Plateaus & Cardio

QUESTION:

Nice job on the fitness!  Kudos to a lot of hard work and great results.  I wanted to ask you a couple questions about some experiences you may have had during your weight loss:

1)  Did you plateau, and if so, what did you do to re-start the weight loss?

2)  What type cardio did you do, how often, and how long?

I am 33, male, and started in January at 306 lbs.  I am now at 256 lbs.  My goal is around 215 (I'm 6 ft. tall).  I have been weight training too, so I'm sure my fat has decreased more as the muscle has been gained.  I am working now on keeping a track to the fat loss v. muscle gain ratio.

Thanks for any information!


ANSWER: 


When I lost the weight i actually never plateaued and i attribute this to the fact that  worked out with high intensity and maintained a low calorie diet for the majority of the time.  However once every 2 weeks or so i would slip up on my diet and eat a high calorie meal which had hidden benefits.  When you are in a caloric deficit for an extended period of time your metabolism slows down and the fat burning hormone leptin is decreased in the body.  Having a high calorie meal increases leptin and increases metabolism which allows your body to continue burning fat.  You will have to determine if you have been in a high caloric deficit for a long period of time and are in need of a cheat meal.  It could also be possible that you simply have to further decrease your calories because your body has adjusted.  In that case you will need to evaluate your diet and eliminate some unnecessary calories. I suggest removing calories from carbohydrates.


2)  I actually did not do much cardio to achieve the weight loss - i primarily used weight training.  However a very good form of cardio for weight loss is high intensity interval training or HIIT for short.  This is a form of exercise that is based around giving 100% (like sprinting)  for 30 seconds-1 min and then doing a working cooldown (like walking or jogging) for around 2 mins.  I would suggest doing this type of cardio for 10-20 mins depending on your fitness level.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.