Maybe you should PM me so we can talk more specifics, unless you don't mind doing it here?

Never mind, I see your weight now from your ticker. The slimmer you become, the more your body is going to hold onto its fat, unfortunately. Cardio is not always the answer. You have stalled because of your uber low calories you have been using. How long have you been chronically undereating like this?

When you keep calories well below maintenance for long periods of time, you tend to drag the efficiency of your metabolism down with it. So when weight may have been coming off easy in the beginning (relatively speaking) due to your low calories, the longer you ride the low cal wagon, the slower your metabolism is going to become. Eventually you reach a point where weight loss stalls. Make sense?

I will go on once you read this.

And stop saying you don't want to BULK UP. You can't bulk up when you are in a caloric deficit, it is a physiological impossibility. And even if you were in a caloric surplus and had adequate energy and training design, it would still be extremely hard for you to BULK UP being a female. Where do you get the idea that females can get huge by pushing around some weights?

OK now see...this is where PM'ing is problematic.

There just MIGHT be people wanting to hear (read) this answer too!


Ever the inquisitive one....

Yeah I think this is should be a public discussion - maybe start a new thread?

I'm in the same boat as you, be_gone, I'm trying to lose the last few lbs and while they're coming off quickly right now, I always plateau at about 126 no matter how much I work out. Actually I've not been working out right now because I'm trying to get rid of the fat first to I don't mess up my losses with muscule gain numbers.

Thanks Steve. You seem to be the resident fitness guru -- sorry to pick your brain so much.

I agree with you, no point in offering one on one advice, better for everyone to see.

You are welcome, and really, no need for thanks. If I did not like helping, you wouldn't find me here. Trust me.

I changed my screenname to Steve from stroutman81, just for those who care. Didn't want to confuse anyone!

Hey - You did it

Now I can't call you Studman in my head!

Oh, that name is still ok by me. Just kidding.

I have been basically staying on a low cal or Weight watchers point system for about 3 yrs now I have lost 30-35 lbs and kept it off, but I have to constantly watch the food intake. So if you think my cals are too low, what do you sugest for weight loss? I will try what ever. I am staying the same for over 2 moths now and feel like I have been working really hard!!

LOL! Then the name sticks!

I'm with m2m! Studman is very fitting. lol

For sure!

See, this is where it gets hairy. You probably would not like what my advice would be. If you have hit a wall, and can't seem to lose any more weight no matter what you try, it is time to give your body a rest. You weigh what, around 150 right now, right? That said, your maintenance caloric intake SHOULD be right around 2250. If this were the case, I would recommend a nice and easy deficit of about 1800 at most to get the weight loss started.

However, you went well below this number and by doing so, you slowed your natural metabolism down through the various physiological processes. The uber low caloric intake you decided upon certain led to some weight loss, but now you are stuck, know what I mean?

If you wish to lose more weight, my advice would be to systematically, in nice and easy/small increments, increase calories until you are back up around your maintenance. Once you reach maintenance, you can remain there for a good few weeks to "reset" your body to where its metabolism should be.

If/once you get to that point, then, we can start dieting down in a healthy fashion again and see if we can't bust through this wall you are bouncing off of now.

I have to warn you though, I think any weight loss plan is incomplete without the use of weight training. Weight training (a well designed program at least) is what helps keep the muscle you currently have. Once you cut calories the way you did, you should have upped protein consumption as well as instituted a resistance training program. This way, even with the low calories you resorted to, you could have maintained more muscle than you did and probably done less damage to your metabolism.

Lots of info here and I hate rambling b/c I feel like I am saying too much, but feel free to ask questions.

LOL It's hard to think of upping the cals when I have been told for so long not to! But I am willing to try. You didn't get to looking like you do by being stupid and I really love advice! So is there certain food s that are better? I know not chips and candy bars, although I admit that i sometimes have counted those as a meal so I could have it! But what are the best choices? I am going to the gym now, but i mainly use the cardio room. I don't know much about using the machines in the weight training room. Should I keep up my cardio and add weight training, in also. I also do a yoga class 2 times a week at the gym. Sometimes I feel like I live there!!

HEY......he likes MY swimmies!







Call me later Steve......