Good morning everyone!

I haven't been on here in a while, but I have run into a minor problem and I need some suggestions... I have made exercise a routine part of my lifestyle now for 4 months. I workout 5-6 times a week, always doing 40 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I can't stand running because it really messes with my breathing and is hard on my knees. The worst part is the breathing though. My doctor thought I might have exercise-induced asthma, but it doesn't feel like my airway is constricting when I do the elliptical? But that's not really what I was concerned about. I occasionally strength train, but not very much. I would like to focus on losing fat first, then gaining more muscle mass. I have also watched what I eat, avoiding fried foods, excess sugar and excess fat. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, lean meat such as turkey, and whole wheats.

So I have been at this routine for 4 months. As a 21 year old female, I started out at 5'3" and 161 pounds or so. Over the past couple of months, I have lost only ten pounds, but the weird thing is that I lost that in the first month and a half. So for the past two and a half months, I have not had any improvement. I am stuck between 150-154 pounds. I can not get into the 140's no matter how hard I try. I have increased the intensity of my workout, incorporating interval training and increasing the resistance on the elliptical. Nothing is working! I have considered working out twice a day, once before work and once after, but I am often really tired when I get home. I am not sure what I am doing wrong... I would like to get down to 130 pounds and I am getting discouraged. I am not seeing any improvements since I initially lost ten pounds.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. I heard it's normal to "plateau," but I'm not sure if it's normal to plateau for almost three months! Hmmm...

take a look at your diet. that's usually where the problem is.
also, are you doing any strength/weight training? or just cardio?

I watch what I eat. Nothing fried whatsoever. I try to avoid excess sugar as much as possible. I stick to lean meats like chicken and turkey. I can't eat seafood. I am Italian and I love pasta and I know this can be a trouble area, so I have gotten whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, etc. I have been eating a lot of fruits and vegetables...a lot of salads. I don't put a lot of dressing or sauce on anything because I know that is where most of the bad stuff is. I usually use half of what is recommended.

I have been logging everything I consume for the past week. I am usually between 1200-1500 calories/day. I tried to stay under 1200, but that is insanely difficult and I usually go 50-100 calories over when I intensely monitor the calorie uptake. I don't know what I am doing wrong... I am doing everything I thought I needed to do? I am really getting discouraged and I don't know how to lose these 20 pounds!!! For being 21 years old and 5'3", I should not be this heavy.

for starters, dont try to deat below 1200 cals. do you know what the macro break down is of your foods? where do you log it? you could try FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal if you are not using it already.

Well first off congrats on losing the 10 pounds. It might not be what you wanted, but at least you're losing something (which is always better than gaining or losing nothing).

As far as your plateau, it's one of two things, really.

1) You're not training hard enough or you were training hard at first, but got used to it and now it's "easy." Always monitor your heart rate. You should be hitting roughly 60% of your max heart rate, and even now you should be doing 65-70% of your max. Strength training is important even if you're not building muscles. Doing the "core three" (that's what I call it, don't know if it's an actual term), which includes squats, deadlifts, and bench. With just doing squats (even with little weights) it can be very helpful and you're doing a full body workout at the same time.

Also, about point (1), mix it up! It sounds like you got used to the elliptical you're on. Doing the same exercises every day will be beneficial at first, but over time, it's not going to do you any good. Try the bike or rowing, which are the two best exercises besides elliptical and running (running is probably the best cardio you can do, but it's a tricky thing to keep up with). A lot of people at the gym swears that if they don't do 1 particular exercise every day, their world will explode or something. All you need is a schedule really. Try M, W, F with strength training + cardio (total time should be 1 to 1 1/2 hours). And T, and R with cardio (20-40 minutes).

Final point on (1), don't burn yourself out. Going to the gym twice a day for six days a week will prove to be hurtful rather than beneficial.

2) Your diet. Although I can't say much, you could be eating too little or too much at once. Try eating 3-5 times a day, with equal amount per sittings. Also, drink water, and only water. If you must have a soda, try limiting it to just once a day, if even that, but remember drinking 4 cans of some soda can put you over your limit of daily cals.


Don't be discouraged about your weight lost. Remember, you have your entire life ahead of you, and you got a lot of time left. If you're worried about how others will think of you, don't. Remember a lot of people are overweight and most people (good ones at least) don't care about your weight. Don't have deadlines where you want to lose 20-30 pounds in just a month or two. Checking the scales a lot proven to be discouraging. If you must check the scales, do this: wear the same clothes, and measure at the same time remembering that the scales weigh everything, including the food + drink you just consumed.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice guys!

As for the strength training, I have only started to integrate it into my routine. I have only strength-trained about three times. I plan to strength train about three times per week and do cardio for 6 days per week.

I am a little concerned about my heart rate. It said that for my age group, I should keep my heart rate at 130-170 for cardiovascular training, and even lower for weight loss. Within only 5 minutes or so of my cardio, I am already in the 170's. My maximum heart rate has been 195. I thought it might have been the machines, but all of the machines have relayed similar heart rates. Is it possible that I may have some sort of heart problem as this is extremely high? If my heart rate truly is that high, am I still reaping the benefits of weight loss? Hmmm...

This might be the problem. Adding "flavor" to your food can actually increase the amount of cal it has. If you must use flavor/sauce/seasoning, try limiting it to just a very small amount. Garlic for your meat, lowfat dressings for your salad (find one at your store), and extra virgin olive oil for your frying (eggs, salmon, etc).

Eating (less than or equal to) 1200 cals for diet is not recommended. This can kick a starvation mode for you and cause your body to hold onto everything it has. After eating again (usually late night hunger or impulse eating), you regain any lost weight during that starvation period because your body is normalizing its energy/water use.

First find your BMR, determine how many cals you actually need to maintain your weight. Then subtract 300 from it and that's your weight lost goal. You should be losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you feel as if you must eat 1200 cals, ask your doctor.

Weight loss plateaus can occur for a variety of reasons. Where one needs to look first in my opinion (when nothing ELSE is known) is the total caloric intake (and if you have a journal, one can look over the data, see what the deficits were like, AND if the deficits were IN FACT ACCURATE). And tracking your DIET AND rate of loss, you CAN PINPOINT the approximate time the plateau occurred (beauty of tracking fellas).

Now, IF your caloric deficits were relatively the same for the period leading up to the plateau (remember, fat loss at first will be fast, of course (for most people), the body is accustomed to a higher caloric input...no?!), then when you introduce a lower calorie input with deficit, over time (whether with or without exercise) one will lose weight, BUT the same ISSUE can occurr in REVERSE (the body makes certain adjustments overtime or adapts to what your doing to it), and thus fat loss slows down. And, Im not even getting to the exercise portion YET or activities portion YET, which plays a role, BUT SECOND to what I first stated. Some persons, have to throw a "WRENCH" in the machine before it picks back up.......where it left off.

Through time, I have experimented with my body to learn its efficiency in moving calories around. After about 4 months of dieting (I do NOT diet plateau, by the way), 3 consecutive nights at 10p, 11p, and 1a, I consumed 3/4ths of my calories allowed BEFORE BED (I DONT Reccommend this!), or about 1700 (CLEAN). I woke up LEANER in the AM ALL THREE DAYS. The DEFICIT was the SAME however for 24 however, BUT there was a lean difference in the am (no major carbs eaten, I may add, but I had some--mostly protein).

I then REVERSED the trend, with deficit allowance the same. No difference in am and no major difference overall noticed.

I then spaced out the calories throughout the day, and my weight flexed UP about 5lbs (this is normal anyway), and this is what I currently do for several beneficial reasons, but largely due to: prevent cravings, even out water gain and energy-which will assist me in weight training since Im in deficit as much as possible

I have a very efficient body and it responds well to JUST deficit dieting ALONE. My point is FIND YOURS. It just isnt the same for everyone, though some basic principles can be applied, but once theu are applied, AND a plateau developes, one has to KNOW what WAS applied in order PROVIDE A CHANGE in method----to MAKE A CHANGE OF RESULT!.

I just firmly believe, working with the DIET, and then complimenting the diet with the exercise. Now, this is not saying exercise doesnt compliment the diet (there is a difference), and YES you can or yes IT can. changing this or changing that can elicit certain type of responses from exercise along WITH the deficit diet, if you see what I am getting at.

Mix it up. I dropped weight pretty quick doing 45 mins a day on the stair master machine. Then the weight loss stopped. So I went to a higher exertion level (it only goes to 10, and now I'm at 10) for an hour. Weight loss has started up again. The human body has an incredible capacity to adapt to what we throw at it.

As far as your heart rate, where are you getting that from? Heart rates from the machines can be as innaccurate as calories-burned from the machines! Take your own heart rate with fingers against your neck for 15 seconds. You'll get a better picture.

dont worry, i think it may be the machine, the treadmills at the gym do the same for me... even tho my workouts are rather intensful.... i seem to get the same heart rate when im done, maybe the machine read it wrong

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