Plateau

[Happygolucky]

Hi,

I have been working out 6 days a week consistantly for quite some time. I do 40 to 50 minutes of cardio, followed with a body part for 5 days. Abs and legs are also worked 6 days a week. I keep a journal and try to stick to 1500 to 1600 calories a day (although I have had some bindge days in there). Now don't get me wrong, I have lost a lot of weight, but I have been on a plateau now for about a month. I weigh 117 and can't get lose that stubborn 5 lbs. I am 41 and 5'3. Oh, I also work in interval training to push the scale. Please help!

 

[niclyf]

Just thought I'd chime in my two cents.

Any time the body hits a plateau, it's usually for a few reasons. Depending on your build, your body may already be at it's ideal weight. Based on general guidelines for weight, at your height, your ideal weight is around 115, so you're only two pounds off that. If you're consistenly doing the same types of cardio and strength routines, your bod has probably become quite efficient at performing those routines. To lose those last 5 pounds, you really have to shake things up. For example (not sure what type of cardio you do), if you're doing mainly step and hi/lo, throw in running, kickboxing, biking, or swimming. Add 10 minutes to a couple of your cardio sessions, or add an extra day of interval training. Change into a different weight training routine. To bust through a plateau, you really have to 'confuse' your body and make it work harder than usual. At least that's what worked for me

Good Luck !
~ Nicole

 

[wendyloo]

Yikes. That weight sounds very low to me, and so does the calorie range for the amount of work you are doing. You may be going into starvation mode. I would cut back on the cardio, do some intense, some light and some moderate intensity workouts. Maybe 3-4 days a week. Your body needs to rest and recover, and I don't think it needs to lose any more weight. Working abs and legs every day seems unneccesary, and depending on the leg work you are doing, you could be setting yourself up for injury from overuse.
Good luck!
Wendy

 

[prfitness]

Hi there - Depending on your frame (small to medium) 117lbs sounds like a good weight to me. If you go lower, you may not be able to maintain it. If you are still unhappy with the way your body looks at that weight than perhaps you could use some of the excellent suggestions above to shake up your routine. Sometimes rather than taking things up a notch higher with intensity, introducing moderate forms of exercise to give your body rest and variety may be the solution. I am exactly the same height as you and I was unhappy with the way I looked at 115lbs. Infact I looked exactly the same at 115 as I did at 120 so I knew that losing extra weight was not the answer. So I increased my strength training, cut my cardio to 3 times, introduced moderate forms of exercise into my routine like walking, elliptical, pilates etc. and changed my eating habits (smaller meal more frequently) and I am fairly happy with the results. I also use the tape measure and a tight pair of jeans for results rather than the scale as having muscle and weighing a little more definitely makes me look slimmer than being lighter with no muscle.

 

[Connie1]

Another nod to walking for cardio-- even though I was doing Interval Max and Body Max and Rhythmic Step, also Hi-Lo Heaven an riding my bike a lot, the day after I took an itty bitty 15-20 minute walk with a co-worker at lunch I was *sore!!*

It happened again so I know that it's just the novelty of walking!:-wow

Shocking but true.
-Connie

 

[lorihart]

How in the world do you guys get down to 115? That is where I would like to be but i am medium framed, have my mothers thighs and weigh between 123-126.This week I have stopped eating in the night time and have stopped picking, plus I put an 3 additonal work outs this week.(cardio)And I just went to my mother in laws for breakfast and when I got on the scales I was 130lbs.
I am on my period and had a couple of drinks last night,I haven't weighed that much for a long time.I am freaking out..I think I may stop eating forever.
Got any tips..... Lori

 

[Stacy]

I would agree with substituting a day of cardio for more and heavier strength training. I've been following (more or less) the program outlined in Connelly's book Body Rx and find that it really works for me. My diet has been much cleaner, I've cut down a bit on cardio and have increased my strength training as described in the book and have seen great results. I've slacked off the last month or two though and definitely have seen my results come to a halt. I need to get back with the program!!

Good Luck to you,

Stacy

 

[Happygolucky]

Thank you everyone for your input. I do intense workouts (Cathe's) everyday with the step. I will try to bring it down a bit and add more strength. I have been watching my calories yet I am making no progress with changes in my body. It's not that I want to be skinny so much as I want to define my look. And I agree that at 115 I look as I did at 120 lbs. also. Would using CTX be the answer in addition to more weight training? I can add walking to my routine as well.

 

[prfitness]

I don't have the CTX series so I wouldn't be able to help you with that. But from what I've heard it has short but intense cardio sessions with hi/lo, kickboxing and step all included. So that could be the answer for you if you've been using Cathe's longer step workouts as your staple. What truly made a difference to my body was the PS series. Within 3 weeks of using it I finally started 'looking' as if I was at my goal weight. I also gave my body lots of rest while using it and I think that helped me gain muscle definition. Hope that helps and best of luck.

 

[mars]

Happygolucky -

I also have your stats, 42 years old, 5'3" but weigh 122 and have for 20 years. It would be great to weight 115 but it just isn't going to happen, my body is happy at this weight and it is what I can maintain. I'm a runner, biker, and weight lift. It was the recent addition of heavier weight lifting that has helped to change my shape, all the cardio in the world didn't do it, even marathon training with 30+ miles of running per week. My 2 cents is to keep your weight where you can maintain it for your lifetime and work on forming your body through weight training and less strenuous yoga/pilates.

Good luck, you sound like you are in great shape.