OK, for the last 4 weeks, I've been doing two 30 minute cardio sessions three days a week instead of my usual 50 minute interval (not HIIT) session. I was having great progress with the longer session, losing 95 pounds in less than a year. I decided to start doing two shorter sessions because one, I work harder when I don't have to go as long, and two, it's easier to fit in the shorter sessions because I have a 2 year old. Well my problem is this. Since I've been doing this type of cardio, the scale hasn't budged. I had been losing consistenly every week, with an occasional gain here and there. I still have some weight to lose (about 15-20 pounds). I'm 5'2" and 138.5 pounds, so even if I can't really lose all the scale weight I want to in order to maintain muscle (I also lift three days a week), I'm still slightly above my healthy BMI which is 136. Can anyone help me? Should I go back to less intense, longer LISS sessions versus the higher intensity shorter sessions? (I guess if it ain't broken, don't fix it, right?) It just seemed like I was working so much harder with the shorter sessions. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Did you change anything else? Diet, lifting routine, etc? Was your longer session fasted? Is one of these fasted?

All things being equal, it really should not stop you from continuing to lose weight.

My diet has not changed. I have tried to lift a little heavier recently. Yes, my longer session was fasted, and one of the shorter sessions was fasted also.

If it's only been a week since you started, I'd keep at it another week. If still no change, then it may be time to either go back to what used to work or try changing another factor.

How many calories per day are you eating?

It's been 4 weeks since I've started. I try to cycle my calories, so on a high day, I eat about 1800, and on a low day, between 1400-1500.

Oh okay, I thought it was more recently. Well, others may wish to chime in, but I would say either ensure the fasted session is no higher than 75%MHR and/or eat more on the days you do cardio. I've seen some pretty shocking (in a good way) results when people add more cardio and add more calories to support the extra cardio.

Other than that, I'm at a loss. I know doordude did cardio 2x/day with excellent results. Both of his sessions were low intensity. I also read a study showing splitting cardio into 2 sessions like that can be beneficial.

Last, have you possibly maintained your weight, but lost fat and gained a little muscle?

Ditto to what karate said. I have read that alot of people add calories and lose weight. The one that comes to mind is the guy who did The Punisher movie. He workout (weights) twice a day and ate craploads of food. Not only did he gain a ton of muscle but he also lost 5 inches in his waist. :tu:

First, I really appreciate your help and am probably overly concerned anyway. That is a good suggestion about upping my calories. While doing two sessions, I was working harder than the one long one, so eating more would seem to help. I might try that before I cut back to one session. And it is possible I have lost fat and gained some muscle. I don't have a real good way of measuring my body fat (I've been thinking of purchasing Accumeasure calipers), but last week I noticed a couple pairs of my pants felt a little looser. I also seem to look more defined in the mirror. Although, I didn't know if this was me just seeing things. (I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm being too hard on myself.) Thanks for your help!!

Other than that, I'm at a loss. I know doordude did cardio 2x/day with excellent results. Both of his sessions were low intensity. I also read a study showing splitting cardio into 2 sessions like that can be beneficial.



Yup, 2 a days worked great for me but they may not work for everyone. If I were you, i'd go back to what works for you.:tu:

OK, for the last 4 weeks, I've been doing two 30 minute cardio sessions three days a week instead of my usual 50 minute interval (not HIIT) session.

...

I decided to start doing two shorter sessions because one, I work harder when I don't have to go as long, and two, it's easier to fit in the shorter sessions ...

1.) Intensity is the same for LISS regardless of whether you do 20 minutes or 120 minutes. 65% to 75% MHR is the range, period. Don't work any harder because you're doing 30 minute sessions. And, in my experience, 30 minutes isn't long enough for LISS to be effective. Forty minutes is my personal minimum where it is most useful in body fat loss.

2.) What are you eating before and after you LISS sessions? The morning one should be fasted. Completely empty stomach sans water, which you can drink all you want. Managing carbohydrate intake is the key to maximizing results from LISS. Without knowing more about your diet, I can't really say what I believe to be causing your stagnation.

And bear in mind that as you get closer to losing those final pounds, it will become more challenging.

-R

I see great gains running only 20-25 minutes LISS 4 days a week for the past 3 months.

Given your current vs. previous cardio approach, I can't imagine that either one was markedly better than the other. I would definitely look at other factors, such as diet, primarily.

I see great gains running only 20-25 minutes LISS 4 days a week for the past 3 months.

if you're running, you're not doing LISS... not unless it's an extrememly slow jog... just sayin'

you're either doing medium intensity.. or what I call MISS (which I was doing up until two weeks ago when my trainer changed things up on me)

or you're doing HISS, high intensity steady state

OK, for the last 4 weeks, I've been doing two 30 minute cardio sessions three days a week instead of my usual 50 minute interval (not HIIT) session. I was having great progress with the longer session, losing 95 pounds in less than a year. I decided to start doing two shorter sessions because one, I work harder when I don't have to go as long, and two, it's easier to fit in the shorter sessions because I have a 2 year old. Well my problem is this. Since I've been doing this type of cardio, the scale hasn't budged. I had been losing consistenly every week, with an occasional gain here and there. I still have some weight to lose (about 15-20 pounds). I'm 5'2" and 138.5 pounds, so even if I can't really lose all the scale weight I want to in order to maintain muscle (I also lift three days a week), I'm still slightly above my healthy BMI which is 136. Can anyone help me? Should I go back to less intense, longer LISS sessions versus the higher intensity shorter sessions? (I guess if it ain't broken, don't fix it, right?) It just seemed like I was working so much harder with the shorter sessions. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

you said you're doing HIIT now. On cardio days you said you have continued to eat the same way as when you were LISSing. what is your pre and post work out eating like now that you're HIIT?

What I have read and have put into action is this.. Intensity has less to do with loss then duration.. they claimed for optium fat loss you need to do at least 20 miles a week at around 45-60 min per day cardio ..they said Jogging, but I don't jog only fast walk...
So the only thing I worry about on the treadmill is doing 3 miles in 45 min.. and I think it's been working..alittle soon to be sure.. but I think so..
1800 cals... sounds alittle high for a female , instead have a cheat day per week... so only one 1800cal day.. I think the rest are fine..
Watch when you eat carbs..

What I have read and have put into action is this.. Intensity has less to do with loss then duration.. they claimed for optium fat loss you need to do at least 20 miles a week at around 45-60 min per day cardio ..they said Jogging, but I don't jog only fast walk...
So the only thing I worry about on the treadmill is doing 3 miles in 45 min.. and I think it's been working..alittle soon to be sure.. but I think so..
1800 cals... sounds alittle high for a female , instead have a cheat day per week... so only one 1800cal day.. I think the rest are fine..
Watch when you eat carbs..


that's not true at ALL... 1800 is NOT too high if you are weight training... I lost an appreciable amount of fat while gaining some good lean mass while on a 1750 - 1800 calorie diet, and I believe there are other women on here that will agree with me... I believe causticmuse eats around 1800 or higher just to name one :nod: :tu:

that's not true at ALL... 1800 is NOT too high if you are weight training... I lost an appreciable amount of fat while gaining some good lean mass while on a 1750 - 1800 calorie diet, and I believe there are other women on here that will agree with me... I believe causticmuse eats around 1800 or higher just to name one :nod: :tu:

I agree. Especially if she's lifting 3x/week and doing cardio 6x/week (2x, 3 days), 1800 cals as a cheat day only and the rest being lower sounds awfully low to me.

Of course though, a lot depends on her metabolism. I know girls who eat more than me and remain a stick and then I know girls who don't eat much at all yet still aren't happy with how they look.

Well you both could be right... but I was going by her having problems losing which could mean she has a slower metobolic rate then you Chameleon..Everyone is differnet ..Age is a factor.. also.
Maybe she needs to a jump start again and what I prescribed would do that..
The Cheat day.. would keep her from going into starvation mode..
If what she is doing isn't working then she need to jump start it..

Well you both could be right... but I was going by her having problems losing which could mean she has a slower metobolic rate then you Chameleon..Everyone is differnet ..Age is a factor.. also.
Maybe she needs to a jump start again and what I prescribed would do that..
The Cheat day.. would keep her from going into starvation mode..
If what she is doing isn't working then she need to jump start it..

This I agree with, to a degree. A jumpstart would mean eating more, not less. Right now she eats 1800 cals/day rather often, so it may be a good idea for her to bump her calories up regularly or at least add in a day or two where she eats an extra 500-1000 calories.

Also, judging by her avatar, I'd have to say age is not a factor as far as a slowing metabolism.

Give it another read....sounds like she's doing Medium Intensity Steady State or High Intensity Steady State....not HIIT (at least that's how it read to me).

you said you're doing HIIT now. On cardio days you said you have continued to eat the same way as when you were LISSing. what is your pre and post work out eating like now that you're HIIT?

Weight can come off intially fairly steady and then the body and metabolism planes out if you haven't changed much.....so in essence, it can even adapt to carb cycling, if, you keep times, cals, and even food the same.

So if you've stalled to a degree I'd say increase weight training possibly instead of cardio for 8 weeks and give that a go.....try a full body routine....or possibly circuit train.....

Or

try HIIT or Guerrila Cardio for say 6 weeks and see how that goes. Give it your all in these sessions, you'll be wiped/whipped when it's done....think lungs burning....but ah, the endorphin rush is good :nod:

Also, dump the carb cycling for now and try upping cals (say 10% over your high days) to jump start your metabolism (as suggested).


How many times / day are you eating? I guessing about 6 but just checking.

Yeah, well maybe it's plateau busting time after 4-6 weeks up 'n change routine for cutting.
But since you haven't seen change since you started this new regime,

keep in mind your dedication to exercise is not necessarily the culprit problem,
or the sequence or times of your exercise but the duration and your pre and post EATING routine.
Nutrition is the key to make all the puzzle pieces fit. When you change the amount of exercise
plus training, your diet will have to follow, right?

Unless I misunderstood, GraceGirl said she was eating the same now with higher intensity workouts, as when she was doing lower intensity workouts. Is that the case?

Well you both could be right... but I was going by her having problems losing which could mean she has a slower metobolic rate then you Chameleon..Everyone is differnet ..Age is a factor.. also.
Maybe she needs to a jump start again and what I prescribed would do that..
The Cheat day.. would keep her from going into starvation mode..
If what she is doing isn't working then she need to jump start it..


actually... that (lowering calories even more) is often NOT the answer... I would NOT say I have a fast matabolism.. this journey of mine is against the wind... however, when I first started working with my trainer she informed me that I had lowered my callories too far (I was eating around 1300 calories a day with one cheat day), she INCREASED my calories to 1800 and reduced my cheat to one meal a week and I started seeing results... too low can be just as bad as too high where calories are concerned... I wouldn't have believed it before I saw the results.. my fat has been steadily going down and my strength gains have been steady since she increased my calories

I do agree thought, that everyone is different... all you can do is try one way for a while (at least 6 weeks) and if you don't see a change, THEN you change it up and try something else

Hey Gracegirl, At the risk of getting your husband mad i've just gotta tell you. You are cuuuuuute!!!!! No offense intended husband!:tu:

you said you're doing HIIT now. On cardio days you said you have continued to eat the same way as when you were LISSing. what is your pre and post work out eating like now that you're HIIT?

OK, let me try to explain my routine in a little more detail. I was never really doing LISS. I've always done interval training, not necessarily HIIT because I'm able to sustain the intervals for a long time, from 50-60 minutes. I alternate a 4 minute high intensity interval with a three minute recovery period for an hour. All I did was decide to split up the intervals into two 30 minute sessions instead of one 60 minute session. I found that I was able to up the intensity and go about .25-.50 mile more when I did this. For the first session, it was fasted, followed by some eggbeaters and a slice of high fiber bread. Sometimes I would have some turkey bacon too. I would do my second session approximately 4-5 hours later when I layed my son down for a nap. I have to have a empty stomach when I workout because if I don't, I get terrible side stitches. So, about 2 hours after my breakfast, I would generally eat a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomato. But I would make sure this was still 2-3 hours before my next workout because like I said, I need to have an empty stomach.

But I have an update on my circumstance. Yesterday, I took my measurements, and I am significantly smaller even though the scale has not budged. I was inclined to check my measurements after I noticed a lot of my clothes feeling very loose all of the sudden. So I am now not nearly as concerned, believing that the scale is only deceiving me, and that I am in fact losing body fat.

Thank for your response!!

Hey Gracegirl, At the risk of getting your husband mad i've just gotta tell you. You are cuuuuuute!!!!! No offense intended husband!:tu:

hehe..why thank you! That's why I had to lose the weight I've lost! :) No need to let cuteness go to waste. :tu:

And yes, I have decided to up my calories when I do the split sessions. I honestly can't believe I didn't think of that before. :)

I agree. Especially if she's lifting 3x/week and doing cardio 6x/week (2x, 3 days), 1800 cals as a cheat day only and the rest being lower sounds awfully low to me.

Of course though, a lot depends on her metabolism. I know girls who eat more than me and remain a stick and then I know girls who don't eat much at all yet still aren't happy with how they look.

I have tried eating less calories, and it DID NOT work for me. If I don't eat, I don't lose. I exercise A LOT and NEED my 1800 days!! :)

Thanks for everyone's help and words of encouragement!!!