Less exercise = loss of weight??

[Ailah]

I've been working out intensely, every day, and I was in a stall I thought... My scale didn't move for a month. Then, when I took a break for little more than a week, I lost 4 lbs and my scale seems to stay there and not move up again!

I'm confused.

[knicknack]

you're probably building muscle when you exercise which weighs more than fat. So, you're losing a lot of fat, adding some muscle, and you end up losing slower. However, you're still getting smaller!

[snorkelman]

you may have inadvertently lost 4 pounds (or close to it) of muscle. Too bad you stopped completely for a week.

Almost everyone loses weight initially on a very low calorie diet such as Atkins' induction, but the body is smart and will go into starvation mode, conserving energy. This is when you hit a plateau, as you did (but yours might have been caused by something else).

Regardless fo what caused your plateau, it is hard to keep losing weight even if your calories are extremely low once you hit it.

If you have a low calorie intake, you might need to actually eat MORE to break the plateau.

In general, the best advice when you hit a plateau is to increase both the intensity and frequency of your exercise.

[spirittalker]

It could just be that your body dropped the water weight it was hanging on to for emergencies. Once you stopped exercising for a week your body thought ok not emergency and let it go. I say get back to the exercising and see what happens.

[ttdriver]

WHAT SNORKELMAN SAID!! :nod

Betty

[2big4mysize]

strange timing on the scale moving but I'd be more incline to believe your loss is from all the changes you made breaking your stall last week on 4/7 in the main board

- Not more exercise, but I did it every day and NO EXCEPTIONS!
- More water
- No sweeteners, I think that's the main reason I stalled.
- Noooooo Atkins bars. They contributed to my gain, I think...
- Laid off the unnecessary fat, cause it brought my calorie intake up.
- Counted my calories and MADE SURE I burnt 500 more than I consumed. No exceptions.
- Fresh meat. No hamburgers with any filler in it.
- No more pre-made taco spice with potato flour.

After a FOUR MONTH stall, I'm finally moving again, 2 lbs in a couple of days! So those who're whining about a week of not moving? Try 16 weeks... :P

It is true that stopping any regular exercise program will over time result in the atropy of that musckle tissue that many pounds that fast is tough especially with all the protein needs of the body being taken care if through your WOE

[californiacasey]

I experiece the same thing when I stop exercising, but I think its water weight. When you are exercising intensely, your body needs more water because you're sweating it off. Your muscles need more water to get through those sessions and you are building muscle (which as all know weighs more than fat). When you stop, your body drops the extra water is was holding on to use for your workouts. You cannot lose 4 lbs of muscle in a week (esp like 2big said, when you're getting protein from the meat you're eating).

Just continue on with Atkins, your exercise and water! Your body is loving it! : ) :icondance