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I hear ya august!
I have been in a fitness bootcamp for 6 weeks now and really gave it my all, but this past week I have gone off the waygon because after finally giving in to weight myself I saw I lost NO weight, this was really discouraging for me, so kind of went on an eating binge...my FI's advice to me was that I am gaining muscle which I know is true but I didn't see a difference (which he said he did)
I feel now I kind of am self sabatoging myself (I have now gained weight rather than maintaning it with my workouts)
I wish I knew the answer why you're not loosing weight, I am in the same boat! I really wish I could have lost 10, 15lb or more! and my wedding is a week after yours!
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The number may not budge but you should see a difference in the fit of your clothing. You also sounds like your are putting a lot of cals on your salad. Swap out the dressing for some lemon juice and choose one of the toppings, not all three. Maybe replace one with a lower fat/lower carb choice like tuna (without mayo). Cut all non-calorie drinks (hey it's only a month). Switch your dinnertime pasta to a veggie.
Keep with the water and increase your fiber! I did Weight Watchers and that was so the rule. Your breads should be as high in fiber and low in fat as possible. I've added a fiber supliment and it's helping - I drink it then I drink 8 full ounces of water about 15 to 20 min before I eat anything and I find I don't eat as much.
You seem to be on track and maybe you won't loose weight, but you should be in killer shape and my goodness, with all that working out, you shouldn't have fat on you at all!
I know you can do this, don't loose faith you will make it and will be fabulous on your big day!
I think maybe you should cut out the pasta at dinner? It's carbs and then you go to sleep within 3 to 5 hours. Also, the banana at breakfast is high on the glycemic index. Might also want to watch what you are drinking through out the day? Any juices, sodas, or coffee with sugar? That will all add to your caloric intake.
A friend of mine got married last year was about to have her dress taken out one month before the wedding. But decided to try the South Beach Diet first. She lost the 5 pounds in the one month and the dress fit her perfectly. South Beach is not for everyone. You might want to have a look at it and see if you might want to try it?
Definitely cut back on the pasta at dinner I would say.
Good luck!
@heather - Great ideas - thanks! I'll try to swap it up a bit.
@chantellamus - Thanks for commisserating with me! I know what you mean about wanting to just throw in the towel. I'm trying to keep the motivation up! My fiance and I both keep saying "It's no excuses time!"
But then again, my fiance is trying to GAIN weight...sigh. He is at my goal weight. So frustrating!
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Oh and I don't drink soda...and eat a high fiber diet (all whole wheat pasta and Ezekial english muffins and whole wheat bread...)
I lost weight the fastest when I cut the carbs and drank nothing but water. Cutting carbs (a la Atkins or South Beach). I lost 50lbs between March 2006 and December 2006 with the Atkins and Excersice. I (of course) gained it back because I literally stopped working out all together.
I've tried South Beach and Atkins...and it worked great the first times. But the last time I tried it, I got pretty sick to my stomach. Maybe I should try it again?
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IMO (and take it for what it is worth) you have a month ... Induction to Atkins of South Beach is 2 weeks. Eat small, protien rich meal/snacks with LOTS of green veggies during the day and set a cut off time for food about 3 hours or so before bed. Drink LOTS of water. I bet you will hit your goal weight before the wedding.
When do you eat dinner? I would suggest a lower carb dinner before 7 and try not to snack after that time.
I lost 10 lbs in less than 30 days and I think this is the most important key of my weight loss.
Actually just saw a nutritionist today where I was provided with a meal plan. Totally agree with what StrawberryBaby said about watching your carbs intake at dinner. Your body will not be able to burn all those carbs before you go to bed and will subsequently be stored as fat. Sounds like you might need a bit more protein post workout to help your muscles. He told me to go for a protein shake low in carbs with a least 20 grams of protein (one scoop). Toss that in with some berries and water and voila, muscle food!
Hang in there! Like some posters have said, even though you're not losing "weight," I'm sure you're losing inches somewhere.
I usually eat before I got to the gym (around 6 or 7), but sometimes I get hungry after working out. Like the other night, I was serious weak and needed food. Any suggestions?
Maybe your working out has converted your fat to muscle, you may well be leaner (muscle takes up less room than the same weight in fat) but just weigh the same, so has your waist size altered? Or your hip size?
Post workout munchies (before bed time): high protein snacks. So anything like the protein shake, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, a hard boiled egg, or some almonds.
I'm not sure - I did my measurements last week for the first time. And I feel like I'm gaining muscle, but not really losing size - does that make sense?
Oh I am so sorry... I know how this feels! I found myself feeling heavier than usual (clothes not fitting as well, etc.) weeks before my wedding and started freaking out! So... I took probiotics, which is the pill form of the Activia brand yogurt. I couldn't get beyond the yogurt, so I went for the pill. I paid about $20 for a bottle at Whole Foods and took one a day (the bottle says take 3 a day I think) and it worked for me. The rest takes care of itself. Keep doing your upper body (push ups are great and add definition FAST!) and add more lower body weights... muscle burns more calories.
Good luck! Remember that whether or not you lose the weight, you will be gorgeous because it is your wedding! :)
Do you sleep well and enough? that's very important. Eat dinner earlier than later if you're not already doing that. Try eating hearty breakfasts and lunches and small dinner.. so swap your lunch for dinner. If you're hungry after you work out, try working out in the morning? Try eating only homemade food so you can actually know what goes in there. Restaurants that make 1:3 vingar to oil dressing has more calories than the ones you make yourself with 1:1 ratio, for example. If you feel week from not eating enough, divide your food into small portions so that you eat constnatly but in smaller portions each time you eat. Blood sugar will be maintained at the constant level while not consuming as much calories at a time.
IF you have money, maybe a personal trainer will make better suggestions...? No matter what happens, just know that even if you do not lose as much weight as you want, you'll appear healthy, energetic, and glow beautifully based on a healthy diet and lifestyle! Good luck!
Hi August15,
I just snuck over to your blog to look at your photos, and I think the reason that you're not losing weight is because you're already at a beautifully healthy weight-- you're gorgeous and from the pictures I saw, it doesn't look like you have any excess weight to lose! Just a quick question: are you trying to lose 5-10 pounds so that you'll fit into your dress, or are you just trying to reach a certain "magic number" for the day?
That being said, I can definitely understand the inclination to want to lose. Have you tried counting your actual calories, with weighing your food and everything included, to see EXACTLY how many calories you're consuming during the day? Even when eating healthy foods, it's easy for the calories to get up over the daily limit, if you're trying to lose when your body already is at a healthy set point. Using a food scale, and the calorie counters at sparkpeople.com helped me see realistically what numbers I was working with during a normal day.
If you want to burn serious calories with your workouts, I think you're definitely going to have to up your cardio time quite significantly. Running a mile as fast as you can probably doesn't take that long, and 30 minute sessions don't burn that many calories. When you think that it takes a 3500 calorie defecit to lose one pound, no wonder it's such a struggle!
Anyway, I would just recommend sparkpeople.com, and upping the cardio sessions to at least an hour plus (in addition to weights), five or six times a week, for dropping a few pounds. But, I think you look healthy and lovely the way you are, so don't try tooooo hard! :)
@jhphi: Awww. You are so sweet. Thank you. I needed that. I am technically at a "healthy" weight - I just feel better when I am about ten pounds lighter, and fifteen pounds lighter has been my "goal weight" for a long time! I wish I could not focus so much on the number and focus more on how I feel.
The big problem? I'm at my "OH NO!" weight. For me, when I cross over the 150 mark, it's time to do something serious. I'm hovering right around there - I want to get comfortably below it!
I didn't really lose much either! But i gained right before the wedding and kept on gaining afterwards! Now i've got 7-10pounds to lose of post-wedding weight.
If you need a quick fix, cut all the salt from your diet. And soda, and replace with water. You'll lose 5 pounds of excess water bloaty weight. I lost 7 right before the wedding. It wasn't "real" weight, but I didn't feel bloated, so I was thrilled about that.
Are you tracking calories at all? I found that even though I thought I was getting a good mix of foods, I didn't really start losing weight until I tracked my calories specifically. I use mydailyplate.com to put in everything I eat. It's kind of time consuming, but I find that it keeps me honest. And according to the site, it said that I wasn't originally getting enough calories! As soon as I upped my intake a little, I starting losing.
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Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! I started small tonight by not eating after 8pm. :) I'll keep you posted how it goes!
Does your gym have any of the Les Mills training classes, like Body Pump? It's a one-hour strength workout that really gets me great results, and I feel sooooo strong afterwards (I mean, after some recovery time during which I can barely walk down the stairs.) Classes definitely help me push myself harder than I would normally.
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Oh that reminds me, my friend (a professional cheerleader!) told me that if you don't put a thing besides water in your mouth after 5 pm, it really really helps.
Boy is it tough though. I usually end up with a very light snack, but i'm much more conscious of what i munch.
I took bodypump, too! That class is great. Try getting your body fat measured at the gym. I, too, didn't lose "sizes" but my body fat went down 2% and it LOOKED like I lost weight. Nope, same ole pants. Maybe you need a different indication of your weight besides numbers. Especially if you're already at an ideal healthy weight. It's tough--i'm at a normal weight, too, but that sitll doesn't mean I want to lose 5 pounds!
Low carb diets make me sick and icky, too. Boo.
The trainer I used a couple years ago (he used to be a professional male body builder) said that plain oatmeal is the best pre and post workout fuel if you're hungry. For 130 calories, it's filling and you typically don't want the whole bowl.
I'm no expert, but I have two suggestions:
1. Maybe try to change up your exercise routine by adding some more cardio? Instead of running as fast as you can for one mile, why don't you try to run a little slower for 2 miles? Changing up your routine makes your body work harder and burn more calories. Also, extended cardio will burn more calories, in general.
2. It doesn't work for everyone, but something that has worked for me is counting calories, and to do this, you need to measure your food. Try it one day; for instance, do you know how much peanut butter you are putting on your english muffin? How much salad dressing on your salad? How many "servings" of pasta? It's surprising when you see how little a serving size really is. There are a number of websites, like Fitday (which Avocado has blogged about), that will help you track your calories and nutritional intake. I use the "Lose It" app on my iPhone to keep track and it's helped me a lot. It can make you a little crazy and it's not for everyone, but you might want to try it just for a day!
As far as diets go, I have found the best results with Jenny Craig. I have never been successful on a diet where I cut out (or severely limit) one food group or type of food. I did Jenny Craig 7 years ago and lost 35 pounds (161 to 126) and have pretty much kept it off. I now fluctuate in a 10 pound range. I recently went back to Jenny Craig for a booster becasue I hit the higher end of my range (my "oh no" weight) - all those bridal showers and celebrations can sure do it, although I don't know how I convinced myself 3 cupcakes were a good idea...I am generally happy with my body and shape (especially compared to where I was before), but want to get back on track with my portion sizes. I highly recommend Jenny Craig - the food is good (I'm looking forward ot the chicken fettucine alfredo and chocolate cake tonight!), everything is pre protioned for you (just pop it in the microwave), and it is nice to have someone to meet with every week to keep you accountable, encourage you, and answer any questions. It is generally not healthy to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. I saw (and am seeing again) pretty consistent 1 to 2 pound weight loss each week when I stick to the plan. Weight and body image are definitely tough, especially approapching a wedding. Everyone wants to look their best. No matter if you lose, stay the same, or gain I am sure you will have a beautiful day surounded by all your friends and family.
You're not losing weight despite working out because you're eating WAY too many calories in a day to form a calorie deficit or enough of a calorie deficit. As a small person already, you really don't need that many calories to exist, and exercise really doesn't burn THAT many--a few hundred extra. To burn a pound a week, you need to eat 500 calories less than you use EACH DAY.
I see no problem with your breakfast. It's probably around 300 calories, and has both protein and fiber. No problem with the snack either.
I think one of your problems is your lunch. Feta cheese and pecans are the protein, but they are also super fatty. Can you change this to a chicken sandwich on whote wheat bread or a chicken breast with brown rice?
With such a big lunch, change to just a small 150-200 calorie protein bar before you go to the gym. If you don't go to the gym, you don't get one that day. You don't need any more.
Don't eat so much for dinner. Cut out the wine while you're trying to lose weight. Halve your portions of chicken and your side.
Carbs are not the enemy, that's a fad. Complex whole carbs will keep you full and provide you with energy to burn. Eat a healthy diet high in protein and fiber, and moderate to low in fat, and don't be afraid of carbs.
I know how hard it is to drop weight when you're already at a healthy, small weight. I'm 5'6" and went from a size 6 to 0. We can eat so little just to maintain our weight, so to drop pounds we have to eat what seems to most people to be very little food. But to lose a pound a week, we have to undercut our body's calorie usage by 500, even when we may only be using 1600 or 1800 calories that day. That's a lot to cut by, but if you watch your portions stop to think about what you're eating, it can be done with the help of exercise.
Also, you should be eating something after you work out. It should have protein in it. Even a cup of yogurt would suffice. And if you're not eating dinner after working out and going with yogurt instead, eat a slightly bigger lunch or snack.
You're eating a lot of sugar. Eat more protein, like eggs and eat less sugar. Plus, you're working out a lot and building muscle, which is great! You're probably not changing weight but you probably are changing your body, which is the most important thing.
Okay, so I can really help with this one. I am very close to being qualified as a personal trainer, working out all my life, taking courses etc. So I have a couple suggestions:
1.) DON'T QUIT! I don't know what you usually eat, but I'm assuming your new diet is less calories. If this is the case, the number one reason you are not losing weight is the weight lifting/squats! Muscle weighs a lot more than fat, so while you may be losing fat and gaining muscle, you are going to either stay the same weight or GAIN. If your goal is a muscular build then stick with it, but if you really want to slim down I'd cut it down to as much running or eliptical machine as you can and maybe some crunches.
2.) BEWARE THE PASTA Yes, that was good advice you got earlier, pasta is packed with complex carbohydrates, which turn quickly to fat. I would definitely focus on a meal that contains more protein. Things that are extremely low in calories and still taste great that I like to use are: A.) Any canned soup, as long as you eat just one can and maybe a slice of bread B.) Burger King Garden Salad with Grilled chicken, you can have any dressing you want because the portions are reasonable, and BK says its only about 300 calories. C.) Healthy Choice Dinners, especially if you are incorporating two snacks in your diet during the day, this is a really good choice, you have to be STRICT with the calories when you eat so frequently.
3.) If you drink soda, DRINK DIET. You'll get used to the taste, and eventually get to like it.
4,) In case you didnt read it the first time, DON'T QUIT! You've made more progress than you probably think by replacing fat with muscle. Don't listen to that pesky scale! Best of luck with all!
I unfortunately don't have anything to offer on diet, but I do on exercise!
One of the issues is your heart rate. When you're doing cardio, the faster you run, the higher your heart rate. Cardio is called that for a reason, b/c you're building your heart muscle. Great to run and build your heart and other muscles; however, you're trying to lose weight. You need to start slowing down and keeping your heart rate up, but not too elevated. There is a "fat burning" stage where your heart rate should be. It depends on your age, height and current weight. If you goodle it, I believe you should be able to find a chart that shows you what your heart rate should be at the fat burning stage. Do more walking uphill rather than running a mile as fast as you can...that is buliding muscle.
Hope that helps!
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P.S. Where exactly do you need to lose 10 lbs?? You might disappear! I also just took a sneak peek at your blog and you look great!!!
It sounds like you're doing good eating small things thoughout the day. I ate somewhat similar though and wasn't losing anything. When my trainer suggested I up my protein, it's helped with both losing some weight again and helping me feel better while dieting. I eat 3 oz of protin in the am, a yogurt (60 cal) mid-morning, something helathy for lunch (salad with meat, sandwich) and some fruit, I have a jello (10 cal) or fruit mid-afternoon, and then something healthy with meat, lots of veggies, and sometimes a carb (rice/pasta) for dinner.
"You need to start slowing down and keeping your heart rate up, but not too elevated. There is a "fat burning" stage where your heart rate should be. It depends on your age, height and current weight. If you goodle it, I believe you should be able to find a chart that shows you what your heart rate should be at the fat burning stage."
This is wrong. Yes, at lower heart rates, you'll burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. At higher heart rates, you'll burn a slightly lower percentage of calories from fat, but FAR MORE calories overall (and thus, more calories from fat overall). You should be exercising as intensely as you comfortably can.
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Everyone's body is different, but for me your diet would be very high in carbs. Fruit for breakfast, energy bars (often high carb), english muffin for a snack, pasta and wine at dinner. I think if you cut out the alcohol completely you'd probably start to see a big difference (it's only a month, right?). I would also maybe cut out the pasta altogether and switch to something less processed (bulgur wheat or cous cous). Even whole grain pasta is still processed food. I might also eat something like eggs and sausage in the morning. I don't know, I find I get hungry a lot faster with jsut fruit. And maybe switch the feta to cottage cheese at lunch? I personally would avoid a lot of processed food and frozen meals. They are high in sodium which will likely cause you to retain water. I'm guilty of being a salt-lover myself :)
You might also switch your exercise so that you're running longer distances at a slower pace. You'll engage more muscles (and probably burn more calories) running than on a machine...and so you want to prolong the fat-burning benefit of it. All of that said, don't look at the scale. Are you getting stronger? Is your stamina increasing? Are you clothes looser...or can you see more definition in your muscles? Those are the things you're looking for. If you are more or less near your "ideal" weight, then you might not really lose much but you'll see those changes which signify improvements in fitness.
I agree w/ some of the other bees that cutting carbs out isn't the way to go. You are working out a lot so you need the carbs for energy. You can eat fiber rich carbs as you say you have been. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables (fresh and raw) that you are eating, reduce the carbs you eat and have more protein, but different types (like avocado). Also, really limit the wine, instead of having it daily cut it down to once or twice a week. Empty Calories!
I have found weight watchers to be very illuminating. I've always had a healthy diet and couldn't understand a few pounds creeping up on me. However, tracking my food intake has shown me how many calories some things have and how they add up. If I were you I'd use the WW 2 week free introductory offer and try it out. Then you can really track what you're doing AND have some variety in your diet, so you don't have to eat the same thing every day which can just increase the likelihood that you'll want to branch out and eat other things. Variety is important and eating healthy shoudn't feel completely boring!
Also, exercising is great but only does so much. You can exercise a lot but you still have to be careful w/ what you eat. I used to play that mindgame of "Well I worked out so now I'm going to have a big sandwich, fried and 2 beers!" and then wondered why I was not slimming up. So be careful with that.
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This page has been really inspiring and helpful. My issues are I crave food after 8pm soooo bad, and I gain a lot of muscle when I work out. We're talking a lot. I have to put away the skinny jeans because my thighs are too muscular to fit in. Yuck. The only time I lost weight without looking like a bodybuilder or gymnist (I'm only 5'2") was when I drasticaly cut calories, not a healthy route and not something I want to do again. Does anyone any suggestions for these pitfalls (which I think many women have problems with too?) I currently do the eleiptical 3-5 times a week and mix in toning videos 2-3 times a week (pilates, carmen electra stip tease, core training ofn the exercise ball).
Thanks!
@PandasWifey: The diet you proposed is REALLY high in salt. Plus, pasta is not bad for you. 1/3 cup of pasta is 1 carb serving. It is people's portion sizes that make any certain food bad. Doing some whole wheat pasta is totally fine.
@mlkeysock: Research in peer-reviewed journal articles disprove "fat burning" stage as a way to burn fat. When we gain weight, we gain fat and muscle (if working out). When we lose weight we lose fat and muscle (if we are working out we will save some muscle if weight loss is slow). That is why body builders do bulking and cutting phases. It is physiologically impossible to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. It is possible to TONE muscle and lose weight, but when weight is lost, both muscle and fat are lost.
Hope this helps dispell some misinformation that is out there! I have my masters in nutrition and am a registered dietitian and my boyfriend is a doctor in exercise physiology.
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Like many other brides, I'd love to drop 10 pounds before the wedding. But with just 30 days to go, I think that's a bit lofty at this point. Could I please lose at least 5?
Here's the problem - I am not losing weight, no matter what I do!
This has been my past two weeks: Working out 4 days/week - 2 days I run a mile as fast as I can and then do a series of weight training for my arms (in the gym over an hour). The other 2 days I do at least 30 minutes of cardio (usually walking on an incline or running) and then do a series of leg workouts including squats, lunges, etc.
My food? I have been eating strawberry smoothies for breakfast (5 strawberries, 1 banana, fat free yogurt and milk), a 90 calorie bar for a snack, a spinach salad for lunch (spinach, crumbled feta cheese, pecans, craisins and balsamic vinegarette dressing), a late afternoon snack of an english muffin and natural peanut butter, workout, and then a dinner of something like pasta and chicken and a glass of wine. Granted, there have been some variations, and some cheating like with cake at my bridal shower, but all in all, I think I've been pretty good!
I've also been trying to up my water intake.
Any ideas??? Why am I not losing weight??? Grr.