aeonderdonk

I started riding a lot this year and have dropped from 260 to 220 since last summer but have been sitting at 220 for the last couple months despite riding 300-400 miles/month and a relatively consistent 2200 calorie diet.

Anyone else hit the wall and have some ideas to get through it?

kenoshi

Add anaerobic workouts...Hit the weights, build some upper body strength, while ur at it, work on your core as well.

Also, re-examine your ride. If its no longer challenging, start setting some goals. Add some intervals to your ride, hill repeats, etc.

I ranned into the same problem at 250, and it wasn't until I changed my exercise routines, that I started losing again. Body was getting too efficient with my old routines, needed to change it up.

Also, while ur at it, make sure you mess up your diet once a week, lest your body get too used to ur diet.

CliftonGK1

Yeah, I plateaued at about the same point. Now it's at 208 - 210. My breakthrough trick has been HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and calorie reduction. Even if it's just for a few days, drop the calories well below where you need to be, then bring yourself back up to a slightly lower level than previous. It kick-starts you past that drop point, and then your body gets the increased amount back after a couple days and goes "Oh yeah, this is better!" even though it's less than before.
"Ha ha, stomach/brain! Fooled you!"

TheTreauth

Weight loss is completely about calories in vs calories out and 2200 calories isn't that large of a deficit for a 220 pound individual. Try 2000 and see how that works for you.

chefisaac

Look up anything from Tony Horton. His new big rocks. He believes that by confusing your body will help drop weight.

the_goob

No it isn't, I've been eating 2800-2900 calories a day. It's more about what you eat. And before you say it, no, I'm not riding massive miles. Hell I'm barely working out at all.

TheTreauth

It's absolutely NOT more about what you eat. It's 100% calories in vs calories out. If your body burns 2800 calories a day and you eat 3000 calories of healthy food you will not lose weight, if you'd eaten 2300 calories of McDonalds you would have lost weight. It's about being in a caloric deficit. This is simple stuff. And good for you being able to lose weight at 2800-2900 calories, yes that's possible for some people but it's obviously NOT possible for the OP because it's not working at 2200 calories.

monkeydentity

so i guess things like salt, sugar, saturated fat and the like don't influence weight loss?

i really think 'calories in calories out' is a good guideline, but it's just stupid to think that it's all there is to it.

Biggziff

Nope...they're simply a transport for calories aside from salt (sodium). Watch the movie "Fathead". The guy basically does the opposite of the guy who ate fast food for 30 days and gained 40 pounds...he eats all fast food and loses weight, even his doctor can't believe how much better his blood work is after the fast food diet. He simply counts calories and burns more than he eats (he does exercise some as well)

UberGeek

Food journal (If not doing it already, which you may, seeing as you gave a calorie count). Reducing calories, or increasing aerobic exercise is about the only way to do it.

monkeydentity

From the FATHEAD movie website: "Comedian (and former health writer) Tom Naughton replies to the blame-McDonald’s crowd by losing weight on a fat-laden fast-food diet while demonstrating that nearly everything we’ve been told about obesity and healthy eating is wrong. " SOURCE: https://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/about/

so we're trusting a person who's most impressive credentials are "former health writer"!? Why do americans resist the science? Do you know what scientists do all their lives, with ALL their time? SCIENCE. they know what they're talking about, why would you jump on the wagon with some kook who's financial success depends heavily on being attention-getting and controversial? What does the CDC have to gain from encouraging people to eat healthy? NOTHING. They're some of the best scientists in the world focusing entirely on improving health! But you'd prefer to believe a comedian? That IS comical, I'll give you that. Listen to the science, not the idiot selling a bridge.

McCallum

To a point it is calorie in minus calories out (breathing, walking from couch to frig to . . . read being alive) but it also requires exercise of some form. That said; I plateaued at 220 the last time I tried to lose weight (20 years back) this time I plateaued at my current weight of 183. Some of it is allowing out body to adjust to the new you. I am currently 28-33% fat (do not want to know what I was a 107 pounds ago!!) Which means I need to lose 13-14 to be at 78% lean body mass. My theory is that when one gets in the 20 lbs to lose the body begins to want to keep the spare +/-20 lbs, with the attitude of "Well, we may just have a famine and the thin folks die first!" Therefore the last 20 is the battle. As to how to "break thorugh the wall" I am working on the "Don't give up; keep trying" mindset. I have for the last two year monitored my intake of food and exercise. I have change what and how I eat. Till the heatwave of this past summer I walked 2-4 mile winter and 6-8 miles a day the rest of the year (having built to that over the first year or so). I now ride 15-25 miles a day instead of walk. So; maybe change your intake; your exercise or wait your body out!?!

goldfinch

I agree with you. And for the most part, with Gary Taubes, who is not a scientist but a journalist that has done a fine job of reviewing the state of the research on high and low carb diets. Appetite can be moderated or stimulated by what you eat. Have a few sugar lows and you will be driven to eat.

Hormones, specifically insulin, will have a big impact on your weight and appetite. Ask insulin dependent diabetics about how insulin makes them gain fat and how if a type 1 diabetic doesn't take insulin their weight will fall. I believe the research to be pretty clear that too much carbohydrate in your diet increases insulin and results in fat gain. The question is how much is too much and how much does that vary among different people.

Another point is that our bodies are adaptable. If you make a small change in calorie intake research shows it will unlikely effect your weight. You adjust to the change in calories by adjusting the calories out. In day to day life most people don't go around with calorie counters.

Jonah19

I've lost 25 lbs in the last 6 weeks. What really helped was the website www.FitClick.com. Lets me track exactly what I eat with the nutritional values (& calories), subtracts calories from exercise and BMR. If I exceed my goals I know it. I suspect you are eating a lot more than the 2200 calories you think you're eating. I was guilty of that and being able to keep an accurate record really opened my eyes. The site is free, easy to use (once you get the hang of it) and content rich. I try to follow Gary Taubes advice - it works for me.

Like others have said, it helps to splurge every now and then and have more variety in your workouts.

Torelli Ti
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CraigB

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the_goob

Wrong, if you eat 2200 calories of the wrong kinds of foods you will not loose weight. That's the same reason people who get large can maintain their weight at relatively little caloric intake.

Bigziff, Since you brought up Fathead, lets delve a little deeper into that. One of the first things he talked about was how calories in/calories out doesn't work for most people. Yes, he ate fast food for 28 days but I guess you missed the part about paying attention to what he was eating and tried to keep his protein intake up and his Carb intake down... you know, most of the movie.

Yes calorie in/out is part of it, but its much more than "simply" that. It's significantly more about eating right. I won't go into that because I'm sure you and I will disagree there too.

Biggziff

How about watching the movie before you judge it? Sometimes things surprise us!

Biggziff

It's true! He does explain this, but I was hoping some here might watch the movie and learn something for themselves. Point is, if you pay attention to what you eat and follow some simple guide lines, you'll lose weight.

Thanks for pointing that out, though. It is important.

the_goob

Actually the CDC has a lot to loose. They are largely government funded so they tend to produce results that will continue their funding.

Mithrandir

Sugar and Saturated fat are calories, so they do influence weight loss.

Salt has no caloric value, but causes you to retain water, which can cause a fluctuation of about +-10 pounds depending on your current electrolyte levels.

Mithrandir

My doctor says that "weight is the worst way to measure how much you weigh". It sounds counter-intuitive but it is. Many times when we don't lose weight it's because we are gaining muscle... which is a good thing.

I am currently at a plateau and it's annoying, which is why I just ordered a bathroom scale that measures body fat as well as weight. I'm interested in seeing if I truly am losing fat while remaining the same weight. Hopefully it'll come soon and I'll be able to report what's going on with my body.

sstorkel

It's also possible that he's over-estimating the number of calories being burned during exercise. It's pretty easy to keep a food journal, weigh your food, and have a reasonable idea of how many calories you're eating. In terms of estimating how many calories are burned during a ride, most of the things I've tried (HR monitor, Garmin Edge, website, cardio machines at the gym, etc) are just wildly inaccurate. After acquiring a PowerTap power meter, I was surprised at just how few calories you burn during an hour of cycling...

In terms of getting past a plateau, the best thing I've found is to take a week or two off. That doesn't mean go crazy and eat everything in sight! Eat reasonable amounts of food, maybe indulge a little bit, and do a few easy rides. For me, a little time away from the bike+diet is often a good way to kick-start results when I come back to it.

Sherpa

While I feel it is important to monitor your caloric intake vs expenditure, I also agree 100% with kenoshi. I hit the wall at about 230 and was stuck there for a month or so. I added CrossFit and Tabada routines to my workout and the weight is coming off pretty quickly AND I am gaining strength. Check into these routines.

CrossFit can be time consuming ( anywhere from 90 seconds to over 2 hours) and some of the routines are downright sadistic but it gets some serious results.

Tabada is cool if you are really busy because you can do a whole routine in 4 minutes. String 5 or 6 exercises together and you will get an excellent workout in less than half an hour.

TheTreauth

You are brainwashed. Sad times

aeonderdonk

Right now I track all my nutrition and workouts with dailyburn. It says my caloric goal (when not doing any exercise) is to eat 2200. I eat 2200 and bike at least an hour a day. I guess I need to try to mix it up with some strength training.