HELP! In need of weight loss advice!

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Pazz21

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I am a 22 year-old female and is some need of advice.

9 months ago I changed my lifestyle around - working out more and eating a strictor diet. In 6 months I lost 28lbs going from 160 to 132. But, for the past 3 months I have not made any further progress, and I'm frusterated. I'm 5'5 and would like to get down to 120. I work out and eat better than anybody I know.

I try to get to the gym 6 days a week doing 45 min. cardio (30 min. running, 15min. eliptical).and 45min. weights/each day (alternating upper/lower body)
along with 15 min. abs excercises too a day. My arms have great muslce tone and my stomache has firmed up quite a bit....but I'm stuck in a rut and I want to make more progess. I know I look good already--people say I do, and I probably WOULDNT need to lose more weight but I want to get as toned as I possibly can.

I eat every 2-3 hours, 7 meals/day with at least 20grams protein in each meal.

3 of the 7 meals are protein shakes that I take AM, Post work-out, and before bed, with a bananan or fruit. The rest of my diet is as follows:

Breakfast: 6 egg whites, 1/2cup oatmeal, 1/2 piece fruit

2nd meal: All-natural turkey slices on 1 slice sprouted grain bread OR
1 Can tuna w/ 3/4c brown rice and vegetable

3rd meal: 1c Organic Kashi Cereal w/ 1c SkimMilk OR
Sweet Potato w/1 can tuna

WORK OUT

4th Meal: Salmon/tilapia fillet/or red meat with baked potato and vegetable

I also supplement my diet with Enzymes, A multivitamin, Vitamin ACBD, Energy Green powder, Calcium, Minerals, CLA, etc. and drink lots of water. Most of the produce I buy is also organic. And I have cut back on the condiments I use in my food--as you can tell my meals are already pretty bland.

After I first started knowing I was in a rut I switched up my workout, intensifying my cardio and changing my weight routine. Nothing has really worked. What am I doing wrong?
 
First, congradulations on the progress you have made so far and the great self discipline you have to keep at it.
2 things that might help:
1. Exercise - you may be doing too much every day and actually making your body retain fat to fuel the long exercise sessions (what is your body fat level?). Try alternating cardio one day and weights the next. Don't do abs every day. Abs are muscles like all the rest and need at least 48 hours of rest between sessions. What does your weight exercise routine look like (exercises, sets, reps)? Have you tried 20 minutes of HIIT instead of 45 minutes of steady state cardio?
2. Diet - you may be eating too much carbs, especially high glycemic index carbs. Eating a carb source like white potatoes, rice, breads, cereals at every meal might be too much. Cut back to one of these only once a day and rely on vegetables and fruits for your carbs (although some fruits have a very high glycemic index also).
Remember long term consistancy is the most important thing. Don't give up, although an occasional cheat meal or day or a day or 2 or even a week off from exercise sometimes jump starts some peoples progress.
 
It doesn't look like you're taking in any fats at all except for your 4th meal. Perhaps you could have some nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc) with one of your meals, or add a yolk or two to the eggwhites in the morning. Fish oil and flax seed are other options to add good fats to your diet.

You need to consume some good fat in order to burn fat, or else your body will just store all the fat it can get a hold of.
 
I should have mentioned that I do take CLA, which is a source of fat. and for snacks I eat almods, walnuts and pecans alot. I used to hardly eat ANY carbs....but I felt like I had less energy so I was told by a trainer to eat more complex carbs during the day and less fruit during the day. I also used to eat 1 egg yolk along w/the whites but I cut that out...maybe I should still eat that.

As far as reps go, I started doing more reps at a lower weight level instead of more weight, less reps. I enjoy that better, and it seems to be more of a work out for me.

I should mention that one day a week I give myself a 'cheat day' where I eat like ****, and dont work out. so I get plenty of fat that day lol.

But, if I hear you right, I should go back to eating less carbs, and more vegetables? How many servings of brown rice, potatos, etc should I have then during the day, and what would be my ideal workout and how long?

And my body fat level? I'm not sure....But I know its in the normal range.
 
Your body fat level is an important determinant at this point of whether you are still holding a lot of fat or are near ideal body fat levels for your frame and would be predominantly loosing lean body mass if you were to loose significantly more body weight. If your body fat level is greater than 20% or so then you should focus on loosing fat. If your body fat is less than 15% or so then you will need to loose lean body mass to loose weight. The optimal diet and exercise plan would be different in each case.
 
Well I dont know how to find my body fat percentage I just know my BMI is 22,I have a medium frame, and my chest to hips ratio is in the normal range as well.
 
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I would cut back to one helping a day of starchy carbs (oatmeal, bread, cereal, rice, potatoe, etc.) and concentrate the rest of your food intake on lean meats, vegetables and fruit (and, of course, lots of water), also try to mostly consume vegetables and fruits with the lowest glycemic index.
 
Yea, now that you've been eating complex carbs w/each meal, I would cut it down to atleast half that per day, for about 2 weeks, then go back to eating it w/each meal for about 4 days, then cut for 2 weeks, etc etc. That way it tricks your metabolism into burning calories more efficiently.
 
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