Aa
Eating right, Working out but NOT losing weight
I was wondering if ANYONE has any advice for me. I have been trying to lose about 5-10lbs over the last year. I am 31 years old , 4'8" and weigh 101 lbs. I used to weight between 89 and 94lbs at the most!
I am pretty atheltic. I ran a marathon a few years ago and shortly after that is when I gained the weight. I have been training for half marathons (I ran one in April 2006) so I have been keeping the cardio up with running 3-4 days during the week and then 5-10 miles on the weekends.
Recently I got so frustrated that I went to a dietitican. She claimed that I needed to rev up my workouts by doing interval training and then eating more protein and more times of the day.
For the last two months, I have been eating 5 times a day (about 1000-1200 calories) Each meal has protein and carbs and I get my 5 a day fruits and veggies.
I do cardio 5 days a week (3 days are interval training for 45 min--60 seconds at 65% target heart rate and 60 second 85% target heeart rate) The other 2 days of cardio are a 45 minute dance class and then a weekend long distance run that lasts between 1-2 hours. I also weight train 3 days a week. 1 days lower body and two days upper body.
My body fat has increased and my pants size has increased. Why can't I lose the weight or at least the body fat? Does anyone have advice for me?
I am pretty atheltic. I ran a marathon a few years ago and shortly after that is when I gained the weight. I have been training for half marathons (I ran one in April 2006) so I have been keeping the cardio up with running 3-4 days during the week and then 5-10 miles on the weekends.
Recently I got so frustrated that I went to a dietitican. She claimed that I needed to rev up my workouts by doing interval training and then eating more protein and more times of the day.
For the last two months, I have been eating 5 times a day (about 1000-1200 calories) Each meal has protein and carbs and I get my 5 a day fruits and veggies.
I do cardio 5 days a week (3 days are interval training for 45 min--60 seconds at 65% target heart rate and 60 second 85% target heeart rate) The other 2 days of cardio are a 45 minute dance class and then a weekend long distance run that lasts between 1-2 hours. I also weight train 3 days a week. 1 days lower body and two days upper body.
My body fat has increased and my pants size has increased. Why can't I lose the weight or at least the body fat? Does anyone have advice for me?
Just a note for everyone regarding weight loss, diets and working out. You need to figure out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), this is the LEAST amount you should be eating, if you were only dieting alone.
For example, my BMR is 1546, and because I workout 5-6 days a week and do strength training, I should be eating around 1800-1900 calories. If you eat ANYTHING lower than your BMR, you are starving your body and it will hold onto the weight.
i am at a plateau after losing around 40 pounds, but for those 40 pounds, I was eating 1200 calories a day. Eventually my body went into starvation mode and stopped the weight loss, so I am resetting my metabolism, which means you should be eating your TDEE for 6-8 weeks and then start cutting calories.
If you do high intensity, you may be adding and should be adding more calories. I know a lot of people aren't keen on this, but: Eat More to Lose Weight.
For example, my BMR is 1546, and because I workout 5-6 days a week and do strength training, I should be eating around 1800-1900 calories. If you eat ANYTHING lower than your BMR, you are starving your body and it will hold onto the weight.
i am at a plateau after losing around 40 pounds, but for those 40 pounds, I was eating 1200 calories a day. Eventually my body went into starvation mode and stopped the weight loss, so I am resetting my metabolism, which means you should be eating your TDEE for 6-8 weeks and then start cutting calories.
If you do high intensity, you may be adding and should be adding more calories. I know a lot of people aren't keen on this, but: Eat More to Lose Weight.
Okay, weird but..............2 weeks since starting the bike exercising and swapping white rice and pasta for brown rice, drinking more water, eating less chocolate, no white bread (BAD) and no eating late...I seem to ahve trimmed own. I can notice it myself now.
A typical day for me now is -
Breakfast: Two X espressos shots with hot semi-skimmed milk. Half a mix of All Bran and half of Fruit & Fibre, with semi-skimmed milk.
Mid-Morning Snack: Orange juice and cashew nuts.
Lunch: I do not have a proper lunch ( :P ). I just have some more orange juice, some more nuts, and maybe pick on some fruit.
Mid afternoon Snack: Coffee, water, low-fat baked crisps, fruit.
Dinner: Salmon fillet, or Sea-bream fillet + chicken breast, stir-fried with vegetables and brown rice + a chilli sauce. Sometimes I may have a hard-boiled egg (YUM).
Later in evening (strawberries + raspberry's and Crème fraîche.
Evenings: As it is hot: Iced coffees (I am never denying myself my coffees). Maybe a small biscuit bar (126 calories) for a chocolate fix - but not every night!
I have cut out all the usual bad stuff, like butter, cheese (my one real love) and starchy white bread, condiments as in Tartare sauce, etc..
This combined with my bike (I'd say about 2 hours a week on the bike) is having real good results already. While on the bike I also add in about 4 sets of high arm raises and side twists. My sides and waist are already trimmer! :D My shorts are looser too!
I do honestly do think it is all about finding the perfect balance and what is right and works for your body - everyone's body is different and reacts in different ways. You'll know when your body finds the key! Good-luck!
Fish is my friend, and just consuming 300 grams of oily fish a day burns an extra an 400 calories :P There are lots of foods that have this effect, many veggies. Look it up! Oh and increase you intake of green tea and also chilli and garlic and all those good things. A good metabolism booster are all these things! Also don't be afraid to hit the nuts (unsalted) these are good for boosting metabolism!
A typical day for me now is -
Breakfast: Two X espressos shots with hot semi-skimmed milk. Half a mix of All Bran and half of Fruit & Fibre, with semi-skimmed milk.
Mid-Morning Snack: Orange juice and cashew nuts.
Lunch: I do not have a proper lunch ( :P ). I just have some more orange juice, some more nuts, and maybe pick on some fruit.
Mid afternoon Snack: Coffee, water, low-fat baked crisps, fruit.
Dinner: Salmon fillet, or Sea-bream fillet + chicken breast, stir-fried with vegetables and brown rice + a chilli sauce. Sometimes I may have a hard-boiled egg (YUM).
Later in evening (strawberries + raspberry's and Crème fraîche.
Evenings: As it is hot: Iced coffees (I am never denying myself my coffees). Maybe a small biscuit bar (126 calories) for a chocolate fix - but not every night!
I have cut out all the usual bad stuff, like butter, cheese (my one real love) and starchy white bread, condiments as in Tartare sauce, etc..
This combined with my bike (I'd say about 2 hours a week on the bike) is having real good results already. While on the bike I also add in about 4 sets of high arm raises and side twists. My sides and waist are already trimmer! :D My shorts are looser too!
I do honestly do think it is all about finding the perfect balance and what is right and works for your body - everyone's body is different and reacts in different ways. You'll know when your body finds the key! Good-luck!
Fish is my friend, and just consuming 300 grams of oily fish a day burns an extra an 400 calories :P There are lots of foods that have this effect, many veggies. Look it up! Oh and increase you intake of green tea and also chilli and garlic and all those good things. A good metabolism booster are all these things! Also don't be afraid to hit the nuts (unsalted) these are good for boosting metabolism!
This is the body shape I had 2 years ago:
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/images/gallery/miranda-kerr-swimsuit-pic.jpg
I would say this is my body shape 'NOW' and when I look in the mirror this is the shape I see:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/1105-swimsuits.jpg
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/images/gallery/miranda-kerr-swimsuit-pic.jpg
I would say this is my body shape 'NOW' and when I look in the mirror this is the shape I see:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/1105-swimsuits.jpg
One last point.....my fiancée says " You do NOT need to lose weight and maybe you aren't losing what you want to lose as there is nothing there to lose in the first place!". Okay so taking on board his advice - and trying to forget about being a skinny girl again; and focusing on 'JUST' toning - I can see what he is saying. So maybe toning is the aim...maybe I just need to tone and that will slim me down? It is mainly my stomach I want to change....If I toned it I would look slimmer? Although I still want to slim my legs down a touch, maybe lose about 2" all round on the thighs! Oh hell....sorry.....us women, eh! ;)
I stumbled upon this interesting thread while looking for answers to my weight issue!
A lot of you women sound like me (frustrated). OK, I am 40 years old (but look and feel 28, so all good there). Anyway...I was always an active person, running, swimming, worked as a nurse...and when I wasn't exercising or working I would be running around doing house-chores and DIY and just always on the go. I have had a series of knee problems since 2009 and have had 5 operations to date. So...my running days are over, and so I bought an exercise bike (a good one with the built-in programs for various training techniques etc). I can no longer do impacting sports so cycling and swimming are my only safe options (as of my knees).
So...........I am 40, 5.3 and weight approx: 125.4 lbs. Until early 2012 I maintained a weight of 115 lbs and I was more than happy with this weight. Back then I was more active and still working + not eating very much due to my busy schedule. Since 2012 - to date - the pounds have crept on and so I did do the gym for several weeks and like a lot of you...I weighed heavier! My jeans were tighter and I looked wider (even though I had no real fat) I was not happy with this at all! I stopped the gym as of my latest knee problem and further surgery. So........with being down about my new weight I tired a more desperate measure - the 'MC' - ('Master Cleanse'...also know as the 'Lemon Diet'). I just wanted a quick-fix and this seriously worked! I stuck at it for 6 days and lost 6 lbs..so my size 10 skinny jeans were once again my friend! But........this diet craze had really bad effects on my digestive system and made me feel worse afterwards. Saying that for the first 3 weeks I kept the pounds off and felt energised and really fresh...I also thought it had reset my metabolic-rate and I was saved from gaining any more pounds thereafter...wrong!!!!! One month on...the weight crept back and about 6 lbs :O Now, I have always been one to eat little and often...not the most healthiest of eaters...but that does not mean I gorge on BK's, crisps, chocolate...I just do not eat the right foods. I snack on cashews (unsalted) I drink copious amounts of espressos....Breakfast is a cappuccino - as that is all I want - and then I will have a small bowl of 'All Bran' about 11am. Lunch (if it happens) is some fruit, a few gherkins, maybe a yoghurt, and a bag of oven-baked (healthier) crisps). Dinner is steamed or fried (in extra Virgin Olive Oil) fillets of fish, or chicken and prawns, potatoes and green beans. Later, for a snack I have a few more cashews and then water and more cappuccinos. I have decaf tea during the evening. So not a bad diet, but also not the best! I admit I do not drink enough water...I find it hard to remember to pick the bottle up all through the day! :P But I am making myself do it more lately! Oh I do have one biscuit (70 calories) first thing in the morning as I am hypoglycaemic and so if I don't I would fall down! Two months ago I started some light home-exercise regimes...30 minutes of medium-impact aerobic exercise (basically slow jogging on the spot, and twists, that kind of thing)...in front of the TV. It raised my heart-rate obviously, and that was the goal. So, I kept this up each day until my new bike arrived. Since the bike arrived I have been using it 5 days a week. I do two days on and one day off (as recommend). I began with 30 minutes of lower impact - keeping my heart-rate at 145 and not below 90. I gradually increased to 45 minutes at a higher impact (track program) and then to 50 minutes...by now keeping a heart-rate of 150! While on the bike I also raise my arms and lean from side to side, as to tighten the waist-line and love-handles I have had the pleasure of growing! I can ring my top out after this work-out and am seriously flagging...so that has to be good, yes?
To make sure I was on the right-track for achieving some weight-loss, I sought the advice of a top personal-trainer (my friends brother) and he told me what I was doing was spot-on and to keep it up and I will see results :) This spurred me on even more. OK....so a week on (OK it is not long I know so I must be patient) I feel like there has been no change!
Another annoying aspect is...if I do lose weight (when it happens) I lose it around my bust first, "Aggggghhhh!". Then we cannot have it all! It just seems with exercise my overall body shape becomes and looks denser, my thighs thicken up (I hate that) and I just look heavier....what the??????? The only thing that has ever worked for me is to starve myself - consuming like 400 calories a day and doing no intense exercise - just very light activities around the house (that type of thing) I lose and look slim and sleek! But........this is obviously not the way to go and it cannot be maintained for long. In the end I have to start eating again and so the weight creeps back on. A vicious circle!
Last night I took my smallest trousers out of the closet....these are size 8 that I used to slide in to (2 years ago) and had no over-hang. 2 months ago they just did up....and guess what?.......last night they are just as tight if not a bit tighter! I do have some water tension I do get bloat and my periods lately are so erratic! I know I am now 40, and maybe the menopause has now become my enemy! My periods are getting heavier, much more frequent, I seem to menstruate every 1.5 weeks, my breasts are double the size they were (but I would swap that for a smaller waist again) and I have hot flushes at times. I also............'SORRY' always have a lot of gas (this causes my stomach to expand a little). Anyway, some days I look slimmer and then some days I look not so slim. In a nut-shell....my weight seems to stick at 125.4 lbs and won't come down! I just want to lose about 7 lbs max, and want some reassurance that if I continue with the bike and increase my water intake, will I lose this last stubborn 7 lbs? I know I am not fat and I am always told I have a gorgeous figure and should be happy and if I was any slimmer I wouldn't look good...but it is a case of what we as women feel comfortable with. I feel comfortable and at my happiest when I am 115 lbs! :(
A lot of you women sound like me (frustrated). OK, I am 40 years old (but look and feel 28, so all good there). Anyway...I was always an active person, running, swimming, worked as a nurse...and when I wasn't exercising or working I would be running around doing house-chores and DIY and just always on the go. I have had a series of knee problems since 2009 and have had 5 operations to date. So...my running days are over, and so I bought an exercise bike (a good one with the built-in programs for various training techniques etc). I can no longer do impacting sports so cycling and swimming are my only safe options (as of my knees).
So...........I am 40, 5.3 and weight approx: 125.4 lbs. Until early 2012 I maintained a weight of 115 lbs and I was more than happy with this weight. Back then I was more active and still working + not eating very much due to my busy schedule. Since 2012 - to date - the pounds have crept on and so I did do the gym for several weeks and like a lot of you...I weighed heavier! My jeans were tighter and I looked wider (even though I had no real fat) I was not happy with this at all! I stopped the gym as of my latest knee problem and further surgery. So........with being down about my new weight I tired a more desperate measure - the 'MC' - ('Master Cleanse'...also know as the 'Lemon Diet'). I just wanted a quick-fix and this seriously worked! I stuck at it for 6 days and lost 6 lbs..so my size 10 skinny jeans were once again my friend! But........this diet craze had really bad effects on my digestive system and made me feel worse afterwards. Saying that for the first 3 weeks I kept the pounds off and felt energised and really fresh...I also thought it had reset my metabolic-rate and I was saved from gaining any more pounds thereafter...wrong!!!!! One month on...the weight crept back and about 6 lbs :O Now, I have always been one to eat little and often...not the most healthiest of eaters...but that does not mean I gorge on BK's, crisps, chocolate...I just do not eat the right foods. I snack on cashews (unsalted) I drink copious amounts of espressos....Breakfast is a cappuccino - as that is all I want - and then I will have a small bowl of 'All Bran' about 11am. Lunch (if it happens) is some fruit, a few gherkins, maybe a yoghurt, and a bag of oven-baked (healthier) crisps). Dinner is steamed or fried (in extra Virgin Olive Oil) fillets of fish, or chicken and prawns, potatoes and green beans. Later, for a snack I have a few more cashews and then water and more cappuccinos. I have decaf tea during the evening. So not a bad diet, but also not the best! I admit I do not drink enough water...I find it hard to remember to pick the bottle up all through the day! :P But I am making myself do it more lately! Oh I do have one biscuit (70 calories) first thing in the morning as I am hypoglycaemic and so if I don't I would fall down! Two months ago I started some light home-exercise regimes...30 minutes of medium-impact aerobic exercise (basically slow jogging on the spot, and twists, that kind of thing)...in front of the TV. It raised my heart-rate obviously, and that was the goal. So, I kept this up each day until my new bike arrived. Since the bike arrived I have been using it 5 days a week. I do two days on and one day off (as recommend). I began with 30 minutes of lower impact - keeping my heart-rate at 145 and not below 90. I gradually increased to 45 minutes at a higher impact (track program) and then to 50 minutes...by now keeping a heart-rate of 150! While on the bike I also raise my arms and lean from side to side, as to tighten the waist-line and love-handles I have had the pleasure of growing! I can ring my top out after this work-out and am seriously flagging...so that has to be good, yes?
To make sure I was on the right-track for achieving some weight-loss, I sought the advice of a top personal-trainer (my friends brother) and he told me what I was doing was spot-on and to keep it up and I will see results :) This spurred me on even more. OK....so a week on (OK it is not long I know so I must be patient) I feel like there has been no change!
Another annoying aspect is...if I do lose weight (when it happens) I lose it around my bust first, "Aggggghhhh!". Then we cannot have it all! It just seems with exercise my overall body shape becomes and looks denser, my thighs thicken up (I hate that) and I just look heavier....what the??????? The only thing that has ever worked for me is to starve myself - consuming like 400 calories a day and doing no intense exercise - just very light activities around the house (that type of thing) I lose and look slim and sleek! But........this is obviously not the way to go and it cannot be maintained for long. In the end I have to start eating again and so the weight creeps back on. A vicious circle!
Last night I took my smallest trousers out of the closet....these are size 8 that I used to slide in to (2 years ago) and had no over-hang. 2 months ago they just did up....and guess what?.......last night they are just as tight if not a bit tighter! I do have some water tension I do get bloat and my periods lately are so erratic! I know I am now 40, and maybe the menopause has now become my enemy! My periods are getting heavier, much more frequent, I seem to menstruate every 1.5 weeks, my breasts are double the size they were (but I would swap that for a smaller waist again) and I have hot flushes at times. I also............'SORRY' always have a lot of gas (this causes my stomach to expand a little). Anyway, some days I look slimmer and then some days I look not so slim. In a nut-shell....my weight seems to stick at 125.4 lbs and won't come down! I just want to lose about 7 lbs max, and want some reassurance that if I continue with the bike and increase my water intake, will I lose this last stubborn 7 lbs? I know I am not fat and I am always told I have a gorgeous figure and should be happy and if I was any slimmer I wouldn't look good...but it is a case of what we as women feel comfortable with. I feel comfortable and at my happiest when I am 115 lbs! :(
I have also had a similar issue. I 5'8 @180 and I'm 27 years old. I started out the year weighing in at 198 so ive lost 18 pounds over seven months. However ive been doing insanity for a month and eating a sensible diet with a fair amount of protein. But my weight lost seems to have stopped. Ive tried using a cleanse to help push past this hump but nothing. I workouy six days a week and eat about 1500 calories a day. Extremely frustrated because im trying to get down to 160-165
You are reading content posted in the Exercise & Fitness Community
14 super-healthy foods that are worth the hype
Small changes make a big impact with these easy ways to cut hundreds of calories a day.
Forget the fountain of youth – try flossing instead! Here are 11 surprising ways to live longer.
From STD tests to mammograms, find out which screening tests you need - and when to get them.
Tips and moves to ease backaches
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
