On February 1st I was excited. I finally broke my initial goal of losing 20lbs with my weigh-in of 285lbs. At that time I started to focus not only on cardio, but lifting weights. Things were looking up.
Then I went to LA for work, and got stuck in snow on my way back to Florida. I got sick, which meant no workouts for a week. Fast forward to now and we get to todays weigh-in.
Drum roll please….
Current weight: 285lbs
I didn’t lose a damn bit of weight! Could it be the sick week with no workouts? Could it be the weights I am lifting 3-4 days a week?
I feel like I wasted all of February, instead of losing the 10-15lbs I had targetted! I guess no loss is better than a gain, but it’s still ZERO PROGRESS!
So, I’m left trying to figure how to get myself out of this rut. I need to think a little more about my course of action, however I think this is what I am going to change.
1) Log my food and calorie intake on DailyBurn.com. I’ve already started to do this and see that I am eating way to more carbs than I thought.
2) Increase my daily cardio from 30-45 minutes to 45-60 minutes while paying much closer attention to my heart rate.
3) Take body measurements and track them much closer.
4) Most important. Really watch what I eat. It’s time to really get serious.
I will organize my thoughts and plan a bit more and post here.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Your not sick from the Red Roof Inn your sick from being in Charlotte!
Plateaus are meant to be broken! The cardio will probably help do the trick. I do strength training because my trainer tells me it will help overall, and I enjoy doing it, but I do feel like it slows my weight loss a bit. I’m hoping maybe that will switch around after I build up enough muscle to help burn more fit. Anyhow, stick with it – you’ll bust the plateau soon!
I enjoy lifting weights. It’s great for stress reduction! It can only help with fat loss, but as muscle is built certainly the “weight-loss” slows. I can deal with slowed weight loss if the fat is coming off and my waist is slimming!
Thanks for the post and keep it up on your end as well!
I’ve been starting to track my calories at Daily Burn too, and found out pretty much the same thing as you – I’m eating WAY too many carbs. I’m not going for an Atkins or South Beach style low carb diet, but I’d still like to keep them under control. If nothing else, tracking what I’m eating has made me much more aware of what I’m putting into my body.
Yeah, I fought it just like you did. I thought I knew because I have done this before. But it’s pretty tough to gauge without actually putting it on paper. This tracking is definitely opening my eyes a bit!
Hey Mike!
HAHAHA! I warned you about those carbs! Google “Keto Diet” or “Ketogenic Diet” and give it a shot. It’ll change your body! But no matter what, keep in mind, shit like this happens…just keep a positive attitude and never give up!
As for cardio…that’s insane, bro. Just like you shouldn’t approach lifting without a solid plan, same goes for cardio. You can get a KILLER cardio workout in less than 10 minutes…if you know what you’re doing! Like the conversation we had about how I lift and the results I get, the same sort of thinking applies here. When doing cardio you’re not looking for straight calories burned…you’re looking for the “after burn.” Ever feel like a furnace after a workout…like your skin is so damn hot other people hardly want to touch you? That’s the after burn — when your body goes into an insanely, highly thermogenic state. When you reach after burn you ARE a furnace…a long-term calorie burning furnace. It’s a sign your metabolism has ramped up and it lasts for many, many hours — sometimes longer than a day. And you can’t get there by just doing cardio. You have to do cardio WITH PURPOSE. So how do you do that? Intervals!
Here’s how to get a 45-minute cardio workout in less than 10 minutes:
- Warm up for 5 minutes…start by walking at say 3mph. Do that for 2 minutes. Then bump it up to 4mph for a minute (easy for me, I’ve got really long legs LOL). Bump it up to 5mph for a minute (a light jog) then 5.5mph for the 5th minute. Next, the work begins…
- Here’s where you kick-start your metabolism and find out what you’re made of. Crank that bitch up…you’re going for 85 – 90% of your max possible speed. You’re not jogging…you’re sprinting. Here’s the good news…it’s only for 20 seconds…then you get to back it off and walk briskly @4mph or even kick it down to 3 – 3.5mph. Maintain this slower pace for 10 seconds.
- Repeat the above for 5 or 6 cycles.
- After the last cycle walk it out for at least two minutes to cool down and get your heart rate back to more normal levels.
There you have it — 10 minutes of cardio that is INSANELY effective. 5 minute warm-up, LESS THAN 3 minutes of work and a 2 minute cool-down. You can do it…anyone can bust their ass for 3 minutes…but the benefit has to be experienced to be believed…but don’t take my word for it — try it. This WILL burn fat like you’ve never experienced before. Do it — I DARE YOU!
Peace, brother…and never give up!
Eat less, move more!
Mike, I am not an expert at weight loss, but I was wondering how many calories you are eating? The reason I ask, is because two weeks ago, I had cut my calories to an average of 1300 per day and I posted one of the lowest losses since I started. Last week, I increased my calorie intake by 300 or so to average around 1600 per day and I lost 4.6 pounds. Keep at it, I know you have heard this before, but if your body isnt cooperating, change something up.
Good luck, Ill be watching you.