is my body getting used to my routine?

Ok, I have lost 45 pounds.... healthy eating, NO junk foods/or sugars. been doing good. Also exercising (walking 30 to 45 mins a day-- 2 miles) and at first the weight was just falling off my body! but now it has slowed down, I've only lost 5 pounds from last month!

My son told me that my body is used to my routine and I will have to add to it.

well what!? 30-45 mins a day ... is that not good enough? and will I have to keep adding the slimmer I become? in that case my whole day will be nothing but exercise!

there has to be a better way.. I want to do my 2 miles in the morning and be done with it.

I was thinhking of adding another walk in the evenings (of 2 miles- 35/40 mins) but I am scared if I start that, my body will get used to that and then I'll just have to add more and more.

please advise me on this.

thank you in advance.

ginai

Your body is getting used to your routine, yes. But you don't necessarily have to add another walk, but rather switch up your routine. Why not bike instead of walk? What about swimming? Mixing up your cardio or adding some strength training can send your body out of homeostasis and into fat-burn once again.

That is just it! I don't wanna do other exercise walking/slow easy jogging is it for me! and that is enough.

and I thought that that would be enough- but seems it is not going to be and now I feel hopeless.. I don't wanna give up, but if I have to add other stuff to my already daily routine, whats the point?

You have to determine how much it means to you to change your life. It's the body's job to maintain homeostasis-it does this with all systems all the time. So once it gets used to something, you have to add other things as well. That's just the way it is. Biking is really excellent...you can ride for miles without really breaking a sweat, but your body uses different muscles to propel the bicycle. 

I'm a swimmer and no matter if I were to swim a mile every day (which is a LOT), it would have no where near the effect it's had on me to start cycling and running and weight training. 

Time for some hard love lady - the leaner you get - the more it takes to burn calories.  Put it this way - it's overly simplistic but it works:

Two cars drive up a hill.  Both have roughtly the same engine.  One car weighs twice as much as the other - the heavy car burns way more gas to go the same distance.  You WERE the heavy car - now you're lighter - more errrr... fuel efficient.

Enough with the metaphor.

5 pounds in a month is plenty anyway.  But if you are too lazy, or too distracted, or too busy, or too "XXXX" to add more intensity or more time, and you are already eating well... then you're S*** out of luck.

By the sound of it though you are in an amazing place - the result of hard work and good eating - and you should congratulate yourself.

just add more exercises to your workouts.

I'm a believer in muscle confusion - walking really is an amazing workout, but working the same muscles in the same way every single day makes the workout overall less effective. Your weight loss may pick up if you try doing new things... I'm not talking crunches and planks and evil painful stuff. Try hula hooping, dancing... Something that sounds fun to you.

If you don't mind my asking, how much do you weigh? Once you start to weigh less, and therefore have less to lose an average of 1lb a week is pretty good!

I know a man who lost 80 lbs dieting and walking.  That is all he has done.  But he was checking his calories as he lost weight and lowered his intake appropriately.  He also increased his walking time to keep his over all calorie deficit the same.

You might want to recheck you caloric intake.  As you lose weight your calorie needs decline - so after 45 lbs you will need to eat less than at the beginning.  Also,as you lose weight you are not burning as many calories during your walk as you did in the beginning.  It simply takes less energy to move smaller amounts of weight.

I dont think you HAVE to change your routine.  Calories burned is calories burned.  You will not continue to see increased health benefits from your routine as it is, but you will still continue to burn calories and maintain your health.  Thats a good thing.  However, even adding 1 additional 15 minute walk a day can help increase your calorie burn and keep your calorie deficit higher.

If you do not care to add extra walking time, or decrease your calories to maintain a high calorie deficit, then you will still lose, but at a slower rate.

Yes you are right, a burn is a burn nomatter where it comes from! I am so glad you posted this, thank you.. I feel better. ((:

I do hate exercising, really.. and the time I do take out to walk/ light jog is it, I do it and want it over with. and the thought of having to keep adding to it makes me ill!

I will keep at it, and adjust my eating/calories. I HATE being fat, cant wait to get it off my body.

thank you all for your replies!

-ginai