[nicolbw]

I started my new healthy lifestyle back in January 10th of this year. I was doing great. I was losing a steady 2 lbs a week like clockwork. Then after losing 20 lbs on March 1st my weight stalled. I was still losing inches, but during all of March my weight didn't change. Not even a little bit. I tried different things to help like increasing my calories, taking a break from hard exercise, doing different exercises, basically trying any advice I could get. Nothing worked.

Then early April I got sick (stomach flu type thing) and lost 3 lbs. I thought maybe that would help break the plateau I was in. Then about a week later I got sick again (same thing) and I lost another 3 lbs. During this time I had gotten to the point where my exercise was dwendling and my eating habits were starting to get worse. I was doing fine during meals, but my snacks started veering off course. My portions were getting bigger too. I usually like to stay around 1300-1400 calories a day, but I was getting closer to 1500-1600 a day now.

My weigh in day was this morning and now my weight has gone up 2 lbs. I know I haven't been on my best behavior as far as my "diet" goes. It's just really depressing. I don't want to give up and don't think that is a choice for me. I plan on doing more exercise. I want to start doing 1 hour of the treadmill in the morning (which I usually burn 600 calories). Then I want to do 30 mins of strength training in the afternoon. Then I also want to do 1 hour of a fun activity that gets my heart rate up in the evening. Does this sound like too much? Do you think doing this for a couple weeks will help get me out of this weird plateau thing I'm in? I'm also going to go back to controling portions and getting my calories under control again.

I feel like I need a little bootcamp to get myself back on track. Do you think there is any other way to do this?

Sorry this is so long, but I really need some advice and encouragement. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[PeeB]

Hi Chef,

It is definitely a lot but I dont think it sounds like too much... but maybe ease into it? You dont want to injure yourself and put yourself on the sidelines. That would be too frustrating.

I wish I had the will to do that much. I did before I went off to college, and got down to at least 114! Im too exhausted now to get up before work to workout.

[dalai_lala]

That doesn't sound too bad, except that you might want to alternate the weight training with the hour of active fun instead of doing both. "They" -the powers that be- recommend doing weights every other day to give your body a chance to repair and build muscle. You may injure yourself if you do weights every day - I know that I almost did!

When you've had a setback... though pound-wise, yours wasn't a disaster... it's not a bad idea to recommit yourself and find some new inspiration. You'll do fine! And don't worry, we'll be here to help you out!

-Lala

[nicolbw]

I'll be doing different exercises for the strength training. For example Mondays - upper body, Tuesdays - lower body, Wednesday - none, Thursdays - upper body, Friday - lower body.

When I went and seen a nutritionist at the end of March she suggested I do more strength training than I was. Then after reading some of what Jullian Micheals has written on here and other places online, I decided to give this a go. It will only be this intense for a couple weeks to wake my system back up. This is definately not something I want to stick with for very long.

[sotypical]

You can do it! Don't give up!!! But at the same time... take it easy - don't hurt yourself! Keep in mind with all that extra exercise you will probably need to eat a bit more

[Ready2ShedLBS]

Well it looks like you lost 6lbs just being sick. So a 2lb gain would actually be a success considering by all right you could have gained the 6lbs back and then some when you started eatting again. I know for me.. any weight I lose being sick I always gain right back quickly because it wasnt taken off the right way. So try to look at it like that, but still get back on track.