Grr...

[SRiley1985]

I am getting so frustrated! I am doing like 6-8 hours of Zumba a week, 2-3 hours walking and using the elliptical for 2 hours on top of that and I have stayed at the same weight for 3 weeks! I eat 1500 calories a day usually, with a little bit of a spurge of 500 extra calories on Saturday when I work out for 3 hours. What am I doing wrong here? According to the math, I should be losing 2 pounds a week but am barely losing 1 as an average since January. Does anyone have any suggestions? I already use myfitnesspal to track my food and exercise.

 

[mrsdrake625]

1 - are you wearing yourself out? i.e. do you feel better after working out, or zonked and lethargic? if you're hurting or overworking yourself, your body isn't going to respond very well. Give your body enough leeway to recover properly, that's how you build fitness instead of just tearing yourself up. (this one is hard for me to follow )

2 - what are those 1500 calories? You need proteins, good carbs, healthy fats, etc., not just low calorie diet "food." The quality of what you put in determines what comes out. Lean meats/fish, fresh fruits and veggies, quality dairy, beans, whole grains, etc. etc.

Other than that, sorry you're frustrated!! It's hard to make changes... and they take a while to make an effect. But, they are worth it in the long run. Hang in there!

 

[dburg30]

Not knowing more specifics about you overall.. Is 1500 a large calorie cut from what you should be eating? If you go too low on calories, it's hard to lose weight.. Have you talked to a Dr or dietitian for suggestions on the calories you should be eating? I'll have times where it seems like nothing is happening, I bump my intake just a little and all the sudden the scale starts moving.. Also, are you sure you arent gaining muscle??

 

[lmhall2000]

Switch up those 1500 calories..(you may already do this but throwing out what jump starts my losses)

No prepackaged foods, no mayonnaise based dressings (stick to red wine vinegar and oil), avoid diet drinks (unsweet tea and coffee okay), no sugar, drink at least 6 glasses of water..take three days and eat just 'whole' foods..nothing with preservatives...

My quick jump start to losing..
Breakfast: one fried egg or boiled egg, one piece whole wheat toast with teaspoon peanut butter (very little)

Snack: 15 almonds (no salt)

Lunch: 2 slices roast beef, one slice havarti or provolone cheese, one serving fruit

Snack 15 almonds or 5 wheat crackers with one ounce cheese

Dinner: Salad and a protein OR (what I'm doing for the next 30 days) a smoothie with 2-3 veggies and 2-3 fruits...tonight was spinach, kale, strawberries and black berries...I drink one cup of it. If I eat like this for 3 days, it jump starts my weight loss and makes me crave less easy to reach foods and I eat less portions...also make sure you are giving yourself at least one day OFF of exercise a week...your body may be retaining water to help your muscles...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am getting so frustrated! I am doing like 6-8 hours of Zumba a week, 2-3 hours walking and using the elliptical for 2 hours on top of that and I have stayed at the same weight for 3 weeks! I eat 1500 calories a day usually, with a little bit of a spurge of 500 extra calories on Saturday when I work out for 3 hours. What am I doing wrong here? According to the math, I should be losing 2 pounds a week but am barely losing 1 as an average since January. Does anyone have any suggestions? I already use myfitnesspal to track my food and exercise.

Well....

1) You have to incorporate strength training in your routine. Cardio is great but you need to build muscle in order to burn those calories. Focus more on strength training than cardio.

2) You probably need better calories and more of them. You need to be eating fruit, fiber, veggies, drinking water, less sugar, low fat, low carb, etc....In essence your caloric intake needs to "be clean".

3) Sleep? How much sleep are you getting? Fatigue is a weight loss killer.

4) Then you have the medical issues to contend with. Are you on meds? Do you have any medical issues such as pre diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid, etc?

 

[JessM]

I second adding in some type of strength training. I have found that it really jump starts my metabolism and burns off the fat. I would also limit exercise to 1.5 to 2 hours a day. 3 hours seems like a lot and your body is probably not recovering. Also remember that when you are doing cardio your really need to get your heart rate up to lose weight and burn calories. Slow walking or not going all out in Zumba isn't going to get your very far. I might try more interval training too, you might be plateauing and in need of switching it up!

 

[keahgirl8]

You may be working out too much. If this is a sudden increase, it could be water retention. I dramatically increased my workouts a month or two ago and didn't lose for 2 or 4 weeks.

 

[AngieBangie]

Eat clean. Lift weights.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[mrsdrake625]

Hey OP, how are you feeling?

 

[SRiley1985]

Hey OP, how are you feeling?

Hey, thanks for thinking about me!

I'm doing okay. I decided that I was going to have to let go of the scale. I did start doing strength training shortly after my post and I have lost 2.5% BF since then No scale weight though. I think that I am really close to the weight I should be. About 5 years ago, I crash dieted and got down to 135. Right now I can fit into the same pants that I wore then, except now I weigh 160. I think that it is a body fat thing and not a weight thing. I am at 31% BF right now and with my large frame and big chest (36DDD...UGH), the ideal weight range is about 145-155 for my height, frame and chest. So instead of being obsessed with the scale, I'm going to concentrate on getting my body fat down to a better level, like 25% and tell my scale to shove it

Oh and I do have PCOS with insulin resistance, which makes weight loss a bit more difficult but not impossible.

 

[keahgirl8]

Hey, thanks for thinking about me!

I'm doing okay. I decided that I was going to have to let go of the scale. I did start doing strength training shortly after my post and I have lost 2.5% BF since then No scale weight though. I think that I am really close to the weight I should be. About 5 years ago, I crash dieted and got down to 135. Right now I can fit into the same pants that I wore then, except now I weigh 160. I think that it is a body fat thing and not a weight thing. I am at 31% BF right now and with my large frame and big chest (36DDD...UGH), the ideal weight range is about 145-155 for my height, frame and chest. So instead of being obsessed with the scale, I'm going to concentrate on getting my body fat down to a better level, like 25% and tell my scale to shove it

Oh and I do have PCOS with insulin resistance, which makes weight loss a bit more difficult but not impossible.

It sounds to me like you are doing great! At some point during this weight loss journey, I weighed about 10 pounds more than I did at my smallest (crazy eating habits, little exercise), but I was 2 sizes smaller. Exercise definitely makes a difference!

 

[mrsdrake625]

Hey, thanks for thinking about me!

I'm doing okay. I decided that I was going to have to let go of the scale. I did start doing strength training shortly after my post and I have lost 2.5% BF since then No scale weight though. I think that I am really close to the weight I should be. About 5 years ago, I crash dieted and got down to 135. Right now I can fit into the same pants that I wore then, except now I weigh 160. I think that it is a body fat thing and not a weight thing. I am at 31% BF right now and with my large frame and big chest (36DDD...UGH), the ideal weight range is about 145-155 for my height, frame and chest. So instead of being obsessed with the scale, I'm going to concentrate on getting my body fat down to a better level, like 25% and tell my scale to shove it

Oh and I do have PCOS with insulin resistance, which makes weight loss a bit more difficult but not impossible.

Glad you're doing well!

Yup, weight is only one of many numbers that can tell you about your health.