Not sure if this helps, but I started doing green smoothies and I really saw a difference. If you pinterest, there are tons of ideas. I personally do 1/4-1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1/4 - 1/2 cup oatmeal some berries (strawberries, blueberries usually), an apple, 1/2 banana, and then lots of carrots and spinach. Lots of spinach, lol. Add as much water as needed to get it started blending, and then blend it A LOT. So that all the little chunks get out. I usually finish it off with some ice cubes. For some reason, getting it a little cold helps it taste sweeter.
It sounds gross, but it actually tasted fine. Not that many calories (about 300) and you can pack in SO many veggies. I must add at least 5 large carrots and 4-5 cups spinach. Much easier than chowing down on all those veggies unblended. It fills my entire blender...so must be at least 48 ounces. And it leaves me full. For awhile. I don't know what it is, but since I started doing this, I haven't craved crap as much the rest of the day. Not sure if that helps as much...
Also, yes measure! At your size, I am sure that you can probably gain muscle and actually have it affect your weight. People used to tell me that when I was larger (200+) and eventually I would laugh. You can only gain so much freaking muscle! Eventually if you are doing things right, the scale would drop if you are that large. But at your size, you really could be toning up!
I agree with your general premise but your specific numbers are a bit off.
A male novice can expect to put on 20-30 lbs of muscle his first year depending on his overall size. A woman a little less than half that. It slows down after the first year but only an experienced lifter with severals years of training would gain muscle at the rate of 5lbs per year.
Okay, I was quoting Lou Ferrigno on the five pound muscle gain. I guess a beginner can gain more muscle than a Mr. Universe at 275 lbs. with 8% BF.
You may not be gaining much in muscle, but as you strength train, you may see elevations on the scale that will mask fat loss due to water retention as your body does its repair work.
I suggest you try HIIT (high intensity interval training) because I've read that it burns 3x the amount of fat as a regular workout.
I also suggest you drop your calories just a bit and that way, if you're making any errors (as tends to happen with us humans), it won't be an issue. Don't go too low...maybe see if you can drop it down to 1400 to see what happens.
I also am not a big breakfast eater so I tend to skip it because forcing myself to eat is just plain silly since at night, I struggle not to binge and want to use those calories at that time. We are all so different so just do what works for you.
Okay, I was quoting Lou Ferrigno on the five pound muscle gain. I guess a beginner can gain more muscle than a Mr. Universe at 275 lbs. with 8% BF.
Context is always crucial.
In the context of pro bodybuilders giving advice you can pretty much ignore everything they say unless you're a pro bodybuilder or they are the very rare exception.
You may not be gaining much in muscle, but as you strength train, you may see elevations on the scale that will mask fat loss due to water retention as your body does its repair work.
This, imo, is the usual culprit.
My body sure loves to retain water to repair muscles. Whenever I start working out heavier, it takes a month (or more) before the weight starts falling off.
How long did it take to get where you are today? Are you counting calories?
My road is long. I started working out and changing my diet when I joined 3FC, Feb 2009. Had a really long plateau that gave me the chance to let my skin shrink and tweak a lot of stuff (stopped taking a lot of meds during that time and adjusted diet, increased exercise, read a lot!), and then I found intermittent fasting, which helped me get past the plateau. Lost my way for a few months and regained nearly 20 lbs. when I started listening to a ridiculous doctor, fired his ridiculousness and went back to what was working, and I've very nearly lost the regain. And my health is much better now. I eat a Paleo diet for my general health, and it helps me with my weight loss, but not if I overeat calories. I always have to watch my calories. I'm not perfect, but I'm moving in the right direction.
I've learned a lot in the last four months. I stayed very consistent with my diet and exercise levels and I experienced real progress. I have the DEXA scans to prove that. I'm advancing at a rate that I can handle, physically and emotionally. I'm very pleased with my results.
My body sure loves to retain water to repair muscles. Whenever I start working out heavier, it takes a month (or more) before the weight starts falling off.
This is exactly what the DEXA technician told me, although the rate of fat loss varies for different people.
