When I started up with my Concept 2 rowing program, I was dropping about a pound to a pound and a half per week. Over the past several weeks, I seem like I am stuck at 242 pounds. This is very discouraging after dropping from 265+ and now getting stuck.
I am rowing at least 70,000 meters per week, and it seems like I should be dropping more weight.
I did not make any major changes to my diet, but have cut out extra fat, and have tried to reduce my sugar as much as possible (Coca Cola is my major weakness!)
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Stuck?
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PaulS
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Switch to Moutain Dew Limitted Edittion - Halo Game Fuel? 
Seriously though, as you are going through a very similar sequence that I did several years ago, make sure to pay attention to how clothes are fitting rather than just the total weight. I've been stable at 240lbs after taking 40lbs off roughly 6 years ago. I too, think that I should be able to drop a bit more, perhaps 20lbs, but it's just not happening. If that loss is to be only Fat, it would represent 8% of total weight, and that seems like an awful lot of fat. For instance, if you (or I) were at 20% body fat, that would be 48lbs of fat, taking 20lbs away from that would leave us with 28lbs of fat and 12.7%BF. The problem is, I doubt either of us is as high as 20%BF, so the weight is going to have to come from some fat loss, but also reductions in muscle cross section. The only recipe I know for that is relatively hard aerobic strength training, very uncomfortable stuff. I haven't been able to get motivated for it, yet, maybe we should try to do it together.
Seriously though, as you are going through a very similar sequence that I did several years ago, make sure to pay attention to how clothes are fitting rather than just the total weight. I've been stable at 240lbs after taking 40lbs off roughly 6 years ago. I too, think that I should be able to drop a bit more, perhaps 20lbs, but it's just not happening. If that loss is to be only Fat, it would represent 8% of total weight, and that seems like an awful lot of fat. For instance, if you (or I) were at 20% body fat, that would be 48lbs of fat, taking 20lbs away from that would leave us with 28lbs of fat and 12.7%BF. The problem is, I doubt either of us is as high as 20%BF, so the weight is going to have to come from some fat loss, but also reductions in muscle cross section. The only recipe I know for that is relatively hard aerobic strength training, very uncomfortable stuff. I haven't been able to get motivated for it, yet, maybe we should try to do it together.
Erg on,
Paul Smith
www.ps-sport.net Your source for Useful Rowing Accessories and Training Assistance.
"If you don't want to know the answer, don't ask me the question."
Paul Smith
www.ps-sport.net Your source for Useful Rowing Accessories and Training Assistance.
"If you don't want to know the answer, don't ask me the question."
The only possible explanations are:
1) your weight is stable because you are gaining muscle at the same rate you are losing fat, which is possible (but not likely) or
2) even given your exercise (and the increase in calories burned each day associated with that), you are consuming the same number of calories as you are burning. Even if it seems that you haven't changed diet/habits from the first few weeks to now, weight loss may slow down or stop as your metabolism adjusts and your daily caloric needs drop as your weight drops.
You'll either have to increase the carido (although it seems you are doing quite enough already), or change the diet in a sustainable (not crash diet) way.
I went from 261# to 185# in 9 months by rowing 40-50k/week, and cutting out all the nighttime snacks (I intentionally made sure that my rowing time was in the evening to divert me from my usual practice of sitting on the couch and eating.) I have been steady at 183-187# for the last 4 months now (I weigh myself every day)
Start looking at calories and convert it to time on the erg. How many calories in that sugar-laden Coke? 150? Isn't that about 10 minutes on the erg? Next time you need to choose between the regular and diet soda, ask yourself if you are willing to row for 10 minutes to pay off the soda it'll take you 3 minutes to drink! Two sodas a day is 2100 calories a week - more than half a pound right there.
1) your weight is stable because you are gaining muscle at the same rate you are losing fat, which is possible (but not likely) or
2) even given your exercise (and the increase in calories burned each day associated with that), you are consuming the same number of calories as you are burning. Even if it seems that you haven't changed diet/habits from the first few weeks to now, weight loss may slow down or stop as your metabolism adjusts and your daily caloric needs drop as your weight drops.
You'll either have to increase the carido (although it seems you are doing quite enough already), or change the diet in a sustainable (not crash diet) way.
I went from 261# to 185# in 9 months by rowing 40-50k/week, and cutting out all the nighttime snacks (I intentionally made sure that my rowing time was in the evening to divert me from my usual practice of sitting on the couch and eating.) I have been steady at 183-187# for the last 4 months now (I weigh myself every day)
Start looking at calories and convert it to time on the erg. How many calories in that sugar-laden Coke? 150? Isn't that about 10 minutes on the erg? Next time you need to choose between the regular and diet soda, ask yourself if you are willing to row for 10 minutes to pay off the soda it'll take you 3 minutes to drink! Two sodas a day is 2100 calories a week - more than half a pound right there.
[img]http://www.c2ctc.com/sigs/img1225814673.png[/img]
I agree with tbartman's 2 options...and also feel as though you are most likely hitting #2. But I'd throw a different twist on it:
Keep in mind that eating MORE healthy food also causes MORE calories in. As you've started adjusting to this new onslaught of cardio...you've said that you've tried to keep the types of food the same. But how about the quantity? Are your portion sizes creaping up from the extra hunger the cardio is causing? An extra spoonful of this? Or an extra piece of that? How about an extra snack or two (of healthy food) being "snuck" in there to curb the hunger pains? Any extra food you're taking in now from the cardio making you more hungry...whether it's healthy food or pure lard...is more calories in. Too many of them...and you can easily counter the additional calories out you're getting from that cardio.
It can sometimes be a difficult balance after the first few weeks.
Just my 2cents
Keep in mind that eating MORE healthy food also causes MORE calories in. As you've started adjusting to this new onslaught of cardio...you've said that you've tried to keep the types of food the same. But how about the quantity? Are your portion sizes creaping up from the extra hunger the cardio is causing? An extra spoonful of this? Or an extra piece of that? How about an extra snack or two (of healthy food) being "snuck" in there to curb the hunger pains? Any extra food you're taking in now from the cardio making you more hungry...whether it's healthy food or pure lard...is more calories in. Too many of them...and you can easily counter the additional calories out you're getting from that cardio.
It can sometimes be a difficult balance after the first few weeks.
Just my 2cents
~~All Glory Comes From Daring To Begin~~
Gaining weight or not losing weight aren't that uncommon in the beginning stages of an exercise centered weight loss program. You gain muscle, especially if you started off with little base fitness. While often this is at the very beginning, and gradually goes away as you get in better shape and muscle gains slow, if you have started to include high-intensity intervals into your training, these can be muscle building (look at the guys who run the 100m or hurdles compared to the middle and long distance runners). That said, it is very, very easy to up your caloric intake without being fully aware of just how much more you are consuming.
As others have mentioned, don't let the scale be your sole metric for progress. Get a tape measure and do a weekly measure of you waist, at a minimum. If that is shrinking, smile and be happy regardless of what the scale says. In fact, smile harder if you are staying the same weight or gaining as this is very good (and difficult to maintain).
Take a couple days and track your calories in and out, and see how you are doing. There is a free, online service to do this at fitday.com. There are other softwares for pdas and computers that also make this easy. Some people benefit from tracking this religiously, but it was always too much for me, so I would just occasionally use it to keep my sense of what I was eating and burning in line with reality.
Good luck!
Dave
As others have mentioned, don't let the scale be your sole metric for progress. Get a tape measure and do a weekly measure of you waist, at a minimum. If that is shrinking, smile and be happy regardless of what the scale says. In fact, smile harder if you are staying the same weight or gaining as this is very good (and difficult to maintain).
Take a couple days and track your calories in and out, and see how you are doing. There is a free, online service to do this at fitday.com. There are other softwares for pdas and computers that also make this easy. Some people benefit from tracking this religiously, but it was always too much for me, so I would just occasionally use it to keep my sense of what I was eating and burning in line with reality.
Good luck!
Dave
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duckrunner
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