[Fit4Life]

I was wondering how much excercise people are doing out there. When I started I was walking 5 days a week. Then I was able to jog and did that 3 miles a day plus weight lifting 3 days a week for 20 mins.

For the last 6 months I have been jogging 6 days a week plus doing 20 mins on the stairmaster 4 days a week and lifting weights 3 days a week. Since I increased my workouts I have not been able to lose. I have lost 165.4 lbs since 8/98. Is there any such thing as doing too much excercise that would stop you from losing? I decided this week to decrease my activity to 4 days jog and stairmaster and 3 days weight training and see what that does for me. I could also be on that dreaded plateau.
I shouldn't complain, it's my first one ever. Now I know how everyone feels, ugh!!!

If anyone has any thoughts, please respond.

Thanks,

Fit4Life
325.6/160.2/145

[gsc4]

I do not think your routine is too much. There are many who do as much or more per week. There are a couple things you should also keep in mind. As you get closer to goal, most people's weight loss slows down. And a long plateau is not unusual. Just be patient and remind yourself that even if you do not lose another pound, you are so much healthier than you were "before". 165 lbs gone - WOW !

You do not say how much you are eating each day. Very active people need to make sure they provide their body the fuel it needs to sustain the high activity levels. Experiment with eating a little more each day and see if that helps. Just make sure it is a healthy choice.

Also, maybe you need to find a different cardio activity to do once or twice a week. The body gets used to doing the same workout week after week and actually begins burning less calories for the same workout over time. Get a bicycle, sign up for a fitness class you have never done before, learn to roller-blade, go dancing. Since you are already a runner, have you considered training for a race? Start with a 5K in the beginning of summer and try for a 10K in early fall. Changing your mental focus might shake things up a bit.

And above all, be patient. Maybe you should consider just trying to maintain your current weight for the spring and summer. Maintaining your weight is a different skill than losing weight. Take this as a chance to shift your focus for a while. I believe that maintaining your current weight is actually harder than losing weight. Many people have lost and gained weight many times. If maintaining your current weight was the easy part, we would never gain any weight back.

Good Luck.



I almost forgot ... my usual work out schedule is 60 min cardio 6 days per week and 30 min free weights 6 days per week. For cardio I do a do a variety - stairmaster, spinning class, kickbox class, stationary bicycle or running. I eat around 1400-1500 calories per day or 30-32 WW points. I am losing about 4 lbs per month. And I have found that if I eat any less, I do not lose any weight.