Help.

I am normally confident and ok with my status and progress, however, during these past few weeks, with the weigh ins and more, I've been very frustrated. I still need to lose 100 pounds and am very upset at my progress.

I again, went to the gym this morning, hit the cardio for 35 minutes, played basketball for 15 and punched a bag for another 15. I finished with 20 minutes of ab machines and went home. My stomach still seems huge and for the last month or so, I've been busting my butt trying to lose weight. Why is body rejecting my work? I know millions of posts like these say change up your routine, the time you workout, your diet. I've done that all and still, no perceived progress.

Has anybody that has lost a large amount of weight (or little for that matter) experienced body "freeze" where you work and work, but nada!!!! On the scale and in the mirror??

I DO eat non fat cottage cheese (I hear that people are cutting out dairy), but shoudl this be cut out if it's non fat?

I have cut down virtually all carb breads with very little veggies. Mostly protein (chicken, ground turkey, fish, hummus) with olive oils and good fats (almonds). What gives. Help a guy out...Fred you lost a lot...have you experienced this??!!! Thanks everybody in advance....

What intensity did you put into the workout? Is your heart rate getting elevated to a high enough level? My entire fitness view changed when I started incorporating high intensity work into my exercise program.

Another thing, not everyone experiences the same results to cutting carbs/dairy/whatever, the only advice anyway can give you is to try it out and see what works for you.

Are you truly aware of how many calories you're eating and burning per day or are you guessing? I lost weight by logging my calories every day. I still do. I used to think that was B.S. but I learned so much about what I was putting in my body. It's surprising. Guessing is OK for maintaining a certain weight but if you're trying to lose and your guess is 500 calories low one day and 500 calories high the next, you can see the problem.

So my advice:

1. Make sure your cardio session are bringing your heart rate into your proper range.

2. Be honest about the intensity you give to your workout. Some people over at Crossfit don't consider it an intense workout unless you puke.

3. Log your calories religiously, even if it's just for a few weeks. Get an idea of the calories and macronutrient levels your body is really getting.

4. Record your results. If you cut out dairy, what happens to your body? If your lose 10 pounds, keep going, if nothing happens add it back and see how you feel. If no big change, then you can pretty much assume dairy has no impact on you.

Great advice Splint....My train of thought is a long slow burn. You still need to get your heart rate up but for more like an hour or so. Weight lifting and yes eating enough. I dont care what I eat just that I burn more than I take in is all I care about. Last but not least write your goal out and when your feeling like it isnt happening look at them and refresh your memory of how you want to live. 2-3 pounds a week is just right. For your mp3 or Ipod try motivation to move.

Dan, is your workout above what you do day in and day out?

What do you eat typically?

Until this last month, I did not hit a "plateau". However, I can tell you what I did when I started off at 307-310 lbs...

1. Cardio 5-6 days a week, 45-90 minutes.
- Cardio = Running, walking, elliptical.
- In my opinion, a bike did not burn enough cals for me.
2. Weightlifting 3-4 days a week, 30-40 minutes.
3. Kept my calorie count between 1,700-2,300 per day 5-6 days a week.
4. Once a week I would eat a bad meal.
5. Never skipped a workout.
6. Never ate bad at night.


All of the above was adjusted as I lost the 100 lbs.

Best of luck. Message me anytime you want. I am still looking to lose and get as big as the dude in your pic or as cut as Splint.

thanks guys...

No , I've been meaning to log calories. I know I need to do this period.

My intensity is actually MORE than it was when I lost my first 100. I am in the high cardio range of 130-145 for about 30-45 minutes 4-6x's a week.

I think that logging calories will shed light on this mystery. maybe the cottage cheese's sodium has something to do with it. I'll keep in touch.

thanks for lifting my spirits guys.

My target heart range for good cardio is 113-160 and I usually keep it around 160. When I do high intensity my heart rate goes into 175 range.

Where did you get the 145 range? That's accurate if your 50 years old. Is that what a target heart rate calculator shows for you?

It may not seems like much but 30 minutes in the 150 range will have a larger impact than 30 minutes in the 140 range.

130-145 would definitely not be the high cardio range - is that a typo?

The sodium and dairy have nothing to do with it, so don't fret over minuscule items until you're worried about your last 5 lbs

I'm 30, still 80lbs overweight, and I work in the 160 range for a decent cardio workout.

jinx, you owe me a coke Dave.

Dan, if I had to guess what was happening from the heart rate level you're telling us it looks like you went from no exercise to some moderate exercise. Now, your body is used to the moderate exercise and the fat isn't coming off as fast or at all. That's normal. You either need to lower your average calorie intake or up the intensity in your exercise or a little of both.

dan- a few tips-
-it isnt just about calories in versus calories out-it is about what types of calories you are eating-you need a healthy balance of carbs, proteins and fats too.
-also, target heart rate depends on age (220-agex.60%-.85%) (approx)
-make sure you arent dehydrated-drink lots of water
-also, you said you didnt lose weight but your pants were bigger-that is progress-so use other measures besides the scale too-try having your body fat measured
-are you weight training 3xs a week? i would add that if you arent

According to the heart calculator, I should be in the 107-151 range. When I go into the high 40's I get light headed. Remember, I am still 100 overweight. It may take me a few months to get there. I also read that I should NOT be in the high cardio range to burn fat. Maybe my bod is getting used to the past few weeks and I need to change from elliptical to treadmill or something else.

Plenty of H2O. I am weight training at least 3 times a week...sometimes 4-5 depending on my recovery rate.

Bottom line is you can't do the same things and expect to see different results. That's the definition of crazy. When the weight stops coming off you need to do change something.

Also, so what if you read that you shouldn't be in the high cardio range to lose fat? Are you losing fat? Than what does that tell you about the article you read? I can find you an article that says you should be in the 85% range to burn fat. It's all B.S. until you try it and find what works for you.

There's actually another thread about just that - you get more bang for your buck in the high cardio range. If you're getting light-headed, that is certainly not something to maintain, but I am 5'8" weighing 269 and when I do intervals I drop to about 145 and spike around 160-165 and though the spikes suck, I can maintain that for about 45 minutes without issue (the intervals, not the 165!). If you don't get light-headed at 140, try to not let yourself get below that and work from there.

Also, having been through the weight loss thing a few times, I find that when I hit a significant plateau, it's time to take turns with the weight training. That means I will go for 6-8 weeks lifting about 5X per week, and not doing cardio (or max 1X/week), then switch up to doing cardio 3-4X per week and lifting 2-3X (just to maintain strength). I find that I can pack on quite a few lbs of muscle, which jump-starts my metabolism, then cycle to cardio and drop a bunch of fat.

And Splint, a coke?? How about an EAS Muscle Milk?

EAS makes Muscle Milk?

I'd say that the bottom line is that you need to count calories, figure out where your calorie deficit ought to be, and keep yourself there. Weight loss is 80% diet. Yes, you need to exercise too, for all sorts of reasons, but you have to pay attention to your diet for the big payoffs.

I go through weeks where I workout like mad, am well within my calorie allowance, and the scale sits there like a rock. Sometimes it even goes up a little bit. Then I'll have a jump down and make great progress. There seems to be a delay built into the process, or maybe it's just that natural fluctuations in fluid, salt, and so forth are masking the fat loss.

Who knows? Just figure out where you are and what your target calorie intake is and go for it.

Slow and steady wins the race. Keep at it. It doesn't matter how quickly it comes off. What matters is that you keep working at it, keep making progress, and move into a sustainable lifestyle.

Keep up the good work.

good catch... No, I think it's Cytosport orf Muscle Tech; I happened to be drinking an EAS drink at the time...

couldn't just let that go, eh??

I had this happen to me once and I got really frustrated too because my diet was good, my work outs were the same as always, I couldn't figure out why I had plateaued. So finally I decided to change the elliptical work out I was doing to running outside once or twice a week. The lbs started dropping again probably because the running was so much harder for me than the ellipticals. So maybe if you've stopped losing weight, it's time to kick it up a notch. Good luck to you!!

To the OP, I have experienced a freeze where I didn't burn any fat, but it was mainly because of my creatine intake and I only did weight training then. I don't do cardio, I do legs/arms with weights and punching bag, and I'm shedding fat off pretty quickly (I also ran out of creatine, but still take protein)