Frustrated I'm not losing!

S

SunnySweetpea

New member
Hi! I've been working out for 30-90 minutes 3-4 times a week (cardio and weight training) since March and I've lost a total of (drumroll please) 4 lbs! That's "four", people, not "fourteen" or "twenty four". If I eat any healthier, I'll sprout rabbit ears or something. (I do eat out about once a week with friends after church and this past week I've slipped in eating habits because I've not been feeling well). I'm trying to lose over 40lbs. I'm pissed right about now. Even if I lost a pound a week, I'd be half way to my goal. Any thoughts?
 
Are you doing the same workout all the time? Have you tried changing it up and attempting something different?
 
I know that portion control can be tricky. Its great you are eating healthy, but even too many carrots is not good. In addition its best to be sure to eat protein, fat and carbs. Try journaling eveything you eat for a week, then you can review to see if its a portion, certain types of food kind of issue. Its great that you are so active! Keep it up, things will change for the better! Good Luck!
 
I agree with yarmiah; you need to journal what you are eating. I was like this I always thought I was eating healthy and working out but why was I not losing; I had the same start weight as you; I never lost any weight until I began documenting what I ate and found out that the calories deficit was not enough to lose weight. Some days I was eating more some days too less. I also learnt that if you ate too less also you did not seem to lose weight as your body goes into starvation mode and tries to save all the calories you are giving it. So a balanced diet is the answer.

You can calculate the amount of calories you need to eat by going to this website .

You can also check out the calories of food you are taking in by checking the calories in the foods you eat .

Don't lose heart. Just stick to the program and you will see results.

You know at times like this when I used to think of quitting I always remembered this quote from Dodge ball where Lance Armstrong says "I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't have anything to regret for the rest of their life. ".

Keep going I am confident you are going to see result. You should also think of starting a diary here and document your daily food intake and excercise that should really help you.

Good luck ! Looking forward to hearing about your success.
 
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Thanks! You guys are awesome. I too am wondering about the calorie count, but every time I try to record it, I slip or forget. Then there are occassional (maybe once a month) lunch meetings that I throw calories out the window b/c of yummy goodness. I'n not a carrot only eater, I've just been substituting veggies, fruit, and almonds for other unhealthy snacks and I do get my protein in. I gave up the "no diet" ghost on Monday and started Slimfast because it's an easier way to keep track of calories. We'll see how long that lasts before I start having fantasies of throwing chocolate shakes out the window. As for woking out, I do at least a half hour of cardio on different machines (not the treadmill, it bothers me for some reason) and then I do either upper or lower body on the weight machines. Thanks for the links dreamtobethin, I'll check them out.
 
Congrats on your healthy eating. That is a huge part. As far as your exercises what I would like to suggest is your body positioning is off. I do receive many clients with your exact complaint. "I have been at the gym for 3-4 months and I have not lost anything". I watch them work out and change up their body positioning and they start to lose. We concentrate more on inches than weight. If you take 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat--visually the fat is twice the size. I try not to worry about numbers on the scale. The rearrangement is in the clothes. Results start in the first week. For more information you are welcome to e-mail me at Ellen@isobreathing.com. Good luck to you.
 
I agree, you need to eat well AND workout often to loss weight and get in shape. Have you tried any diet programs? I read on this one site () that the medifast program was pretty good, so I tried it out and lost about 20 pounds. I worked out and exercised while I was on it though, so that probably helped out a lot too.
 
fit-chick, thanks for the advice. I don't know if I can do that all because I have a mild physical issue (birth defect) where I don't have full use of fine motor ability on my rights side (and my right side is a bit weaker than my left). Sometimes I have to stop and think about how to make a machine work for me (or physically twist my arm or fingers around equiptment to work like I should).

Zwib, I'll check that out, thanks!. (BTW, what does your handle mean?)

beadmakergirl, Honey, if I could I would.
 
I know the feeling... I have been trying to lose weight since May of 2007 and have lost only 5 pound!!!! I am eating healthy, excercising... But you just gotta stay focused and look towards the future!
 
I don't think everyone's body responds the same way to dieting. I really don't. I've tried low-fat diets before and I don't lose. I've tried just cutting calories and I don't lose. The only thing that works for me (and I'm not saying it will work for you), is cutting out starches (white bread, rice, potatoes -- basically all the refined sugar and refined flour products.) I also keep a close eye on my carbs but not "low carb" in the way that some diets are "low carb" (like Atkins or South Beach, for example -- too restrictive for me). Until I started really watching what I was eating, I was just adding up calories but not eating healthy. Try checking out the "glycemic index" and see if you're eating things on the "high GI" list and try to avoid those where possible. And maybe you should get checked out by a doctor too. I've seen some posts on the forum talk about how thyroid issues and some other health conditions can really be an impediment to losing weight. Also, with all the exercise you do, you might be losing fat but gaining muscle, which weighs more.
 
I've spent a lot of time with clients who had problems very similar to yours.

Here are, in no particular order except for number one, are the problems that account for the lack of progress:

#1: Sugar. Which is directly related to calorie intake. People are often very bad at estimating how much sugar they eat. They are also very bad at realizing how particularly damaging sugar is to a weight-loss program.

Fruit and fruit juice are the main culprits. Ketchup, barbeque sauce and creams are often problems too. Soft drinks also, but most people recognize that.

#2: Increased muscle mass. At the beginning of many exercise programs the increase in muscle mass negates weight loss due to loss of fat tissue.

#3: Increased water retention: People starting new exercise programs are often conscientious about drinking enough fluids. This lack of dehydration often accounts for a few pounds.

#4: Erratic eating habits: It doesnt matter if what you eat is healthy and good for you. If you don't keep your body nourished it's going to preciously guard what stores it has. And you can't fix a slow metabolism in a week. You have to bite your tongue and accept a few extra pounds until your body adapts to consistent nutritional intake so it loosens up adipose and glycogen stores. If you dont do this, your body will continually store excess calories the MINUTE you cheat or have a "dinner out with friends".

It sounds like you might be suffering from all 4 of these.

Michael
 
How do you keep exercising when your sick?? I've had a nasty cold for 2 weeks, my energy level is really low. I want to lose 5 pounds and i'm getting so frustrated with not being able to exercise like i usually do. Uggghh.
 
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