JUST Wondering... Does anybody know....

When does all the muscle you are building kick in to start burning the fat? Let me explain...

I have been in the 190's FOREVER!! My body seems to fight getting past this number. I know it's a number, but from May to NOW, seems like a pretty long plateau. PLUS... as much as I am exercising, strength training and cardio, 5 to 6 days a week, shouldn't something give?

Any Suggestions? Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat and that plateaus are natural and eventually it will break. 7 months. and it should have broken by now!!!

Fri. Nov 9, 5:48pm

How diligent are you with keeping track of every single thing you consume? It's usually the calories that do us in when we seem to be doing everything else right. Seven months is a long time - so you've at least proven you can do maintenance ;)

Friday, November 9, 2007, 6:02 PM

You may want to increase your cardio. It's important to build your muscles, but for me, cardio seems to be more effective in burning fat. Also, try changing your routine. Your body may be used to your workout routine and it may not be as effective.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 6:43 PM

Muscle doesn't "burn fat" - it just requires more calories to sustain it. A pound of fat needs just 2-3 calories a day to keep it alive and well, but muscle needs 25-30. And honestly, the effort it takes to build a pound of muscle (after the initial couple of months, this is all a woman can really acquire with diligent, progressive resistance training in a month) tends to make you hungrier than the calories actually burned developing or maintaining it.

I know your pain - I spent 5 months in the 180s and am just barely out of 8 months bouncing around the 165-168 range (partially my fault, partially no fathomable reason at all). I changed my cardio to mostly walking, cut 100 calories a day, and boosted my vegetables. Pick a different diet or just do something like commit to consuming 30g fiber a day or 6 servings of vegetables to make it distinctly different from what you're doing now without turning it into a major overhaul if you're generally happy with the way you're eating. Focus more on your food than your workouts though, since that's really the name of the game for female weight loss.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 7:38 PM

Try interval training. That's been working for me. That's supposed to burn more calories than just steady paced cardio.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 9:57 PM

Exercise is important in the long haul and I think it's probably impossible to maintain without regular exercise, but if you want to lose you have to cut calories. I eat around 1500 calories a day besides the exercise and I've been averaging about a pound loss a week.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 11:24 PM

Thank you all, there are some things here that I will try. Has anyone heard of Transformations? This sounds like something I might want to look into also. I am also thinking about checking back in with my Endocronoligist to see if there's anything that he can do. I am begininng to think there is something medically wrong that is allowing my body to work against my efforts!!

Friday, November 9, 2007, 11:31 PM

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