Hitting a brick wall!!!

O

olexa17

Cathlete
:eek:

Has anyone else hit a plateau in weight loss that feels like a BRICK WALL that you cannot get over?

AUGH!!!

I truly, truly do not know what to do. I have gotten down to my leanest in years, am currently a size small top and size 8 pants and for my weight (now mind you I have refused to get on the scale again out of sheer fear)for my height says I am within the healthy ranges (I am 5'4" 1/2 and about 128-130)supposedly BUT, I am no dummy, I still have fat that I need to lose. It is CLINGING to my upper thighs, a bit on my hips and won't let go......and I am at my wits end....

I feel like I am the ONLY ONE that works so hard at this and is stuck, while everyone around me sees better results and doesn't get stuck.

I read in fitness blogs how others started at XX weight and are doing whatever, BFL or BFFM or Atkins or SBD or whatever, but they are a size 4 or 2. And I am a whale at size 8.

My sister who just had a baby, was complaining about how heavy she was after the baby. Then she starts working out LIGHTLY meaning she runs on the treadmill for 1/2 hour and does light weights on her own for like 15 minutes or 1/2 hour if that - AND she has boldly said she got so tired of dieting that she's been "Pigging out" eating M&Ms and hamburgers etc. BUT SHE IS BACK TO A SIZE 4.

Then my DH comes home the other night. He does work a physical job that keeps him active all day but recently he's not running as much as he used to. He works out maybe 1x a week if that. He comes home the other day and eats dinner THEN goes down to weigh himself and comes up gloating that he's LOST WEIGHT.

Then I read fitness magazine success stories about pretty much everyone that got down to a size 2 or 4 just by watching what they eat (and gasp they ate carbs too!!).

So here I am working out 6x a week, for likely an hour and a half to two hours each time. I do 40 minutes interval training on the elliptical followed by a Cathe weight workout, Jari Love or Karen Voight/Kathy Smith. I watch what I eat and record EVERY MORSEL and there is no secret bingeing or grazing going on. I don't drink. I don't eat sugar, I eat "clean" by avoiding processed foods with one exception...the fake creamer I put in my coffee.

Why is it I am working SO HARD and stuck?? I find myself obsessing about everything; should I stop drinking coffee?? Should I add another 40 minutes of cardio each day? Should I try Atkins again(tried it and literally got sick, throwing up from the mayo)Should I cut out fruit?

I feel like the biggest loser (in all ways but one LOL). I don't know how much more I can tweak my eating....besides going nasty strict and eating nothing but protein and vegies only for xx amount of time...but is that good, what if I lose weight, then I'll be scared to eat anything for fear of gaining it back? And if I don't lose weight I'll be even more in despair.

The last time I was really losing, and got down to 122 was last year around November....and looking back I was eating pretty much the same stuff but a lot less unintentionally - so I am concerned if I try to do that - cutting calories dramatically, I know that is bad for our metabolism and then you end up needing to eat less and less and less to stay smaller.

I honestly just wonder what is wrong with me?? Could it be that I'm on the pill and have been for 18 years? Should I go off? Would that be something that would prohibit me from moving past this?

It gets awfully depressing when you feel like you are spinning your wheels and everyone around you effortlessly sprints past you.

;-) do they still sell Cortislim?? LOL Just kidding one thing I would never do is take supplements or diet pills!!

Rats!!!

Kelly
 
Just a thought Kelly......do you eat ENOUGH????

I'm sorry for your struggle. You'll get some much better ideas & advice than I could give, so I'll leave that for those better educated in diet & exercise than me, but that was the first thought I had reading your letter.

I wish you luck.:D
 
Kelly,

I understand your pain girl! I know how hard it can be to hear about others who doing next to nothing and lose weight while you are working your butt off and seeming to get no where! I've been there!!! Everyone is different though and you can't allow the results of others to get you down. It's hard, I know.

My FIL has lost almost 15 pounds in 4-6 months by making ONE SINGLE CHANGE in his DIET ONLY!!! He used to eat a sandwich around 11pm every night. He changed that to a reasonably healthy cereal and that is ALL he did and he lost this weight! Mind you, he was not heavy to begin with! x(

Please assess your eating and like Becky said, make sure you are eating enough!!!! After I had a baby I was GAINING weight despite all of the working out I was doing and guess what? It's cause I wasn't eating enough! Once I bumped up my calories to thier proper place, the weight started coming off! I am now 5 pounds less then my pre-pregnancy weight!

Good luck to you girl!
 
>That was my question. I put on weight when i am not eating.
>If i eat in the upper calorie range, then take a day and go a
>little hungry then back up it seems to come off good for me.
>But, everyone is different.
>Good luck.
>Anne


That is similar to calorie staggering/zig-zagging. I did that and lost 18 pounds after having my son!!!!:+
 
I agree. It sounds like you are working out alot! I bet you aren't eating enough. I suggest scaling back on the WO's just a little bit, an hour a day, maybe a longer one once a week. Then bump up your calories (clean of course) just a bit.
I had the SAME issue! It lasted months! But, I just switched the diet to clean, and all WW of whole grain. I do not count calories. I jsut avoid sugar, but I do allow a bit of a cheat now and then. When I did this, the weight just peeled off again, 12 pounds. I still am not done, but I am almost there.
Don't give up. I know eating more will be weird at first, but eat when you need to. You need alot more fuel for those WO's!
Good luck, don't give up! And don't be so hard on yourself!


Maeghan AKA megadoo

New pics added in July 25 2006 and Fitness album!!!!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar072/slider-but3/lb/203/145/151/.png[/img] [/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/megadoo2
 
Yes, I think the pill could have something to do with it. I know women who've found that weight was much easier to take off once they got off the pill. Talk to your doctor about changing the kind you are taking. It's my understanding that some interfere with weight loss more than others.

Good luck
 
I'm pretty much eating about 1500 calories. In the morning when I get up I have a cup of coffee with splenda and coffeemate creamer (again the main 'fake food' I still have). Lately I've been having a banana with about 1TB natural pb on it. I have 1 more cup of Joe prior to workout. After workout I often have a fat free yogurt with 1TB natural peanut butter. Lunch is usually tuna salad on lettuce with tomatoes or a big salad with french dressing on the side (Measure out 2-3 TBS, 180 calories) and a can of tuna on it or cottage cheese and fruit. For dinner it is one of those or shrimp cocktail or yogurt/cottage cheese mixed together. I am sure I need to add in more vegies....but of course the thought of eating more terrifies me since now I'm back to fearing every piece of food as the enemy. I sound like a drama queen as I type this LOL but I am OVER THIS!! I want to succeed here and I sure am working hard for it and am sooo frustrated. I am NOT one to look for excuses, like "Oh well after age 35 you know" - I cannot stand women (or men) that do that, it is simply hard work to get lean and stay lean. I just KNOW somehow I can lose this last 10 or whatever pounds, I don't CARE what the scale says really I just want to not pinch fat!

What would you all think looking at the "diet" above? Too much, too little blah blah.
It cannot be my workouts right?
 
Kelly: I can totally relate, except my stubborn fat happens to reside on my stomach (which is the most dangerous place for it to be, so that could be why I'm so obsessed with getting rid of it--I don't want to have a heart attack!!).

I'm really, really trying not to obsess about the last 5 pounds. I know I'm healthy at 130 (I'm 5'5), and my clothes still fit really well, but I can't seem to get over the fact that I WAS at 127 at one point and can't seem to get back down there again or maintain it for very long. I think my body just has a "natural" weight that it gravitates towards, and I need to just be at peace with that and stop trying to do everything (hard cardio, hardcore weights, super-strict diets) just to lose those last 3 pounds that are driving me batty.

I'm trying to focus instead on living a healthy lifestyle, and trusting that everything will fall into place if I keep at it--that my clothes will continue to fit (and may even fit better as my muscles really start to respond to the weights) and that with any hope, that stubborn fat around my waist will gradually decrease. Mind you, it's not easy to stick to this mindset; I struggle with putting that focus there EVERY SINGLE DAY and do get frustrated, as you do, about this plateau.

Anyway, I'm sorry I don't have much advice or words of wisdom, but I thought I would let you know that I totally understand...

Jennifer
 
I think you are concentrating so hard on what you are eating that I believe it may not be enough.

Also, have you tried to step away from the Cathe workouts and incorporate someone else? I have seen dramatic results doing Jari Love S/L, twice a week and RTTC once a week. I also, spin 4x's a week, sometimes on days of the Jari workouts. Other times I do pilates or yoga and at least one circuit workout, non-Cathe. I really think you need to mix it up and change it up. Also, Debbie Seibers Slim Series, many have gotten great results from this rotation, and that is another alternative. Also, have you tried Amy Bento, Kelly Coffey-Meyers, Patrick Goudreau, Kimberly Spreen, etc.? I have incorporated their workouts with the staple of Jari above and gotten great results. I love Cathe, but sometimes you need to step away from her.
 
The diet sounds good, but I don't think it is enough, especially if you are working out 1.5-2 hours a day. The food sounds good, but add more. Try to eat every 3 hours or so. Don't stuff yourself, but get satisfied. Are you ever starving after your WO?


Maeghan AKA megadoo

New pics added in July 25 2006 and Fitness album!!!!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar072/slider-but3/lb/203/145/151/.png[/img] [/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/megadoo2
 
>The diet sounds good, but I don't think it is enough,
>especially if you are working out 1.5-2 hours a day. The food
>sounds good, but add more. Try to eat every 3 hours or so.
>Don't stuff yourself, but get satisfied. Are you ever starving
>after your WO?
>
>
>Maeghan AKA megadoo
>

Maeghan,

Yes I'd say I am VERY hungry after my workout. I do recall that last year when I doing well and got down to my leanest, I wasn't even doing Cathe workouts yet (was doing Taebo every other day and Taebo + FIRM workouts every other day with a day or two off)and I only mentally kept track of my calories - no percentages, no counting fat grams etc. I remember saying to my friend who was asking what I was doing that I usually ate the things I mentioned in my first post (probably less back then, I was often not as hungry in the afternoon/evening) and if I 'cheated' I tended to 'cheat' on protein type things like I'd have meatballs or a big salad with full fat dressing, not sugary stuff or bagels etc.

I'm wondering, was this BETTER - to eat less, workout less? Or is it better to workout more and eat more?? DUH I would guess the latter but y'all I'm just flipping out!!!

Back then I was NOT psycho. Now I record EVERYTHING in my fit day software and freak out if it shows my fat percentage is too high, or my calories too low or too high....sigh. I HATE being like this but at the same time, reaching my goals and being the most fit I can be is a top priority. I want to be there by the end of this year. And there is NO reason I shouldn't be- within 4 months!!!

;(
 
Do you eat after your WO's? This is a sure sign that you need to fuel your body! Make sure you eat a good protein snack after your WO. Like last night, I did weights and was starving after, so I had Kashi cereal at about 10:30. I think you need to take a break from your fit day software and listen to your body more. You are driving yourself nuts. I got that way when I counted calories.
Try it for 2 weeks. Jusst eat hi protein, high fiber foods. Stay away from sugar as much as possible. Eat Whole wheat and whole grain. Stop counting stuff. When you are hungry-eat. I really think you will see fast (safe) results if you up your intake, especially if you keep up with your WO's the way you are.
You need to be able to enjoy yourself too, so you don't burn out.


Maeghan AKA megadoo

New pics added in July 25 2006 and Fitness album!!!!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar072/slider-but3/lb/203/145/151/.png[/img] [/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/megadoo2
 
I am very sorry, please don't flame me, but I was extremely distrubed when I read:

"And I am a whale at size 8."

I realize I'm getting on a soapbox here, but size 8 is not whale-size. Women in this country (USA) are so obsessed with being thin and being a certain size that they're making themselves nuts. Our culture objectifies women who are airbrushed and who starve themselves and then we're all supposed to live up to that ideal.

I'm not trying to lecture the original poster personally, I just want to point out that a size 8, whether extremely lean for one person or somewhat jiggly for another person, is not large. I truly believe that how we talk to ourselves and how we talk about ourselves frames how we think about ourselves and how we regard ourselves, so it's important to choose our words carefully.

Okay, I'm done now, no more soapbox!
 
On top of what Maeghan is suggesting there are a number of people on this sight that do calorie staggering. I don't know much about it myself, but I bet it would help. It's supposed to keep your body guessing so you don't slow down your metabolism. Here is a link to a website for more information:

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Good luck! I think everyone has been were you are at some point in time. Don't give up, just tweek everything a little bit and see what happens in a month. You may be surprised that if you lower your workouts to 1-1 1/2 hours just a few days a week, and then the rest of the days stay the same. Plus add in the calorie staggering thing you may start to see that fat going away that you don't like.

Kathy
 
Mrsmel, I'm right on that soapbox with you. Size 8 is NOT whale size, NOT very large, NOT EVEN close to the average size of most American women.

Others have given you very good advice about experimenting with diet and exercise, but it's possible you're just fine exactly as you are. You're not in the overweight category according to the BMI charts, I assume your doctor is happy with you, probably your DH is happy with you as men don't object to curves the way we sometimes think they do, and you're eating very well and exercising a LOT. You're so far ahead of most of the population of America.

I think we can lose our perspective being online at fitness forums, where it appears that everyone is so very much thinner and more fit. The next time you pick up a magazine at the grocery store, check out the before and after weight loss stories. A lot of those women have gone from over 200 pounds to maybe 150 or so, they're now a size whatever they are, 10 or 12, down from a 22 or whatever, they're THRILLED to be so "slim", they get compliments all the time, the editors of the magazines have chosen them as success stories!

I'm not telling you to abandon your quest to be thinner if that's what you really want, but just want to give a little nudge to the other side of the story. Many women in America would give anything to be your size! Good luck with whatever you decide, and remember to keep everything in perspective.
 
Ready for a blast from the past? This post and Cathe's reply is from February 2000.

Here's the post:

"My dear friend Tammy, who introduced me to Cathe's tapes and will no doubt be reading this, has drilled this into my head a million times, but I am stubborn. So here is my question: is it true that working out too much will lower my metabolism and make it harder for me to lose these last 7 pounds? I have been driving myself crazy for the past few weeks, doing two workouts a day, mostly Cathe's tapes, and not seeing the scale budge! I'm afraid if I slow down, I'll gain. I'm sure my eating isn't to blame either, I've been saintlike these past few weeks! Any input (including yours, Tammy, although I already know what you're going to say!) is greatly appreciated.
Jane "

Here's Cathe's reply:

"Hi Jane! What happens when you over exercise is that you set yourself up for overtraining. A result of overtraining is a weakened immune system, a stressed metabolism, and a plateau in your fitness routine.
You see, what happens is when you overtrain, your body does not have a chance to repair stressed muscle tissue and therefore can result in a plateau in your fitness routine(in your case, "the scale won't budge"). This unrepaired, overused, muscle begins to break down. This breakdown (loss) of muscle tissue results in a slower metabolism.
So please listen to your dear and wise friend Tammy(thanks Tammy!). She is obviously a wonderful friend who has your best interest at heart !
My advice is to take 48 hours off to let your body repair. Then cut back to 5 to 6 sixty minute workouts per week(one of them being a focused total body strength training routine). Eat a BALANCED AND NUTRITIOUS diet that offers enough calories to support your fitness routine(too many or too few calories will promote weight gain).
Cutting back on your exercise will initially have you feeling as though you are not doing enough. That's actually more mental than physical. Give it a chance. After about two weeks or so your body will acclimate itself and start responding positively to your new SAFE AND EFFECTIVE exercise plan. Good luck and keep us posted. "

Here's the link: http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?...&topic_id=994&mesg_id=994&listing_type=search

As far as going "nasty strict" with your diet--look, if you have to scrape out a certain body type by making yourself miserable and insane, then you're living life upside down! Remember that your body is mortal! Are you going to live an unhappy life to try to preserve your body in a certain way--when NONE of us can obtain perfection, and even if we COULD, we couldn't sustain it --again, these bodies are mortal--, and perfect bodies actually don't even exist. But healthy ones do! The kind of bodies that keep you alive to enjoy your family!

I preached that last paragraph from experience--I've gone nasty strict and overtrained, and the misery caused me to reorganize my priorities. I still have to preach this to myself occasionally. Okay, frequently.

Gisela
 
>I think you are concentrating so hard on what you are eating
>that I believe it may not be enough.
>
>Also, have you tried to step away from the Cathe workouts and
>incorporate someone else? I have seen dramatic results doing
>Jari Love S/L, twice a week and RTTC once a week. I also,
>spin 4x's a week, sometimes on days of the Jari workouts.
>Other times I do pilates or yoga and at least one circuit
>workout, non-Cathe. I really think you need to mix it up and
>change it up. Also, Debbie Seibers Slim Series, many have
>gotten great results from this rotation, and that is another
>alternative. Also, have you tried Amy Bento, Kelly
>Coffey-Meyers, Patrick Goudreau, Kimberly Spreen, etc.? I
>have incorporated their workouts with the staple of Jari above
>and gotten great results. I love Cathe, but sometimes you
>need to step away from her.

I am starting to do this, yes. I am now putting in Jari S/L plus I have her other two Ripped Workouts to do one of them - so I'm thinking 2 Jari per week, 2 Cathe and now some Karen Voight and Kathy Smith...and I am really like yoga/pilates also. I'm thinking maybe I do 2 days of yoga/pilates and then cardio 6x a week with the 'weight' training DVDS 4x a week....I do agree I want to mix it up more and work my muscles differently. I am seeing tremendous definition in the upper body already! P.S. I assume you are from Chicago? Me too!

Kelly G
www.kellyganieany.com;) ;)
 
I think you are exercising plenty, if not too much. And I would add some extra food, too, so you are not starving. Keeping your meals small and frequent will get your metabolism up, and your body won't go into starvation mode.

I use Fitday, too, with the recommendation from my nutritionist to have 50% calories from carbs, 25% from protein, and 25% from fat. How are you looking percentage-wise? Focus on protein to keep you satisfied, pair it with carb to keep your blood sugar even, and yes, have fat!

I've heard of women who started losing when they practically stopped exercising, but this is not a place I want to go! Too hard to start back up...

Although I use Fitday, I try NOT to use it everyday. I intentionally have a "high" day in there (where I don't track) to keep my body guessing. When I start getting obsessive, I take a deep breath and try not to worry so much. Stress will have an effect, too.

Maybe change up your cardio, too? When I do the same thing everyday, I burn less and less calories as my body gets used to the exercise.

HTH!
 
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