need help, please.

I

IllnioisHELP

New member
Hello, I'm new here and need some help. I am so close to giving up with my weight loss routine, as things just aren't moving forward and it's frustrating.


Here's my story:

I'm a 37 year old male, 5 ft 11 inches tall, currently floating between 198 and 201 lbs. I exercise 6 days a week, with a 3 mile aerobic program. I eat 2000 calories a day and include fruits and vegetables with every meal. I count calories very carefully and make the majority of my meals from scratch, so I have better control. I started my weight loss program 1 year and 1 month ago and had a starting weight of 232.5 lbs. When I originally started, I was following a previous weight loss routine that had worked for me in the past. I was only eating 1200 calories a day and didn't start exercising until about 6ish months into the program. When I stalled, I was told to increase my calories and after a month or so, I should see things moving again. I did just that and I was happy to see the lbs start coming off again after the calorie increase. Since then, I cannot crack the 200 lbs barrier for more than 1 to 2 weeks before I go back over 200 again. My goal is 175 lbs and have many friends that are reaching their goals in less time and losing much more weight than me. I have tried everything to get to my goal and feel that I am doing everything right, so what is it that makes my story different from everyone else's?


I don't want to give up and won't give up, but it is destroying my confidence every time I get on that scale Friday morning and see no change or a gain. I work really hard at this and am just not seeing any results. Please help.


Thank you.


illinoisHELP
 
HI! Few questions... what does your aerobic exercise consist of?? What do your meals consist of? I MUST STRESS PROTEIN INTAKE!

do you currently use a protein shake?? DONT GET DISCOURAGED! :) you are on the right track!
 
For exercies, I use the Leslie Sansone '3 Mile Super Fat Blaser - Walk Away The Pounds'. It's an aerobic walking program that includes the upper body and small weights. It's about a 45 minute program.


For food, breakfast is usually just some kind of granola type bar. Lunch is usually fish or some kind of sea food with rice or egg noodels. I also include veggies like bell peppers, onions, bean sprouts, asparagus and mushrooms. For dinner, it depends on what I make for the family.... usually chicken or turkey with a veggie or fruit (corn or potatoes/ apples or grapes). Finally, I fill in any calorie blanks with fruit or granola type bars.


I don't use protein shakes.


That's it, what do you think?
 
Hi there,


There are many reasons why people start to stall...it could be that your body has become use to the workout and it's not having the impact that it did at the start (this is why it's good to alternate workouts, and keep introducing new things to your routine). It could be that you're plateauing and you just need to fight through, and adjust your diet / exercise slightly to get over the hump (I do not know a whole lot about fighting the plateau stage, but it happens often, and can be very discouraging)...another may be that you are not eating enough calories and your body is going into fat storage. And lastly, it may be that you're not seeing the weight loss, because you're actually gaining muscle mass- but this is good!


You want to make sure you're switching up your exercise routine enough and including cardio AND weight training. Both are very important. When people try and lose weight, they often stay away from the weights because they don't want to 'bulk' up. But the reality is, you need to incorporate a healthy amount of weight training into your routine to build the muscle- which will in turn burn more fat. Additionally, it is important to have a post-workout intake of protein! This will help you build muscles and repair what has been broken down during your workout.


It might be helpful for you to start a diary and record when, what, and how much you eat each day, and detail the exercise you are doing. this way you can track what you're doing, and see what changes you should be making if you're not seeing the results. It is also easier for community members who have back grounds in personal trianing and nutrition to help you reach your goals- they can give really great advice!


I hope it work outs!
 
Your diet seems very healthy so thats great! I would really step-up the protein tho! Maybe instead of the granola bars for breakfast and snacks do something higher in protein, eggs, almonds/nuts, skim milk is great, a lite yogurt, etc. Granola bars seem healthy, and they are much better than many choices BUT they do have a lot of sugar, which we seem to be fooled by! I strongly suggest a protein shake, WHEY protein is very good and i love the taste of many protein shakes but im goofy like that! Also, corn/potatos are always a family favorite but GREEN veggies are always the way to go :) i also have a great recipe for cauliflower mashed "potatoes". I am not familiar with that workout program. I am an avid runner but If you are not, you could try walking on differnt inclines and interval speeds, or elipticals.
 
Thanks for the help!


I have a 4 mile program that I could start mixing into the workout routine to mix it up. Do you think that would help?


I guess what it all boils down to is, how many calories should I be eating a day to lose weight.... along with my exercise?
 
I definitely think mixing up your workout is a great idea. its important to do various workouts to make sure that you are using different muscles in your body. Your calorie intake seems fine. I would reccomend up-ing the protein and vegetables and lowering the carbs and sugars. Im not a firm supporter of meal replacement shakes but i know they can help fight plateaus BUT instead of a meal replacement shake, i would seriously just consume more protein. LEAN protein. chicken, tuna, TURKEY, quinoa, milk, eggs. I am not sure of the intensity of your aerobic workout but i know vigorous aerobic exercises would help tremendously. Do some plyometrics, jump roping, run a few sprints (sucky i know), jog a while instead of walking, run stairs, etc. Unfortunately we think its all about counting calories and diet diet diet but you MUST remember that exercise is the other half of the equation ;)
 
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