Why am I not losing weight?

I am about 30 lbs overweight and have been going to the gym for the past five weeks, 4 times per week. My calorie intake has admittedly only reduced by about 400 calories per day, however I work out for at least an hour and have still not lost any inches. I seem to be bloated in the evenings despite my exercise and wonder if this has something to do with my lack of weight loss? I do have a bad wine habit, however have cut this back by about 40 percent since I've been exercising. My job is fairly active as I work with children. Any ideas?

Have you been logging everything, both food and activities to double check that you have a constant deficit? How many calories are you taking in a day...is it at least 1200?

Are you lifting weights, or just doing cardio? What does your daily diet look like?

What kind of calories are you in taking in? If your non-fibrous carbohydrate intake is too high then your body will be burning off those first prior to burning off any fat.

Try to steer clear of non-fibrous carbs such as sugar, bread and potato substances...look for alternatives like having a lettuce wrap instead of bread

...swap sweet potatoes/yams for potatoes or try alternative vegetables like zucchini/courgette and squashs; turnips and other root vegetables especially celeriac (celery root) which can taste just like potatoes and is so much better for you...cook them like you would potatoes... people often think that it is the only thing you can saute, bake, mash and fry...you can do this with all of these and it is delicious.

if you crave something sweet- have some fruit instead...like a peach, strawberries. any berries.

drink lots of water and cut out coffee/sodas...drink herbal teas instead. Your body could be retaining water if you drink too much sodas and coffee. The more water you drink the more you will be able to flush out of your system.

Also cardio is good for your heart rate and internal fat but weight lifting actually burns more energy. try to do 30 mins of cardio and then 30 mins of weight work.

Any very importantly...get at least 6-8 hours of sleep...no more no less...your body's sugar levels will be higher if you don't have enough sleep and if you have too much, your body will start to get itself ready for another sleep cycle and will feel interrupted leaving you feeling more tired than before.

Wine...can be good for you- in moderation...try to limit to only one glass a day and always have a glass of water at the same time...alternate between wine and water. This will leave you hydrated and help you drink less.

I hope this helps. :-)

Original Post by lauralamont:

 My calorie intake has admittedly only reduced by about 400 calories per day,

edit: sorry read it wrong. I thought you said you were only eating 400 calories.

So how much do you eat? What are your stats and how much do you burn through exercise?

We need more information in order to offer advice.

You need to work out what your total calorie requirement is per day which is dependent upon your age, height, weight, gender and activity level (light in your case).    When you have that, deduct about 500-700 cals and that's a good starting point for weight loss.  The CC calculator is a good resource for this.

Next, you need to accurately log everything you eat and drink.  Weigh and measure portions rather than guessing.  Try to prepare as much of your own food as possible since it's much more difficult to accurately measure food eaten outside the home.  The CC food log is another good resource.  If you find you're eating too much (which is the normal reason for not losing weight) then you can see where it's coming from.

Exercise... Gentle daily exercise is more effective for weight-loss than sporadic vigorous exercise.  On the days when you're not at the gym try to stay active e.g. a brisk half-hour walk. 

Finally, the wine.  I like the stuff myself but I'm afraid it wrecks weight-loss.  If you eat less food but make up the calories with wine you risk missing out on nutrition and that can lead to bingeing, hunger-pangs and low moods.  The combination of alcohol and sugar monkeys around with insulin levels and blood-sugars which means your body is more likely to store fat than give it up.  If you can cut back to 1 or 2 glasses a week and treat wine as an occasional treat you'll find that it helps the whole process massively.   Your liver will also thank you for it in the long-run