Ugh, I weight the same after a month of hardcore exercise!

As background about me, I did weight ~265lb and dropped to 230lb.  Then I went back to school and let myself slide back to 247. 

About six weeks ago, I started exercising A LOT.  I average about 6 hours of cardiovascular exercise each week, and also do some weight training.  I eat the same that I always have, including close to 30g of fiber a day, and ~2500 calories.  I'm 30 years old.

Problem is this:  I haven't lost any weight at all, but I feel about as good as I did when I was 18 yrs old!  I bench press 200lbs, I can bike 12 miles in one hour.  I train muay thai and jiu jitsu at least twice a week (sometimes three).

It's crazy - not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I have a goal to be 205 by April for a grappling tournament; I want to at least weight 210 before I start trying to make weight.  

What do you guys think?

sounds like you AREN'T DOING ANYTHING WRONG :) it's just fat is turning into muscle and muscle weighs more than fat, therefore you are in much better shape but weigh the same! your body fat % must be much lower now and endurance greater and really seems like you're on perfect track!

keep it up

Howe are your clothes fitting? Obviously you feel better and are much more healthy...If you're that concerned, check with a doctor, and they may be able to suggest something. It's always good to have a physical to see where you are at health-wise.

My clothes that I purchased when I was ~230 fit exactly the same when at 247.   :-/

You aren't doing anything wrong! If you feel good, just think about how healthy you are getting! Don't let weight rule you--health is so much more important! I bet if someone who hasn't seen you in a while saw you, they would compliment you on your appearance!

One thing I've been reading about: are you changing your workouts periodically? Your muscles and body can become accustomed to exercise and you won't benefit as much. Try switching things up and really challenging yourself!

Keep up the good work!

Although bicycling only targets leg muscles, jiu jitsu is a full-body workout that uses core, legs, and shoulders.  the first month I started going I almost quit b/c I was so sore.   Now I feel fine, except for the sprained thumb . . . and broken toe (and the black eye that just looks like it hurts).

I wondering if I'm not eating ENOUGH, considering this exercise.  I drink ~120oz of water during and after each workout, and haven't changed my diet that much from when I was sedentary a couple months ago.  I also drink about one-fifth the alcohol I did a couple months ago. . . .

Considering that most of a person's metabolism comes from food digestion, maybe I should be eating more?  I dunno.

actually, i think you should be eating less. america's super-sized mentality has led us all to believe that we need lots of food... the opposite is true. when i visit relatives in japan i'm always amazed at their portion sizes... their entire meal is about the size of one appetizer in the US. and everyone in japan is thin... think about it.

I also think you should drop calories down.  I'm about 190 and I only eat 2500 if it is a lifting day.  Off days I limit it to 2000, which is pretty easy once you're used to it.  I even drink about 200-250 cals per day in wine.

Yeah, I'm just going by what prompted my weight loss to 230lb last time prior to class/work/injuries.  I used to eat 2500 Calories/day.  I'll start being more conscious about what I eat.

Hell you're lucky.  I've gained 2 pounds and its very annoying.  But my clothes are looser and there is less obvious cellulite on my arms, so I guess something positive is happening -- more reason to ignore the scale.

I have also noticed that for some, if not most people who are not only calorie counting but exercising with intensity, a month is not a significant amount of time to judge one's progress according to the scale, due to the muscle gain. 

You probably gained muscle that weighs much more than fat...but also...you might be eating fats...use the calorie counter for a few days religiously...it is good discipline...it is hard...like algebra was...but it is a wake up call...I mean...butter is a killer...a slice of bread is not so bad...but not providing nutrition...a piece of fruit...a winner!...turkey...pretty cool choice...etc...Also...I take Topamax...it is a medicine that is for my migraines but it drops the weigh painlessly and I simply cannot lose it otherwise...period...I walk to work, I diet, I take that Alli pill, I count calories, eat low fat, low calorie, etc...topamax makes it all kick in...then I can stop the topamax...but they are expensive...

Oh, I should have added, I guess the topamax is an appetite suppressant so I can eat smart.  I have been eating about 1100 calories a day and they are smart, healthy calories of fruit, soy, veggies, turkey, eggs...stuff I would NEVER choose in a million years...normally I would choose alcohol, cheese, sugar (peppermint patties), eggrolls, burgers, sausage mcmuffins, pasta, second helpings, chardonnay...getting the idea???  Anyway...it took me from a size 12 to a 4 and I stopped because I was pregnant so I am ready to do it again now.

The thing with topamax is that there haven't really been big studies done on the weightloss factor of it... (well, at least when I was taking it.) So a Dr. may only prescribe it for seriously overweight patients after trying a bunch of other weightloss drugs.  While the dosages for helping migraines and seizures is known due to clinical studies, the correct dosage for weightloss is not.

Anyway Sapauditor, lucky you, when I was on topamax I was also on depakote (my migraines were killer) so I actually gained weight. I just went to the neurologist today after a reoccurance of my chronic migraines and am now going to try high blood preassure medication, and about the only triptan medication that I have tried before.


Back to the original topic- monitor your food intake, and approximate calorie usage closely to see if you are actually making a calorie deficit, not just breaking even.

Alright man, first things first you notice that you feel alot better, which is evidence that what your doing is working to an extent. I know losing weight/improving our physique is what most people aim for but feeling better is very important and always keep in mind how much better you feel on the days that your not feeling it.

Like others said you might not be losing straight pounds, but you are losing fat and replacing it with muscle. Fat (0.9 g/cm^3) is less dense than muscle (1.1 g/cm^3). This is a very common frustration, eventually the pounds will start to come off, but its much healthier to not lose alot of weight immediately because you won't be wasting away and it allows your body to adjust.

You also said that digesting food is where most of our metabolism is expended, but that's not true. Most of our metabolism is based on our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is the energy required to maintain your functioning body. The energy to break down foods is only 10% (can range, but depends on the type of food your eating...IE Protein requires the most energy to breakdown). The energy you burn during exercise is also a very small percentage of your total caloric expenditure.

So your main goal should be raising your BMR which accounts for 80-85% of the total calories burned by your body. And the very simple way to do this is by replacing fat with muscle. Lean Tissue (muscle) requires much more energy to maintain than fat does.

A few things with your workout plan, do more weight workout. Don't think about the calories that your burn in the gym as important, which is what you'll notice more when you do cardio. But when you do a weight workout, it raises your whole body's metabolism for up to 12 hours afterwards, increasing the calories you burn throughout the day. While Cardio doesn't do this to nearly the extent. And since it seems like your goal is to mainly lose weight, do a whole body workout (including your Legs!) keeping your rest times down to a minute between sets as this will activate your metabolism the greatest amount.

I don't want to get too specific with your workout plan because I can't work with you or look at any of your medical history but try to focus on the major big muscle exercises like Bench, Squat, Deadlift, Pullups (you can use the assistance machine if you need) as they activate the largest muscle groups which burns more calories (more muscle = more calories). People get caught up in doing bicep curls but the bicep is 2% of your muscle, it's not going to burn a whole lot of calories.

And you just have to watch what you eat, Nutrition is a huge part of the battle and only increases as you get older. Since you've been overweight in the past you have an increased number of fat cells and are more susceptible to putting the weight back on. I don't want to go too in depth on nutrition but read labels, you don't have to maticulously (sp) count calories but be aware and look up nutrition facts before you go out to eat (it really only takes like 2 minutes) as restaurants are very tricky and their huge portion sizes are a major reason why so many people struggle. Its a good habit to ask for a to go box with your meal and cut it in half before you even eat. Be very aware of your liquid calories too, Soda and sugary drinks are another one of the biggest reasons for the obesity crisis. Also don't worry about drinking so much water, we get most of our liquid from foods we eat, the 8 glasses a day thing is a bit of a myth. Drink when your thirsty and throughout the day but don't worry about guzzling large amounts of h20.

Good Luck!