Help! Stuck At 230lbs..........

[partagus]

All right guys, I need some help. I am trying to lose some weight and I have been doing very well until recently. I have been dropping weight consistently until the last two weeks. It seems I am stuck at 230 lbs. I am not concerned with the weight as much as I am concerned with the body fat %. Here is my current diet and exercise regime:


CURRENT DIET:

Meal #1- 2-eggs, 2-egg whites with turkey

Meal #2- Almonds (a handful or two)

Meal #3- Low carb/sugar free protein bar or 8 oz soy milk and a scoop of pretein

Meal #4- Can of tuna, lettuce salad or cottage cheese and veggies (Green beans or broc)

Meal #5- Post workout protein shake (3 days a week) (usually a prepackaged EAS drink 2g carbs, 1 g sugar 17 g protein)

Meal #6- Cottage cheese, or one low carb tortilla w/ANPB or celery sticks with ANPB

Variations-

Meal #1 and #2-Sometimes I will add ½ cup of oats to meal #1 or substitute ½ cup of oats for meal #2

Meal #4-Sometimes I will add in a sweet potato, brown rice or some beans and leave out the cottage cheese. I will also vary the meat, using primarily chicken, turkey or fish and on occasion red meat.

Meal #5- Two slices of sugar free low carb whole grain bread with sliced turkey, lettuce and tomato, a little olive oil and vinegar. Sometimes I will substitute a can of tuna, or eat some more eggs (4 days a week)

On days that I am really hungry, I may add in 8oz of soy milk w/a scoop of protein powder, or sometimes a chicken breast

Meal #1 and meal # 4 are generally my largest meals of the day

CURRENT WORKOUT

Monday-3 miles on tread mill, back 4 exercises, 5 sets 10-12 reps, shoulders 3 exercises, 5 sets 10-12 reps

Tuesday-2 miles on tread mill, legs 5 exercises, 5 sets 10-12 reps, exercise bike 30 minutes

Wednesday-3 miles on tread mill

Thursday-3 miles on tread mill, Arms 5-6 exercises, 5 sets 8-10 reps, chest 3 exercises, 5 sets 8-10 reps

Friday-3 miles on treadmill

Saturday and Sunday off

CURRENT SUPPLIMENTS:

AMP 02

CURRENT GOALS:

Lose 20 pounds of body fat
Lower body fat % by 10%
Be ready to start my first cycle by Sept. 1st

CURRENT STATS:
5 feet 7 inches
230 lbs
21% body fat (I know, I am a fat ass)

Some of the issues I have are I work at a place where I can’t always eat when I want to. Meals #2, #3 and #4 are what I eat when I am at work. Meals #2 and #3 have to be quick, small meals I can grab and eat in-between doing stuff.

With my current schedule, I can not exercise on Saturday or Sunday, other than walking around my neighborhood with my dog

The more I exercise and work out, the hungrier I get and the more I want to eat. I eat good stuff (cans of tuna, chicken breasts, turkey) but some days I eat A LOT of it!

I really want to lose 20 more pounds of body fat by July (Vacation with my wife) and I want to be in great shape by September 1st and lower my body fat % so I can start my first cycle.

All you masters, I bow down before your excellence and knowledge. Please help me tweak my current program so I can achieve my goals. Thank you for all of your help!!!!

 

[Kabeetz]

Just because you stayed at 230 pounds doesn't mean you didn't add lbm while losing some fat which would keep you at the same scale weight. Did you measure your bf% two weeks ago and then today under the same conditions? Did you use a measuring tape to track your waist progress?

Also... this is why you need to put your meals into fitday.com.. because if you have stalled at the current calorie intake.. subtracting 50-100 cals daily would be another 350-700 less a week, which should cause continued fat loss.

Also are you measuring progress with your workout regimen? Are you seeing yourself get stronger?

With your meals you want to stay away from swapping out things with other things that are completely unrelated. Oats and almonds have no correlation, eggs and turkey vs. eggs, turkey and oats are quite different.

Try taking out all your carbs from the evening on.. you should see a big difference. I'm not saying eat less carbs, just time when you eat them.

Why are you giving yourself no carbs after lifting?

No milk, no cottage cheese, no breads, no tortillas.

Additionally I am pretty sure you are eating below maintenance, which has slowed your metabolism to a crawl. You need to eat above maintenance but below calories burned, and enough above maintenance that you can subtract calories and still have room to do so multiple times in the future... you don't want to blow your metabolic load too early on a diet. Hope these tips help.

 

[Nathan]

Kabeetxz has given good advice though I don't think low-fat cottage cheese is bad in reasonable amounts - it is just high in sodium.

Lift first in your workouts and then do cardio afterwards or your days off from lifting. It could make a substantial difference.

And you need gatorade or at least 40g of simple sugars immediately post-workout.

 

[partagus]

Thanks for the help. I do have a few questions though.

Why should I lift first and then finish with cardio?

Why do I need simple sugars after my workout?

Thanks for all the help. I will switch things up and start doing these, but I am just curious as to why. Thanks again!

 

[Kabeetz]

Thanks for the help. I do have a few questions though.

Why should I lift first and then finish with cardio?

Why do I need simple sugars after my workout?

Thanks for all the help. I will switch things up and start doing these, but I am just curious as to why. Thanks again!

Your priority has to be gaining muscle because running burns fat, and so does increased muscle mass. So.. Would rather put 100% into your lifts and burn 275 calories in cardio or burn 325 calories but only have 80% to put into your lifts (thereby causing less trauma to the muscles thereby not encouraging growth). Make sense?

As for the simple sugars, when your muscles are depleted, they need a quick shot of protein and carbohydrates to begin the recovery and rebuilding process. Imagine the protein being the bricks and the carbs the bricklayers. I like to put in fruit as my simple carb post workout, gatorade is highly recommended. Some people use dextrose etc. which are literally forms of sugar. Everybody has their own way.. but you definitely want those carbs post workout.

 

[partagus]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. It makes perfect sense now. I will be back at the gym tomorrow and I will start doing this. Thanks again.