Hi Davey,
I’ve been working out regularly for the about two months now (an hour of cardio and about half an hour of strength training 5 days a week), and at first I lost weight. The goal I set for myself was to get down to 195lbs by the end of June. But recently I’ve noticed that I’ve hit a weight plateau at around 206lbs.
Do you have any idea what might be happening?
From,
Ian
Congratulations on releasing weight and coming so close to your goal!
First, it’s important to ask yourself: Why 195lbs? It’s always important to reassess our fitness goals. Maybe 206 lbs is a good and healthy weight for you. If it’s not - and if you have the will and motivation to break through the plateau - it comes down to two things: Modifying your diet and/or modifying your fitness plan.
Modifying Diet
Obviously, proper diet is essential to a comprehensive fitness plan. Hitting the gym isn’t everything. Take a critical look at your diet - and compare it to your recommended caloric intake. It’s possible that you may need to further reduce the number of calories you are eating, or even shift the types of foods that you are eating. You may find it advantageous to move away from high-carbohydrate or processed foods and more toward fresh foods and high-protein options.
Modifying Workout
There are a few ways to increase the effectiveness of your workout:
- Increase workout duration and frequency. For people exercising for 30 or 45 minutes, it may be advisable to hit the gym for an extra 15 minutes. Since you’re already exercising for 90 minutes, working out longer won’t help. In fact, long workouts tend to backfire. 90 minutes is enough and, for weight loss, I’d recommend splitting your time evenly between cardio and strength training. In addition, exercisers may see enhanced results from adding another workout day into their schedule if such a commitment is sustainable. Remember to take off at least one day per week.
- Increase intensity. Just being at the gym isn’t enough. Workouts aren’t just about quantity - they’re really about quality. How you use your time is critically important. If you want to break through a plateau, you may need to add some gusto to your workout. Instead of doing conventional cardio workouts, for example, try some gut-busting interval training. For strength training, adjust your rest times so that you are taking shorter breaks. Increase the amount of resistance that you are using. In short, put your workout in high gear.
- Try new exercises. Sometimes introducing new exercises can help move your workout forward. Our bodies grow accustomed to the same old routine, so don’t be afraid to change things up. You can find a number of great, effective and challenging exercises online. Or, you could even join a class or hire a personal trainer. Even as a certified personal trainer, I still occasionally hire another trainer to help introduce new workouts into my vernacular.
If your weight loss goal seems necessary and achievable, these tips should help you break through your plateau and take your results to the next level.
Love,
Davey
About Davey Wavey
Wow. I’am having the EXACT weight problem as Ian, literally the same. I was aiming to hit 195 lbs and I’m stuck at 206 - WEIRD!!!! Thanks for the post it was really useful!
Oh my gosh I’ve been plateauing for the past month since I got home from school. I was at a steady 132, then gained 5 pounds and haven’t been able to shake it. It’s soooo incredibly frustrating, but it makes me feel better to know that a lot of people go through the same exact problem. Love to everyone!!
You’ve been working out for two months and saw some weight loss, but have seen recently that you’ve been hovering at the same weight. Hovering should take a few weeks to notice that you are not losing weight. But even then, with two months, and your workload, ever consider that you’re losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, and thus seeing your lbs stay at the same place.
I agree with Xeno 🙂 don’t only look on your scale but also look how much smaller and fitter you have gotten by using your measuring tape…
for example you might have lost 5 pound of body fats already but gained 5 pound of muscle as well..
try to hang in there if in fact you have gained muscle already loosing the excess fat should be quicker.
I as well on the same boat. I lost 5 pound on my first two weeks and now i cannot get my weight down from 130 LB. I am starting to worry there until I remember to pick up my measuring tape and found out i actually been losing a lot of inches 🙂
(sorry if my english isn’t so fluent :D)
I too have fallen victim to the plateau. I have, after losing 100lbs, gotten stuck between 210-217 for the past few months. Im hoping to kick start again with intervals and scaling back the carbs. The ultimate goal is to get to 180, but id settle for just below 200 (where i havent been since ELEMENTARY SCHOOL).
I usually do not leave a leave a response, but after reading through a
few of the comments on How to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau.
| Davey Wavey Fitness. I actually do have some questions for you
if it’s okay. Could it be simply me or does it look like some
of the remarks look like they are coming from brain dead individuals?
😛 And, if you are posting on other social sites,
I’d like to follow you. Would you list of all of your social networking sites
like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?