Help Me Please!!!

[bigdaddyslimtim]

So I started the October/November weight loss challenge with a bunch of you guys and it started off great. My starting weight was 448 and I am now down to 415 - 417. My problem is that I've stalled and I don't know what to do to keep losing. I'm absolutely in a calorie deficit every day of at least 1000 calories and I changed my routine up at the gym to include more cardio and still nothing for the past 2 weeks. I don't know what to do. I'm really busting my ass when I am in the gym but no progress these last few weeks. Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated.

[FatalTragedy12]

So I started the October/November weight loss challenge with a bunch of you guys and it started off great. My starting weight was 448 and I am now down to 415 - 417. My problem is that I've stalled and I don't know what to do to keep losing. I'm absolutely in a calorie deficit every day of at least 1000 calories and I changed my routine up at the gym to include more cardio and still nothing for the past 2 weeks. I don't know what to do. I'm really busting my ass when I am in the gym but no progress these last few weeks. Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated.

Happens sometimes as weight loss is not linear. Fat gets replaced by water, when you lose the water that's when it translates on the scale. 1000 deficit seems a bit much, lower it to around 700. Also never set weight loss targets in short time frames, you will always be disappointed. The goal should always be to set a time and see how much you can lose, not a number. You might need to have a cheat day and carb load too if you haven't had any form of cheat meals in the entire 6 weeks.

At 400+ lb you might want to start measuring your waist too, never rely on the scales alone. Go by the fit of your clothes.

[bigdaddyslimtim]

Happens sometimes as weight loss is not linear. Fat gets replaced by water, when you lose the water that's when it translates on the scale. 1000 deficit seems a bit much, lower it to around 700. Also never set weight loss targets in short time frames, you will always be disappointed. The goal should always be to set a time and see how much you can lose, not a number. You might need to have a cheat day and carb load too if you haven't had any form of cheat meals in the entire 6 weeks.

At 400+ lb you might want to start measuring your waist too, never rely on the scales alone. Go by the fit of your clothes.

I appreciate your help. My clothes have definitely been getting looser during the first 4-5 weeks but even that has stalled as well. My daily maintenance intake should be around 4500 calories and I'm taking in between 3200-3500 and not feeling hungry at all. I use Sundays as my cheat meal day and I only do that with 1 meal and I don't overdo it. I know the first few weeks were probably water weight, but why am I not burning any fat now? As I said above I am going really really hard at the gym with a HIIT workout and sweating my butt off, just not my fat apparently. Should I abandon lifting and just focus on cardio? Any other changes you (or anyone) can recommend I would appreciate.

[FatalTragedy12]

I appreciate your help. My clothes have definitely been getting looser during the first 4-5 weeks but even that has stalled as well. My daily maintenance intake should be around 4500 calories and I'm taking in between 3200-3500 and not feeling hungry at all. I use Sundays as my cheat meal day and I only do that with 1 meal and I don't overdo it. I know the first few weeks were probably water weight, but why am I not burning any fat now? As I said above I am going really really hard at the gym with a HIIT workout and sweating my butt off, just not my fat apparently. Should I abandon lifting and just focus on cardio? Any other changes you (or anyone) can recommend I would appreciate.

To be honest, there's so many factors at play here. It looks like your weight is constantly trending downwards. Since you're losing weight, it would indicate you don't need to change anything. You're right that you probably lost water weight but I'd say a significant portion of the 30 lb you lost is also fat. If your TDEE is 4500, I'd set my goal calories at 3600-3700 minimum - a huge deficit can also make you plateau. I'd stop having cheat meals every week, maybe do that on alternate weeks.

Again, weight loss isn't linear - wait it out for 2 weeks and if you still don't see a change then it might indicate that you aren't counting your calories correctly or you need to up your deficit. It's too early to say now. I know it's disheartening to not see any apparent progress but keep bashing away at it, stop thinking about weight loss just do what you know is true and wait it out. If you're doing it right, you'll know. If you aren't, then you'll know that too and can make corrections. You can't make an educated correction right now. I would suggest continuing weights and cardio as tolerated. Weights will help you maintain your muscle mass. Time isn't going anywhere, even after the challenge, you can continue your diet and get to wherever you want to be, be it 300 lb, 200 lb or 150 lb. All of those numbers are achievable but only in time.

[GilaMakan]

I appreciate your help. My clothes have definitely been getting looser during the first 4-5 weeks but even that has stalled as well. My daily maintenance intake should be around 4500 calories and I'm taking in between 3200-3500 and not feeling hungry at all. I use Sundays as my cheat meal day and I only do that with 1 meal and I don't overdo it. I know the first few weeks were probably water weight, but why am I not burning any fat now? As I said above I am going really really hard at the gym with a HIIT workout and sweating my butt off, just not my fat apparently. Should I abandon lifting and just focus on cardio? Any other changes you (or anyone) can recommend I would appreciate.

Congratulations on your weight loss. I suggest waiting until 4 weeks before making any changes since weight loss is not linear. If weight stays the same, it means you are currently eating at maintenance and need to eat less.

Is this HIIT workout something new? My weight loss stalled for 4-5 weeks after I started joining the gym. Then one day I just got a big whoosh.

[bigdaddyslimtim]

Congratulations on your weight loss. I suggest waiting until 4 weeks before making any changes since weight loss is not linear. If weight stays the same, it means you are currently eating at maintenance and need to eat less.

Is this HIIT workout something new? My weight loss stalled for 4-5 weeks after I started joining the gym. Then one day I just got a big whoosh.

Yes the HIIT workout is new. I was lifting with free weights and doing cardio on an elliptical 6 days a week, alternating between chest/tri's, bi's/shoulders, and legs/abs each day. Not I am doing a 30 minute HIIT workout that uses machines and steps in between each machine. It's a 1 minute on machine, 20 seconds rest, 1 minute on steps, 20 seconds rest, etc. etc. I'm hoping that I too have a whoosh moment. I'm so tired of being this big and really want to get back down to a healthy weight. I'm gonna keep on no matter what!