Ok everyone, i know i havent posted in a while... just finished up my masters degree program, it wasnt easy. I have some problems now that i dont know how to fix. As you all know i have been cutting for sometime now, im 5'6 and as of today in 162lbs. Ive been cutting since last july bc i was 240lbs. Over the whole month of April i got completely stagnant on the weight loss and i dont know why. I didnt hit the gym as much as i know i should have bc of the final couple weeks of thesis work but i was eating clean and under my maintenance. I was eating 2100-2200cal per day for the whole month (you can check my fitday if you want) I rarely cheated, but i did only to keep sane and help keep my body guessing. I was doing cardio 2-3x a week at most. So, now its mid-may and im still at a plateau that i just cannot get off of. i was happy losing around 1lb a week or 4lbs a month... but according to my spreadsheet ive lost maybe 1-2lbs in the last month and a half, some weeks it showed i gained weight also which i know is impossible. Im at my wits end with all this and losing motivation fast. I was thinking of dropping my cals to a really low level for a couple weeks to get my body shocked, but not dropping below 1500 ever. I need some advice here... i know you all think of muscle as a precious comodity, but coming from 240lbs and NEVER being thin in my life i just want to lose all this fat. I realize this is a lifestyle change and i also realize that i will be working toward my final goals for a long time to come. From where i came from im trying to decide if its ok for me to just cut the fat away and sacrifice some muscle loss while doing it to get to that goal, then when i get to a good BF% i can bulk up to where i want. I know you all think that losing muscle mass is a bad thing, but at my current state of mind i just want to be thin... is it such a bad thing? I dont know if any of you were ever as heavy as i was but having to deal with never being happy when looking in the mirror bc all you see is fat really sucks. My diet is in check, i know what to eat and what not to eat, my protein is high, i only eat complex carbs and good fats.... i appologize for the longevity of this message, but im losing motivation... and i desperatly need to get it back... somehow.
Big problems... Advice needed.
- Thread starter USFbull22
- Start date
Well you know what to do and how to do it, have you changed up your routine any? I try to change my workouts every month just so I keep interested. You gotta love to do it, needs to be something you look forward to doing everyday.
Don't surround yourself with negative people/things. Look back on your progress and focus on your good qualities. When I look in the mirror I am still not happy with my progress, but that just makes me want to hit the gym harder the next day.
You had finals and stuff for college to do, so you slipped up a bit. Thats nothing to worry about, school comes first, you got your whole life to achieve your goals. Its hard to get back into things after a month of slipping up a little, just remember why you started in the first place.
Don't surround yourself with negative people/things. Look back on your progress and focus on your good qualities. When I look in the mirror I am still not happy with my progress, but that just makes me want to hit the gym harder the next day.
You had finals and stuff for college to do, so you slipped up a bit. Thats nothing to worry about, school comes first, you got your whole life to achieve your goals. Its hard to get back into things after a month of slipping up a little, just remember why you started in the first place.
I'd imagine theleip will chime in here (as well she should) but on the off chance she doesn't, take a look at her fat loss troubleshooting guide for some ideas.
It sounds like you've hit a plateau, that, despite doing everything right, you just can't get around. Don't lose faith or momentum, hard though that will be to do. When it does happen, try to concentrate on other areas of your new body/life - on your newly trained abilities.
It sounds like you've hit a plateau, that, despite doing everything right, you just can't get around. Don't lose faith or momentum, hard though that will be to do. When it does happen, try to concentrate on other areas of your new body/life - on your newly trained abilities.
its very hard for me to look at my positive qualities bc all i ever see is the stomach.. love handles.. etc. Ppl tell me im so thin, but im not... im thin compared to what i was but im not where i should be. for the month of april i didnt even slip up, i ate clean i did my cardio... the only thing that lacked was my weight training. Im under the impression that lifting does help the process, but essentially its about cals in vs cals out... and i know for a fact i burned more then i ate. I measure everything i eat, i weigh my foods... im pretty strict about everything that goes in my mouth. I have read the fat loss troubleshoot multiple times over the course of the last 10 months...i seriously dont see anything that i could change besides my workouts which were low reps/heavy weight. My problem is, even if i dont goto the gym again (which wont happen), doing cardio and eating a defecit should result in weight loss, given it will be some fat and some muscle, but it will be a loss nontheless. Im not even getting that from my eating right and cardio. Its hard to keep motivated when you are doing everything perfect and getting minimal results or even gains in weight when technically that should not be happening. I am seriously not sure how to break this plateau... my main question is, would dropping my cals low (between 1500-1600) for a few weeks be bad? I know i would be sacrificing muscle but at the same time it would give my metabolism a jolt i would think. I know you all dont wanna hear me say it, but i think im willing to sacrifice muscle to get rid of the last 10-15lbs i think i need to lose... i say this bc i know once im done and satisfied with the fat loss (somewhere between 10-12%BF) i can start a slow clean bulk. Im only 25, i have a lot of time to achieve the muscle definition i want.
I understand how you feel. First off, you are doing a great job, keep it up! I really don't think you need to sacrifice any muscle. I think you should continue your healthy eating, and not leave out any calories. Get back on track with the weight training, it will assist greatly in losing fat. Yes, nutrition is very important, but I credit all the weight I lost to weight training just as much. So don't panic, stay motivated, you are getting closer, so of course things will get a little more difficult. The ones who overcome these difficulties are the ones who really win in the end.
theleip
2
USFbull22-
I stand by the others in that I feel for your pain and frustration.
However, I still stand by what I said months ago when asked about your initial situation. You have been in a deficit and eating under for far to long. To help fix your skin issues that you have a concern with, to help regulate your hormones and metabolism, and to give you a little more muscle to work with I think you need to work your way back up to maintenance, stay there while engaging in a solid lifting program for a matter of 4-6 weeks and then if so desire enter back into a cut program. Personally I think doing a very slow muscle building program for 6-12 weeks and then cutting if needed after for a little would do wonders after that maintenance. If you really need to get down that low though I understand but regardless I think a break is needed from the deficit. An extended break at that with solid lifting. I have always given the same answer and will continue to do so.
Regardless good luck in whatever you decide to do.
I stand by the others in that I feel for your pain and frustration.
However, I still stand by what I said months ago when asked about your initial situation. You have been in a deficit and eating under for far to long. To help fix your skin issues that you have a concern with, to help regulate your hormones and metabolism, and to give you a little more muscle to work with I think you need to work your way back up to maintenance, stay there while engaging in a solid lifting program for a matter of 4-6 weeks and then if so desire enter back into a cut program. Personally I think doing a very slow muscle building program for 6-12 weeks and then cutting if needed after for a little would do wonders after that maintenance. If you really need to get down that low though I understand but regardless I think a break is needed from the deficit. An extended break at that with solid lifting. I have always given the same answer and will continue to do so.
Regardless good luck in whatever you decide to do.