Nutritional Advice Needed.

Bigreen

Bigreen

New member
Well, It is official, I've hit a plateau and would like some advice. I've been at this same weight for about 30 days now. Alright so a typical day looks like this.

Breakfast: Bowl of Raisin Bran Cereal with about 1 cup of rice milk.
Banana if I am still hungry.

Snack: Either an apple or pear

Lunch: Sandwhich. Whole grain bread, mustard, chicken or turkey or both with lettuce.

Snack: Big Bowl of soup 500ML (usually minestrone or some sort of veggie) or fruit depending on my hunger level.

Dinner: Either a stir fry(lots of veggies and chicken) with rice, pasta in tomato sauce loaded with veggies and chicken or some varrient on chicken (curry or breaded or whatever I make chicken a million ways) with roasted veggies. Basically a plate full of Carbs Meat and Veg

Desert: a small bowl of Ice Cream, I get a low cal one, about 80 cals per 125ml

Late snack: Protein shake or fruit.

I excersice regularly. 5 days a week I do my eliptical for about an hour at about 70% of my max hart rate.

I play hockey once a week. That's like HIIT, believe me, it's crazy intence.

I do resistence training every second day. All basic lifts, I do about 4-5 diffrent excersises.

Day 1: Bench Press, Bent-over Row, Flys, Front Pulldown, Shoulder Press and Upright Row
Day 2 is off
Day 3: Squat, Straight-leg Deadlift, Triceps Extension, Curls
Day 4 is off
then back to Day 1.

I try to do Pilates at least twice a week, but I don't really get a chance to do it more often. When I do them it's 15 minutes.

What should I change to get out of this plateau?
 
u gotta remember your body and muscles ADAPT to what you do. and when they do it for so long it doesnt have the same effect

you have to shock your body, my suggestion is to do something totally different for 2 weeks and you can eat the same things

i recommend some weight training HIGH rep low weight, and also just do some calisthenics and low resistance low pace, faster then a walk though Cardio
 
If you hit a plateau, the first place to start is with your calories. So I ask the same thing as Mal.... do you know how many calories you are consuming?

I say this often, but if you haven't been counting calories..... that will work. To an extent. Once it stops working though, you either need to wing it by eating a supposed lesser amount than your current consumption, or you need to get down and dirty with the number crunching and figure out what's going on.

Your diet could certainly use some cleaning up with better food choices.... probably more protein and good fats.

Program isn't bad. I'd change some of the exercises probably.... but put into context. How many sets/reps are you doing? How long have you been doing this? How are your strength levels.... increasing/decreasing/maintaining?
 
I'm not the best at counting calories, especially when I make things like Stirfrys. I just don't know how many are in there. I do not cook with recipes. But the rest of my day is easy because everything is marked.

Breakfast: 400
1st snack: 100
Lunch: 350
2nd snack: 100-300
Dinner, not sure, but I guess it's about 800 or so.
Desert: 80-160
Late snack 100

So my best guess is about 2000 ish. But like I said, I don't know for sure because when I cook, I usually do not follow a specific recipe. When I use chicken it's about 600 cals worth, then I add about the same in Carbs and Veg and oils and I cook for two.

As for my program I'm at the point where I am maintaining. I started seriously working out in June and I increased up to about begining of September. I do 4sets of 8 reps and usually on my 4th set I can't finish my last rep, or I barely do. My cardio, I started at 20 minutes and I'm at an hour now. I can definatly keep goin but I don't know how useful it is. I'm already dedicating a lot of time to this and adding to that will definately be tough on my schedual. Should I be going harder (say 85% hart rate) for less time maybe?

Thanks for the advice so far.
 
I started seriously working out in June and I increased up to about begining of September. I do 4sets of 8 reps and usually on my 4th set I can't finish my last rep, or I barely do.
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If you have been doing the same weight lifting routine since June, then it is probably time to shake things up. This might not be the reason for your weight loss plateau, but as a rule of thumb, when you feel yourself start to stall in your lifting, switch it up (I personally end up changing it up around every six weeks).

--The Pig
 
PigtoBig said:
If you have been doing the same weight lifting routine since June, then it is probably time to shake things up. This might not be the reason for your weight loss plateau, but as a rule of thumb, when you feel yourself start to stall in your lifting, switch it up (I personally end up changing it up around every six weeks).

--The Pig
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Ahh, I guess I should have mentioned that I do change my routine every 6-8 weeks. I just started working out in General in June. Weight lifting and cardio.
This particular routine, about 2 weeks now.
 
Bigreen said:
I'm not the best at counting calories, especially when I make things like Stirfrys. I just don't know how many are in there. I do not cook with recipes. But the rest of my day is easy because everything is marked.

Breakfast: 400
1st snack: 100
Lunch: 350
2nd snack: 100-300
Dinner, not sure, but I guess it's about 800 or so.
Desert: 80-160
Late snack 100

So my best guess is about 2000 ish. But like I said, I don't know for sure because when I cook, I usually do not follow a specific recipe. When I use chicken it's about 600 cals worth, then I add about the same in Carbs and Veg and oils and I cook for two.
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Right, I get that.

But what I'm saying is that it might be time to start being more exact....

That means measuring things and whatnot.

How much weight have you lost? What are your current stats?

As for my program I'm at the point where I am maintaining. I started seriously working out in June and I increased up to about begining of September. I do 4sets of 8 reps and usually on my 4th set I can't finish my last rep, or I barely do.
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You mean you increased weight up until september? What's your strength doing now?
 
Ahh I get it. Ok I guess I'll start measuring food in cups? or weight?

I started out in June at 278Lbs and Now I'm at 243-245 for about a month now. I also seem to hit a plateau quickly. Every 5 lbs or so, I hit a plateau, but usually they last 3 weeks, then I loose a bunch of weight really fast.

My pants are super loose, they are 42s and I can fit in 38s now.

I'm 5'8" 28yo.


In June I started out with a lower weight and more reps, I would do some 12-15 reps. So every week or two I would add weight and lower my reps. Now I'm at the point where it does not seem like I can add any more weight. It's pretty heavy and I don't want to hurt myself. I workout at home. I curl 35lbs, I bench about 185, I squat about 60.
 
June1st2007.jpg
Nov1st2007.jpg


June 1st - today Yes, I need to shave... everything
 
Bigreen said:
Ahh I get it. Ok I guess I'll start measuring food in cups? or weight?
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It may be a necessary evil if you can't seem to lose weight from this point forward by 'winging' your intake. At least for a while.

Yea, I use measuring cups, spoons, and a scale daily. You can pick a cheap digital scale up at Walmart or the like that can measure things in ounces and grams.

Then you can plug your specifics into something such as or .

At times when I'm really on point.... I plan ahead. I'll make a spreadsheet of 20+ meals and calculate how many calories, grams of protein, carbs, and fats are in each meal. Each of the 20 meals are approximately equal. This way, I can cycle through on a continual basis without putting much mental effort or tracking into it.... follow me?

That's just one way.

Other times, I simply write out every single thing I ate/drank throughout the day and then calculate it either on my own or using something like said websites above.

I prefer pre-planning a bunch of meals simply b/c once they're set.... I never have to count a calorie again. Just weigh or measure... then eat.

I started out in June at 278Lbs and Now I'm at 243-245 for about a month now. I also seem to hit a plateau quickly. Every 5 lbs or so, I hit a plateau, but usually they last 3 weeks, then I loose a bunch of weight really fast.
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Funny how that works, isn't it. Fat loss certainly isn't a linear process. It turns on and off.

Bottom-line is, if you aren't gaining or losing anything for a month, chances are very good that you are eating at, or very near maintenance. So a simple reduction in your intake now would most likely spur more fat loss. However you calculate that reduction; either winging it or crunching numbers is up to you.

Have you taken any breaks from dieting? How often do you deviate from this plan?

My pants are super loose, they are 42s and I can fit in 38s now.
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That's a huge reminder/motivator to wake up to every single day, huh? Good for you man!


In June I started out with a lower weight and more reps, I would do some 12-15 reps. So every week or two I would add weight and lower my reps. Now I'm at the point where it does not seem like I can add any more weight. It's pretty heavy and I don't want to hurt myself. I workout at home. I curl 35lbs, I bench about 185, I squat about 60.
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Gaining a lot of strength while dieting shouldn't be expected. You just don't have the capacity to get really strong since your body is already grabbing at strings just to maintain itself.

You gained strength initially probably by some muscle gain, but mostly from something known as neural efficiency.... where your brain and muscles 'learned' to do more.
 
I don't deviate too much because I don't consider this a diet. I enjoy eating like this. Food is a completely diffrent beast for me now. It used to be something to do when I was bored, but now when I am bored I go do something physical instead.

I have a clutch and that is Pizza. I eat way too much of it when I have it, but I have it about once a month or so, and I try to compensate by being more active or something in that nature.

Thanks a lot for your help, I will actually begin to create some 20-30 meals and calculate all the cals for them and throw it on my computer. That's a great way to do it and I will pick up a scale today after Uni. I have a mid term today so I gotta run.
 
Bigreen said:
I don't deviate too much because I don't consider this a diet. I enjoy eating like this. Food is a completely diffrent beast for me now. It used to be something to do when I was bored, but now when I am bored I go do something physical instead.
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That's a fantastic outlook.

And it should never feel like a diet. Just b/c you moderate/track calories does NOT mean you have to view it any differently. That's why I like the whole pre-planning a bunch of meals thing. I treat is as a grocery list.... just buy what's on it and eat the correct amounts.... I never even think diet.

I have a clutch and that is Pizza. I eat way too much of it when I have it, but I have it about once a month or so, and I try to compensate by being more active or something in that nature.
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Yea, I have a lot of these too.

For instance, I'm a sucker for candy. Yesterday was Halloween and we had a metric ton of candy left over. My dinner was supposed to consist of some meat and yams (few other things too). Instead, it consisted of some meat and some peanut butter cups, lol. Cals were probably about identical.... just different sources.

It all turns into glucose anyhow!!

I don't do that often... but I don't ever suffer or deprive. Most often the cravings don't exist. But if I'm tired or stressed, they tend to pop up. And I usually settle them by following my desire.

Thanks a lot for your help, I will actually begin to create some 20-30 meals and calculate all the cals for them and throw it on my computer. That's a great way to do it and I will pick up a scale today after Uni. I have a mid term today so I gotta run.
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Let me know how it goes!
 
Well, I am losing weight again, dropped 2 lbs since I posted this. I still have yet to actually count everything, but I did measuring for my breakfast and cut out one snack and bam, it's working. I'm probably consuming about 400-500 less calories. My breakfast was double what it is now.

Thanks for everyone's help, things are on their way again.
 
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