What should I be doing? Am I on the right track?

I've been dieting and exercising since January. I've lost 11lbs now weighing 251lbs., which is great I know but not what I was expecting this far in. I know my eating is on track but my work out routines may need altered. When I weighed in at the gym this last week I only lost 1lb(in two weeks). I was surprised by this with the amount of work I did. The person weighing me asked me my routine- when I told them they said I was doing way too much cardio and needed to do more weight training than cardio. This is what I've been doing...

5 days/week: Walked 2miles everyday along with 20min cardio turbo jam video. Did a 40 min sculpting turbo jam video (mostly different kinds of squats and arm movements with free weights) once in those five days.

If i need to incorporate more weight lifting and resistance training what would be the best schedule to do this? Every other day? I was thinking of doing my 2 mile walk with an hour of weight training one day and the next day doing 40 min of cardio turbo jam with 30 min of ab work.
Or should I do one week all weight training and one week all cardio.

What do you think?

I would recommend doing weight lifting (full body, heavy weights) every other day.

But although you say your eating is on track, do you mind sharing how much you are eating?

I'm on a 1500 calorie diet. I will usually make the main part of my lunch and dinner meals a large salad (50 calorie dressing or less) nuts, half serving of cheese. And have a 3oz serving of fish or chicken with it or a boca burger as the protein. And for desert I'll have a fat free sugar free banana pudding (with 1/2 banana and fat free cool whip)

Breakfast usually consists of a banana and oatmeal, or egg beaters with tomato and turkey bacon.

I have two snacks a day: one at 10:30 a fiber one bar or small piece of fruit. Then again at 4:00 almost always a fiber one bar  to fuel my work out at 5:30 when I get home.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

But although you say your eating is on track, do you mind sharing how much you are eating?

That, and are you sure you are estimating your portions correctly? Sometimes people think they have a good grip on portion sizes and stop measuring/weighing, and over time a very fine but constant increase/decrease does add up, which leads to unconscious over/undereating.

I think so. I measure and count everything that I eat.

many fitness people have strong biases toward either cardio or resistance.  i wouldn't put too much stock in any one person's advice.  to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in, and to burn calories, you need to move.  the best way to do this, in my opinion, is to find activities that you like and that you'll stick to.

variety is good, though.  doing the same thing not only gets boring, your body gets more efficient at it and it takes less energy.  more important than what you do is that you do things that you enjoy; it shouldn't just be work.

first off good job

second off 1500 cal for your weight and exercise seems way too low

i put in 25 year old and guess about 25

and came up with extreme cal lose 2000

my quess is you need to up your calories by alot if u want to see some more weight lose

I think 1500 cal is too few calories.  I didn't start losing until  I ate 1900 to 2000 cal for my 5"7.5 frame at 220 lbs and walked an hour a day.  I really fill up on homemade soup and roasted veggies,  it works for me.

Careful of the power bars..they are often high in sugar and HFCS - Not good.

You are on the right track...way to go!!!

Depending on whether you are still growing (under 20ish) or not, you are either slightly or moderately undereating. Can you post your age and height?

Edited to add: And I second that you should try your best to eat less processed stuff. Even more so if the meat/cheese are also processed, that would mean you don`t eat a whole lot of real food. Trust me, it makes a world of the difference; all that added sugar/salt, not to mention artificial preservatives and colourings, they do slow your metabolism down.

I'm 26 years old and 5'8. I don't really eat any processed foods. For breakfast I usually have a banana and oatmeal or egg beaters and turkey bacon

For lunch and dinner I mainly focus on a large salad (dressing 50 calories or less 1 serv) with half serving of feta cheese and nuts, usually almonds. Then i will have a 3oz. serving of fish or chicken to go with it sometimes finish it off with a sugar free fat free serving of pudding with fat free cool whip.

I have two snacks a day one at 10:30 which is usally a fiber one bar or a 100 calorie pack. Then at 4:00 I almost always have a fiber one bar to fuel me for my 5:30 work out before dinner.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm

when i put your numbers in here the bare minium you should be eating is 2000 cal a day and you are 500 below that

i know it hard  to get your head around it was for me (but u need up the cal to atleast that)

wow 2000 just seems like so much. I have a hard enough time reaching my 1500 cal goal because of all the low calorie foods i'm eating. I hate this it just doesn't make sense.

i know it does suck and i do feel your pain

it took me a while to get my head around it but it does work....just stick with it

best of luck

Original Post by courtneyes:

wow 2000 just seems like so much. I have a hard enough time reaching my 1500 cal goal because of all the low calorie foods i'm eating. I hate this it just doesn't make sense.

 I wish I had a hard time eating 1500 cals! I eat more than that and I m 5'6" and 145 ish-aiming for 135-I work out about as uch as you too- i would go up a bit to like 1700-1800, then go down to 1500 and up to 2000, do this randmly for a week and see if that doesn't heelp.

Your body  acn get real used to the same thing everyday! Good luck-you will getthere,

The easiest way to up calories is to stop eating low calorie versions of real foods.  In the morning eat whole eggs instead of egg beaters.  Eat real bacon instead of turkey bacon. (there's bound to be some people who freak out about that but there's really not that much wrong with a slice or two if you're healthy).  Eat a full serving of cheese instead of half a serving.  Eat real salad dressing instead of local dressing.  Add avocado to your salad or to your eggs, or as a snack.  Add more nuts or peanut butter.  Cook your chicken in olive or canola oil.  Add a red meat to your diet.  Add some fruit, you don't seem to have any fruit in your diet besides bananas.

There are lots of choices for you if you try and break the "diet" mentality and try to start looking at your food choices from a lifestyle point of view.  And enjoy!  You get to eat all this lovely food! 

Personally, I think a lot of women do much better on a high protein, low carb diet.  Providing you don't have health concerns, this works!   I seem to do so well with this method.  Nix the bars.  There are many healthier snacks with lower carb counts.  I try to watch both carbs and calories, not going over 60 carbs or 1500 calories per day.  I think women in particular are doing very pourly trying to lose and keep it off by not paying attention to the carb count.  Give it a try.  I think you'll find that this is your problem.  1500-2000 calories should be about right for you.  This is only my opinion.  When all else fails....COUNT THE CARBS!  You should be losing at least a lb a week if you are exercising at all and counting everything.  Watch the hidden calories ......for example coffee creamer, amount of nuts.   Try measuring your nuts, etc. and putting them in small baggies.  Don't ever eat out of the bag or box. Go to olive oil, lemon juice & balsamic vinegar on your salads instead of processed dressings.  Measure everything!  Every person is different and you either have to cut calories or up your exercise program.  Oh....and 10-15 almonds is way more than enough per day and you may want to eat them every other day. Bite the bullet and go for it!  I realize that it's difficult.  If you still don't lose this month, I would consider a good checkup at your Dr.'s office. Keep at it girl.  I know you can do it.  Good luck to you and have a beautiful Spring!  You can get out more now....winter is a bummer for us trying to shed some lbs.  XO  MA

PS  I don't eat the yolks everyday.  Two boiled eggwhites are a great sourse of protein without all the cholesterol.  I do agree with shandykat about eating the "real" food.

COURTNEYES, JUST WALK.....Till you get some of your weight off you need to concentrate on just moving, then adding light weights.  You don't need to body build to get healthy and trim.  At your weight, walking should get and keep your metabolism going.  It isn't that difficult.  I think you are making something simple too difficult and you are getting frustrated.  RELAX!  and just don't be so hard on yourself.  Try doing 30-40 minutes of walking on the treadmill at 3.50-4.0 at least FIVE days a week for a while.  Then you can add an incline setting.  Until you have more weight off, this is enough for you.  And....cut the carbs!  Drink more water!  Hope this helps...If you aren't losing, you are probably eating too many carbs or too many calories.  Hope you have access to a treadmill.  This would be great for you.

Just two things that I have found in my own research....

Bananas can be harmful for weight loss, they have an enzyme in them that causes your weight loss to slow down.

and, Turkey bacon is basically the same thing as Bacon (if you get the right kind) you just have to eat it in moderation- eating bacon or sausage every day is not good for your system- egg whites are a MUCH better source of protein.

I am no expert, but I have learned a few things through CC, and other sites.