# How do I beat my Plateau



## Big Bones (Mar 20, 2010)

Ok so I have been on a diet for about 9 1/2 weeks and have maintained my Lean body mass and lost a total of 40 lbs with 35 of it being fat. Im eating very healthy and watching levels.  I have now plateaued at this point and can't figure out how to get through it and lose more weight.  I need to lose 60 more pounds of fat.  Any suggestions?


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## ceazur (Mar 20, 2010)

Wow, I would suggest shocking your body. Maybe change every aspect of your workout completely. Do more cardio. Maybe some natural supps would help..


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## Big Bones (Mar 20, 2010)

Yeah Im kind of new at this, but I have tried doing more cardio and no luck. I want to maintain all my lean body mass and if I keep the cardio up I lose muscle.


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## ceazur (Mar 20, 2010)

Dam, I wish I could be more helpful.. I'm going to find a link and post it for you.


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## ceazur (Mar 20, 2010)

*What causes a weight loss  plateau? *

                 Thankfully you can generally blame  Mother Nature for your metabolic   frustrations.  What happens is that  as your body changes, it starts to get   ‘used' to the new weight and  wants to settle there.  Your body has given you as   many results as  possible using the current menu and fitness  program you're on. 

                  The reason why your body does this is to avoid  starvation.  It senses   that it's not getting as much food as it used  to and so it tries to hold onto   what you're giving it.  Or it's  getting used to the exercises that you're doing,   so it's not  responding in the same way.  Basically, your body is leveling out    hence, the term plateau. 


                  But now that you know   what a plateau is and what the  signs of it can be, you can start to tailor your   weight loss routine  to prevent or stop a plateau.  What you need to do is change   up what  you've already been doing so that your body has to respond.  This can    include several things: 


 Increase your calorie  intake slightly
 Increase the intensity of your  exercise plan
 Try adding more   protein to  your diet
 Drink more water
                  These simple steps can   sometimes  recharge your body and put it back into fat-burning, weight-losing    mode.  A weight loss plateau is  something that every dieter will see at one   point or another, so don't  feel like you're not heading in the right direction.    Often, a  plateau is that sign that you're doing a good job already, but that you    need to tweak something.
* 
Cause of Weight Loss Plateau*

                  Some dieters are   anxious to blame  their plateau on physiological changes, rather than looking   first to  see if they are causing the plateau.  Ask yourself these questions: 


 Have you been watching  your calories?
Have you been   exercising at a  high intensity?
 Have you been exercising  regularly?
                  If you're not sure that you can  answer these questions in the   affirmative, you might want to rethink  your current actions before you start   blaming the plateau on other  things. 

                  You can start keeping a food   journal and writing  down your exercise minutes to see if you could work a little   harder.   Maybe you've been eating more fatty foods and you just haven't realized    it.  Or maybe it's time that you try to workout out at a faster pace  than you   have been. 

                  A weight loss plateau is going to happen at one point  or   another, but instead of sitting still and suffering through it; you  know what to   do to overcome it and continue on the path to your  weight loss goals.

http://www.healthycookingrecipes.com/articles-submit/lynn-vandyke/weightloss-plateau.html

Try varying your caloric intake from day to day. For example, if you are  currently shooting for around 1200 calories per day, try eating 1500  one day and 1000 the next. Often, this is all it takes to shock your  body into dropping those last few pounds.
Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/37098.aspx#ixzz0ikCpkwR2
​


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## Big Bones (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks dude for the link.


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## maseco63 (Mar 20, 2010)

*You The Man!*

I suggest nothing if those stats are real! 35lbs of fat loss insane! The biggest myth in weight loss is the plateu! If it aint broke don't fix it!


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## ceazur (Mar 20, 2010)

shoot me some rep


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## Big Bones (Mar 20, 2010)

Yeah those stats are real. I have loss about 6 lbs of water, and 35lbs of fat, my fat percentage dropped 6% I just need it to keep going.  I want to finish at 245lbs with only 20 lbs of fat left on my body which = cock diesel


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## DaMayor (Mar 20, 2010)

Big Bones said:


> Yeah Im kind of new at this, but I have tried doing more cardio and no luck. I want to maintain all my lean body mass and if I keep the cardio up I lose muscle.



What kind of diet were you following? What kind of activity/training have you been engaged in?

Cardio has it's place, but it is NOT the answer. I would suggest a *moderate* break from dieting and a good tweak on your workout routine. The diet I am currently following suggests a diet break (lasting one to two weeks) every six or twelve weeks...
Suppliments are helpful, but not cure-alls.


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## Big Bones (Mar 20, 2010)

Im following a 3 macronutrient focus diet. Im eating 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Im maintaining under 40 grams of fat and im trying to make all that fat unsaturated. I try to intake 150-160 carbs. I lift weights three days a week on average for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I do 15 minutes of interval training/cardio.


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## downtown (Mar 20, 2010)

Try doing your cardio every morning on an empty stomach, maybe drink some BCAA's before and during, also make sure you dont consume carbs within 1 hour after your cardio because your body desperately wants to gain back that fat that you lost and it will get it back through those carbs.


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## Built (Mar 20, 2010)

Big Bones said:


> Im following a 3 macronutrient focus diet.



There are only 3 macronutrients. Not sure how else you would set up a diet. 



> Im eating 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Im maintaining under 40 grams of fat and im trying to make all that fat unsaturated.


Why? That's a pretty unpleasant way to diet! And why all unsaturated - you need saturated fat. 



> I try to intake 150-160 carbs. I lift weights three days a week on average for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I do 15 minutes of interval training/cardio.



Your training sounds like it may be a bit excessive for such a low calorie diet.
Your fats are, in my opinion, far too low for long-term and your carbs are too high for such low calories: you're eating fewer than 9 calories per pound bodyweight right now.

Your protein is nice and high - you may not need it quite this high at this point, though. Why not try something like 300g protein, 100g fat and 100g of carb? Same calories as you're running, but you'll probably be a lot more comfortable.


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## Big Bones (Mar 21, 2010)

I said its a 3 macro diet because Im only focusing on fat, protein and carbs. I know they are the only three. Also I dont really have a name to call it like atkins, beach diet ect. Just trying to be simple in describing it.
But on the intake, Im having trouble believeing 100 g of fat would be a good idea, also my carbs are running around 150 due to the fact I'm trying to hit a calorie mark.  I know my protein is at a solid point, but I thought the body would use the extra for energy also and the carbs would and are just a jump start to activity.


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## kyle64 (Mar 21, 2010)

Would increasing the rep speed and shortening rest time between sets help with this issue?


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## Marat (Mar 21, 2010)

Big Bones said:


> But on the intake, Im having trouble believeing 100 g of fat would be a good idea,



May I ask you to expound on this?


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## Built (Mar 21, 2010)

I weigh half what you do and I regularly consume over 100g of fat daily. Why would it be a problem for you?


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## Big Bones (Mar 21, 2010)

So you weigh 145 and you eat 100 g of fat which is 900 calories which yes seems very high. Im assuming I have more muscle which yes consumes more fat aka energy or food. If you could be a little more clear on the reasoning of 100g of fat, that would be awesome cause I do want some help.


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## Built (Mar 21, 2010)

That's right. I routinely consume at 50% or more of my calories from fat. 

Fat is satiating. Helps me keep my appetite controlled. 

Remember - fat doesn't make you fat. Eating more food than you require does.


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## forciano (Mar 21, 2010)

I don't post here at all cause a good search in these forums most of the times gets me the info I need. 
But I can tell you something listen to Built...


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## Big Bones (Mar 22, 2010)

Ok that makes since I guess. So what amount of protein are you intaking. Im amazed that you arent getting more mass but I guess you probably burn it off with cardio.


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## Built (Mar 22, 2010)

I hardly do any cardio.

Cardio hardly burns anything anyway. 

Why would you think I'd be gaining mass? I haven't told you what calories I run or my maintenance. I only told you how many grams of fat I consume.


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## Big Bones (Mar 23, 2010)

I figured you were intaking at least 2 g per pound of lean body mass so probably about 125lbs of lean (125x2)= 250 grams on high end so 250 times 4= 1000 plus 900 fat 1900 calories plus your carbs so yeah i figured you would gain mass  I wouldnt mind hearing what you are doing. I can tell you know what you are talking about so if you wanna share the knowledge, that would be cool.


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

My lean mass MIGHT be 120 lbs and my protein intake is about 1.5g/lb, so about 180g or so daily. Fat varies from 60-120g daily. Carbs are usually under 80g, but I occasionally go as high as 800g of carb in a day, for carbups. 

My maintenance is about 2200 calories, so if I eat 180g protein and 100g fat that's 720 calories + 900 calories = 1620 calories. I still have room for 145g carb on that at maintenance, so to cut I simply drop some of my fat and some of my carb intake.


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> That's right. I routinely consume at 50% or more of my calories from fat.
> 
> Fat is satiating. Helps me keep my appetite controlled.
> 
> Remember - fat doesn't make you fat. Eating more food than you require does.



Is this a keto-style diet?


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

How's your energy doing? FWIW, I'm 5'7", currently around 165 lb (at about 20 weeks out from a target competition) and I'm at 2000 total cals, around 150 g carbs and 20-30 g fats. So I'm quite a bite lighter than you but you're eating about as much as I am. Part of me wants to say you need a good shitload or a good carb refeed if you're only running at 150 g of carbs.  For a guy, relatively speaking, that's not an awful lot. Your body also tends to stall out when its become accustomed to a particular diet / macronutrient ratio - so that goes w/ someone's point above about 'shocking" your system.


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

sassy69 said:


> Is this a keto-style diet?



Sometimes. Not always but sometimes - I do always seem to feel my best in ketosis - and I generally head straight to ketosis when I'm dealing with injuries. Seems to help them heal and settle down. 

Now where do I know you from... were you on femininemuscle?


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> Sometimes. Not always but sometimes - I do always seem to feel my best in ketosis - and I generally head straight to ketosis when I'm dealing with injuries. Seems to help them heal and settle down.
> 
> Now where do I know you from... were you on femininemuscle?



I've been a lot of places over the last 10 yrs - used to be active on EF, occasionally on MD, more active on RX & anabolicfitness is my "home". As I've discovered, I was here 8 yrs ago, and I've passed through just about every board on the interwebs at some point.


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

Ah, I think it was RX most recently. Nice to see you here. You prepping for a show at the moment?


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> Ah, I think it was RX most recently. Nice to see you here. You prepping for a show at the moment?



About 20 weeks out ... started early but work set me behind some. Hate when my day job gets in the way of my hobby  LOL!


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

Continuing the threadjack, lol, what event is this, and are you doing your own prep?


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> Continuing the threadjack, lol, what event is this, and are you doing your own prep?





LOL threadjacking in progress!

My target is the NPC USAs but I need to requalify first - so possibly the NPC San Jose. I have 3 options for a qualifier. And no I've got a coach, tho I generally train on my own.


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

Ah, in July - found it! http://www.paullovesvproductions.com/pdf/2010EntryForm.pdf

You competing in middle? What style of precontest do you follow - higher carb, lower carb, high reps, low... ?


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> Ah, in July - found it! http://www.paullovesvproductions.com/pdf/2010EntryForm.pdf
> 
> You competing in middle? What style of precontest do you follow - higher carb, lower carb, high reps, low... ?





LMAO .. um no. I haven't seen < 140 lb in 5 yrs, and that time it was for about 6 hrs for a show.  My coach wants me at 139 but we'll see. Last year I competed at 150.

Diet is currently around 2000 cals, ~230 g protein, ~100-150 g carbs, 20-30g fats. Being that its still so far out, I don't want to go too low on the carbs and instead rely on training & cardio. I did a keto approach for 11 months last year for 2 shows and a trip to Cabo for New Years. I think I lost some muscle to it, so going w/ carbs this time. I didn't dial in quite right either so again, going w/ carbs this time and a much longer, slower cut.

Training style - I generally tend to go to 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps depending on the lift. My lifts are at a point where I have a problem going heavier w/o a spotter, so I modify w/ higher reps or alternating leg work to maintain something like comparable volume if I could lift heavier. Higher reps will come into play as I get much closer. And I spent 10-20 min posing just about every nite.


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## Built (Mar 24, 2010)

How odd - you cut exactly the opposite of how I do. I go higher fat, much lower volume as I get leaner. 

However, you compete while I just go shopping for clothes LOL!

SO low in the fats though. I'd DIE.


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## sassy69 (Mar 24, 2010)

Built said:


> How odd - you cut exactly the opposite of how I do. I go higher fat, much lower volume as I get leaner.
> 
> However, you compete while I just go shopping for clothes LOL!
> 
> SO low in the fats though. I'd DIE.



Keto & non-keto are two very distinctly different approaches. If you're going keto, you don't have the glycogen available for any sort of burst of energy or high rep anything. I'd get lightheaded when trying to go ultra heavy on the leg press or get winded quickly when trying to do anything more than a walk pace on the treadmill when I was doing keto.

This time around I'm including kickboxing & boxing conditioning classes for cardio right now - primarily because my knees suck enough that I can't really do interval cardio  - and I doubt there's any way I could make it thru an hour of heavy bag work on a keto diet.

It has its place and works better for some than for others.


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## Built (Mar 25, 2010)

That is indeed true. I've seen both ways work.

Out of curiosity, have you tried UD2.0?


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## DaMayor (Mar 25, 2010)

sassy69 said:


> you don't have the glycogen available for any sort of burst of energy or high rep anything. I'd get lightheaded when trying to go ultra heavy on the leg press or get winded quickly.......



Amen, sister!


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## sassy69 (Mar 25, 2010)

Built said:


> That is indeed true. I've seen both ways work.
> 
> Out of curiosity, *have you tried UD2.0?[/*QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## FMJ (Mar 25, 2010)

A cyclical dieting plan where you manipulate carbs (mostly) in conjuntion with periodical training schemes to reach sub levels of bodyfat. 
The brain child of Lyle McDonald. 
Check it out. Good stuff! The Ultimate Diet 2.0 by Lyle McDonald | BodyRecomposition - The Home of Lyle McDonald


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## GearsMcGilf (Mar 25, 2010)

Try beating it left handed.


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## FMJ (Mar 25, 2010)




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## DaMayor (Mar 25, 2010)




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## Built (Mar 25, 2010)

sassy69 said:


> Built said:
> 
> 
> > That is indeed true. I've seen both ways work.
> ...





FMJ said:


> A cyclical dieting plan where you manipulate carbs (mostly) in conjuntion with periodical training schemes to reach sub levels of bodyfat.
> The brain child of Lyle McDonald.
> Check it out. Good stuff! The Ultimate Diet 2.0 by Lyle McDonald | BodyRecomposition - The Home of Lyle McDonald


Sassy, you seriously need to read this. You???ve tried both the low carb, low volume and the higher carb, higher volume approaches.

UD2.0 takes advantage of the best of both.


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## sassy69 (Mar 25, 2010)

Built said:


> Sassy, you seriously need to read this. You???ve tried both the low carb, low volume and the higher carb, higher volume approaches.
> 
> UD2.0 takes advantage of the best of both.





I'll check it out but I bet I've done it under whatever name you want to call it.


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