Weight Loss: How to lose and not maintain.

[erm0210]

Hello.  I am a 25 year old male, 5'8", medium body frame, and I'm trying to lose weight.  Currently I am 202 lbs. and I've adapted to a healthier lifestyle for the past 4 months.  What that means is that I try to eat lean, rarely drink, and take in around an average of 8 hours of sleep per day.  At the moment I am trying to boost my metabolism by taking green tea supplements, eating smaller lean meals (i.e. ~6) consisting of vegetables, fruits, and lean meat. consume no more than 1200  cal per day.  At the moment I try to co Additionally I workout 4 days a week in which each work out consists of a 15 min cardio session and a 45 min weight lifting session of 4 sets of high reps (i.e. 4x 10-12  reps).  I try to focus on the major muscle groups throughout my body.

In short, I use to weigh 220 lbs and now I seem to be at a plateau to where I'm not breaking the 200 lb mark.  At one point in my life, I use to weight 160 lbs.  At that time I was working out 4 days a week and eating small vegetarian like meals.  

My question is how can I continue to lose weight?

[jtj5707]

Try lowering your carb intake slightly and incorporate some HIIT. Works like a charm to push through those plateaus. Good luck and well done so far!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

If you are aiming at losing weight, it is important to calculate your current BMI and the target BMI. The target BMI should be in a healthy range. Aside indulging in moderate amounts of physical exercise it is also essential to maintain a healthy diet plan. A healthy diet should consist of adequate amounts of calories with carbohydrates, proteins, fat and plenty of fruits and vegetables to supply vitamins and minerals. Skipping any of the food components is not considered healthy. Also when aiming at losing weight the protein intake may be slightly increased and the carbohydrate intake slightly lowered. The calorie requirement should also be adjusted for ones physical activities as well. Lower than adequate calorie intake can also cause weight gain, due to the stress hormones kicking in. Start with a healthy breakfast, moderate lunch and light dinner. Also keep a track of calorie intake and your work out. With gradual consistent efforts, you should be able to lose weight as desired in a healthy way.
Hope this helps.

Take care!