Weight Loss Plateau - Workout Advice?

[heretic]

Hi everyone!

name is Clo and I'm 27. I could really use some advice because I've been trying to get into shape for a while now and I don't have access to a gym or any kind of support network where I live (a backwards place where women are mocked for lifting weights, if you'd believe it!).

Since October I've gone from 224lbs to 180lbs, but I've been stalled around 180 for about a month now. Originally I was mostly doing cardio and pilates as a form of light strength training, but in recent months I've started to introduce weights and routine has shaped up to be something like this:

Weights x 3 p/week (fat burning weight loss routine for women x2 / routine to target arms x1, as I only have dumbbells)
Cardio + pilates or road warrior workouts x 3 (different routines to target different areas each day plus 30 mins HIIT on the exercise bike)
(alternating weights and cardio days, obviously)

I'm wondering if the issue might be diet, which I don't tweak too often?

Breakfast (8am) = egg whites + whole wheat toast OR whey protein shake + banana
Snack (11am) = black coffee + almonds + peanut butter
Lunch (1pm) = whole wheat wrap, cottage cheese, chicken breast
Snack (4pm) = banana / apple OR nut bar (10g protein / 10g carbs)
Snack (7pm) = post-workout protein shake
Dinner (7:30pm) = tuna + whole wheat pasta

Or could it be WHEN I'm working out? I tend to find it easiest in the evenings when I get home from work, between 6 and 7ish.

Add to this the fact that I work a pretty hectic job where I'm on feet for nine hours straight at least four days a week and I'm just baffled / frustrated as to why I'm working out harder than I ever did before right now, but seeing no change whatsoever. (And I've thought about the possibility that I'm putting on muscle, that I'm retaining water to help heal the muscle I'm working etc., I really am sore most days, after weights particularly, but body isn't changing, if anything I feel / look more bloated.)

I'd really appreciate any help or advice you guys might have, because I'm very serious about toning up and getting fit - at first I just wanted to lose weight, but I've come to love working out and feeling like I'm actively fighting to change body.

Thanks for reading / listening.

[Boss Man]

Hi Clo, it's really good to talk to you .

You might have gained a bit of muscle which would replace some of the fat but more muscle can help to burn fat so that's a good thing.

I think it could well be the diet and I'd address that for the moment, as making too many changes could be counterproductive, or fail to address the situation.

Breakfast (8am) = egg whites + whole wheat toast OR whey protein shake + banana

(Fine)

Snack (11am) = black coffee + almonds + peanut butter

(This looks a bit low, so you could more things to it. You can have other things that could boost this like vegetables, including pineapple, raw carrot and celery sticks, fruits including tomato and cucumber, peanuts, low sugar yoghurt, bread, low fat cheese, ham, turkey, chicken and beef from a packet, sandwiches, oat granolas, flax seeds and pre-boiled eggs, so these could be added to boost your calories a bit.)

Lunch (1pm) = whole wheat wrap, cottage cheese, chicken breast

(I'd got for low fat cheese here as it's got less bad fat)

Snack (4pm) = banana / apple OR nut bar (10g protein / 10g carbs)

(Use one or more of the snack options listed above, as you're getting 80 calories here)

Snack (7pm) = post-workout protein shake

Dinner (7:30pm) = tuna + whole wheat pasta

(Not bad, but be mindful that tuna is recommended at 3 times a week due to metal content, so consider other options like beef, turkey, pork, lamb or chicken, or other protein based foods like mushrooms, lentils, peas, beans soy products like soybeans, tofu, edemame, nattokinase and miso and also corn and chickpeas, but with those foods you do get some carbs in them, so you could adjust the pasta you consume and lower it a bit, especially as you could use protein enriched pasta to increase the protein content a bit more.)

I would suggest though perhaps re-jigging your workout schedule to have a couple of days off, so it could look something like this.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7. Day off

WELL DONE on all you've achieved so far and keep believing in yourself. It's your right as a female to be strong and I will never criticise any female who wants to be strong and I am proud of you for what you have done and people on this forum, myself included, will be here to support you for as long as you want us to and I hope you will keep us updated.

You sound like a great person and I wish you GOOD LUCK and I want you to keep your chin up, keep believing in yourself and remember that you ARE worth it .