Lots of exercise but no results?

Hi, was wondering if anyone is experiencing the same thing or can advise on this...

I've been going to the gym regularly for a few months now (as a guide 2 hours of body combat, 45 minutes of spinning and an hour of step class a week) I burn about 500 calories an hour according to my HRM.

I try and be careful with food. Fruit and soup for lunch at work. I have treats on a weekend though. I don't think that I exceed the recommended allowance on calories. Sometimes I feel like I can't do a class very well because I haven't got enough energy, sometimes I feel starving in a class. Usually I really push myself in the classes (sweating from everywhere!!!) so its disappointing when I can't perform as usual.

No weight is shifting and I'm seeing/feeling very little results. This is very frustrating because I spend alot of my free time at the gym. I'm currently 134lbs and I'd like to be somewhere near 125lbs. My BMI is 25. So technically I'm just overweight.

Whats up? Am I really eating too much? If I have to eat less I'm not gonna have ANY energy! Am I not eating enough? Do I need to do more exercise? In which case I'd have to eat more... I'm pushing it to the limit of my personal capacity as is.

Help?

How many calories are you eating each day?

Perhaps you need to temporarily eat less but eat smarter so you have the energy you need when you need it.  Eating is not just about how much but also about when and what.  Your goal should be to fuel your exercise while maintaining a 500 calorie a day estimated deficit.

I'm eating 1300 calories on a weekday (I go to the gym on weekday evenings). I dont usually count on a weekend. Is that bad?

I don't know if 1300 calories is right for you but I do know that not counting on weekends is bad if you are serious about losing weight.

I see. I'll have to start counting then. It just seems odd that I'm doing all this exercise and nothing is moving. I don't gain or lose weight. That must mean that if I didn't bother going to the gym that I'd put on weight.

Feels like a tough spot I've got myself into.

Try to eat as many veggies and fruit as possible, very little or no refined sugar or flour (choose whole wheat products), and cook your own meals rather than turning to prepackaged foods. Lean protein sources are essential. Avoid saturated fats, choose the healthy kind instead. And last but not least, stay well hydrated during the day (water and unsweetened tea are excellent), and get enough sleep during the night.

These are a few guidelines to successful weight loss while still keeping your energy levels up. If you are already sticking to them, I`m not sure what to say. Maybe there are other stressful aspects of your life that are bringing your energy and motivation down?

Original Post by tixlypixly:

I see. I'll have to start counting then. It just seems odd that I'm doing all this exercise and nothing is moving. I don't gain or lose weight. That must mean that if I didn't bother going to the gym that I'd put on weight.

 

Feels like a tough spot I've got myself into.

 You don't lose weight from exercising, you lose weight from having a calorie deficit which exercise helps you to have.  But at least now you know that your are blowing all your hard work during the week by not keeping track of calories on the weekends.

Hi ily.

I definitely don't get to eat much lean protein. Its normal for me to go for days without eating meat at all

Clearly I must be doing this bit wrong. I think I mainly eat carbs and not always wholemeal ones.

Hmm. Guess I've got some stuff to work on now...

Thanks.

Original Post by trhawley:

Original Post by tixlypixly:

I see. I'll have to start counting then. It just seems odd that I'm doing all this exercise and nothing is moving. I don't gain or lose weight. That must mean that if I didn't bother going to the gym that I'd put on weight.

 

Feels like a tough spot I've got myself into.

 You don't lose weight from exercising, you lose weight from having a calorie deficit which exercise helps you to have.  But at least now you know that your are blowing all your hard work during the week by not keeping track of calories on the weekends.

Thanks trhawley. I guess thats what the problem is. I'm putting loads of effort into the gym and not enough attention on nutrition. Just trying not to eat much - which probably isn't helping when I'm feeling nackered all the time.

Do you know of any good things to eat before and after exercise? I exercise straight after work but I can squeeze in a few mins to eat cereal or something quick before I leave to go to the gym. Or should I have enough energy from lunch? When I leave the gym I'm really hungry but don't want to blow all my hard work. Any good ideas?

Hey!

Meat is not the only source of protein. Eggs are excellent, though if you have cholesterol issues you might want to discard the yolks. Cottage cheese and tofu are very good sources also. But my favourite are the beans! Any kind of them, really, and they go great on salads or as side dishes, seasoned and mashed into dips or spreads, they are very versatile and very filling.

Protein will usually curb your hunger symptoms (as you mentioned, the 'starving' feeling) as well as help your muscles develop - and by that I definitely don`t mean 'bulking up', unless you were to eat thousands of calories worth daily and practically move into the gym. :]

A general guideline for protein intake is 10-15% of your daily calories coming from it. However, active people as well as many women find that they function best at higher percentages, up to 30-35%. You can increase gradually and see where your comfort level is. Best of luck!

I usually work out over the lunch hour.  Often I will have banana about a half hour before and then I have my lunch after.  I also do a regular evening group ride once a week that is a pretty intense 2 hours.  I will have my normal lunch and then before the ride I will eat a banana and whole grain toast with honey.  I have a normal diner after the work out.  For me a banana is perfect for before or even during exercise.  I don't typically use any sports bars or drinks and I never use a post workout protein shake.  I eat plenty of meat though.

Thanks trhawley - I always shy away from toast. People have told me you should avoid bread. But I guess its a usefull snack. Not a huge fan of honey. Do you think that peanut butter or nutella would be a good substitute? I'm guessing butter and margarine are out of the question!

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Thanks ily - I'm going to try bringing cooked and chilled chicken into work for lunch. (It will make a welcomed change from soup all the time!) Will have to find some easy recipes to make on an evening in preparation! Possibly pasta salads or rice with veggies and things like that.

Does tuna count as 'lean' protein? possibly not very lean I think. Its an oily fish. But that's good I hear

Tuna is good, although for mercury concerns, don't eat it too often (I think once a week is fine) - get it canned in water, not oil, for sure. The fat that occurs in it naturally is good.

Remember that eating too little can be just bad as eating too much. It can mean that you are more tired and don't move as much, and so your body burns less calories. I know that when I eat too little, I didn't lose weight - it's not as drastic as the "starvation mode" people talk about, but for me, I think I would get so frustrated being hungry all the time, and just unhappy in general, that my weight loss suffered. Once i started eating more during the week, I found that I lost weight, even without counting on the weekends (but not going hog-wild on the weekends either, since I didn't feel deprived during the week) - it's a delicate balance, and definitely a personal one.

Don't think of eating after working out as "blowing" your hard work - as long as your daily deficit comes out to about 500 cal/day, you should be losing weight, and you don't want your energy level to drop drastically once you are done at the gym.

Play around with the numbers. Count on the weekends to see what kind of impact those days are having on your weekly deficits, and maybe see if eating a little more (doesn't have to be a lot more - just feeling like you've got an extra hundred cals to play with can make a big difference), and more balanced meals, helps.

If you're frustrated, you could maybe give the gym a rest and not work out for a week, and instead focus on your calorie intake/nutrition of what you're eating. You should still lose weight if your calculations are correct. Then, reincorporate exercise.

You have to remember that if you eat too few calories, your body will go into starvation mode. Not knowing how tall you are nor what your typical food diary looks, you may be eating too few calories. 1200 is recommended just to sustain your life so eating 1300 may not be enough for your body, especially as you mention you are often starving. I know it seems counterproductive, but try upping your calories to 1400 or 1500, especially on your hard work-out days. Once your body sees that you will continue to feed it and that it isn't starving, it will stop hoarding all the calories and start burning them. Did you set up all of your info here at CC? How much do you burn in a regular day? (You can find that info out under the 'My Account' tab). Use all that as a guideline but also listen to what your body is telling you. Lower calories doesn't always equal losing weight!

I agree with Karen, too little calories can be a hinderance as much as too much. If you are running low on energy when you go to the gym you may need to eat some carbs an hour or two before going to the gym so that the carbs can be used up for energy. I had the same issue, shying away from carbs and saw my weight loss stagnant, I started to eat a bit more carbs( good carbs, ie. fruits, veggies, whole grain bread, brown rice) and saw a change( for a positive) in my energy level at the gym. Also remember the weight scale is not always your best guide, i use my clothes as a added guide ( looser clothes means, I'm losing weight), remember that muscle weighs more than fat. I am not saying to completely forget your scale but to use as part of the tools to your goal.

Original Post by tixlypixly:

Thanks trhawley - I always shy away from toast. People have told me you should avoid bread. But I guess its a usefull snack. Not a huge fan of honey. Do you think that peanut butter or nutella would be a good substitute? I'm guessing butter and margarine are out of the question!

 The only foods I avoid are the ones that aren't natural.  By my definition that would be anything "Diet", "Low Fat", or "Artificially Sweetened".  So Margarine is a big no but butter is fine.  As far as substituting for the honey, I think sugar, jam, jelly, or preserves would be better than peanut butter and I don't know what Nutella is so I can't comment on it.  Peanut Butter is fine to eat normally but pre-work out I'm looking for a boast of quick energy.  You can add cream cheese to the bread and jam if you want to eat like a "Pro" since that is a typical on the bike snack for a professional cyclist.

do you know what i know how you feel. i run everyday for 30-40 mins doing 8 1/2 to 9 min miles (burning 300-400+ cals per day) and i count every calorie i eat everyday and always have a deficit of about 500 cal ( i eat about 1300-1500 a day ) and i have been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks now and dont know what more i can do. i have an active job as a nursery teacher and ride my bike around often as well as running around after the kids and doing sit ups everyday too and to be honest i cant do anymore yet im not losing and im stuck at 137lbs when my goal is 119lbs by august. what am i to do kick start again when like you im doing all i can to be fit and healthy already?

Salem and tix you guys need to eat more than 1300 calories a day if you are exercising and burning 300-400 calories a day. If you only at 1300 calories and burned 300-400 that puts you at deficit of 900-1000 calories. Your body is holding on and trying to conserved fat because you aren't eating enough. If you are exercising you need to eat more. Instead, you two should be eating about 1600-1700 calories a day when exercising. If you do, that you will end up with a net calorie for the day of 1300 instead of 900-1000.

Original Post by salemwatts:

do you know what i know how you feel. i run everyday for 30-40 mins doing 8 1/2 to 9 min miles (burning 300-400+ cals per day) and i count every calorie i eat everyday and always have a deficit of about 500 cal ( i eat about 1300-1500 a day ) and i have been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks now and dont know what more i can do. i have an active job as a nursery teacher and ride my bike around often as well as running around after the kids and doing sit ups everyday too and to be honest i cant do anymore yet im not losing and im stuck at 137lbs when my goal is 119lbs by august. what am i to do kick start again when like you im doing all i can to be fit and healthy already?

Hi Salem, it's good to know you're in the same boat as me. We nearly have identical goals too. I suppose all the clues are pointing to taking on more calories but from good stuff. Trying to think of it as fuel for the exercise. Was at the gym doing spinning tonight and I was so so hungry! Its so frustrating working so hard and nothing happening. Boo.

Definitely taking more fruit to work tomorrow.