Hitting a wall with fitness and nutrition!

LittleT

I'm a female, mid-20s, 5'2. Weight varies between 58-60kg.
I have always been reasonably fit (ran about 3 times per week) but earlier this year I stepped the whole fitness/nutrition thing up a notch.
I started going to bootcamp/TRX/boxfit three times per week and running one or two other days. Initially I saw great results in the first month or two, particularly from a weight loss perspective, without actually changing my diet much. The more improvements I saw, the more invested I became in developing a healthier lifestyle. So I have upped my protein intake and reduced my carbs significantly (but I still eat things like sweet potatoes and oat cakes). I have a sweet tooth but I do my utmost to keep this in check. Like I have it down to approx one chocolate bar per week.

Unfortunately in the past six weeks, I seem to have hit a wall. I'm training as much as ever and my fitness levels are still improving, which is super. I'm being stricter with my diet than ever, in the sense of trying to ensuring I get enough protein, fats, etc. However I am no longer losing weight and seem to be gaining weight! This is not visible on the scales but where a month ago I had clearly defined abs, I now have some padding.
It's extremely frustrating. Has anyone else had this experience?? I need to find out where I'm going wrong

Stench Blossoms

How many calories are you eating a day?

You could be putting on muscle.

Do you take any other measurements other than using the scales?

How are the stress levels? How much rest are you getting?

Don't forget that your body is working hard when you are resting after training hard. If you do not rest enough and well enough, you can start to lose some of the effects of the effort that you are putting in.

As an aside, telling someone "don't stress" is mind-numbingly annoying as it is a statement that suffers from negative feedback, the more you think about not being stressed, the more stressed you can get!

LittleT

@Stench Blossoms: I generally try to eat about 1300 calories per day. I usually have one cheat day at the weekend where this does not apply. The online calorie calculator said I should be eating about 1800 calories per day. But I have an extremely slow metabolism, as do all my family. Any time I have lost weight in the past I have had to exist on a very low calorie intake.

@Rebekah Colossal Twig: I generally sleep well each night and only work out approx 5 days per week. So I don't think I'm overworked or overly stressed. I totally agree though, there is nothing worse than someone telling you to "relax" or "de-stress". It generally causes my blood pressure to go up instead of down!

Stench Blossoms

1300 is very VERY low for the amount of exercise you do.

IlmoNT4

How long have you being eating and training like this ?

Are you doing the same training every week? and are you giving you body adequate recovery time, by having a recovery week. If you ask your body to train at a high intensity (which TRX/boxing etc are) without enough fuel/recovery, then your stress hormones will stay elevated and this causes your body to stop loosing weight....

Post up what you are eating in a typical day....however 1300 is not enough...if you want to drop more weight, increase your calorie intake to 1800.... you can easily do this from healthy food rather than taking on more calories from carbs...

Google over training and its affects and also check out the paleo diet...

Also if you really want to get serious about training, try some weight lifting and reduce some of the cardio you are doing

2xj3hplqgsbkym

1800 kclas sounds quite high, however I am basing this on my own experience with MyFitness pal. Do people think that they give a fairly accurate kilocalorie requirement count?

According to MyFitness pal I require 1200 kcals per day, before exercise. I am 5ft 6", female,32, weigh 58kg, moderately active in my job. I was quite surprised by this as I thought (hoped!) it would be around 2,000.

So if I did a class of TRX I would burn about 500 kcals and would increase my calorie intake, that gives 1700 kcals.

The OP is 4 inches smaller so wouldn't she require less?

Stench Blossoms

I don't think it's accurate.

I'd go with bw in lbs x 12 for weight loss.

1400 is approximately her BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
This is the number of calories used to just keep her on the planet.
With any sort of activity in your day you should be raising that intake to match.

If you are training 5 days a week you need more calories, your body is not operating in the zone you want it to be in.

Counter-intuitive as it may sound, increase your calorie intake and see how it affects your goals.

Transform

LittleT wrote: »

I'm a female, mid-20s, 5'2. Weight varies between 58-60kg.
I have always been reasonably fit (ran about 3 times per week) but earlier this year I stepped the whole fitness/nutrition thing up a notch.
I started going to bootcamp/TRX/boxfit three times per week and running one or two other days. Initially I saw great results in the first month or two, particularly from a weight loss perspective, without actually changing my diet much. The more improvements I saw, the more invested I became in developing a healthier lifestyle. So I have upped my protein intake and reduced my carbs significantly (but I still eat things like sweet potatoes and oat cakes). I have a sweet tooth but I do my utmost to keep this in check. Like I have it down to approx one chocolate bar per week.

Unfortunately in the past six weeks, I seem to have hit a wall. I'm training as much as ever and my fitness levels are still improving, which is super. I'm being stricter with my diet than ever, in the sense of trying to ensuring I get enough protein, fats, etc. However I am no longer losing weight and seem to be gaining weight! This is not visible on the scales but where a month ago I had clearly defined abs, I now have some padding.
It's extremely frustrating. Has anyone else had this experience?? I need to find out where I'm going wrong

what are your grams of carbs per day and what are they over a 3-4 day period?

get a body fat test asap - everything else is just guessing

cab you do full length chest to floor press ups and at least one chin up? Deadlifting your own body weight, lunging with at least a pair of 10kg dumbbells etc?

LittleT

LittleT wrote: »

I'm training as much as ever and my fitness levels are still improving, which is super. I'm being stricter with my diet than ever, in the sense of trying to ensuring I get enough protein, fats, etc. However I am no longer losing weight and seem to be gaining weight! This is not visible on the scales but where a month ago I had clearly defined abs, I now have some padding.

There's a few reasons this could be happening, some of which have already been said.

You could not be eating enough. I know you say that you have a slow metabolism, but I can't see how you could be exercising this much and surviving on 1300 a day. So maybe your body is trying to conserve energy and so isn't building muscle.

In addition, with a calorie count that low, are you getting your other nutrients from natural sources? It's not unusual for someone to become so precise about their nutrition that they resort to supplements etc. and accidentally start running low on nutrients we don't usually have to worry about. The body also doesn't always absorb nutrients from supplements/shakes as well as it would from fresh food. So maybe your body is abandoning muscle-building because it has other worries.

Another possibility is that your body has adjusted to intense exercise. Right after exercise, your muscles swell a bit, giving you a more defined look. Perhaps that effect was lasting much longer before while you were still adjusting and now has subsided?

The last thing I'll suggest is that your image of your body is changing and perhaps you're just holding it to a very very high standard? You say your fitness levels are still increasing, maybe your body isn't actually any worse than before, you're just being tougher on yourself?

LittleT

Thanks for all your perspectives everyone, I really appreciate it.

Just to address a few of your points, all of which make sense, firstly I guess I spent so many years trying to watch my food and calorie intake that the thought of increasing my daily calories now is a little terrifying! As Rebekah Colossal Twig said, it is counter-intuitive.

My food intake for yesterday looked like this:

Brekkie: Berries, melon and yoghurt
Mid-morning snack: 1 biscuit (50 cals)
Lunch: Chicken breast, half avocado and oat cakes x2
Snack: Almonds
Post-workout (1 hour boxing class) evening meal: Smoked mackerel x2, tomatoes, oat cakes x2 and hummus

I also have a few cups of green tea throughout the day and approx 2litres of water. I honestly never feel hungry while eating like this. Using the method which Stench Blossoms suggested (lbs x12) my calories come out at 1560.

I had my body fat tested about 2 months ago by a dietician and it was approx 28% but lower around my trunk, think it was about 25%. This is something Id really like to reduce.
@Transform: Yes I can do full press ups and chin ups and can also lift approx 20-25kg. Haven't tried deadlifting my own weight yet but I'll get there! In terms of carb intake, the most I ever have per day are some oat cakes or sweet potatoes. Gluten does not agree with me so I try to avoid bread, pasta, etc.

@true-or-false: Yes I agree with you, my standards for myself are definitely higher than this time last year. But I think that is a good thing and I want to keep moving along this trajectory. If my body has adjusted to intense exercise, which I think it has, I need to know how I can increase the benefits from this type of exercise.

What kind of yoghurt?

You are consuming plenty of carbs there btw. Just not processed carbs. Natural carbohydrate is still carbohydrate. (Berries, Melon, biscuit, oatcakes, hummus)

I don't think you're eating anywhere near enough vegetables either. These are pretty much "free nutrients" when it comes to a 'calorie budget'. Cabbage, Kale, Brocolli, Califlower, Spinach and pretty much any green leafy vegetable should all feature prominently in a good diet. You have almost none of this.

IlmoNT4

Try this http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

You can see that based on the model you select the BMR (daily calorie requirement) changes.... Honestly if your training isnt working any longer, first place to look is at your diet...make sure your getting enough recovery and finally your body adjusts to exercise so you'll need to change it around every couple of month...

Transform

LittleT wrote: »

Thanks for all your perspectives everyone, I really appreciate it.

Just to address a few of your points, all of which make sense, firstly I guess I spent so many years trying to watch my food and calorie intake that the thought of increasing my daily calories now is a little terrifying! As Rebekah Colossal Twig said, it is counter-intuitive.

My food intake for yesterday looked like this:

Brekkie: Berries, melon and yoghurt
Mid-morning snack: 1 biscuit (50 cals)
Lunch: Chicken breast, half avocado and oat cakes x2
Snack: Almonds
Post-workout (1 hour boxing class) evening meal: Smoked mackerel x2, tomatoes, oat cakes x2 and hummus

I also have a few cups of green tea throughout the day and approx 2litres of water. I honestly never feel hungry while eating like this. Using the method which Stench Blossoms suggested (lbs x12) my calories come out at 1560.

I had my body fat tested about 2 months ago by a dietician and it was approx 28% but lower around my trunk, think it was about 25%. This is something Id really like to reduce.
@Transform: Yes I can do full press ups and chin ups and can also lift approx 20-25kg. Haven't tried deadlifting my own weight yet but I'll get there! In terms of carb intake, the most I ever have per day are some oat cakes or sweet potatoes. Gluten does not agree with me so I try to avoid bread, pasta, etc.

@true-or-false: Yes I agree with you, my standards for myself are definitely higher than this time last year. But I think that is a good thing and I want to keep moving along this trajectory. If my body has adjusted to intense exercise, which I think it has, I need to know how I can increase the benefits from this type of exercise.

go work directly with a trainer close to you as its getting far to specific to answer conculsively here.

LittleT

Do you think my issues are more training-related or dietary though? If it is my training that needs to be adjusted it's no issue. My trainers are excellent from a fitness point of view, but not so much from a nutrition perspective. You think I need some one to one training?

IlmoNT4

Little T, I think you could do better on your diet.... You need to keep mixing your training and diet up. The body adapts, so every 6 weeks you need to be doing something a little different....

Brekkie: Berries, melon and yoghurt
Mid-morning snack: 1 biscuit (50 cals)
Lunch: Chicken breast, half avocado and oat cakes x2
Snack: Almonds
Post-workout (1 hour boxing class) evening meal: Smoked mackerel x2, tomatoes, oat cakes x2 and hummus

Breakfast: Try some protein... chicken breast and two scrambled eggs, steak etc
SnacK: dump the biscuit and replace with some berries and a table spoon of coconut milk

Yoghurts are junk, full of sugar
Lunch is good, but add in some salad (hold the dressing) dump the oat cakes
Snack: Almonds are good but try and eat enough in your main meals so that you are never starving...
Dinner: its ok, but more carbs from the oat cats and hummus? did you make this yourself or is it from a shop? If its shop bought, dump it and try making your own, its very easy

Start bring into your diet very lightly if not raw veggies.... Broccoli, butternut, sweet potatoes, asparagus, kale, spinach ( try and avoid starchy vegs like potatoes)
Perhaps for a snack you could make some protein bars
Fats are your friend: butter, oil, coconut milk, avocado
There is lots and lots of information on the internet, mostly you need to find a diet, that works for you and more importantly is sustainable, with starving yourself.

Some diets I have used, and I take bits from different diets and use them are Paleo, WholeFood, Bulletproof, look them up...there are simple and straight forward....

LittleT

Hi Loulou

Thanks for all that information, that's really helpful. I always thought Greek yoghurt was encouraged, obviously not, will give that one up so! Will definitely start trying more veggies...I just polished off some chicken and spinach for lunch today which I guess is a good start!

I'll definitely look up those diets you have mentioned. I think there is just so much conflicting information online it's difficult to know what direction to go in sometimes! And I agree with you, obviously I could probably streamline my training some more like everyone, but I think diet is my main area to work on at the moment.
Thanks for your advice!

IlmoNT4

Try bulletproof as a start...its easy

http://www.bulletproofexec.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/

Print out the chart, eat all you want of the stuff in green avoid the orange, red...

its that simple..

if you like coffee, I can recommend the bulletproof coffee

LittleT

Oh it's so clear I love it! Will be going on my fridge door today

Excellent

Greek Yoghurt is very good actually. So long as it's actually greek yoghurt.

LittleT

That's what I thought too...the one I eat says Greek yoghurt on the tub anyway.

It makes fruit for breakfast easier on the stomach so I might keep it in there

Stheno

LittleT wrote: »

That's what I thought too...the one I eat says Greek yoghurt on the tub anyway.

It makes fruit for breakfast easier on the stomach so I might keep it in there

Does it say Greek or Greek "Style" yoghurt?

LittleT

Oh you're right...it's Greek Style!! Is that a no go??

Stench Blossoms

LittleT wrote: »

Oh you're right...it's Greek Style!! Is that a no go??

It's not the same.

Fage Greek Yogurt is very good. It's got a really high protein %. If you can get that, have that instead.