Climbing out of the Plateau

Well, it’s happened again. I have hit, yet again, another weight loss plateau. At first, I thought it was just a result of the new strength exercises I was doing, but after 4 weeks at the same weight, I have to say that it looks suspiciously like a plateau.

I am so tired of these things. The first one I hit came after I lost 40 pounds. This current one has come after losing only 8 pounds. I was hoping that I wouldn’t hit another one for at least 20 pounds or so. You see, I need to lose another 35-40 pounds. At the rate I’m going now, it will probably take more than a year.

I realize that at the start of my diet, my body was not used to the exercise and it was shocked into losing the weight. However, as my body adjusted to the routine, it knew just how much energy to expend in order to complete the exercises. Yes, I know I talked about this in my first article on the dreaded Weight Loss Plateau, but it does bear repeating.

As I mentioned, at first I thought the stagnation was due to the extra muscle mass I gained. You see, after the last plateau, I mixed it up a bit and added new exercises for muscles I had not previously targeted. My thought was to once again, trick my body and it worked, but this time for only about a month.

As of this writing, I have followed my own advice and have just completed my week off from working out. Yesterday, I started a new workout routine and I have to say that today I am sore! I’ll let you know if this has broken the plateau.

This is part of a Blog Hop with Angie's Healthy Living.

Singing the Diet Blues

Getting the blues because of your diet? The scale just staring back at you and not moving down? Well, you’re not alone because I am in that situation right now. It’s been 9 months and I crave real food. A Double Western Bacon cheeseburger would go down real good right about now. I seem to be dreaming of those things more and more.

Why don’t I just break down and but one? The answer is simple; I don’t want to waste an entire days’ calories on one meal. I just don’t know what to do anymore. There are times when I just feel like chucking this whole thing and get back to enjoying life. I mean, I break my neck on these exercises and starve myself (I think) and for what? So I can look a little better in a swimsuit?

Well, I know that I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do. When I take a step back from my situation, I can see that I have actually made a vast improvement on how I looked nine months ago. Even though the scale is staying the same, I know I am doing the right thing. I have more energy to work around the house (not my first choice of recreation) and I can actually fit into clothes that I haven’t been able to wear in years. My wife thinks I look better as well.

Instead of concentrating on where you are, try looking back at how far you’ve come. Look at yourself when you first started and compare that with how you look today. Make that motivate you to keep going. If dieting were easy, everyone would do it. It takes motivation and inner strength. Not many people have that. You do!

Turning Back the Scales

Well, it’s been nine months since I started my workout routine and it’s time to reveal the results. For the past nine months, I have been eating a little over 1,000 calories a day. Yes, I know that this is extreme and I would not suggest you do the same. This is a very low amount and very difficult to maintain. I would suggest that you start at about 2,500 calories a day. This is a much safer and more manageable limit.
When I began, I started exercising about 20 minutes a day. As I added additional exercises, that time increased to around 40 minutes per day. I like to use a combination of strength training and cardio workouts.
The time has come for the great reveal. Unfortunately, I did not get measurements before I started, so the beginning measurements are estimates. Even so, the results are dramatic

Waist:

Beginning: 53inches est. Current: 43 ½ inches

Hips:

Beginning: 48 inches est. Current: 39 inches

Weight:

Beginning: 278 lbs. Current: 236 lbs.

Since I have been strength training, my actual weight is higher then most. I have lost a great deal of fat and have replaced it with muscle. I estimate that I have gained between 15-20 lbs. of muscle. Considering this, my weight would be around 221-226 lbs.

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The Six Week Exercise Program

We have all been there at one time or another. We get a bee in our bonnet to try and lose weight. We become fitness nuts and go out and buy equipment and become totally involved in this, our latest fad. The first few weeks are fine, we motivate ourselves to try and exercise each and every day. We are proud at the initial weight lose and the feeling of euphoria we feel at the end of the exercise session. A few more weeks and we TRY to get in at least 3 sessions a week. Finally, at the end of 6 weeks, we have become disillusioned with the slower rate of weight loss, and the next thing you know, we have a great exercise machine and no motivation to use it.
Does this sound familiar? It sure does with me. I have been down this road several times in the past and it is a depressing road indeed. Aside from the wasted money and time, it also soured me on trying an exercise regime in the future. In order to overcome this dilemma, I needed to have something to motivate me to not only begin again, but to make sure that I stuck with it for longer then six weeks. I needed to make sure that this was not another fad, but an actual lifestyle change.This was a stickler for me, as I'm sure it is for most people.

My motivation was my enormous weight and size and the fact that I was on the verge of having Type 2 Diabetes. I was 278 pounds and had a 57 inch waist. I now weigh 237 pounds and have a 43 inch waist. Yes, it is a big improvement, but I'm not finished yet. Hopefully, you can find something to motivate you besides a potential health problem.Here are some of the things that I have tried:

• Set aside a specific time of day to workout. Give yourself about a 2 hour window for this.


• Reward your self when you are done. A cup of coffee, a cold glass of diet soda, etc.


• Concentrate on one exercise at a time. Don't look forward to the number of sets and reps you need to complete before you are done. This can be depressing. Complete each set and then move on to the next.


• Vary your workout routine. Don't do the same exercises in the same order.


• If you're having a tough workout, just remember that you are actually DOING something.


• If you have to short yourself on some reps because you are just too sore, don't get discouraged; your muscles undoubtedly need rest. This is good.


• Instead of doing your entire routine, just do some stretching exercises. The important thing is that you do some sort of physical activity during your "workout Time."


• Look forward to your reward and go to your "Happy Place."


• Just remember: if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Remember why you are doing this: To look better, feel better, have more energy (yes, it sounds crazy, but you actually do have more energy after a workout), and live longer.
Are you doing this for yourself only, or for your partner (or potential partner)? Think of them and how proud they are of you. They WILL NOTICE the changes in your body and in your attitude.
After 5 or 6 weeks, give yourself a break for a week. Your muscles will thank you and you will help avoid the dreaded Weight Loss Plateau.
I hope this has given you some ideas to try. It is not easy, but I know that you can make exercise a part of your lifestyle and not just a 6 week fad.

http://www.sideroad.com/Fitness/avoid-exercise-burnout.html
Weight Loss Program Reviews
http://exercise.about.com/od/plateausmotivation/f/notmotivated.htm

Coming Soon: Tips on purchasing Quality exercise equipment.

Why You Need to Add Strength Training to Your Workout

Don't you just love counting calories? I know, I hate it too, but it is an important part of any lifestyle devoted to staying fit. Dieting is only part of the equation when trying to lose weight. You must also adhere to some sort of exercise program, which includes both weight training and cardio workouts. Why must I do both? Well, you CAN get away with doing only one or the other, but if you REALLY want to lose weight, and lose it quickly, you need to include both in your weight loss regimen.

Remember when you were in the fifth grade and you started doing word problems in math? Do you recall the problem: which weighed more, a pound of feathers or a pound of iron? The answer is that they both weigh the same. Yes, it's a trick question , but one that I bring up for a reason. There is another trick question on the fitness horizon which deals with muscle and fat. Which weighs more, a pound of muscle or a pound of fat? Well, the answer is the same as in the feather and iron question, they both weigh the same. This question should address density, not weight.
A pound of muscle is much more dense then a pound of fat. This means that it takes up less space, is much more concentrated in the space it occupies, and it looks better. For example, if you take 5 pounds of fat and 5 pounds of muscle and place them side by side, you will notice that the fat, as compared to the muscle, takes up a great deal of space. Imagine this on your body. That extra 5 pounds of fat could easily add 1-2 inches, if not more, to your waistline.

Now, I brought all this up to help explain a point. It takes your body more energy to maintain your muscle mass, than it does fat mass. Why is this important? When your body expends energy, we call that CALORIES. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn.

As you begin your weight training routine, you will begin to lose fat but you will also begin to build muscle. As you weigh yourself, you will start to notice that some days you have actually gained weight. Don't be alarmed, this is only natural. Yes, you will be losing fat, but you will also be gaining muscle mass. This extra muscle mass will not only look good on you, but it will also help to burn even more calories to help you get rid of the fat. My advice, start with the two largest muscle masses: the legs (quadriceps) and the upper back (trapezius).

The magic number is 3500. That is the number of calories that you need to burn in order to lose 1 pound. This is done by using a combination of REDUCING your caloric intake and INCREASING the amount of calories you expend each day. Since the body uses more calories to maintain your muscle mass, you will continue to expend calories hours after your workout has finished. After all, isn't that the goal anyway?

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Wait for Weight

For those that are serious about losing weight, there is one thing that you must do: Start! Yes, it is a simple word, yet it conjures up many terrifying images. To start means that you must continue. It means that you have made a commitment to something. It means that you may experience disappointment. I answer YES to all. You will have to make a commitment to continue working out, even if you are tired. You will need to continue, even if you are sore. You will need to continue, even if you just don't feel like it. It requires a change in your attitude and in your lifestyle. It requires a commitment to losing the weight.

Each time I don't feel like working out, I imagine the way I used to look. I imagine going through the rest of my life with Diabetes. Try doing it for an improved self image. Try doing it for your partner. You can do it! It's only 30 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week. Instead of watching TV, workout with the TV on. Hey, everybody has an ipod, listen to it while you exercise.

Now, I know that many of you have very busy schedules and you just don't have the time to devote to exercise. Well, if you have the time to think about wanting to lose weight, you have taken the first step. Next, you need to ask yourself, how serious are you about losing the weight?

If you are serious, then you need to try and find 30 minutes within your day to devote to changing your life for the better. Think of it this way: you are not losing 30 minutes, you are adding precious moments to your life.

Try waking-up 30 minutes earlier. How about spending part of your lunch hour taking a walk? Go to the Mall and power-walk (Most Malls open early for people to power-walk). Don't go it alone, get your family to walk or bike with you.

There will be times when you just want to quit. I know, I've been there. I just went ahead and did my routine anyway and you know what, I felt better. The soreness will disappear as you workout. The fatigue will fade as you exercise. When you are done, and I know that this is hard to believe, you will have more energy.

Go ahead, take the plunge, you will be glad you did.


choosing-weight-loss-buddy

type-2-diabetes

Ideas Wanted

This is what I look like after only 7 months of lifting weights. Although I think I may need to do something about my nose. Oh, and the ears; definitely need to do the old ear-bob.

I just wanted to add a place where you can bring-up any questions or topics you would like to discuss. Just go to the comments section and type your query. We can discuss most anything with regards to parenting, personal growth, fitness ( I started working-out 7 months ago, so this is a fun topic to discuss), etc.

Let's start having FUN here!!