Help! After loosing 70lbs, a plateau from hell!

Determined2Lose · Post by **Determined2Lose** » Wed 18 Mar 2009 03:16

Hey all, I'm posting on this forum in order to get professional, specialized advice. In Nov of 2007, I began an intense exercise program which was followed with a diet program (wai) about 4 months later. I was getting consistent results for ten months straight, then hit a plateau last Oct (08). About me:

Male
5'6"
21
initial weight: 270lb
current weight: 195lb
goal: 175lb
most of the weight is in legs/buttex followed by stommach

current lifestyle:

mon-sat: 1200 calories split into 3 main meals with snacks in between (no carbs, only fruits,juices, white/red meats, nuts and oils, rarely vegetables, I hate'em). Boxing Gym 12-1pm then 1 mile running/elliptical 5 days/week. Work from 2:30-10:30pm (IT technician).

sun- off

when I hit the plateau, I did my research and saw a lot of conflicting solutions. The most popular being zigzag diet, lift more weights, more cardio. I even tried atkins for two weeks, tried the 1000 calorie diet, tried to eat more and lift more, but all either caused no weight loss or added some pounds.

I'd like to know what the experts think, I'm willing to give as much info as possible. Please help! Thanks!

johndela1 · Post by **johndela1** » Fri 20 Mar 2009 03:16

You say no carbs, only fruit juices. do you mean no starches because fruit juices are contain mainly carbs.

Are you sure you are only eating 1200 calories? If so, how did you determine this?

Boxing Gym is very ambiguous, what exactly do you do there?

This might sound counter intuitive but aerobics are probably not the best way to stay lean.

Post by **Oscar** » Sat 21 Mar 2009 00:38

Losing weight is a matter of energy intake vs output. This means losing weight is possible on any kind of diet. The problem with cooked diets is the presence of addictive and appetite enhancing substances, which make you eat more than you need. This requires discipline to counter. On the strict Wai Diet those substances aren't present, so it's easier to regulate.

1200 kcal seems quite low.

ozerg · Post by **ozerg** » Thu 02 Jul 2009 10:47

It's possible that you're eating too little. If you eat too few calories your metabolism can go in to starvation mode - this means it burns less calories and fat. Remember to mianitan wieght men are supposed to eat about 2,500 calories a day, so 1,200 is very low. I remember reading that (as a man) you shouldn't be eating less than 1,400 or your metabolism will slow. I am not a professional though, but I have read a lot on this subject, and it seems the only option you haven't tried.

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Fri 10 Jul 2009 19:54

yes, 1200 is definitely too low.
And indeed, the trick is to not alarm your body (and frighten it into starvation mode)

martianwarrior · Post by **martianwarrior** » Mon 27 Jul 2009 17:01

i'm already close to my ideal weight, but was hoping to shed some stubborn fat and make my muscles a bit more visible. i've been averaging anywhere from 3600 to 4400 calories a day, remaining active every day through going on long walks usually every day(anywhere from 1-2 hours) and every two or three days doing about 25 minutes of light acrobatics, kicks and punches on the heavy bag, with 12-15 push-ups in between. i've decided to avoid harder workouts so i can allow my body to adjust to the diet for a month or two before going back into things full swing. anyway, what i was trying to get at is that i have noticed slow results shedding stubborn fat and gaining more 'posture' to my muscles, especially around the stomach and my legs. i think slow n steady is better and i remember reading somewhere that the point of the diet is to allow your body to settle into its ideal weight. perhaps someone could back this up with some evidence haha.

Determined2Lose, i don't know how long you've been on the diet, but after losing all that weight, i'd take it slow losing the rest of the weight. it's also important to not stress your body or your mind to lose the weight. be proud of what you've done so far and eat, eat, eat. make sure your fat to carb ratio is what's right for you. enjoy long walks. enjoy life.

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Wed 29 Jul 2009 11:40

martianwarrior wrote:was hoping to shed some stubborn fat and make my muscles a bit more visible.

If you are not overweight, making your muscles more visible is more about losing redundant water in your skin than it is about losing a few additional pounds of bodyfat.
Sure, becoming more skinny makes your muscles more profoundly visible, but if your skin is still retaining a lot of water, shedding those extra pounds will never get you the results that you are looking for.

martianwarrior · Post by **martianwarrior** » Sun 02 Aug 2009 15:25

well, then what i've been noticing, is probably a combination of both losing redundant water in the skin and a little bit of body fat. as far as my stomach goes, i suppose the fact that it doesn't become bloated anymore would create the effect of having lost weight around the mid section. just so i'm not confused... just following the diet and making sure fat to carb ratios are right will eventually rid the body of excess water weight correct? i don't eat any munch foods. i'm very strict with it.

i'm not looking for immediate results, i know it will take time. just want to make sure my thinking is correct. i need to read more so i can understand this water situation.

it's interesting that water retention came up (and i'm not trying to steal the show or hijack Determined2Lose post) but i was watching some interviews with MMA fighters this weekend and the majority of the fighters said that the hardest part leading up to a fight is cutting weight and how dehydrated the body gets. most are somewhat educated and smart about this and only have to lose 8-12 lbs. while some have to lost more than 30! i recently watched a fight between a guy who only lost 15 lbs before a fight and a guy who cut from above 200lbs to 170. who do you think was looking sloppy and tired less than halfway through the fight?...

i would like to become a Pro MMA fighter in the near future. i don't want to be cutting weight like that though. i'd rather walk around floating in between the weight range(145-155 lbs) i'm not worried about making the top weight, which is the norm in MMA. i'd rather be at my ideal weight and be sure to be properly hydrated and full of energy come fight night. cutting all that weight and losing all that water is too much stress, mentally and physically, leading up to the fight.

YouTube · Post by **RRM** » Sun 23 Aug 2009 18:52

martianwarrior wrote:. just following the diet and making sure fat to carb ratios are right will eventually rid the body of excess water weight correct?

Yes, and this happens very rapidly. If you are on the strict diet, just a few days to a week, if your hormones are not playing with you.

i would like to become a Pro MMA fighter in the near future.

Wow, that takes a lot of determination and very precise scheduling and execution of your diet plan. You will always have to take very much notice of your blood-sugar level, and your glycogen depots.
Try to stay away from activities that last for hours; try to mimic fights (regarding duration and intensity) in your training sessions. And, of course, rest and balance are key here.

i'd rather be at my ideal weight and be sure to be properly hydrated and full of energy come fight night.

then you first need to become master of your glycogen depots (after you mastered your glucose levels, of course)
It can be done, but it requires a lot of determination and being very alert, strict and precise all the time.