Completely Frusterated and could use some help.
My new years resolution was to lose 3lbs a week from Jan. 1st to Aug. 16th (my 25th birthday). Obviously I would continue after that....but was really looking forward to about 90 - 100 lbs off by then. I am currently 330 lbs and 230 was my goal. (I am 24 and 5'6). I am a female, so I realize we don't lose weight as quickly as men but still things are feeling ridiculous here is my typical schedule.
Since Jan. 1st I have been to the gym every day (minus 3) for at least 1 1/2 hours. Usually around 2 hours. I either go 1 hour at lunch and 1 hour at night doing 20 mins bike, 20 mins elliptical and 20 mins treadmill each time. Or I go one time doing 30, 30, 30 of the above activities.
Recently - as in 1 week ago I decided to add weight training on. So about 3 times a week I do the weight lifting machines for 45 mins (upper and lower) and then just 1 of the cardio activities (bike, elliptical or treadmill) for 20-30 mins.
Plus every night I do 50 crunches and 25 reverse crunches.
I eat about 1200-1400 calories a day. 3 meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't find myself hungry in between, nor do I have the time / desire to eat 5 meals a day - I have tried it and didn't feel good doing it. 3 meals feels right for me. usually it's 200 for breakfast then 500 - 600 for the other two meals. I feel like I have enough energy and I get full w/ the meals I eat.
My problem is that in 30 days following this program I have barely lost 3lbs. I am getting very frusterated and I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I am pushing so hard and eating right. I was weighing about 2 times a week and I usually stayed the same or gained weight.
Any ideas at all on what I am doing wrong here?
Hi, Zakh,
Congratulations on excellent fitness routine, and the first step toward your weight goal.
Based on what you've said so far, there's something obvious to fix -- you're not eating enough!!! It's counterintuitive but true that if you eat too little, your body will hold onto weight and lose slowly or not at all.
You've said that you are female and weigh 330. How tall are you, and what is your age? That information will help figure out how much you should be eating in order to lose weight more quickly.
Maybe you ARE losing a lot of fat, but it doesn't make a difference in the number of the scale because you are building muscle. Try keeping track of your waist/hip/thigh measurements and see if they decrease over time.
Oh my gosh, so many things! Your body is probably in starvation mode! 1200 is the MINIMUM for women needed just to function, and with all that gymming in there you need way way WAY more than that! your body will cling to every calorie it gets if you continue like you are.
I suggest you up your calories to at least 1600-1800, minimum. also, eat more than 200 calories for breakfast, start your day out right!
even after all this is said, healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. some lose more than that in the beginning, but this shouldnt be done long term eg 3 pounds a week for 9 months. it is still possible at your weight, but i would settle for 1-2 pounds a week if i were you.
also, with the weight training, you are converting fat into muscle, remember, and muscle weighs more than fat!
I hope i helped! and remember to eat a few more calories. you dont have to eat 5 meals, just add in a few calories at each meal. with so few calories, it is near impossible for you to be consuming the nutrients your body needs if you do so much excercise!
Good luck, you can do it!
Ok...eating more does seem a bit counterintuitive to say the least. But I guess it is something I should at least try since I am not seeing results as is. As to the first response I am 5'6 and 24.
hey hun, keep your head up.
My *guess* is that you aren't eating enough. That seems to be the common answer to things like this, but I'm starting to believe it with my own weight loss. I have lost 2-3 pounds a week since I started and I eat almost 2,000 cals a day. Granted, I have only done this for 3 weeks, but so far, so good. I've never counted cals before, but my guess is I used to eat upwards of 3000 a day (I used to eat out a lot and do the takeout thing a lot and boy, does that add up quickly). Also, I drink a ton of water; I have read that in order for your metabolism to be at its most efficient, you must be properly hydrated. Not just water, but I drink green tea. Barnes and Noble sells this GREAT lemon green tea and I drink it religously. I have read that if you trade your coffee for green tea that is also a weight-loss booster. Finally, I would suggest you look at what food you are eating. Is it a lot of refined/white bread/carbs? Are you eating enough vegetables? Fiber is another key component to weight loss.
But, that is awesome you are making this life change and it WILL work for you...you just have to do some tweaking with your regimen. Hang in there and think positive. I know that is so hard to hear, especially since it sounds like you have been working REALLY hard. If you can, take that as a good starting point and build on it. Good luck!!
Ok, at 5'6", 24 years, 330 lbs, and the amount of exercise you are doing, you are burning about 3500 calories per day! The largest safe deficit (without close medical supervision) is 1000 calories. At 2500 calories per day, you would expect to see 2 lbs per week of weight lost.
You can see this for yourself by using the tools on this site. Go to Tools / Burn Meter and plug in your stats. There are two ways to do it. You can plug in "moderate activity" (that's where I got the 3500 calorie number from). Or you can enter "sedentary" and then enter your workout item by item.
Since you say that you already feel full with what you're eating, you can add calories with healthy, calorie-dense foods such as nuts and avocados to add calories without a lot of volume.
You're already going to the gym and not overeating, so you're already most of the way there. Just add a bit more fuel to your metabolism to jumpstart the weight loss.
Wow! You've set some high goals for yourself, and you've done well, knowing what you know, to set out to achieve them.
However, as most ppl have pointed out, you are *definitely* not eating enough. Your body is probably in starvation mode. Add more calories to your diet (smart calories, not junk food) and you'll start seeing *major* progress *soon*! Adding a weight workout is definitely smart, as studies show that more muscle mass == more calories burned per day (which means easier weight loss).
Hang in there!!!!! Add another 1200-1500 calories to your diet (I'd make a lot of those calories come from proteins) and make sure you take a day off or two from the gym every week... be sure to keep us up-to-date with your progress. We're routing for you!
Hi Zakh! I've just gotten an acct on this site and read your note. I'm 59 years old and had a hysterectomy 10 years ago. I was able to maintain a weight of about 125 pounds @ 5' 5" until the hysterectomy and natural hormone replacement therapy. In the last ten years I gained about 20 pounds even though I was a regular exerciser. I thought I had a thyroid problem because I couldn't lose the extra weight no matter what diet I tried and I detested calorie counting so that was out of the question. My thyroid was tested and found to be normal. Then my daughter started counting calories and had been going to the gym for 2 years. She is only 5' on a tall day and now weighs 108. She started counting cals so she could get her bmi to 18 or lower. I was amazed at the way she trimmed and sculpted her body and she showed me how she was counting calories and so I tried it. At the same time I had prayed and asked God to help me lose the extra weight. I pray about everything and have a close relationship with God and when I ask He always helps me. A few days after I made the commitment to count calories even though I hated the thought, I was shopping at a resale shop and came across a book that has helped me tremendously. It's call Weigh Less, Live Longer and was written by an internist back in the 80's, Dr. Louis Aronne, but the information is timeless and the value to me has been priceless. He tells us how to lose weight in increments. Example: his book shows charts that go up to 300#, and in order for a person your height to maintain that weight, it requires an intake of 3237 cals per day. You must have been eating more than that amount before dieting. That's a beginning point. He instructs us to consult the chart to see how many cals. it takes to get to our ideal weight, which I've read to be this: At five feet tall, a woman should weigh 100# and 5# for every inch after that. So at 5'6" your ideal weight would be 130 #. In order to do that you have to incrementally work your way to eating fewer calories. A woman of your height needs 2269 calories a day to maintain a weight of 130 #. He suggests that your first goal should be losing 10% of your present weight. That would be 33 #. That would take you to 297# which is close to your present goal of 290. The chart shows that a person will maintain a weight of 295 by consuming 3214 cals per day. So in order for you to get to that weight which is near your 10% you should be consuming that many cals. and expecting to lose 1.5 pounds a week. And you should continue exercising but not as much as you're doing. You're being counterproductive as many have mentioned in the posts. If you want to be down to 290 by August, that gives you about 7 months or 28 weeks x 1.5 = 42 pounds. You'd have lost more than 10% and achieved your goal with some to spare. That's a healthy weight loss. You're trying too hard at this point. You can find used copies of that book for almost nothing on www.abe.com
&nb sp; &nb sp; Weigh Less, Live Longer, Louis J. Aronne, M.D.
I had checked on it at that site because I've recommended the book to so many people. In November when I started his method, there were 65 copies available. It makes sense and if you read it and heed it and do as he recommends, you'll be weighing in at 288. How's that for low stress weight loss? Then you work on the next 10% which would be to lose 29 #. Checking the chart shows you'd need to be consuming 3021 cals per day. You'd probably reach that goal in about 6 more months or this time next year. Then work on the next 10% etc until you and your doctor agree that you have gotten where you need to be.
I've lost 10 pounds since Nov. 1 2007 using his approach. Nothing else ever worked for me. I was determined because all the clothes in my closet had begun to shrink. ARGH!!! I was in 6's and 8's and was up to 10's in Oct. Now I'm getting into 8's again but 6 is still my goal. I also bought a pedometer and walk 3.5 miles about three to four times a week. Walking has always been my main form of exercise. I live in the country so it's great to walk out in nature. I use Fit Trek nordic poles to simulate cross country skiing and that takes pressure off the knees and hips and shares it with the arms. I've also recently bought a Tony Little Gazelle. It hasn't come in yet, and I'm looking forward to it. It's very low impact and has all the electronic readouts that are very helpful. I do workouts - floor exercises - at least three times a week using a site I found online. I always feel great after doing that workout and walking.
I wish you success and if you need encouragement, send me a post. I want to hear about your new body on your birthday...
Panegyric
congrats on everything you've done this far!!!! seriously!! i am so proud of you. its HARD WORK losing weight!!! bravo to you for going to the gym that often. i'll tell ya...i didnt lose crap when i worked out on the treadmill for an hour at the gym everyday. i understand you do 20 mins segments of each machine. that's great. but ill tell you what the trainers at my gym told me when they saw how much i came in and didnt lose anything....
workout on the elliptical. workout on the elliptical. workout on the elliptical!! so i did. an hour everytime i went to the gym. sometimes i did 45 mins elliptical, 15 mins treadmill. i lost an absurd amount of weight in a month. all because i worked out on the treadmill. it really does do miracles, that machine. maybe try that.. definitely stay on the weights too...and yes, you'll notice youre losing a little less weight, but its due to your muscle weight gain as well.
dont get discouraged!!!! keep at it girl! bravo!
x
You are way off on calorie intake
Your BMR is 2267 for your age, height and weight. You could eat that and exercise and lose a ton of weight quick.
Next-At moderate activity CC recommends 2750 for 1.5 loss per week. Now because you have a lot of weight to lose if you eat 2750 and exercise you will be soooooo set. Believe me honey. You need to eat because your body is saying screw you right now. Up your cals to 2750 and exercise. Check back with us in a couple weeks. Good luck.
You are getting some great advise here. Even a good diet will lose no more than 2 pounds per week and that is when you are doing everything perfect. Your goal is not attainable if you want to be healthy.
Your body is in starvation mode so your metabolism has slowed to a crawl. You should only undercut your calories by 400-600 per day. Eat big in the morning and taper off with a small dinner (before 6:30pm) and go to bed hungry.
It works. But eating too little does the opposite of what you want. think of it this way; feed your body what it needs, not what it wants. It wants sweets, sugar and french fries, and late night snacks. It needs protein, complex carbs and fiber.
At a glance (and sorry if this is repeated in other comments), you're not eating enough, and you may be exercising too often. The motivation is good, but you do have to figure out a working routine for you.
First, figure out your bare minimum calories. This really should be what you burn by doing nothing minus 1000. That's the floor, you never should go below this number. If you hold at -1000, and get reasonable nutrition for the calories you intake, you'll lose a pound or two a week. So this is the minimum you should ever eat in a normal day, when you do no activities of consequence. I can't get by on my bare minimum, so I usually go for -750 or so when I don't work out. If you're consistently below your minimum, you're just going to throw things out of whack and you won't lose the weight in ways you want.
Second, figure out how much you're burning in the gym. Because you're using modern gear, this is easy, it should tell you your calories burned. The easiest way to use this site is to put yourself in as sedentary and every day add the calories from the machines to your burn log, so you get a total for nothing + exercise. Every day, your minimum intake is (nothing + exercise) - 1000. As an aside, I'd suggest picking a day or two of the week not to go to the gym. This doesn't mean veg out on the couch with a bag of chips, it just means let your body recover and eat whatever is appropriate for the amount you burn doing no gym work. It'll help you in the long run.
Third, everyone's body is a bit different, and so the same nutrition doesn't work for everyone. For me, the amount of protein makes a noticeable difference, and it's taken me a while to figure out about how much of everything I need... the pie graph is a good visualization to help you figure out if what you're eating is doing it for you. It just takes some time at it to figure out what you need, and then it'll be second nature. Remember also that losing the weight is good, but keeping it off is what you actually want, so this is the most important thing... it'll teach you what you need to eat after you've lost the weight so you don't have to worry about gaining it back.
Good luck.
Hi,
Congrats on your determination and dedication, that's great. I just wanted to say that you aren't eating NEARLY enough for your weight or activity level! I started out at 319 lbs last June eating an average of 1829 calories per day, PLUS a free day every 2 weeks and on holidays where I eat around 4000-6000 calories on those days. The first few months I barely did ANY exercise at all. Then in the past 3 or 4 months, I really stepped it up. I started by doing 5 or 10 minutes at a time, now I"m up to doing full hours once in a while, this is my current schedule:
Sun: 1800 (30 min intense cardio every other Sunday)
Mon: 2000 + 30 min intense cardio and strength training
Tue: 1400
Wed: 2800 + 60 min intense cardio and strength training
Thu: 1200
Fri: 1500
Sat: 2100 + 30 min intense cardio and strength training
I have lost 70+ lbs since June (2007) and I eat a LOT but don't exercise nearly as much as you do. You need to either decrease your exercise OR increase your calories. I think you should do both! lol
If you start out doing that much, you have NOWHERE to go when you get to lower weights. Personally, I believe that people should eat at their target weight's maintenance calories, including their activity level and eventually they will arrive there. Yeah, it will take longer but that's ok -- you still have to maintain it once you lose it, so it really is for life.
When I get to lower weights, I am NOT going to lower my calories but I will continue strength training and add more cardio. Under-eating can be just as bad as overeating. It's important to fuel your body for basic functions and for any added activity. Our metabolism is like a furnace; feed it properly and it burns long and hot, under-feed it and it slows down to a smolder, still burning but not nearly as hot.
I suggest you start out much slower and eat as much as possible, for as long as possible without lowering your calories. With your activity level and current weight, you should be eating at LEAST 2200 calories a day.
Check out this calculator:
http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalc alc.htm
I've been losing 10 lbs a month or so since I started and I'm sure you can too at your current weight, just don't try to do too much at once. Good luck!
PS. If there's anything I can help you with, PM me or visit my blog at www.j3nn.net for my daily menus and pics.
Ok I think an update would be good. I have taken your advice and uped my calories to about 1800 so far. I will probably go up again (maybe 2000). However, I did weigh myself last week and had dropped 5 lbs since my last weigh in...granted I am sure there is water weight to be accounted for etc... But still it was something more than I had seen in weeks! In fact...it was more in 1 week than I had lost in 6 weeks.
I also am taking 1 day off a week at the gym. Plus, I am spending more time on the elliptical rather than treadmill (since I usually sweat more and feel like it is more difficult anyway it probably helps more).
Thank you again for all of your advice.
I will try to start a journal entry a week now on my progress.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Zakh--Great job! I've been told the same thing...not eating enough. It doesn't seem to make sense, does it? I'm trying to raise my calore intake. I'm in the same boat as you. Wish me luck!
