Hi all,
I've been on my latest 'push' since late September. All was well (nearly 10 lbs. down) until a plateau hit that lasted through Thanksgiving when I took it kind of easy. So after the holiday I started a new push. I'd previously been eating 1500-1700 and working out 4x/week (mix of cardio, strength, and pilates). For the last couple of weeks I've attempted to work out 5x/week, up the intensity, and stick more strictly to my lower limit of 1500.
Here's how the experiment has gone. Last week, after about four days, I went pretty wildly off plan and ate close to 3000 in one day. But I brushed myself off and got back to it the next day. And today, lo and behold, another pound gone - plateau busted. I should be happy, but I'm not. After my weigh-in, I headed to step class as usual. About 5 minutes in I started feeling light-headed and cold and my muscles felt week. I tried to push through it, but after 15 minutes of nearly tripping over my step I quit and took off.
This is a dilemma for me. If I eat over my 1500, I may not lose. Yet clearly this isn't supporting my level of activity. The fact that I still lost after that 3000 calorie day suggests that I can eat more, but my plateau before the holiday suggests otherwise. Perhaps I should give 1500 a day more of a chance before changing my plan but I really don't want to experience what happened this morning again.
Any advice for me? TIA!