Weight-Loss

Hi Alfonso,

For the past 3 weeks I have been undertaking a body transformation from a well known website. I am 186cm tall (6’1) and 104.7kg (230 lbs) I am aiming to get down to 80kg (176lbs).

I have been consuming 1,800 calories a day and doing weights 5 times a week whilst also performing cardio for 40 minutes a day at a steady pace.

I have seen no results and my body fat percentage has stayed at 29% the entire time. Can you please tell me what is happening?

I was consuming 2,200 calories a day for two weeks prior to this and performing the same exercise routine but again with no luck.

Thanks in advance,

Shane

 

Hey Shane,

Don’t worry I’ve got a few tips for you. But first don’t get discouraged – the process of losing weight is just that – a process, and it takes time and a lot of trial and error!

The first thing that jumps out at me is that both of your calorie levels haven’t really been tested. In other words you ate 2,200 calories for just 2 weeks, and now you’ve been at 1,800 for 3 weeks. That’s not a really good indicator of how well your plan is working. And this is one reason why people fail on new eating plans – they just don’t give them enough time to work or evaluate if there’s something that needs to be adjusted. I usually suggest a 4-week minimum when it comes to changing calorie levels.

With that said, you remind me of another ATF reader Dan Biby . Dan also wrote in because he couldn’t lose weight and guess what?  I told him to eat more! You are very much like Dan in that I feel that you’re not eating nearly enough calories. At 230 pounds, I’d probably start you on a daily calorie intake of 2,500 that’s made up of lots of veggies, lean meats, healthy fats, nuts and seeds. I’d stay away from breads, rice, potatoes and anything white.

Shane you’re burning a lot of calories lifting and doing 40 minutes of cardio 5 days per week. When you don’t consume adequate calories your body basically puts the brakes on fat use and may actually even store more! Remember Dan? He LOST nearly 40 pounds and now weighs what he did in high school. And he achieved these results by eating more food! In fact I had originally suggested for him to eat 2,800 calories per day! In order for your body to run like a high performance / fat burning machine you need to fuel it properly. And I might also suggest that you knock off a session or two of cardio. If you weight train correctly, meaning in circuit fashion, there’s no need to do an extra 40 minutes of cardio afterwards. You’ve basically become a slave to exercise and the program you’ve undertaken isn’t one that can be maintained. Do you see my point?

Ok so don’t freak out. I’ll suggest that over the next few weeks you gradually bump your calories to the 2,500 calorie mark with the foods I’ve suggested. I’d then wait at least 4 weeks to see if you’ve noticed any changes. I’d also suggest that you forget about your weight and instead focus on your composition. You may very well gain 3 – 5 pounds of muscle and the scale might not move. BUT you’ll have lost fat and gained lean mass. So concentrate on how you look, if you’re clothes fit better you feel better those are good signs. I know this is frustrating. Trust me I’ve been there and I know. But with a little patience and time under your belt, you’ll reach your goal. Good luck Shane!

And if you have a question – please just click here. I’d love to help you!

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