!
 
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Hi, first let me say...WTG with getting it all together and breaking your plateau!!!:):D:)

Now, go to fitday.com it will tell you how many calories to eat a day. Also, everyone is different and I have found high protein/ low carbs do not work for me. I eat 55% carbs, 25% protein (or less) and 20%ish fat at about 2000 calories...Also, depends on your goals. If you want to lose, I would research weight loss and calories for that. I think Figure Athlete is great, and has wonderful articles, but they are mostly directed at women who are maintaining and looking to get cut (I could be wrong, just my opinion) If I were you, I would get my diet, calorie wise, down, lose what I wanted and then follow Figure Athletes advise. Another site that also will tell you how many calories a day to eat is Nutritional data.com.


Good luck and keep us posted!:)
HTH
 
how about this

Find out your BMR add (I know I just posted much the same answer on a different thread) your activity (using your heart rate monitor to know what it is.) and then subtract a reasonable deficit. BMR calculator: www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Today for me that was:
BMR 1590
Burned 717 (RS)
- 500 calories (deficit)
1807

:)pshoot I have to go eat something.)
 
Hi Stacey,

Up until last year, I had trouble losing weight even though I worked out 3 days/week and ate "correctly". But last year, I lost a lot of weight, and I have to say that I had not in mind to lose that much weight (I went from a size 13 to a size 9) considering that I don't workout that often and that my diet though acceptable is not perfect, considering that I have a family of very "picky-eaters".

This is what worked for me:
- I started doing more intense workouts, some with intervals (like BM2, cardio fusion, Terminator, Hardcore extreme #2, etc.). My cardio capacity improved a lot and I think it helped increase my metabolism. I maintained working out 3 days/week
- I added weight workouts just after my cardio. (Now I do about 35-40 min. of cardio followed by about 1 hour of weights)
- I changed the way I eat. Now, I do not let myself be hungry: I eat when I'm hungry but I try (and I'm still working on that!!!) to eat slowly and stop when I'm full. I'm am more conscious of what I eat and why. Two books helped me. One of them is in English: Body intelligence by Edward Abramson. I recommend it.

I find that my calories vary beceause my appetite varies. Sometimes, I can link it to a more intense workout I did, sometimes, I find no reasons. But if I'm hungry, I eat. I do not count calories and I LOVE chocolate!

HTH
Nathalie
 
:D :D :D That is so awesome!!!!!!!! Congratulations on everything you've accomplished!!! :D :D :D

I have been there at that 180 lb. plateau. ITA that diet will help immensely!!!

I agree with so much that has already been said-- one additional thing that is really helping me break through my current plateau (at 148 lb.) is focusing on eating good whole foods consistently-- usually 3 meals and 2 snacks to keep my metabolism humming all day. Clean-Eating Magazine is a god-send if you like someone to do the homework for you, like I do. :p

Way to go & good luck on the journey!!! You can do it!!! :)
 
Stacey, that is awesome!! I highly suspect that I am eating too many carbs as well, so I just might sign up for one of these online things and see what happens. I am holding on to about 2 extra holiday pounds, and I really want to get my eating together in time for the STS release. Thanks for the motivation and congrats on the good news the scale delivered!
 
Stacey,

First, ^^55s!! That is so awesome to break your plateau! WTG!

Second, re: your calorie intake, I think if you are losing weight at 2000 calories and your current mix of carb, protein, fats, I wouldn't go below that total number. While you could try to balance out on a daily basis based on your workout (or not) and your overall activity level, I think you'd drive yourself bonkers within 2 weeks! Example: Suppose on Day 1 you eat 400 extra calories thinking you're going to workout, but there's a crisis w/ one of your kitties (God forbid!) and you don't get to workout. What do you do the next day? Eat 400 less and try to do a super intense workout, but you're dying because you didn't eat enough?

I'd suggest just keeping your intake at a steady 2000 unless you plateau again and then re-think things. At that point, possibly drop 100 - 150 calories and see what happens. (Remember, as your weight gets lower, your overall need for food decreases.) Since your job is physically demanding, you can't go too low or you won't have the energy to do your workouts at fully intensity.

Good luck and great job!

You are doing great so keep it up!
 
jonahnah said:
Stacey,

First, ^^55s!! That is so awesome to break your plateau! WTG!

Second, re: your calorie intake, I think if you are losing weight at 2000 calories and your current mix of carb, protein, fats, I wouldn't go below that total number. While you could try to balance out on a daily basis based on your workout (or not) and your overall activity level, I think you'd drive yourself bonkers within 2 weeks! Example: Suppose on Day 1 you eat 400 extra calories thinking you're going to workout, but there's a crisis w/ one of your kitties (God forbid!) and you don't get to workout. What do you do the next day? Eat 400 less and try to do a super intense workout, but you're dying because you didn't eat enough?

I'd suggest just keeping your intake at a steady 2000 unless you plateau again and then re-think things. At that point, possibly drop 100 - 150 calories and see what happens. (Remember, as your weight gets lower, your overall need for food decreases.) Since your job is physically demanding, you can't go too low or you won't have the energy to do your workouts at fully intensity.

Good luck and great job!

You are doing great so keep it up!
Click to expand...

There's a lot of good advice in this thread and I have to thank everyone. But this was a particularly funny response because of the "kittie crisis" remark. Luckily, I do all my workouts first thing (after a spoonful of peanut butter, usually... and a cup of tea if I'm not doing cardio) because you're right, something always "happens" later if I wait. But you really got me thinking that I shouldn't freak out about my caloric intake and keep doing what's working until it no longer is.

I'd like to tell anyone else who's stuck, whether it be Fitday, SparkPeople, whatever... these websites that help you quickly track your calories (carbs/proteins/fats, also) are the best. They force you to be honest even better than standard old food journaling. I plan out all the meals for the day the night before and enter it all in advance (and I follow it), adding or subtracting things I ate or didn't eat once I get home. It's been a real eye opener AND it's helped to keep me eating a lot of vegetables. Although, I already have all my regular foods entered into SparkPeople, I'm going to check into FitDay because I like the way they allow you to apply your daily activity level to your allowable calories. I'm fairly new to SparkPeople but I'm pretty sure you can't do that over there.

Thank you all for your responses and support.
 
Stacey - Congrats on your accomplishment. Breaking such a plateau is like nothing else!

Sparkpeople will give you a range. Go to your main page and click on "edit your account". Then reset your goals. You can work through that and they will give you a range. Then, don't forget to go into the fitness and click "Change your fitness goals". It will ask you for your exercise routine. If you know how many calories approx you burn a week enter them, otherwise follow what they say. Save that, then go in to you nutrition and you will see the range it recommends. I'm pretty impressed with Sparkpeople. I have used Fitday, too, but Sparkpeople has so much more to it. You can even track all of your nutrients.
 
Stacey, congratulations!! You've accomplished so much already, and with dedication and consistency you will achieve your goals. Maybe I better start paying better attention to what I put into my mouth :eek: ;)
 
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