Group: I am overweight or obese

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 381, Messages: 6449

Being overweight is a common trait these days and there is not enough help out there. Find out how you can shed those pounds and improve yourself from within.

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Stuck at 215

brody1124
brody1124
Posts: 9
Joined: 2012/03/12
United States
2012/03/31, 08:23 AM
Well I have a bit of a problem, well it depends on how you look at it.  So far i have been able to drop 25 lbs since I started. In the last month i have not been able to break the 215 lbs barrier and I cannot figure it out. The only thing I have changed is that I go to the gym 5 times a week instead of 3. i also quit smoking.

Now I do watch what i eat and stay away from candy and soda. I would like ot loos another 20 lbs. Any advice would be helpful.
macybelle1015
macybelle1015
Posts: 14
Joined: 2012/02/29
United States
2012/04/01, 08:03 PM
You could just be gaining musclewhich would prevent you from losing any weight in numbers.
heraldstorm
heraldstorm
Posts: 37
Joined: 2010/08/20
United States
2012/05/07, 12:59 PM
Unfortunately, that's pretty much how weight loss works.  I was in the exact same spot you are.  I went from 230 to 215 in 6 weeks, and then I hit a wall.  You really just have to stick with the lifestyle, and modify your expectations.  You won't continue to lose weight as rapidly as you did at first.  You will continue to lose weight, though, so don't give up.  Just keep eating healthy, smaller portions, exercising and lifting weights, and you'll see that about every 2 to 3 weeks, you'll drop one or two pounds.  If you try to force this any faster, you risk putting yourself in a position where you gain back what you lose, or worse, even more than you had before you lost.

It's a lifestyle, so stick to it.  Be smart about your diet and dedicated with your exercise.

Since I hit my plateau, I breached it, and then hit 2 more.  I am now at 202, and dropping a regular 2-3 pounds every 2-3 weeks.  You're not doing anything wrong, it's just how some bodies work.
2012/06/16, 07:38 AM
My two cents worth - I started gym training in March this year after I was "awakened out of my deep sleep of ignorance" finding out I had a BMI of 36 and weighing in at 136kg (297pound). In my first four to six weeks I lost 8kg and then got stuck. I was depressed and frustrated. The gym I go to has a part time biokenetesist who can help you, so I went to him for advice. He told me not to worry to much, showed me the correct way to use all the equipment in the gym and gave me some very valuable information which I would like to share. 

1. don't worry to much about losing weight it is the centimetres that counts. When execising you build muscle, so you will loose weight up to a point, stop for a while and then loose some again. In the meantime you are gaining muscle weigth. 
2.  work out how much calories you need a day depending on your skeletal structure, activities etc. If you know how much calories you need, deduct about 500 cal from that and try to keep your food intake under it. 
3. don't expect to loose weight overnight - it won't happen! You will only frustrate yourself. For every year you spent being unfit, lazy and overweight it will take up to 2 months of exercise and healty diet to regain your correct weight. In my case it was 10 years, so I have given myself 12 months to get to my target weight - 96-110kg  - again.
4. the golden rule is to rather loose weight slowly over a long period than overnight - it must become a lifestyle not necesarily a means to an end. 
5. do the exerises you like, I hate running but I will do weight, cardio, swimming and walking anytime. Even plyometric exercises which tyre the hell out of you, I find extremely rewarding. 
6. get active, some of us is only active when you are in the gym. I was amazed how many things I can do or get involved with that will give me a good workout that is right on my doorstep. Like mowing the lawn and doing the gardeging myself, sweep, rake leaves, climb stairs instead of getting into the elevator - you will be amazed!

By applying these basic principles I have had amazing results! I lost 16cm around my abdomen alone. All over my body I have lost centimetres, in some areas I have gained because of muscle growth. The best of all is, I feel like a billion dollars! I am on no special diet at all. The only thing I have done was to cut back on my portion sizes and try to limit carb intake like breads and pastas in general. The only reason for this is that most starchy  foods except for rice, oats, makes me extremely bloated and gives me a mother of a heartburn!. Maybe I am gluten intolerant, I don't know - but it suits me perfectly but I eat the food I like.

Stick to it and have patience!

Albert