File :-(, x, )
Guys I think I'm plateauing PetBot
And I don't know what to do. For the past 2 weeks I haven't seen any progress. The scale hasn't budged (138, I'm 5'5" if you're curious) and neither have any of my measurements.

The thing is, though, I just started a weight training program 2 weeks ago so that might be interfering with my weight loss.

What do you guys think? Is it possible that I'm plateauing this early? I lost 10 lbs in like a month and a half, but for the past 2 weeks nothing's happened. I've been very dedicated to my diet and exercise and the only thing I've changed is the weight training.

If this is a plateau, how do I get out of it?

Pic related, it's a plateau.
>> Anonymous
There's a difference between fat loss and weight loss. You're probably just gaining muscle while burning fat, thus you weigh the same. Do MORE weight training and more cardio for results.
>> Anonymous
Yeah yeah man.>>197141

What he said. Seriously.
>> m3k333
>>197141


/thread
>> Anonymous
Are you lifting HEAVY enough? For example, do you feel like you could keep going after your last set? If you do, then lift heavier.

You might be gaining muscle mass which is why the scale hasn't changed. Fuck the scale. Look in the mirror. How do you feel and look? Take weekly pictures... it might help show improvement.

Re-examine your food... are you eating the best you could possibly be eating? Are you eating enough? Or eating too much?

If you have hit a plateau, change things up. Your body adapts over time.
>> PetBot
Thanks for your advice, everybody.

>>197153
I guess I'm not eating the best I could possibly be eating, but I'm definitely eating under 1500 calories a day, which is my goal.

Bump for a little more advice on breaking a plateau - I'd like to know for when I get there :O
>> Anonymous
> Take weekly pictures... it might help show improvement.

It would really help you, if those pictures were taken naked and you posted them here each time.

Also, do you cycle? Eat a little more for a few days. Try to consume 2000 calories, your maintenance level, for several days.
>> Anonymous
>>197391here again.

I forgot to mention, don't buy that you're gaining muscle weight while still losing fat. Fat and muscle are usually added together and lost together. A good diet ensures that most of the gain is muscle and most of the loss is fat, but there will be a undesired percentage either way.
>> Anonymous
>>197380
Whats your maintenance level? That might be too few calories..
>> PetBot
>>197391
I'm assuming cycling means consuming varying amounts of calories every day? How do I know that 2000 calories is my maintenance level? Or is that just a common thing?

>>197402
>don't buy that you're gaining muscle weight while still losing fat

Hence bulking then cutting? I hate that so much. I HATE IT SO MUCH. I don't want to bulk ;___; So does this mean I should eat a 2500 calorie diet and do only weight training to bulk up?! HAVE I BEEN DOIN IT WRONG THIS WHOLE TIME? Fitness blows.
>> JESUS !vBOFA0jTOg
>breaking a plateau

HIIT
>> Anonymous
5'5" and 138 pounds, are you a girl?
post tits
>> Anonymous
doesnt seem like a plateau to me


>For the past 2 weeks I haven't seen any progress
>I just started a weight training program 2 weeks ago


either way what everyone else said is true, also take weekly pix. might not be able to tell a difference from this week to next but in 2-3 months you'll be like god damn
>> PetBot
>>197413
Thanks, Jesus! I've been planning on doing HIIT actually, but I'm currently pretty out of shape in terms of cardio - I'm gonna make sure I can comfortably run 2 miles before I even consider HIIT though. I can run for like 10-15 minutes max right now, haha... Working on it.

>>197421
I already did, you missed it.

>>197423
Thanks for this, it made me feel better. I keep forgetting that weight loss takes time, blargh. That's been my biggest problem :|
>> Anonymous
>>197434

You'll ultimately fail and revert back to your old ways if you check the scale more than once a month. Fitness is not about constantly worrying when you'll hit your goal, it's about enjoying the new lifestyle. If you learn to enjoy it, the time flies by and you're at your goal before you know it.

Also, you make very similar posts to this pretty often and always seems to mention HIIT, but apparently haven't even tried it. I didn't mind you before, but I'm honestly beginning to think you're turning into another mindless femanon attention whore. You got your info, now stay offline for a while and work out more. Every second you're on here talking about your diet fuck ups (which I notice you do a lot) is a second you could have been jogging.

Also, logic will dictate that you break out of a plateau by working harder. You really should need /fit/ to tell you this. Plateaus happen when your body becomes complacent with your work out and diet routines. If you're eating the exact same amount of calories per day and doing the exact same intensity/duration of work outs every day, OF COURSE you'll plateau. The more fit your body becomes, the more efficiently it uses calories, which results in less fat being burned overall...it's the same principle behind starvation mode. Your body has adapted and thinks it needs to wisely conserve calories.
>> Anonymous
>>197434

>I can run for like 10-15 minutes max right now

Sorry, missed this part. I know I've seen you posting about here since /fit/ opened. This is all you can do? Honestly, I mean little offense, but it sounds like you're barely even trying. Even if you were a 250 pound pack-a-day smoker, you should be able to build up to an hour's worth of running endurance in less than a month.

Consider this: If it doesn't hurt when you run...if you aren't panting and on the verge of puking every time, then you're fucking doing it wrong. Working out hurts, but that's how you adapt to it. If you're one of those people who gets on the treadmill and slows it down to a 2 MPH walk the minute it starts hurting in your chest and throat, then you're never going to have the body you desire.

Nothing worth having comes easily. That's why fit bodies are attractive, because we psychologically associate that cut body with hard work, focus and commitment.

Don't come on /fit/ claiming you made improvements or whatever unless you truly, truly did. Don't lie to yourself. Within two weeks, if you aren't able to run for an hour straight and cover at least four miles, you are not putting ANY effort into your work outs.
>> Anonymous
>>197458
>Within two weeks, if you aren't able to run for an hour straight
Oh come on now.
>> Anonymous
>>197458
this, i was 210 when I started my cut and every fucking DAY I was able to increase my run by 5minutes per session until I got to 50m-60m
>> Anonymous
>>197408
>How do I know that 2000 calories is my maintenance level?

<bodyweight in lbs> x 15 is maintenance calories... rule of thumb, of course.

>Hence bulking then cutting?

Yeah, fat and muscle pretty much come and go together, which is why we cut and bulk. Weight-training while cutting will still cause your body to retain more muscle than otherwise
--it's a good thing to lift while dieting--but until you surpass maintenance calories again, I'd say much of your strength gain will be purely neural activation, rather than hypertrophy.

Most people here say to bulk and then cut when starting out... I'd say cut then bulk. See John Berardi on T-nation for the scientific reasoning...

So, continue cutting, and cycle the calories up and down to preserve your metabolism.
>> Anonymous
>>197458

Really now, that's harsh. Some people are just slow gainers, they can give it their all and have a great diet, but it still takes a while with some people. I make gains real fast in lifting for example, but I also pour my heart out trying to make my endurance better, but that shit just comes slower for me.
>> Anonymous
>>197460

I bet she could run for an hour straight right this fucking second if she were being chased by flaming dogs from hell. Mind over matter. She just doesn't sound very committed at this point and seems to like getting attention and TALKING about fitness on 4chan, but doesn't actually dedicate much to it in reality.

Also, like>>197462, I increased my cardio endurance extremely quickly. EVERY session on the treadmill, I was able to squeeze in another 1/8th of a mile and at a slightly higher speed. Within a month, I went from an 18 minute mile that left me dying inside, to an 18 minute THREE mile that left me wanting to run even more. And for overall endurance, my max was 12 miles without stopping at 4.5 MPH. ALL. WITHIN. ONE. MONTH.

Push yourself if you really want the body/level of health. Otherwise, stop lying to yourself, it isn't going to be given to you on a fucking fluffy pink pillow with a freshly baked cake and a little poem in a card.
>> PetBot
>>197447
Thanks, I've posted my daily meals twice and the only fuckup didn't end up in me going over my calorie limit, so I figured it wasn't all too bad. At least I realized it was a fuckup and wasn't like "OH IT'S OK TO EAT ALL CHOCOLATE AS LONG AS IT'S 1500 CALORIES."

You're right, I haven't tried HIIT, but only because I know I'll fail immediately. I'd rather give myself a little bit more time to shape up so that I'm not immediately turned off to it.

>>197458
>I know I've seen you posting about here since /fit/ opened.
Naw dog, actually I started posting here around 2 weeks ago, haha.

I try to push myself a little bit harder every time I run, and I make sure I run until I can't run anymore, to the point that it's hard to walk afterwards. I don't really feel like I'm going to get sick very often, but it happened one time and I had to sit down in the middle of my run :\ So I figured I was doing it wrong.

But I didn't realize I should've made this much progress. I guess I really should try harder. I guess I should start running more than twice a week if I want to be able to run for an hour in 2 weeks though. My schedule probably isn't perfect yet.

I'm working hard, I promise. The first 10 lbs I've lost have been extremely motivating to me, so I know I'm not going to give up - I know I can do more. And honestly, this new lifestyle isn't a burden or anything to me. I like it. I feel a lot better knowing that I'm doing something to be healthy. So it's probably never going to deteriorate from a lifestyle to a "diet."
>> Anonymous
I've been plateauing for a month. Fuck off, OP.
>> Anonymous
>>197462
Shit's crazy. I guess my mind just isn't made for running. I'm a skinny guy and train hard metcons almost every day, but when I have to jog I can barely stand it for 30 minutes.
>> PetBot
God dammit, /fit/ hates me now :<

>>197462
It's really great that you were able to increase your runs so easily, but whenever I ask for advice on getting used to running, people always always always tell me to take it slow or else I'll burn out. I'll try increasing my runs 5 minutes every week maybe?

>>197465
Thanks, this was helpful. I understood like 80% of it but I'll google. I always thought the reasoning behind bulking THEN cutting was that muscle increases the metabolism.

>>197470
Guilty. I'd definitely rather talk about fitness than go and work out. I just need to keep kicking my ass. I've made it this far!
>> Anonymous
>>197466

Yum. Freshly baked EXCUSES.

>>197471

If you sat down in the middle of a run, you just put yourself at risk for heart failure or, at the least, terrible cramps. NEVER just up and stop cardio. Also, I'm seriously not trying to be mean, you're just giving off the impression of someone who doesn't want it as bad as they think they do.

Yes, you should hurt during a run. That's the only way to improve. After a minute of agony, you'll start to get runner's high and it won't even matter anymore. Just endure.

And, bleh...you only run twice a week? You should be doing cardio five times a week and even on the days off, you should still be briskly walking. Your body can adapt extremely quickly to two things: cardio endurance and core muscle training. You should do crunches and running daily if you can.

Maybe Marine boot camp made me into an asshole like this, but I definitely learned to stop making excuses and just push myself harder every single day. No reason you can't do it as well. I was 280 pounds and a fat nerd, 1.5 years later I was a Marine PFC and had a six pack.
>> Anonymous
>>197447

So much fail condensed into such a small block of text. Almost all of that is wrong.

>You'll ultimately fail and revert back to your old ways if you check the scale more than once a month. Fitness is not about constantly worrying when you'll hit your goal, it's about enjoying the new lifestyle.

That's great if you're a 400 lbs fatty and have nowhere to go but down while doing anything remotely less unhealthy... other people closer to their goal weights need to micromanage more. Everyday, upon waking, after a morning piss.

>Also, logic will dictate that you break out of a plateau by working harder.

Actually, less is often more effective than more. 1500 calories in a sustained manner will cause metabolic slowdown.

Too much exercise while on a sustained diet can often lead to injury, because one's body is not repairing itself as well as it once could.
>> Anonymous
>>197471
>I guess I should start running more than twice a week if I want to be able to run for an hour in 2 weeks though.


prolly should of mentioned that before the shitstorm,

RUN
EVERY
DAY
or every other day

also HIIT isn't something that you can really compare failure to, everytime you lift for the first time in x a amount of monts, you are sore as fuck and it takes more time to recover, same with running, SAME WITH HIIT

just fucking do it, you're just making up an excuse for either a)never doing it b)prolonging the inevitable

you might feel like shit the next day and not be able to run but so what, you're pushing yourself and making more progress
>> Anonymous
>>197481

damn youre stupid
>> Anonymous
>>197479
Yum. Freshly baked EXCUSES.

Yea fuck you too dickhead. I total 1205 in my lifts and weigh in at 160, effort is clearly not an issue. You know what, I don't even know why I'm raging over this, you're obviously a puny marine faggot.
>> PetBot
>>197479
>If you sat down in the middle of a run, you just put yourself at risk for heart failure or, at the least, terrible cramps. NEVER just up and stop cardio.

I'm sorry, I felt like I was going to puke and shit myself at the same time ;___;

>Also, I'm seriously not trying to be mean
Fuck that! I need people to be mean to me. If it's not obvious by now, I need a serious ass-kicking.

Well now that I know my running schedule is totally wrong, I'm pretty confused.

M-Upper/Running - 1500 kcal
Tu-Lower/Running - 2000 kcal
W-Upper/Running - 1500 kcal
Th-Lower/Running - 2000 kcal
F-Upper/Running - 1500 kcal
S-Lower/Running - 2000 kcal
Su-Rest - ...cheat?

This aight? I honestly have no idea how calorie cycling works :\
>> Anonymous
>>197484

TOO MUCH BAWWWW IN ONE POST, CAPTAIN

AHHH FUCK SHIELDS ARE GOING DOWN

TELL MY WIFE I....*radio crackles*
>> Anonymous
>>197486

It sounds fine, just make sure you further break down the daily totals in seemingly random meals. For example:

500 calories breakfast
100 calorie snack
50 calorie snack
250 calorie meal
etc., etc.

Keep your calories extremely varied each day, it keeps your metabolism from becoming complacent. As well, don't eat the same things all the time, buy completely different stuff everytime you go shopping, but keep it healthy. No need to get stuck in the "HURR SKINLESS CHICKEN AND TUNA FOR EVERY MEAL" crap.
>> Anonymous
>>197478
>It's really great that you were able to increase your runs so easily, but whenever I ask for advice on getting used to running, people always always always tell me to take it slow or else I'll burn out. I'll try increasing my runs 5 minutes every week maybe?

If you're only gonna do cardio twice a week then I suppose that is the way to go but if you up your cardio you'll see it gets infinitely easier every day

when people say take it slow I'd assume they mean take it slow as in the pace you are going, as in dont PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT the entire run and do HIIT like cardio every day

just run, don't sprint. leave sprinting and pushing yourself to HIIT

The only time running wears people out is when they dont have the mental power to push through the pain.

If you've been running for say 1-3 months now and you get worn the fuck out every session with only 15 minutes I'd say you're definitely doing it wrong, your first 5 sessions you are allowed to do that, maybe 10

But after that you should easily be able to push your body and stop when you feel you should stop without overtraining, not because you're tired.
>> Anonymous
>>197488
the fuck else is there to eat

I know people who eat skinless chicken breasts as prolly 50% of their entire cuts

tuna, steak, beef, turkey, fish

DAS ALL DAWG
>> Anonymous
>>197486

Try three days of maintenance level, followed by three days of 1500 for a few cycles. When you begin losing weight again, you can slide into this:

2000
1500
1500
1500
2000
1500
...

because your metabolism will be restored by then, you can push it harder again by having fewer maintenance days.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
yo yo if u want dat mussles u have to work fo dat shit, aint nothin cominn for free u has to get dat vietnam water if u want 2 run fastah
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
now listen 2 me cuz, since i been hittin tha block gettin dat green, niggaz always comin at chu and aint gonna give u respect, u has to build dem mussles up if u want dat respect
>> PetBot
>>197500
>>197498
>>197495
fiddy, you always inspire me <3 DON' MESS

>>197493
iawtc

>>197492
Who decided to make weight loss so fucking complicated.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Listen atcha boy fiddy, rill niggaz do wat they want, bitchass niggaz can't. U haz to believe 2 achiive ya heard
>> Anonymous
Also, it's troubling that you say you're doing cardio till you want puke and shit. Forget the nerd-turned-marine dude trolling this thread trying to out-badass everyone. We're here to get results. Cardio can become catabolic at high heart rates, or for too long.

At most, 45 mins of cardio and never less than 30 mins, at 60%-80% max heart rate. This will have you burning fat, since the glycogen tends to be used up after 20 mins, without unduly stressing the body and breaking down the muscle tissue.

And if you really want to do more? Then go twice a day, after a decent rest period, but still keep the effort to 60%-80% of max heart rate each time. Cardio is meant to be sustained and steady... unless we're talking HIIT, which shouldn't be confused with regular cardio.
>> PetBot
>>197507
I don't really WANT to do cardio until I puke. It just happened one time.

>>197504
BELIEVIN' TO ACHIEVE - PIC IS NOW MY DESKTOP, SRS

Thx e'rbody for your advice - Will now run every day and also cycle calories. Also taking pictures every 2 weeks and will avoid being glued to the scale (weighing once a month I guess)
>> Anonymous
>>197510
whatever that dumb nigger was talking about earlier in this thread, niga must be out his mind

do you belong to any other fitness forums or anything?

I lurk/post on /fit/ alot but some of the advice here is either a troll, completely genuine, or some idiot who doesnt know shit.

At least on other forums people have avatars where you can see if they are a 250lb weaboo trying to troll you or someone who knows what theyre talking about

But yea, once a month is pretty silly, I weight myself about every 3 days or once a week, but I make sure to not keep a scale around where I live so I have to travel to a friends house or go to the gym to do so

trydat
>> Anonymous
>>197501

erm...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=IAWTC

3. An abbreviation for: 'I always want teh cawk'

PetBot, I thought you were different than those other girls. I thought you wanted my personality.
>> PetBot
>>197517
Yes I do belong to other fitness forums! Haha, don't worry, I'm not leaving my fitness quest up to 4chan. It's just that I like the anonymity I get here. I don't post pictures on the other forums.

>>197521
irl lol
>> Anonymous
>>197517

I weigh every day in the morning, and average them together for a single weekly count.

bodyweight is so fucking variable, I'd not feel comfortable going off one reading a month, since that just might be the day that my body decides to retain 6 lbs of water.