WHY has nothing happened??

MelanieC

I'm at my wits end. At the start of September I decided I really had to do something about my weight and fitness and having had a holiday booked for ten weeks time it seemed like the perfect time to shed a few unwanted pounds. So I hit the gym hard, working out three times a week without fail which I'm quite proud of coz I usually can't stick to anything. I walk 3 kms on the treadmill (started off at zero and have worked my way up to a 15% gradient which is tough), do another 3 kms on the bike and 2 kms on the rowing machine so not an easy programme. I also lift a few weights and do 100 situps. And I'm watching what I eat these days, lots of salads, cut down majorly on carbs and any carbs I do eat I've switched to wholegrain versions (rice,bread,pasta). Really quite proud of myself coz it's not been easy.

But here's the thing - I am EXACTLY the same weight now as I was starting off and with my holiday now less than 3 weeks away I'm so depressed and frustrated. Why has nothing changed when I'm killing myself doing all this?? I know you will all say don't mind the scales coz muscle weighs heavier than fat and I know that but trust me, I know even from the fit of my clothes, nothing at all has changed.

It's so unfair, I see people every day who I know don't do as much as me and eat worse than me and they're losing pounds by the day. My OH just has to walk to the shops and he comes back half a stone lighter. I genuinely could not be trying any harder short of starving myself. I thought this was the safe responsible healthy way to do things rather than a fad diet but now that my hols are drawing ever closer and nothing at all has happened I wish I had just crash-dieted - I know it's not ideal but at least I would've seen something instead of all this hard work for nothing. :mad:

What am I doing wrong guys?? I'm so disillusioned and fed up.

The cardio you do is not enough, 3K on a bike is close to nothing, you'd want to be doing 10k in 35/40 mins to get any real benefit. 2K rowing is fair enough, 3k walk on the threadmill is like the bike, close to f all. Also cut out bread, pasta etc completely, eat more green leafy veg to get your carbs.

Try and build up to 5k jog on the threadmill one evening, 10K on the bike another and maybe 5k rowing the third. Possible one or two sessions of weights only then. If you can do 100 sit ups you must be quite fit as it is, you are not challenging yourself at all really with the program you have at the mo.

margarite

MelanieC wrote: »

I'm at my wits end. At the start of September I decided I really had to do something about my weight and fitness and having had a holiday booked for ten weeks time it seemed like the perfect time to shed a few unwanted pounds. So I hit the gym hard, working out three times a week without fail which I'm quite proud of coz I usually can't stick to anything. I walk 3 kms on the treadmill (started off at zero and have worked my way up to a 15% gradient which is tough), do another 3 kms on the bike and 2 kms on the rowing machine so not an easy programme. I also lift a few weights and do 100 situps. And I'm watching what I eat these days, lots of salads, cut down majorly on carbs and any carbs I do eat I've switched to wholegrain versions (rice,bread,pasta). Really quite proud of myself coz it's not been easy.

But here's the thing - I am EXACTLY the same weight now as I was starting off and with my holiday now less than 3 weeks away I'm so depressed and frustrated. Why has nothing changed when I'm killing myself doing all this?? I know you will all say don't mind the scales coz muscle weighs heavier than fat and I know that but trust me, I know even from the fit of my clothes, nothing at all has changed.

It's so unfair, I see people every day who I know don't do as much as me and eat worse than me and they're losing pounds by the day. My OH just has to walk to the shops and he comes back half a stone lighter. I genuinely could not be trying any harder short of starving myself. I thought this was the safe responsible healthy way to do things rather than a fad diet but now that my hols are drawing ever closer and nothing at all has happened I wish I had just crash-dieted - I know it's not ideal but at least I would've seen something instead of all this hard work for nothing. :mad:

What am I doing wrong guys?? I'm so disillusioned and fed up.

Sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. I lost over three stones in a few months, which I was told was the way to do it, I just watched the size of the portions, I switched from butter to flora, and switched from white bread to multi grain bread. I walked slowly a very short distance, increased the distance slowly, gradually going the whole route which had being marked out by Kildare County Council, this show how long each walk is. After a month to 6 weeks I increase my speed slowly, I then got back the results of some bloods that my Doctor had done for me, when I told him I was going to try lose weight, and he advised me that I had an under active thyroid which basically means that no matter how much I reduce my calorie intake or exercise, that it is going to take longer for me to do so. I am now on the appropriate medication and find the weight is slowly but surely coming off. Good Luck:)

cmyk

Can you post up your daily diet in full?

margarite

cmyk wrote: »

Can you post up your daily diet in full?

Sure, I have porridge with a little honey, for breakfast, this keeps me going until break time then I have a piece of fruit usually two slices of melon, for lunch I bring in some chicken, (not much,) tomato (chopped) onion (chopped) and low fat cheese, heat them in an micro wave while toasting a pitta bread. mix the ingredients all into a bowl and put it into the pitta bread. I have also done this with tuna, also another lunch I would have would be brown bread toasted with a banana on top. For dinner I would have whatever was going but no sauces, butter or salt. Salt hold fluid and this also adds onto your fluid retention. You can get medication for this from your doctor. (only) I do break out now and then with some popcorn. I was originally 25 stone and now down to 16 with a bit more to go. Good luck. Once there only small portions and exercise. The real secret is to eat your food slowly. ok good luck.:)

MelanieC

RoverJames wrote: »

The cardio you do is not enough, 3K on a bike is close to nothing, you'd want to be doing 10k in 35/40 mins to get any real benefit. 2K rowing is fair enough, 3k walk on the threadmill is like the bike, close to f all. Also cut out bread, pasta etc completely, eat more green leafy veg to get your carbs.

Try and build up to 5k jog on the threadmill one evening, 10K on the bike another and maybe 5k rowing the third. Possible one or two sessions of weights only then. If you can do 100 sit ups you must be quite fit as it is, you are not challenging yourself at all really with the program you have at the mo.

That's just it RoverJames - this programme is challenging for me!! Very much so. I'm not an exercise person so it takes a lot for me to even stick to this much and you saying that what I'm doing is next to f all makes me want to cry because I'm literally crawling out of the gym with exhaustion after every workout. :(
(3 kms on the threadmill is a full half an hour which is the most they recommend you do in my gym plus the 15% gradient means it is constant uphill hiking rather than leisurely strolling. Believe me, it is tough going.)

margarite

MelanieC wrote: »

That's just it RoverJames - this programme is challenging for me!! Very much so. I'm not an exercise person so it takes a lot for me to even stick to this much and you saying that what I'm doing is next to f all makes me want to cry because I'm literally crawling out of the gym with exhaustion after every workout. :(

I tried the gym first, and like you came out feeling it is to much, and it was, that is why I started again with the walking, slowly building up my speed and eventually was able to go back to the gym, and it did not feel so hard as I was fitter from the walking, hope this helps ok. Please do not give up.:)

cmyk

cmyk wrote: »

Can you post up your daily diet in full?

I meant the OP so we can see where she is going wrong.

MelanieC

MelanieC wrote: »

That's just it RoverJames - this programme is challenging for me!! Very much so. I'm not an exercise person so it takes a lot for me to even stick to this much and you saying that what I'm doing is next to f all makes me want to cry because I'm literally crawling out of the gym with exhaustion after every workout. :(
(3 kms on the threadmill is a full half an hour which is the most they recommend you do in my gym plus the 15% gradient means it is constant uphill hiking rather than leisurely strolling. Believe me, it is tough going.)

Didn't want to upset you, I've lost a stone and a half over the last 18 months which wasn't easy. I was years pr1cking about in the gym doing not much though and getting nowhere. I'm 15 stone now (only 5 ' 10 in height so have a bit more to shed) but confident of dropping more weight but I know I have to keep pushing myself to do it. I would hazard a guess though you wouldn't be very sweaty after that 3k on the threadmill ?

Also if it is only the few unwanted pounds you want to shed you may well find it taked ages. I had plenty of stored energy to lose !!

Blatter

margarite wrote: »

Sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. I lost over three stones in a few months, which I was told was the way to do it, I just watched the size of the portions, I switched from butter to flora, and switched from white bread to multi grain bread. I walked slowly a very short distance, increased the distance slowly, gradually going the whole route which had being marked out by Kildare County Council, this show how long each walk is. After a month to 6 weeks I increase my speed slowly, I then got back the results of some bloods that my Doctor had done for me, when I told him I was going to try lose weight, and he advised me that I had an under active thyroid which basically means that no matter how much I reduce my calorie intake or exercise, that it is going to take longer for me to do so. I am now on the appropriate medication and find the weight is slowly but surely coming off. Good Luck:)

Switch back to butter it's much more healthier and nutritious for you than that flora crap. Congratulations on the weight loss.


OP, stop stressing out. The basics of losing weight are you burn more calories than you consume. Just always remember that. It's fool proof. The reason why you are not losing the weight is simply because you are consuming too many calories. Make a food log over the next 3 days and write down everything that passes your lips. And I mean everything. Post it all up here and we'll then tell you exactly where you are going wrong. Your gym work is not going to burn more than 200-300Kcal by the way, which roughly equates to a muffin. It can be wiped out in a matter of seconds, many people don't realize this. Concentrate more on your diet, then weights and then cardio for best results. Not in the reverse order, which many people like to do(and fail).

rocky

I switched from butter to flora, and switched from white bread to multi grain bread

One thing to watch out for when switching breads like this is the calories per slice. The Nutty Bread we have in work is about 115kcals/slice, and the white or brown bread is 83/slice. You're better off staying with the lower calorie bread. You can gain weight eating only 'healthy' stuff, if you eat too much of it.

lubie76

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Switch back to butter it's much more healthier and nutritious for you than that flora crap. Congratulations on the weight loss.


OP, stop stressing out. The basics of losing weight are you burn more calories than you consume. Just always remember that. It's fool proof. The reason why you are not losing the weight is simply because you are consuming too many calories. Make a food log over the next 3 days and write down everything that passes your lips. And I mean everything. Post it all up here and we'll then tell you exactly where you are going wrong. Your gym work is not going to burn more than 200-300Kcal by the way, which roughly equates to a muffin. It can be wiped out in a matter of seconds, many people don't realize this. Concentrate more on your diet, then weights and then cardio for best results. Not in the reverse order, which many people like to do(and fail).

Great advice! It really sounds like your diet is the issue and you may not realise how many calories you are taking in over the day. Fair play to you on the new exercise regime but it can only do so much if your daily diet isn't in order. Like Soccer4life said take down every single thing that passes your lips on a regular day (preferably over a few days) and post it here. You will get some really good nutritional advice and if you take it on board you should see some results before your holiday.

Mellor

you are doing little in the gym, but anythign you do it good here.

THe problem is your diet, I can say this with 100% conficance even without seeing it.
You can't excercise your way to fat loss if you have a bad diet. The majority of weight loss is diet based.

Wholemeal, wholegrain, brown blah blah blah, they are better than the white versions, but they are still basicly carbs. Often there main ingredient is white flour.

You need to eat better. This mens eating less, eating right. Prob means more protein, less carbs, but defo means sorting out your portion sizes.
A big problem you often see, is women slowly end up eating the same portions as there husbands. The simple fact is, you burn less energy, if you eat the same as a man, you are over eating. OP, i'm not saying this is you, i have no idea, but I'm just pointing it out as something to look out for.

MelanieC

Thanks everyone for your input. Today's been the first day that I was due to go to the gym and didn't coz I was tired and just thought what's the point? This is what I was afraid of and I know I should keep going but it seems like a waste of time and energy at the mo. I probably will get back into it next week coz I don't want to get out of my routine or I will never get it back,just having a mopey day I guess.

Roverjames you are making me feel like such a failure!! I was so proud of myself working so hard in the gym! You say I'm probably not that sweaty after my 30 mins on the threadmill - honest to god I am dripping with sweat!!! I know you are finding it hard to believe but I really am pushing myself, maybe it's my weight - I am around 14 stone 9 lbs which is the heaviest I've ever been in my life and I'm only 5'4. Honestly I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm fit to drop after a workout and I know you say I'm not doing enough but trust me if I tried to do anymore I'd actually pass out! :eek:

Another post said I'm only burning 200-300 calories in the gym? That can't be right can it? The machines tell me how many calories I'm burning (I have to enter my age and weight to get an accurate reading) and they say much more than this. Every time I up the gradient on the threadmill I burn a few more calories so at the moment at 15 it says I'm burning 510 in the 30 minutes (170 for each ten mins). The 2000 metres rowing burns around 115 cals and fair enough the ten mins on the bike only burns 75 but that's still 700 calories in total before I even do my weights or sit-ups. I thought this was really good coz 700 cals cancels out a whole dinner?

As regards my diet, I don't have easy access to a computer every day so I'm just going to post up an example of what I might eat in three days -
Breakfast - bowl porridge with skimmed milk / cereal bar / omlette
Lunch - 3 wholegrain ricecakes topped with light philly,lettuce,onion & tuna / smoked salmon salad / 2 poached eggs on dutch crispbreads
Dinner - skinless breast of chicken or salmon with big side-salad (no dressing) / spaghetti bolognaise with wholegrain spaghetti / 1 pork chop with loads roast veg
Snacks - Babybel cheese / fruit / seeds
Treats - maybe a funsize choc bar or the odd biscuit with a cuppa
Drinks - loads of water (especially gym days), coffee, tea, (both with skimmed milk), green tea.

I know people will pick out things I shouldn't be eating but I really don't want to be one of those women who's permanently on a diet and can't let their hair down and have a takeaway or a biscuit from time to time. Deprivation never works long-term and I find those kind of people tedious and I know my OH would be more likely to leave me if I became one of those people than if I was a bit overweight! I want to eat healthily but also enjoy myself, everything in moderation, isn't that the key? I've seen it work for so many people, I just don't know why it isn't working for me.
As regards portion sizes, I have tried to cut down a lot and I know someone said the biggest problem is women eating what their husbands eat and I think that's true coz even if I sometimes have my own healthy meal while he's enjoying his junkfood (torture!), other times it's just not convenient to have to cook one meal for him, another for me and a third for the child - it'd be 9.00 by the time we got to eat!! I've tried to get him to eat healthier with me so we can have the same meals and he's not too bad but he is a man and when he comes home from working a 12-hour shift he does not want a salad!!! He likes his chips and meat and spuds and desserts like any man and I do admit that sometimes I end up having them with him. :rolleyes: Still,it's not every day so isn't that a moderation balanced diet? Especially when I'm exercising so hard at the same time?

I'm sorry for the long rant and I'm sorry if I'm silly, naive or uninformed but I really just don't get it.

daltonm

Melanie - you sound like me!! For a long time I was exactly the same, worked out, ate well, yet couldn't really knock a dent into my weight - I was maintaining it.

I went to a dietician who told me to eat as normal, but to weigh and measure everything that I ate - which I did and he told me that I was eating well, but eating too much - I had no portion control.

A friend of mine is in a slimming club (I won't mention it because it's not who they are it's what I learned) 5 weeks ago I joined up and after following their portion sizes, I was shocked at how much I was eating before - I am now down 12lbs - I lost 5 the first week, and then small losses of a little over 1lb in the subsequent weeks.

One other point as well - alcohol - I have had one night out in the 5 weeks, not that I drank a lot before, but it can also play a part in stalling weight loss.

Now this may not be your problem but it might be worth looking at.


Good Luck

beatrice33

Hi MelanieC,
All that exercise seems loads to me! (I don’t do any, no money to join the gym and little time at the moment)


Can I suggest you something? I have been doing low carb for 4 months and it really suits me. I have lost about 5 kilos and this diet (is more a way of eating than a diet) combined with the exercise will give you great results for sure. I follow the Idiot proof diet book, same as some other people in this forum, and I promise you it does work. The only trick is to be really strict during at least the first 2 weeks, so your body enters the ketosis stage where it starts burning fat for energy instead of the carbs/sugars.



Keep up with the exercise, but don’t kill yourself, because it is not the solution to loose weight. It will definitely help at a later stage when you have only a few pounds to lose (this I have to apply to myself).


Follow the book strictly (there are menus and some recipes) for the first few weeks. You won’t be hungry because you will be eating very dense and rich meals (which your OH will enjoy as well) and snacking on things like nuts and cheese!



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neris-Indias-Idiot-proof-Diet-Twig/dp/0141027436/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b


So get the book if you like, everything is explained pretty well there, and give it a try.
Good luck!

cmyk

MelanieC wrote: »

I also lift a few weights and do 100 situps.

A few points Melanie, don't waste your time with 100 situps, you can't spot reduce fat and your time could be better spent elsewhere.

MelanieC wrote: »

But here's the thing - I am EXACTLY the same weight now as I was starting off. I know you will all say don't mind the scales coz muscle weighs heavier than fat and I know that but trust me, I know even from the fit of my clothes, nothing at all has changed.

If this is the case, have you upped your food intake/portion sizes to compensate for the exercise at all? This is natural as exercise tends to increase hunger.

MelanieC wrote: »

Another post said I'm only burning 200-300 calories in the gym? That can't be right can it? The machines tell me how many calories I'm burning (I have to enter my age and weight to get an accurate reading) and they say much more than this. Every time I up the gradient on the threadmill I burn a few more calories so at the moment at 15 it says I'm burning 510 in the 30 minutes (170 for each ten mins). The 2000 metres rowing burns around 115 cals and fair enough the ten mins on the bike only burns 75 but that's still 700 calories in total before I even do my weights or sit-ups. I thought this was really good coz 700 cals cancels out a whole dinner?

Those 'calorie counters' on the gym machines are notoriously inaccurate, and yes I would imagine you can halve that figure of 700cals.

MelanieC wrote: »

As regards portion sizes, I have tried to cut down a lot and I know someone said the biggest problem is women eating what their husbands eat and I think that's true coz even if I sometimes have my own healthy meal while he's enjoying his junkfood (torture!), other times it's just not convenient to have to cook one meal for him, another for me and a third for the child - it'd be 9.00 by the time we got to eat!! I've tried to get him to eat healthier with me so we can have the same meals and he's not too bad but he is a man and when he comes home from working a 12-hour shift he does not want a salad!!! He likes his chips and meat and spuds and desserts like any man and I do admit that sometimes I end up having them with him. :rolleyes: Still,it's not every day so isn't that a moderation balanced diet? Especially when I'm exercising so hard at the same time?

I'm sorry for the long rant and I'm sorry if I'm silly, naive or uninformed but I really just don't get it.

Your diet definitely isn't the worst but, as above, you've probably stumbled upon the answer yourself...I'd imagine it comes down to portion control. Try entering your food into a calorie counting website like fitday.com (it's free), even just for a couple of days to give you an idea of your overall calorie intake. You can work out how much you should be getting with an easy formula you'll find on the fitness board stickies, and see how that works out.

keane2097

MelanieC wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your input. Today's been the first day that I was due to go to the gym and didn't coz I was tired and just thought what's the point? This is what I was afraid of and I know I should keep going but it seems like a waste of time and energy at the mo. I probably will get back into it next week coz I don't want to get out of my routine or I will never get it back,just having a mopey day I guess.

Roverjames you are making me feel like such a failure!! I was so proud of myself working so hard in the gym! You say I'm probably not that sweaty after my 30 mins on the threadmill - honest to god I am dripping with sweat!!! I know you are finding it hard to believe but I really am pushing myself, maybe it's my weight - I am around 14 stone 9 lbs which is the heaviest I've ever been in my life and I'm only 5'4. Honestly I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm fit to drop after a workout and I know you say I'm not doing enough but trust me if I tried to do anymore I'd actually pass out! :eek:

Another post said I'm only burning 200-300 calories in the gym? That can't be right can it? The machines tell me how many calories I'm burning (I have to enter my age and weight to get an accurate reading) and they say much more than this. Every time I up the gradient on the threadmill I burn a few more calories so at the moment at 15 it says I'm burning 510 in the 30 minutes (170 for each ten mins). The 2000 metres rowing burns around 115 cals and fair enough the ten mins on the bike only burns 75 but that's still 700 calories in total before I even do my weights or sit-ups. I thought this was really good coz 700 cals cancels out a whole dinner?

As regards my diet, I don't have easy access to a computer every day so I'm just going to post up an example of what I might eat in three days -
Breakfast - bowl porridge with skimmed milk / cereal bar / omlette
Lunch - 3 wholegrain ricecakes topped with light philly,lettuce,onion & tuna / smoked salmon salad / 2 poached eggs on dutch crispbreads
Dinner - skinless breast of chicken or salmon with big side-salad (no dressing) / spaghetti bolognaise with wholegrain spaghetti / 1 pork chop with loads roast veg
Snacks - Babybel cheese / fruit / seeds
Treats - maybe a funsize choc bar or the odd biscuit with a cuppa
Drinks - loads of water (especially gym days), coffee, tea, (both with skimmed milk), green tea.

I know people will pick out things I shouldn't be eating but I really don't want to be one of those women who's permanently on a diet and can't let their hair down and have a takeaway or a biscuit from time to time. Deprivation never works long-term and I find those kind of people tedious and I know my OH would be more likely to leave me if I became one of those people than if I was a bit overweight! I want to eat healthily but also enjoy myself, everything in moderation, isn't that the key? I've seen it work for so many people, I just don't know why it isn't working for me.
As regards portion sizes, I have tried to cut down a lot and I know someone said the biggest problem is women eating what their husbands eat and I think that's true coz even if I sometimes have my own healthy meal while he's enjoying his junkfood (torture!), other times it's just not convenient to have to cook one meal for him, another for me and a third for the child - it'd be 9.00 by the time we got to eat!! I've tried to get him to eat healthier with me so we can have the same meals and he's not too bad but he is a man and when he comes home from working a 12-hour shift he does not want a salad!!! He likes his chips and meat and spuds and desserts like any man and I do admit that sometimes I end up having them with him. :rolleyes: Still,it's not every day so isn't that a moderation balanced diet? Especially when I'm exercising so hard at the same time?

I'm sorry for the long rant and I'm sorry if I'm silly, naive or uninformed but I really just don't get it.

A lot depends on how strictly you actually adhere to the diet you've attributed to yourself above.

To be honest, if I had to guess from your post I'd suspect that the diet you listed there is ideal case and that you stray from it a lot.

How often do you go for the chocolates, biscuits etc? Similarly, how often do you give in to the urge to eat what your OH is eating?

Killing yourself in the gym is bordering on pointless if you're not prepared to clean up your diet.

Of the two, my opinion would be that the diet is a lot more important than the exercise if you could only do one or the other.

This idea that you need to be "permanently on a diet" or "depriving yourself" to eat well is way wrong. You can eat plenty of meat & veg, stir fries, fish etc etc etc.

Is all your suffering, frustration and depression really not worth giving up a couple of feckin potatoes for!?

EDIT: Just for the record, the diet you have posted is pretty ok, if you really are sticking to it 90%+ of the time there has to be some other problem, but I doubt you could be even close if you've no progress at all.

Blatter

MelanieC wrote: »

Breakfast - bowl porridge with skimmed milk / cereal bar / omlette
Lunch - 3 wholegrain ricecakes topped with light philly,lettuce,onion & tuna / smoked salmon salad / 2 poached eggs on dutch crispbreads
Dinner - skinless breast of chicken or salmon with big side-salad (no dressing) / spaghetti bolognaise with wholegrain spaghetti / 1 pork chop with loads roast veg
Snacks - Babybel cheese / fruit / seeds
Treats - maybe a funsize choc bar or the odd biscuit with a cuppa
Drinks - loads of water (especially gym days), coffee, tea, (both with skimmed milk), green tea.

You're diet is not the worst but there are plenty of holes in it.

1.There is a huge lack of fat in it. Fat is good, it keeps you feeling fuller for longer and aids fat burning. Eat more eggs, nuts, butter, oily fish, natural peanut butter etc.

2.You make think you have gone low carb but...
decent bowl of porridge with milk = 50-60g
decent portion of wholegrain spaghetti = 70-80g
some chocolate, crispy bread = 15-25g
fruit = could be anything to 10-30g (you don't say how much or what fruit)
Milk in tea = 5-10g

You could be eating around 205g of carbs a day, not this is not low carb. And if I was to add in the dessert you occasionall have with your husband your looking at another 40-80g at least.

3. a I'm going to suggest to you: Have only ~80-120g of carbs a day max.
This would be a decent bowl of borridge with milk + one other serving of carbs ie. 2 slices of bread, moderate(50-60g) amount of spagheti, pasta. No more bread, pasta, cereal etc. just limit yourself to that. Replace the carbs with extra meat and vegetables, nuts etc.

4. As somebody else has already suggested, join fitday.com and log all of the food you've eaten. Theres no doubt about it, you are eating too many carbs and this leads to excess calories. The above diet also sounds like your ideal diet, like somebody else said, you've already admitted you stray from time to time. The question is, how often do you stray, and when you do stray, how much of the junk do you eat. 2-3 strays a week of 500-700 Kcal can wipe out all of your good work.

5. Start with a weights program like starting strenght(google it, loads of info.) and hit the weights 3-4 times a week. Cardio comes second and can be limited to 1-2 times a week.

6. Start controlling your portion size of carbs in particular. Count every gram of carb you consume, you can eat way to much of these and not know it, they're lethal. There is no real need to control the portions of fat/protein, it's border line impossible to overeat on these guys.

7. I can tell you don't count calories, probably because your not able to. Well learn how to, through fitday.com and googling 'how many calories are in x,y and z'. It will be a valuable life skill to estimate calories and you'l actually begin to enjoy it.

8.When you are familiar with calories,calculate your BMR+calories burned using this website. Subtract 500-750Kcal from the figure. Never go above that value in any day. You will then lose 1-1.5 Ibs a week. This is fool proof and does work and don't ever doubt it.

9. Good luck and any questions, fire away.

Mellor

MelanieC wrote: »

Another post said I'm only burning 200-300 calories in the gym? That can't be right can it? The machines tell me how many calories I'm burning (I have to enter my age and weight to get an accurate reading) and they say much more than this. Every time I up the gradient on the threadmill I burn a few more calories so at the moment at 15 it says I'm burning 510 in the 30 minutes (170 for each ten mins). The 2000 metres rowing burns around 115 cals and fair enough the ten mins on the bike only burns 75 but that's still 700 calories in total before I even do my weights or sit-ups. I thought this was really good coz 700 cals cancels out a whole dinner?

And as pointed out, the machines are wrong. The bike and rower are prob close enough, but there is no way your are buring 510 calories in 30 mins. 1000 calories an hour is a huge output, there is no way you are doing this by walking, regardless of an incline.

Your dinner is prob more than 700 cals.

Plus, even if the machine were accurate, and you knew exactly how much you were burning, it still would be related to food. burning 500 cals doesn't mean you burn off 500 extra worth of fat/food. As even if you weren't at the gym, you still burn maybe 100 cals at home, the extra amount, not the total amount is important.

MelanieC

Thanks so much everyone. Another "f the gym" day for me today but I will get back into it next week when I'm back doing the school run. I've given up the idea that I can achieve anything in time for my hols anyway (2 weeks from tomorrow!) so that sense of urgency as an incentive is gone.

To address a couple of your posts, beatrice what you suggest sounds basically like the atkins diet which I have tried before and couldn't stick to. I know I need to cut down on my carb intake and that I can handle but as I said before I don't want to totally deprive myself of them or anything because that's inevitable failure.

Keane, I don't eat potatoes! I honestly eat what I outlined.

Daltonm, I only drink about once a month, same as you.

Soccer4life, I eat loads of eggs and salmon and tuna and nuts/seeds so I can't imagine I'm not getting enough fats?

I think portion control is probably the issue alright and I'm going to check out that fitday.com website so thanks for that. Other than that I will have to return to the doc and have a blood test like someone suggested to see if I have an underactive thyroid. (Though I think I may have been tested for this before at some stage and it was clear - does this mean forever or can it still develop after that???) I came off the contraceptive pill I was on six months ago coz it was a particularly strong one and I thought it may be a contributing factor but nothing - I'm all out of ideas.

Thanks again guys and anymore thoughts or suggestions, keep 'em coming, I need all the help I can get apparently!

PS: Those gym machines shouldn't be allowed dispay those calories burned figures if they're not real, it's not fair. The fact that you've to enter your info to get an "accurate" reading makes it seem all the more genuine and you can get lulled into of false sense of security which is what seems to have happened with me. Now I think of all those hours I wasted thinking they were being really beneficial and it makes me really cross. :mad: :mad:

rubadub

MelanieC wrote: »

700 calories in total before I even do my weights or sit-ups. I thought this was really good coz 700 cals cancels out a whole dinner?

This is an inadvisable way to think about it, esp when the machines give false readings. Exercise can make you hungry and then people might have a treat thinking "ah sure its only 400kcal and I burned twice that in the gym".

The gym equipment manufacturers have a vested interest to overestimate their calorie burning readouts. So you go "oh, that brand of rowing machine is great, I burn wayyy more calories on it than the other brand, but I feel the same after, I might buy one"

It is the opposite of car manufacturers boasting about low mile per gallons, when in reality they can be higher, it is very easy to skew results to favour one thing or another. They are all estimates, use them as scores like a computer game, try and beat your high score next time.

cmyk wrote: »

A few points Melanie, don't waste your time with 100 situps, you can't spot reduce fat and your time could be better spent elsewhere.

+1, try some bodyweight squats if you want something worthwhile, you can do them at home too in front of the telly or in the morning first thing. I used to do 50 pushups before my shower each day, then I cycle to work. Get a trainer in the gym to show you how to do freeweight squats too (not in a machine but using a barbell), check out www.stumptuous.com

You said your clothes feel the same, have you got a well washed tight pair of jeans you can use? I had a pair that acted like a whole load of tape measures along my legs. I remained 12 stone for almost a year while losing fat so know a scale is not the best measure, also take photos of yourself -change is slow like you do not notice a child growing up that you see each day, but if you see a kid once a year they appear to have shot up. Also take measurements of various body parts, waist, thighs, arms etc, though some may go up if lifting heavy.

Do not just wait for the gym, you can do exercise anywhere and anytime, I walk to the shop and carry heavy stuff home, cycle to work, I like to do useful exercise.

keane2097

MelanieC wrote: »

Thanks so much everyone. Another "f the gym" day for me today but I will get back into it next week when I'm back doing the school run. I've given up the idea that I can achieve anything in time for my hols anyway (2 weeks from tomorrow!) so that sense of urgency as an incentive is gone.

To address a couple of your posts, beatrice what you suggest sounds basically like the atkins diet which I have tried before and couldn't stick to. I know I need to cut down on my carb intake and that I can handle but as I said before I don't want to totally deprive myself of them or anything because that's inevitable failure.

Keane, I don't eat potatoes! I honestly eat what I outlined.

Daltonm, I only drink about once a month, same as you.

Soccer4life, I eat loads of eggs and salmon and tuna and nuts/seeds so I can't imagine I'm not getting enough fats?

I think portion control is probably the issue alright and I'm going to check out that fitday.com website so thanks for that. Other than that I will have to return to the doc and have a blood test like someone suggested to see if I have an underactive thyroid. (Though I think I may have been tested for this before at some stage and it was clear - does this mean forever or can it still develop after that???) I came off the contraceptive pill I was on six months ago coz it was a particularly strong one and I thought it may be a contributing factor but nothing - I'm all out of ideas.

Thanks again guys and anymore thoughts or suggestions, keep 'em coming, I need all the help I can get apparently!

PS: Those gym machines shouldn't be allowed dispay those calories burned figures if they're not real, it's not fair. The fact that you've to enter your info to get an "accurate" reading makes it seem all the more genuine and you can get lulled into of false sense of security which is what seems to have happened with me. Now I think of all those hours I wasted thinking they were being really beneficial and it makes me really cross. :mad: :mad:

A few people have asked you how often you stray from a clean diet.

I suspect the fact that you haven't answered that is the answer.

The good news is cleaning your diet is a easy. Cutting out the junk and exercising portion control are all it will take you.

ceadaoin.

+1 on tracking your diet on a website. I got an app for my phone that allows you to put in your weight target and time frame and then gives the amount of calories you need to stick to each day to reach that goal (I didn't want to lose weight, was just trying to eat a bit healthier) You can input any exercise you do too and this deducts from your total calories.

They have a website: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

I know they say that the recommended intake is 2000 kcals a day but there is no way I would ever get that amount and I basically eat what I want and don't go hungry or anything.

It really makes a difference to see how much you are actually eating and if you reduce portion size, you definitely will lose weight.

Austerity

To excersise is good for you health but it will not help you in losing weight very much. http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/articles/aerobicexercise.htm If you want to lose weight in my experience a low carb diet is the only thing that works.

Frogdog

Austerity wrote: »

To excersise is good for you health but it will not help you in losing weight very much. http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/articles/aerobicexercise.htm If you want to lose weight in my experience a low carb diet is the only thing that works.

Here you are again with your "low carb approach" from the other thread. What works for you may not work for others. The OP has been given sound advice on taking up lifting heavy weights and eating a clean diet while consuming less calories than she needs.

daltonm

MelanieC wrote: »

thought it may be a contributing factor but nothing - I'm all out of ideas.

Thanks again guys and anymore thoughts or suggestions, keep 'em coming, I need all the help I can get apparently!

:mad: :mad:

Melanie - don't give up!!

Your diet and exercise is good and healthy - if you are at the weight you want to be at.

You have to adjust your thinking if you want to shift those few pounds.

Your goal should be to lose weight and like me your problem could be that you are consuming too many calories.

If you are eating that diet and exercising then you are maintaining your weight.

Here's how it was explained to me.

1lb = 3,500 calories. If you are eating 2000 per day for example, then you have to cut to 1500, never ever go below 1200.

3 things you need to look at.

1) Your treats. A fun size choc bar is approx 100 calories. A biscuit approx 80.
2) Your seeds - do you realise that one cup of sunflower seeds has 800 calories (http://www.surfseeds.com/sunflower-benefits)?
3) Your portions. A spag bol (with wholewheat pasta) could be 400 - 600 calories depending on your portion size.


If you eat 2 funsize bars, 2 biscuits and one cup of seeds per week then this could add up to almost 1200 calories a week.


To burn off those 1200 calories you would have to run for 90 mins.


My tips - change your goal until you reach your required weight, you are not dieting, merely adjusting your size . When you reach your goal weight then work to maintain it.


The important thing to not do is give up on yourself. Simply taking some of the great advice here will help you to achieve your goal.

Personally I have tried all the fad diets and the only thing that worked for me was portion control. As soon as I mastered that the weight fell off.
I still eat well and exercise, I just don't eat so much of it!!

What tricked me was thinking "if it's good for you then it's low in calories".

Hang on in there - you only have to tweak a couple of things - start tommorow!!

Good Luck.

metamorphosis

Low carb the only thing that works? For crying out loud.

So, you are suggesting that the OP stop eating veggies, fruits, beans, lentils, sweet potato, oats? Yes, low carb works but for christ sake this is a NUTRIRION forum not a LOW CARB forum. Lets discuss the OPs concerns rather than throwing low carb as the solution to all of lifes problems which seems to be the running nature of this forum the last few months. Funnily enough - while this has been happoening there has been a lack of posts from what used to be regulars here some time ago. Not all that much of a coincidence.

OP - you have been given some good advice as is. Thing is is if you continue to eat whole foods - foods that are ingredients rather than packaged foodstuffs that contain an abundace of ingredients, and do this while creating a caloric deficite - the weight will shift. It really is all about eating foods while shifting the energy balance in your favour. Exercise can help but make it bang on for your buck. Look up interval training on google. Work very hard for short burst. You dont have to bust you ass in the gym for ages every day.

dellas1979

Doesnt the amount of calories burned though depend on your weight/age/muscle mass/etc?

Like, for example, if she and I were to do exactly the same exercise, at the same pace, for the same length, we would not burn the same amount.

OP, with regards exercise, are you working up a sweat? Jogging is a great way to go - even if you start off for 5 mins walking, 2 mins jogging and work from there. As I found out the harsh way (and I am a regular gym go'er), you need to change your routine every few weeks/month, as your body becomes used to what you are doing.

PS: I am the type that could look at a cake and be wearing it the next day. One other thing (which I used to do and it worked - might try it again) is not to eat after 9pm. It does take discipline though.

metamorphosis

There's a large no. of factors that affect calorie burn - age, sex, body composition, height, weight, how active you are, intensity you train at.

There's a million calculators online where you can work out your basic metabolic rate and then take your activity into account after this. Once you have worked out this calorie number, an easy rule of thumb would be to subtract 500cals a day (through food and/or exercise) to achieve 3500 cal deficit over a week which would be a 1lb (in theory).

G'em has a post in the fitness forum stickies to do this. Phord.com also do this.

cmyk

dellas1979 wrote: »

Doesnt the amount of calories burned though depend on your weight/age/muscle mass/etc?Like, for example, if she and I were to do exactly the same exercise, at the same pace, for the same length, we would not burn the same amount.

Absolutely, tons of variables to factor in. The take away point here however, is that you really don't 'burn' as many calories during exercise as most people think you do...or were led to believe.

I'm sure the OP's head is spinning with the amount of advice here now.
Simply cut down on portion size until you see the scales and/or body composition change and that's all you need for the moment.

MelanieC

cmyk wrote: »

Absolutely, tons of variables to factor in. The take away point here however, is that you really don't 'burn' as many calories during exercise as most people think you do...or were led to believe.

I'm sure the OP's head is spinning with the amount of advice here now.
Simply cut down on portion size until you see the scales and/or body composition change and that's all you need for the moment.

Yeah my head is spinning alright and with some conflicting ideas,it's hard to know what to do for the best. I've been told before for example that I'm doing too much in the gym and that's the problem, then told here that what I'm doing in the gym is next to nothing! Anyways, dragged myself back there today and maybe it was coz of taking last week off but it was sooo hard today. I'll not have anyone accuse me of taking it easy or not challenging myself coz between the sweat,the shortness of breath,the stitch in my side and the jellylegs after my 3km hike today I was fit for the emergency room! :eek: It's actually worrying me that what takes so much out of me seems like such a breeze to everyone else on here.

Sorry Keane if I did not answer the question of deviating from my outlined diet to your liking but as you can imagine with all the different posters asking me all kinds of different questions, it's hard to keep up with them all especially as I do not have daily access to a computer and so am swamped by several at once. :rolleyes: Basically I try to keep to the healthy stuff and generally do but as I already said there are occasions when it's more convenient to go with the easy option. I would say this happens at most twice a week and while it's never anything too extravagant I suppose it adds up on the sly as someone pointed out a cup of seeds is 800 cals. (unbelievable!)

I am def going to cut down portion size even more (even though I don't really eat large portions as it is) and see if anything changes. I will keep you updated and any other ideas please feel free to mentor me!
Incidentally can anyone answer my question about being tested for an underactive thyroid? If I've tested clear already in the past is there any point getting tested again? As in is it something you're born with or can it develop at any time? Thanks loads.

starre

Yes it can develop at any time. It would be no harm to keep an eye on it.

You say that you usually eat normal portions and generally eat the healthy stuff - you need to be more accurate. Get a weighing scales and weigh every last thing. Even doing that for a few weeks can get your eye in for how much a portion can be.

Don't read portion sizes off the labels of foods, the manufacturers tend to overestimate. For example it it says feeds 2, there could easily be enough for 3 portions.

fatmammycat

Regardless of weightloss- which I imagine will happen with a diet tweak- you should keep up the gym work and keep getting fitter. For me 3k on a treadmill seems very little too, but if you're finding it tough you're probably unfit. The weightloss will come, but like everything it takes a little time. You're doing great, but you need to keep at it and dont give up.