weight loss plateau

J

junkfoodbad

2
So another week goes by and no weight loss. I have been doing cardio, 5-6 days a week, for about 4 months. Combination of HIIT on elliptical, street jogging, and racquetball. My calories are below my maintenance level. Diet is clean, 6 small meals a day, 50/25/25 pro/fat/carb ratio.

I'm really getting frustrated. I've weighed less than this before, so it isnt like a genetic roadblock or anything. I'm wondering if my body has just grown accustomed to the cardio. Is this possible? Would a week off of cardio and then hit it hard again next week do me any good? Or will my body just grow accustomed to it again next week?
 
I don't know if I asked you this before but list excatly what you eat and excatly when you eat it.

Also, list your current training/cardio program and the excat times you perform each.
 
Heres my diet

6:30am - oatmeal and whey shake
9:00am - peanuts or almonds
12:00pm - grilled chicken wrap or salad
2:30pm - apple
PWO 6:00pm - whey shake
6:30pm - chicken, fish, or beef and veggie usually broccoli
9:00pm - peanuts or cottage cheese

Cardio usually consists any of the following 5-6 days a week
- racquetabll
- 20 minute HIIT on eliiptical
- 2 mile jog

Lift schedule is MWF alternating A and B all exercises are 3x10

A (push)
-Bench Press
-Shoulder Press
-Skullcrushers
-Lunges
-Calf Raises

B (pull)
-BO DB rows
-deadlifts
-bicep curls
-wrist curls

All workouts are done around 5:15pm. On lifting days cardio is done immediately afterwards.
 
I revised your diet.......

6:30am - 45 min cardio on an empty stomach/keep HR at 65-75% of max HR - 5-7 times /week

8:00am - oatmeal and egg whites
10:30am - whey shake/almonds or flax oil
12:30pm - grilled chicken/broccolli/fat source
3:00pm - whey shake/almonds or flax oil
4:45pm - eat your apple here
PWO IMMEDIATLEY following training - whey shake/dextrose
PPWO 8pm - lean chicken or fish w/broccoli and brown rice or sweet potatoe
 
that would be impossible for me. I have to be at work by 7:45 and i have a 45 minute commute. I eat at 6:30, grab a quick shower and im out the door.
 
not to sound negative at all, cause i really respect all suggestions, but is my diet really that bad to require such an overhaul? If my diet could be the cause of my plateau then im willing to try, but I just dont see whats wrong with my diet to warrant changing it. It meets my macronutrient requirements, it stays away from carbs toward the evening, and calories are spot on to where i want them.
 
5:00 am - 45 min cardio on an empty stomach/keep HR at 65-75% of max HR - 5-7 times /week

6:30am - oatmeal and egg whites
9:00am - whey shake/almonds or flax oil
11:30pm - grilled chicken/broccolli/fat source
2:00pm - whey shake/almonds or flax oil
4:30pm - eat your apple here
PWO IMMEDIATLEY following training - whey shake/dextrose
PPWO 8pm - lean chicken or fish w/broccoli and brown rice or sweet potatoe
 
junkfoodbad said:
not to sound negative at all, cause i really respect all suggestions, but is my diet really that bad to require such an overhaul? If my diet could be the cause of my plateau then im willing to try, but I just dont see whats wrong with my diet to warrant changing it. It meets my macronutrient requirements, it stays away from carbs toward the evening, and calories are spot on to where i want them.
Click to expand...
Obviously it's not working so it's time to tweak it. Regarlkess of what your marco requirements are, you may need to tweak them for your body to respond.
 
~LV~ said:
Obviously it's not working so it's time to tweak it. Regarlkess of what your marco requirements are, you may need to tweak them for your body to respond.
Click to expand...

So its not possible that it could be anything else? The diet is the only suspect? I'm not trying to be resistant, or disrespectful. I just want to know all the details before I make the change.
 
No problem man. That's what these forums are for.

Anyway, yes It looks like your diet is holding you back from seeing progress. And the fasted cardio will help you BIGTIME.
 
I think this is doable for me. Ill start the fasted cardio next week and see how it goes. Just out of curiosity though, what specifically about my diet would you say is preventing me from seeing results?
 
I know from experiance that switching up the length of time of your cardio and then what kind of cardio you do is always good for a shock to the fat. How long do you do your racquetabll or 2 mile jog? When in a plateau you sometimes have to bump up all the way to 50-60 mins to lose fat or to get your system going. Why not try making your jog session a HIIT session (being that sprinting is amazing for your metabolism anyway) and do a good 45-60 min session on the elliptical, it will also be a little easy on the joints.

Are you seeing any muscle gain at all? With you taking in so much protein if your weight training isn't real focused (and it looks like you could add a few good exercises there like squats and deadlifts) then your not breaking down as much muscle tissue, therefore your body isn't using all that protein and some of it could be stored as fat. Your carb levels are pretty low and you may need to raise it from 25% to 30%. Don't be scared of the carbs they are good for you. Also if upping your cardio you are going to need that energy.


While a diet can always use improvement no it isn't horrible. Take LV's advice and even just switching it up a bit could do something for your metabolism. I know its frustrating as i am still battling through a mean plateau but you just have to try different things and see what works, give something at least 3 weeks and if that doesn't work try again, remember took years to get the way you are now so its hard but just repeat the need for patience in you head.
 
yeah, i think that fasted cardio should do a decent job shocking my system. ive been thinking about fasted cardio for some time now, just never had the ambition to wake up that early. Now i have a reason...to shock the crap out of my body.

Is fasted HIIT a bad idea?
 
junkfoodbad said:
I think this is doable for me. Ill start the fasted cardio next week and see how it goes. Just out of curiosity though, what specifically about my diet would you say is preventing me from seeing results?
Click to expand...
Carb timing.

Also, you may want to make meal 1 a pro/fat meal if you don't see progress with what I've laid out for you.

Keep it pro/carb for a few weeks and measure your progress.
 
I hit a plateau about 2 weeks ago and I changed things up just a bit and I am back to losing 1/2 pound to 1 pound per week. I just made slight alterations to my HIIT program and it made a world of difference. I also took 3 days off from training to really rest my body good and then hit again and I have not looked back since. I am back to being able to see the fat melt off. I just started wearing jeans not to long ago with a 34 waist and I find them fitting loose around the waist. Since the beginning of the year to date I have lost 65 pounds and reduced my body fat by 10 percent. Don't give up just change up. Thats the best advice I can give. I work on average 85 hours per week and still find time to squeeze in at least 6 hours per week of excecise. So it can be done just think about what you want to look like or be like and you'll get past this plateau.
 
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