Hello,

I have been on a “diet” and weight loss program (mainly cardio) since June of ‘07. Things are going great. I’ve lost 22 lbs so far and am still motivated to lose more.

A few weeks ago I noticed my weight loss flattened out. I was only losing a lb. or two every month. This was extremely frustrating, as I was doing cardio after work about 4 times a week. So I started reading. Instead of just giving up, I got a lot more serious about my weight loss. Here’s what I changed.

1) Cardio first thing in the morning for 30 minutes. I have recently started trying HIIT cardio. I am still trying to figure out the intensity and level setting of my elliptical machine, but I’ll get there eventually.

2) Calorie counting. I started to write down everything I eat and recording my calorie intake.

3) Weight training. I started a beginner weight training program to gain muscle and promote fat loss. This is done at a separate time then the cardio. Usually in the afternoons 3 times a week. If I don’t lift weights, then I do another cardio work out.

4) Whey Protein shakes. I am taking a protein shake after my weight lifting days and sometimes after my cardio work outs. It is inconsistent and I usually have 1 or 2 max a day. Shakes consist of 1 Scoop Whey Protein, 1 Cup Vanilla Soy Milk and a 1/2 Banana.

Some questions I have:

1) HIIT exercising. I cut it back to 20 minutes instead of 30 and have also cut back my calorie loss. Should I be concerned? Should I up the intensity of my HIIT program or make it longer so I burn as many calories as I used to? Should I be concerned with the calorie loss read out on the machine?

2) Calorie counting. I weigh 207 lbs. and am 33 years old. (Goal is 175ish). What I’ve been reading says I should be consuming 2,600 calories a day to maintain my current weight (BMR I think it’s called). I consume approx. 1,300 calories a day on avg. Less during the week and more on the weekends to keep my body guessing and keeping the metabolism up. Is this healthy? Does this sound like a good diet?

3) Protein Shakes. These are anywhere from 300 to 500 calories a shake and can become expensive for the powder. I feel bad consuming those calories in one shake. Almost like it’s negating my cardio workouts. Plus, I don’t always feel as though I need them to help me lose weight or repair muscle. How important are the shakes and how often should I really be drinking them?

I appreciate your time. Sorry it’s so lengthy, but I really wanted you to have enough information to help me.

Sincerely,
Jim P.

The good news: You have lost 22 pounds so far, which is a very good start. Congratulations! You should be proud of your efforts. The fact that you have started working with weights is a very good thing. At the very least, weight training should help you preserve your existing muscle mass and hopefully you will gain some additional muscle, which will help you reach your weight-loss goal faster.

Why your weight loss has stagnated: First, an overwhelming majority of people who need to lose a significant amount of weight hit a weight loss plateau sooner or later. This is totally normal and nothing to worry about.

Second, there are a number of reasons why people stop losing weight or their weight-loss progress slows down. As I have already mentioned, this is normal, but … there is always that nagging “but”… it does not have to happen and it can be fixed quickly. So why did it happen to you?

In my opinion, your weight-loss progress has slowed down because you have been doing too much cardio and it does not seem like you have been paying enough attention to your diet.

For a person who is about 50 pounds overweight, traditional cardio puts too much stress on the body. If you are not following a carefully constructed diet to support your cardio workouts, you will lose more muscle than bodyfat. It is common for an overweight person to have less muscle than bodyfat to begin with, so when you lose even more muscle, you reduce your body’s capacity to burn calories, which leads to a weight-loss plateau.

Third, calorie counting is important, but more often than not, it is only part of the story. Are you keeping track of your daily carbohydrate intake? If you are not doing that, you should. Those who pay close attention to their daily carbohydrate consumption, tend to lose more weight in a shorter time period.

The answers to your questions: 1) My answer to your first question may sound a bit shocking, so sit down, relax and get ready to hear something contrary to what you may have heard before. Are you ready? Here it comes:

Forget about HIIT cardio.

When you get a lot closer to your weight-loss goal, say, when you are 180 pounds, come back to HIIT if you want to (20 minutes 3 times a week). For now, though, start walking 3-4 times a week for no more than 45 minutes a day. Walk with enough intensity to generate sweat. You should not be exhausted and completely drained at the end of the walk.

If you are hyperventilating and your heart rate is out of control, walk slower. If, on the other hand, you cannot walk fast enough to raise your heart rate above the baseline, get a backpack, put some books in it, and walk with it.

Weight training. You have started weight training, now get into it!

Focus on multi-joint compound movements and stick with the proven basics: barbell deadlifts, barbell bench presses, barbell back rows, standing barbell bicep curls, lying barbell triceps extensions, barbell squats, parallel bar dips, and chin-ups.

Avoid isolation exercises such as concentration curls, one arm triceps extensions, ab crunches, etc. Do not substitute weight training with cardio.

2) Let me get this straight, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is 2,600 calories, you consume only 1,300 calories a day and you are not losing weight? Something is wrong here; these numbers do not make any sense.

Either you have calculated your BMR and or daily calorie intake incorrectly or the BMR formula does not work for you. BMI, BMR and other formulas are based on certain assumptions and because of that, they are often inaccurate. I recommend that you test your BMR professionally using BodyGem. Go to this site, enter your zip code and it will show you where BodyGem is available in your area.

To answer your questions, for a guy your size, consuming 1,300 calories a day is not healthy. And no, this is not a good diet. Wait, you did not describe your diet, so I do not know if it is good or bad, but I have a feeling that you are not following a proper diet, which brings me to my next point.

You have to get your diet under control, this is very important. In fact, your diet is more important than weight lifting and cardio combined. Find a diet that works for you and stick with it.

3) Do not worry about protein shakes; they are not important at this point.

Focus on developing healthy eating habits and put together an eating plan that does not feel like a diet to you. In other words, eat nutritious foods, think quality beef, chicken, fish, seafood, turkey, vegetables, and fruits. Do not be afraid of complex carbs, but try to get them from fruits and vegetables. Take fish oil supplements.

Indulge your cravings, once a week. Pick one day in a week and have at it, do not worry about calories, carbs and all that stuff, just remember to eat right the rest of the week. Keep it reasonable, though; I am not saying you can turn this day into a binge eating session.

You should not feel bad about consuming 300 calories after an exercise session; your body actually needs nutrients that it gets from a meal to recover from exercise. If you do not feed your body, expect a sluggish performance.

The bottom line: Get your diet together; this is your first priority. Test your BMR and accurately calculate how many calories and carbs you consume daily. Reduce calories and carbs gradually. If your BMR is 2,600 calories, start by eating 2,100 calories a day. Carbs can be tricky, though; do not go lower than 120 g a day.

If your weight has not changed in 3 weeks, shave off 300 calories; eat 1,800 calories a day. Still no progress in 3 weeks? Drop you calories to 1,500 a day. I would not go lower than that.

Walk for 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times a week.

Take weight lifting seriously. Lift weights 3 times a week and do not spend more than 1 hour in the gym.