In February I bought a book called <i>The Testosterone Advantage Plan</i> from <i>Men's Health</i> magazine and immediately jumped into the plan. It called for a diet broken down into one-third fat, one-third carb, and one-third protein (based on my body type and goals) and a weight-lifting routine. I started out like gangbusters, losing 35 pounds in five months and noticed significant improvements in strength. My weight dropped from 280 to 245 and I increased my maximum bench press by 50 pounds. I'm also able to do many more pushups than ever before.

Unfortunately I failed to measure myself before I started, so I have no idea what my body fat was/is or how many inches I've lost. I only know how many pounds I've lost. Regardless, I stopped losing weight in late June despite increasing the intensity of my workouts by adding some cardio to my lifting and maintaining my diet. I work out three times a week , 45 minutes at a time (I use a gym at work and workout during my lunch hour). I combine weight lifting and cardio by alternating between my lifts and a treadmill that's set on 4.6 MPH. I start by benching 175 pounds (1 set, 8 to 10 reps), then jumping on the treadmill for a minute. I go back to the bench and lift another set of 8 to 10, then back to the treadmill . I repeat this one more time, then move onto my next lift (bent over rows) and repeat. By the time my workout has ended I've alternated six different lifts with the treadmill for an intense 45 minute workout. After my workout I eat a turkey or tuna sandwich per the diet plan.

When I started the plan, I concentrated strictly on weight lifting and it worked like a charm. When I plateaued, I decided to introduce cardio into my workouts, thinking it would restoke my fat-burning furnace, but I haven't enjoyed any weight loss in close to six weeks. I've tried different lifts, alternating the order in which I lift, etc., but I'm stuck. I also started taking Creatine recently, but I don't know if that has anything to do with my sudden inability to drop weight.

If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.