Why'd I Plateau?

[ENIGMA16]

So a while back I went on a diet and started working out. My starting weight was I believe 170 and after a month I was down to 160. I was looking pretty lean but couldn't lose enough body fat to have a very defined six pack; my goal at the time was to reach 150 or 155.

Anyways, my diet pretty much consisted of an english muffin with fat free cream cheese, a cup of sugarfree yogurt and a glass of skim milk with a multi for breakfast. Throughout the day (because I usually don't get home until around 7 due to school/work) I packed an assortment of food (usually two turkey/ham sandwiches with mustard and/or light miracle whip and carrots or a sandwich, a salad and carrots - with fat free dressing, of course). At night I'd usually eat a salad, a black bean burrito with light reduced fat cheese, some seasoned chicken and vegetables, or something of the sort. My weekend diet was pretty much the same but included beer (yes, I know, I caved and drank beer instead of a healthier drink like a rum and diet) and junk food like once a weekend (some kind of delivery usually).

My workout schedule was basically this:
MWF - Run on the treadmill
TR - Lift

For lifting I'd typically start out benching two sets of 10. I'd move on to dumbell curls (2 sets of 15) and dumbell lateral raises (2 sets of 15). Then I'd hit up tricep pulldowns (2 sets of 15) and finally a variety ab workouts (usually different types of crunches and leg raises).

This worked for a while and I lost a little weight and saw a little bulking up, but not much. Since I was more concerned with losing weight than bulking up, I ended up deciding to focus on running, so after a bit I gave up lifting and just ran every day. I believe after the month was up I was at like 157 or 158. I was obviously excited about this, but after about two more weeks of this I still had lost just about zero weight. At this time I started getting discouraged and started going back to drinking my regular amount and eating some worse foods and eventually gave up because of this plateau.

I'm now back up to about 166 and looking to put together a diet/lifting/cardio plan that gets me not only back to where I originally was but even better. The problem is this plateau. I was eating about 1200 calories, whereas my maintenance level is around 2000. So it makes absolutely no sense to me why I wasn't losing weight past that.

Any ideas on why that'd be? Any tips for a new workout schedule? Would the one I was using before suffice if I pushed myself harder?

 

[jocca]

Your body doesnt allow you to continue to drop the pounds after a certain stage at such a rapid rate. Everyone hits what is termed a plateau be it in lifting,gaining muscle or losing weight at some point or another and what you experiened was considered newbie losses. Essentially you have to keep going throught his period and you eventually come out the other end and experience losses again.

Also to lose half a kilo per week you have to use 2000 kjs more then you consume directly from your diet. And I would suggest continuing with the weights just with less weight and higher reps to create some tone. Hope this helps.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

I am kind of tired right now so I am not going to address every single point. How tall are you and what is your age?

And I would suggest continuing with the weights just with less weight and higher reps to create some tone. Hope this helps.

This is absolutely incorrect. This bodybuilding myth has been around forever. The only difference between cutting and bulking is diet/nutrition, not the amount of weights/rep you do.

I think you are underestimating the amount of calories you are consuming. Another thing you are not watching for is you are consuming a lot high glycemic carbs (ie. burrito and english muffin). Another thing is you need to stagger out your meals more. Eat a meal every 3 hours and spread the calories out throughout the day. Make sure you are consuming enough protein to minimize the amount of lean muscle mass being catabolized. As far as workout regimens, read sticky. Lifting weights also burns more calories than cardio if you are doing heavy compound lifts.

 

[jocca]

To the above my degree and personal experience completely disagree with you.

 

[ENIGMA16]

I am kind of tired right now so I am not going to address every single point. How tall are you and what is your age?

5'8" and 22.

Another thing you are not watching for is you are consuming a lot high glycemic carbs (ie. burrito and english muffin).

English muffin is a wheat muffin.

Another thing is you need to stagger out your meals more. Eat a meal every 3 hours and spread the calories out throughout the day.

Well I eat breakfast, I eat 2-3 meals (sandwiches/salads) throughout the day and then when I come home I eat 1-2 meals. I've also recently been drinking protein shakes for a meal right before I work out.

Lifting weights also burns more calories than cardio if you are doing heavy compound lifts.

What do you mean by compound lifts?

 

[Pie in the Sky]

English muffin is a wheat muffin.

Yeah, don't mean to sound pedantic here, but just because something says it is "whole wheat" doesn't mean it is whole wheat. A lot of stuff in the store is made with "whole wheat flour" which basically means it could potentially only have a small amount of whole wheat in it while the majority of it is white flour. This is bad since white flour only has the endosperm part of the grain while whole wheat has the endosperm, bran, and germ where all the nutrition is.

Other than that, only thing I see that you could do differently is make sure you are drinking enough water everyday and you could switch to doing HIIT when you do your cardio.

What do you mean by compound lifts?

Compound lift is lift that works multiple muscles at once for the exercise. eg. deadlifts, squats, bench press. Isolation exercises on the other hand, only work one muscle. eg. pec flyes, curls, etc.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Yeah, don't mean to sound pedantic here, but just because something says it is "whole wheat" doesn't mean it is whole wheat. A lot of stuff in the store is made with "whole wheat flour" which basically means it could potentially only have a small amount of whole wheat in it while the majority of it is white flour.

I was under the impression that if it says whole wheat flour it has 100% whole wheat flour unless it says otherwise (i.e. enriched, bleached or something like that). I always make sure to buy breads made from Whole Wheat Flour. Are you saying that this could be mostly white flour? Because that's certainly news to me, as I've read a lot on nutrition and never heard that before.

Other than that, only thing I see that you could do differently is make sure you are drinking enough water everyday and you could switch to doing HIIT when you do your cardio.

I'll have to read up on that more. I'm planning on putting together a workout/diet plan so this thread will probably serve as my journal eventually.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Ok so I just checked out The Vault and figured that I'd take the workout plan from the "Where to Start" thread, except I'm going to be replacing low intensity cardio with HIIT, as I'm very athletic and could probably handle it.

Still trying to work out a diet, though, as I have trouble keeping to a diet that requires me to do a lot of cooking beforehand and bringing a lot of Tupperware to school/work. I'll probably end up sticking to the diet that I originally had, as it's so simple to make sandwiches and to throw salad into a container, but just with a little tweaking.

EDIT: Another problem that I have is that I don't have a lot of time in the day, so I would be lifting/doing cardio at different times. After looking at my schedule these would be my typical workout times:

Monday 6:45 PM Lift
Tueaday 5:00 PM HIIT
Wednesday 6:45 PM Lift
Thursday 11:00 AM HIIT
Friday 2:00 PM Lift

I've heard it's not the best to be working out that late, and that it's better to do cardio in the morning after a very light snack (fruit or juice), but my schedule just doesn't condone it. I've tried waking up at 5:00 in the morning before to be able to make it to the gym to run before work and it is incredibly difficult for me, as I'm very much a night person. As for working out late, how would that affect my diet plan?

 

[Pie in the Sky]

Yeah workout plan looks good to me. I don't think it really makes any difference what time of day you workout. I personally workout in the morning or around noon because I still have a lot of energy and can do my maxes without any problems. Since you are on a cutting diet, I think this is sort of inconsequential. You will lose a little bit of muscle mass, who cares.

I personally wouldn't do HIIT until I actually hit a plateau, but then again I hate doing cardio and doing it that often would make me burnout fast. Everyone is different. Just make sure you always eat about an hour before you workout. Your body burns carbs, fat, and then muscle in that order. If you do not have an adequate store of glycogen from carbs, you are more likely to reach the muscle burning stage. Interestingly, about 45 minutes into any workout your body will automatically start producing a catabolic hormone called cortisol which will stimulate the breakdown of muscle tissue for energy. When you are fasted, your cortisol levels will be even higher. People normally refer to it as being in a "catabolic state". Anyway, good luck with your goals and stay motivated!

 

[ENIGMA16]

Ok so I've decided that a strict diet probably would do more harm than good because it would more than likely end up discouraging me more than anything and wouldn't be as effective as if I just ate healthier and followed a few rules. I've decided to go back to the sandwich/salad thing throughout the day because it works best for me. My breakfast is already pretty healthy but I'll probably cut something out so I am consuming less calories. At night (where I historically slip up) I think I can handle fresh veggies and chicken/fish now, as I've been making chicken with these different store-bought marinades for a while and they're delicious.

So basically I'm just going to make sure I'm sticking to at least a 500 calorie deficit, while remembering to eat more carbs/fat in the meal before I work out and more protein after. I'll also be sticking to leaner meats and comparably higher protein intake at night (compared to carbs/fat).

 

[Quiksilver]

good work.

small/gradual changes work better than drastic unmanageable ones.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Here's my workout routine. I just copied it from Effort's "Where to Start" thread and added in HIIT:

Monday
Squats 2 x 5
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8
Calf Raises 2 x 10

Tuesday - HIIT (6x 20 second sprint, 10 second jog)

Wednesday
Incline Press 2 x 5
Dumbbell Press (Flat/Decline) or Dips 2 x 8-10
Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15

Thursday - HIIT (6x 20 second sprint, 10 second jog)

Friday
Deadlifts 2 x 5
Row or Chinup/Pulldown 2 x 8
Bicep Curl 2 x 8-10
Forearm Exercise 2 x 10-15

This week I will not be doing HIIT but rather just running on a treadmill to get back into the swing of things, as I haven't been working out lately.

DIET
As I said earlier, my diet is not going to be strict but is going to follow a few simple rules:

- The meal before my workout will consist of more carbs/fats
- The meal after my workout will consist of protein (probably a shake)
- I will eat less carbs/fat and more protein towards the end of the day

My Daily Calorie Maintenance Level as calculated from this site is 2286 so I will be shooting for around 1500 calories per day.

Here's my starting measurements:
Weight: 165.4 lbs
Neck: 15.5 in.
Bicep: 13 in.
Forearm: 11 in.
Chest: 36 in.
Waist: 32 in.
Hips: 39 in.
Thigh: 22 in.
Calf: 15 in.

I'll probably post weekly posts in here about how each week goes. This week I'll be focusing primarily on getting back into the swing of working out daily and figuring out good starting weight for lifts.

 

[ENIGMA16]

So I just got back from the gym; I kept it light to get used to the routine and get a feel for where I'm going to start at next week. I'll probably up these values a bit next week:

Squats 2x5 @ 130 lbs
Leg Press 1x15 @ 90 lbs
Good Mornings 2x10-15 (Didn't get to this because I forgot to write it down!)
Glute Ham Raise 2x8 @ 0 lbs (just did body weight because my hamstrings are super weird)
Calf Raise 2x10 @ 90 lbs

I ate an english muffin w/ fat free cream cheese, fat free yogurt and a glass of milk with a multi for breakfast and then so far the rest of the day has been turkey sandwiches. I just drank a protein shake and I'm about to eat another sandwich and a salad. I've been munching on carrots throughout the day, too. I eat a lot of sandwiches because they're so fast to prepare in the morning. Also, since I work until midnight I'm not able to cook anything tonight for dinner.

EDIT: Got home and had an omelette with some ketchup and two glasses of milk. I'm probably not going to count my calories too strictly as long as it's a decent deficit.

1 english muffin with fat free cream cheese = 130 calories
1 cup fat free yogurt = 50 calories
3 glasses milk = 270 calories
4 turkey and mustard sandwiches = 1200 calories
1 salad with fat free dressing and a few crutons = 50 calories
1 egg omelette = 150 calories
TOTAL: About 1800 calories

So my intake today was a little higher than I'd want but not too bad. I'm still running a pretty good deficit.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Same breakfast, turkey sandwiches and a salad with carrots throughout the day. Tonight I'm making some chicken and broccoli and if I need to eat something before bed it will probably be fat free cottage cheese and maybe a glass of milk.

Ran today for 15 minutes at 6 mph with like 5 mins warmup and 10 mins cool down. I'm way more out of shape than I thought (I used to be able to run at least 30 minutes no problem).

 

[ENIGMA16]

Wow, today really kicked my ass!

Incline Press 2x5-8 @ 110 lbs
Dips - 4 (couldn't do any more)
Shoulder Press 2x8-12 @ 25 lbs
Tricep Pulldowns 2x10-15 @ 36 lbs

I've never really worked out my triceps that much and it really shows, because I was pretty much unable to get through this workout. It's hard to pick stuff up or raise my arms, but I'm drinking a protein shake right now (just worked out).

Same diet today, except before I worked out I sort of cheated and bought a Korean Quesadilla (rice, kim chee, cheese, roast beef) about an hour before my work out. So it wasn't that bad. Tonight I'm making steak and will probably have broccoli with it.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

I've never really worked out my triceps that much and it really shows, because I was pretty much unable to get through this workout. It's hard to pick stuff up or raise my arms, but I'm drinking a protein shake right now (just worked out).

Yeah, triceps aren't really a muscle you use that much in everyday life.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Last night I cheated somewhat. I went out for a friend's birthday and had a few beers and had a sub from Subway. Considering counting it as one of my cheat days and nixing Sunday as a cheat day.

Won't be able to work out tomorrow (Friday) because I'll be out of town. Running today.

Also smoked two cigarettes last night, which I'm trying to not do. I've never bought a pack in my life, and never smoke when I'm sober, but when I'm drunk I have a tendency to bum cigs off people, which is not only ****ty style but also super unhealthy.

NEW GOAL: Don't smoke cigs when I'm drunk.

EDIT: Ran 15 minutes @ 6 mph today again. Had some temptation to buy some fried chicken but didn't. Do I update this too often? Writing in here keeps me motivated so whatever.

 

[ENIGMA16]

This weekend was pretty bad. Was out of town the whole time for a wedding, which involved eating pretty unhealthy food. Stuck to rum and diets, though, which was good, but ended up smoking two cigarettes. Frustrating!

This week I will really start working on staying focused and disciplined, and starting to push myself. I don't expect my weigh-in or measurements to be much different tomorrow, but we'll see I guess.

 

[Quiksilver]

Good stuff updating consistently.

'cheating' is a very subjective topic... You'll have to use common sense concerning the progress you're making toward your goals. If you're happy with how it's going so far then there's no need to restrict your intake, but if you're strugglin then it's obvious where changes can be made.

 

[ENIGMA16]

Week #1 Weigh-In & Measurements:
Weight: 167.2 lbs
Neck: 15.5 in.
Bicep: 13 1/8 in.
Forearm: 11 in.
Chest: 37 in.
Waist: 32 in.
Hips: 39 in.
Thigh: 23 in.
Calf: 15 1/4 in.

So I actually gained weight. Some of that is probably due to fluctuation but some I know for a fact is due to how I ate this weekend. I think most of the measurements that went up are due to measuring error and/or fluctuations, as well. However, my bicep and chest measurements I am pretty sure are due to last week's lifting.

'cheating' is a very subjective topic... You'll have to use common sense concerning the progress you're making toward your goals. If you're happy with how it's going so far then there's no need to restrict your intake, but if you're strugglin then it's obvious where changes can be made.

This is certainly true; however, I don't considered planned cheat days/meals to be really "cheating," as they are pretty much essential in any diet to keep your metabolism in check. So cheating to me is when you eat/drink something you weren't planning on that is not in line with your normal diet/eating habits.

As for where I am in relation to my goals, I'm pretty far from them. My overall goal is to simply get down to around or under 10% body fat. This is my only really specific goal with regards to working out; obviously I'm lifting as well, so I'm interested in building some muscle mass, too, but I don't have any concrete goals set for it. My other goals have been to get more sleep, stop biting my nails, stop smoking cigarettes when I drink, stop spending money on food unnecessarily and to cut down on porn. None of these obviously are related to my work out goal(s).