@SouthernHoosier wrote:
Hey all!
I am needing some help here. I am currently a graduate student finishing up my Master's in Speech-Language Pathology, so I am always busy with studying and watching lectures and clinic and what not. I try to eat well and have even gotten my new husband on the calorie logging bandwagon (to the best of both of our abilities), and I work out 2-3 times per week (twice with weight training and once with yoga). Finally, I always work really hard to hit my 10k step goal each day (thank goodness for long apartment hallways so I can pace and not be cold). I definitely struggle to get all/very much water in throughout the day. I am rather muscular (bigger but fairly toned legs). I have lost 16 pounds this far, but I feel like I am at a plateau for weight. I also am not feeling overly confident with my stomach region. Can anyone give me some advice and encouragement as to what to do? Thanks!!! 🙂
If I were to venture to guess after reading your weight loss stats is that, most of your weight loss come from water and subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). If your stomach region is a little liberal, then that's visceral fat. Visceral fat is much harder to loose as those are the fat that are coated on your organs; your heart, your liver, your pancreas etc..
There are many reasons why you hit a weight plateau, but the common reason why some people hit the weight plateau and stay there is that, some people need a certain body fat% in order for our body to maintain its regulatory functions. That means, the organs and the circulatory system will need to function optimally at a certain body fat% level. Going above that means risking diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Going below a certain body fat% level, however, can cause irreversible damage to your organs like your liver, kidneys etc. Women usually have a higher body fat% than men; about 8% more for child bearing and hormonal functions. When you weigh yourself, that number include your bone growth and muscle growth. When you are weigh training, your bone density will increase as well as your lean muscle mass.
The most important thing you need to measure is not your weight, but your waist line and your hip circumference (if you're a woman). That tells you more about your body fat% than your scale does. If your waist line is shrinking and your hip circumference as well, but your weight is not going down, then you are loosing body fat plus increasing your bone density and lean muscle mass. Increase in bone density and lean muscle mass is extra weight! If you are not able to loose more, then you need to consult with a medical doctor and check if you have insulin resistance and if so, why then? Cutting calories is one thing, but cutting calories while not reducing insulin spiking is asking for trouble. You might have a liver problem that's holding all that water. Cutting calories with a liver problem will simply, well damage your organs and that's irreversible.
If the blood work comes back negative on all things; then perhaps get the doctor's opinion on your weight goal whether it is realistic and achievable and let the medical doctor provide some sound medical advice that the doctor is looking what's best for your health.
When you are exercising a lot, you will tend to eat more obviously. But if your diet consist of any sugar substance and that even includes diet stuff or liquid sugar, then yes you will tend to consume even more calories than you need to. Sugar can cause us to consume more calories than we need to, but also is the cause for chronic high insulin levels in most North Americans.
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