I clearly can't lose weight. Should I still exercise?

trekkiebeth

I am so upset. If you look at the chart below and the list of how my weight has progressed below, you'll see that losing weight is impossible for me and I'm going to continue to get fatter no matter what I do.

I was eating a lot of fast food and pizza and such before I started working out again, then I started being really good about eating and even counting calories. I admit the weekend of Christmas was bad, but no worse than all the fast food I'd had before. I was actually pretty much maintaining my weight before I started exercising, actually. I didn't eat too poorly on New Year's. I had a decent amount of drinks, but like I said it was hardly worse than the fast food I'd been having, and I ate well except for those drinks.

So since I'm incapable of losing weight, I'm wondering if I should even continue to exercise at all. It would still be good for me, right? I don't know, it's just so depressing to see that it doesn't have any effect on my weight.



12/23/10 148.5
12/30/10 150.5
01/04/11 151.8

If I was simply maintaining my weight, I might think that Christmas and New Year's had kept me from losing. But I'm actually gaining very quickly even though I'm eating well every day but Christmas weekend and New Year's Eve.

Clew

You should absolutely still exercise. It's very hard for me to lose weight as well - but when I exercise it totally changes the shape of my body. Even if you have a layer of insulation over those muscles, you'll wear it so much better. You'll feel much better too. Don't give up on yourself, luv!

amycal

Yes - exercise will ALWAYS help you! You might need to measure and look at inches vs. number on scale. What do you eat? Even though a lot of people believe reducing calories is the answer if your metabolism is messed up or you have food allergies there might be more to your diet than that. Check out the eat clean diet or Ultra Metabolism by Mark Hyman for more info.

Natalie0506

Sounds like you hit a plateau. Change up your work outs! Once your body gets used to a specific workout, it doesn't work as well. Like when you get stronger, you lift heavier weights. Well, when you hit a plateau, change up your cardio.

LizardIsANerd

Muscle is more dense than fat and therefore 1 pound of muscle takes up half the space of 1 lb of fat.
You should still exercise, but try adding more lean protein to your diet to help feed those muscles. Don't look at weight loss as the only thing that you get out of exercise. Take your other measurements - see if you lean up in your core - I bet you do!!

diet45

I use to exercise 3-4 four days a week. I didn't start losing until I started exercising everyday. Kick-up your exercise minutes for a week and see if that will jump start your loss. Also, make sure you are eating at least 1200 calories. I eat back 1/2 of my exercise calories and still lose weight. I lose about 1 lbs per week.

barahona

20 months ago i was in 200 Pounds>. when i stared it was very hard for me to lose one freakIng pound.>. but i didnt give up.. i control my mouth eating healthy & i was running ( going to da Gym) .. it took me 5 to 6 months>> when i see my results.. ( 30 pounds).. give time... dont give up... if i could do it .. you can.>. NOW i LIFT WEIGHT & still running.. im 175 now.. but i want to lose 10 more... I Know I cant do it... plus .. about drinks i drink like every 2 weeks lol

shawty55

Sometimes it takes a few weeks for any results from exercise to show. Also, weight fluctuates naturally (because of amount of water and waste in your system that changes daily) and muscle weighs more than fat.

MonicaBenavidez

It also sounds like you have room to improve since you said you drank a lot and ate a lot. Not trying to be mean, but you'll only get out of it what you put into it. Alcohol always slows down my weight loss as does eating high sodium/unhealthy foods. I think you should reevaluate your food choices and continue to exercise. The weight WILL come off. :-) Good luck!

TaneeisFitforLife

If you are eating within your calorie range (including experimenting with eating your exercise calories), your next step would see your doctor. If you in your healthy weight range it's going to be harder to get lower. From what you wrote it doesn't sound like you know how much you are taking in, calorie wise.

Keep on exercising but keep in mind, you can't out-exercise bad eating habits

mushy2

always excercise, I should but dont., im going to try harder, especially for the kids it teachs them its good for you. If I took a leaf out of my 6 yr olds book I would be really healthy.

withanurgency

Losing weight def. takes time. Sabotaging exercise will not help your cause. It's possible that your body is just adjusting to you working out again and it'll take time before it'll actually adapt. Also, you might be exercising too much, or eating too little. Also look at the other benefits you reap from exercise like stamina, endorphins and muscle and heart strength. Once you start looking at exercise as an enjoyable thing, you'll work it in everyday and the weight will automatically come off. Don't stress out about it, losing weight IS POSSIBLE, for any and everyone!

jalara

First of all, congrats on wanting to be healthy.

There's some more info we need: we need to know what your food diary looks like, whay types of exercise you are doing, how much sleep you are getting.

Yes you should ALWAYS be active - adults are supposed to get 60 minutes a day (30 minutes is the bare minimum). It's needed for health.

I also think you might need to evaluate if your goal is to be healthy, or just to weigh less. If it's to be healthy, then exercise and eating right is a must, no matter what your weight. If it's just to weigh less, then I suspect you may need to really assess why.

I wish you the best of luck!

ANGELAWHALEY

How many calories are you consuming each day and what kind? You might not be eating enough or you might be eating too many, also if your food is very salty it can cause you to retain water and not lose. Is all your exercise cardio? I have heard that in women especially when you 1st begin cardio you might show a slight gain at 1st as your muscles swell from new tears (this is good) then as you push through the weight begins to come off. Even if you maintain your weight at 150 exercising makes you more healthy and extends your life and the quality of your life than not exercising! If you truly think you can not lose weight and you are eating healthy ask your doctor to check your thyroid. If you have a problem with that you might not be able to until they get it fixed. Also make sure you are not preggo ;-)

2bFitNTrim

"So since I'm incapable of losing weight" :huh:

Unless you have some kind of medical reason that would prevent you from losing weight, I'd say this is nonsense. Review what you are eating & drinking, watch those calories (not too much, not too few) and no doubt you will start to lose again. And by all means, as the other posters have said, keep exercising. It will help tone you up, is good for your heart, and will help you rebuild your confidence. Onward with POSTIVE self talk! :bigsmile: :flowerforyou:

mushy2

wow

HeidiMightyRawr

Please don't give up, exercise is always good for you and trust me when you get in the habit of exercising regularly and watching what you eat you will lose weight you just have to keep at it
Exercise doesn't just help with weight loss it also helps you feel much healthier and makes day to day life easier. Keep at it, maybe give the scales a bit of a break for a few weeks, keep on track and just focus on inches lost rather than lbs

randarob

Keep your head up. Remember that when you exercise you are starting to shed the inches, but you are also gaining muscle mass, so you might not see it on the scale but you will see it in you clothes. Keep it up you are going to do great!

dburrows1

First of all, you are looking at way to short a span of time.

You need to find something that works well for you. Find foods that you actually like that help keep you within a normal calorie intake. When you really want to eat poorly, eat but hit the workout extra hard.

A few things about exercise that will really make it worth your while.

1) It produces endorphins. You almost always will feel better when you finish than before you started.

2) As you build muscle, your body will automatically begin to burn more calories even when you are not working out. That means that sitting on the couch watching TV, your body would burn more than if you are not exercising.

3) Exercising doesn't have to be miserable or all or nothing. Get active, move around, dance to music videos, personally I really like the Zumba classes offered locally. I look like a fool, but if that is a worry do a video at home.

If you are healthy enough for exercise, there isn't a reason in the world why you shouldn't.

With that said, the average American gains 5 pounds over the holidays and you didn't!!! Plus, you should only really shoot to loose about 1 pound a week. So don't look at it in the short term, but focus on living healthy and your body will follow. It will just take some time!!!

lisabernard

Of course you should still exercise! Exercise has many benefits outside of weight loss. It is good for your heart, blood pressure, etc. It helps keep your muscles in shape and tone. It also helps elevate the mood, fighting depression. Exercise is good for all kinds of things!

As for the diet, you still may be having benefits you don't see in the weight loss. You are intaking a lot less processed foods - therefore intaking strange chemicals. Its probably less fat - helping your triglycerides and cholesterol.

And hey - if you make that lifestyle change, you may eventually start losing weight even if it doesn't happen right away.

Are you drinking lots of water? Water will help flush out all those years of bad chemicals.

Connie48

Take a really hard, honest look at your food journal, if you see nothing that needs to be tweaked you may benefit from getting some blood work done. Have your thyroid checked. Also think about how active you are through out the day meaning what kind of work do you do? I have a desk job and even though I exrecise religously, I have to monitor my food intake every single day because lack of movement from a desk job means I"m not burning very total many calories at the end of the day JMO of course and my own experience. Please don't give up, don't EVER give up and keep exercising!

NanBar

I went back and read many of your old posts..you might want to as well and and really see how this whole thing sounds.

You have been trying to watch what you eat and exercise since Dec 20th? and here it is the first week of January and you declare you are incapable of losing weight?

I think you are looking for instant results, I am not sure that is possible. A few days of exercise is not going to help to lose weight. It takes commitment of exercise, change in eating habits, burning more than you are taking in, and TIME. If you aren't willing to give it these three things, your body will not change.

I'm sorry, but this is my opinion.

FemininGuns

I find it funny that you've only been tracking this for 3 weeks (with ample drinks and not 100% clean nutrition).

Give yourself time and be honnest with yourself... The way you're typing this stuff is as if you're looking for a reason to quit... Exercise 4-5 times per week (with weights as well) and if you watch your diet 80% of the time, you should be golden. Give it a couple of months... You will see!!

rachpiper720

For sure exercise! I think bodies have an "adjustment period" when you begin an exercise program and it needs a while to change. I too, have had the problem of losing weight, but I have quit focusing on the scale. Instead I focus on my strength, endurance, and inches lost. This website isn't a quick fix, it is for the long haul by making lifestyle changes. Give your body time, and if you are under your calorie goal and exercising, you will see changes. Don't get discouraged! Keep up your hard work!

cynthiaj777

This sounds exactly like me. I was eating healthier and exercising-I was gaining weight and my clothes weren't fitting any better. I stopped working out, and I magically lost inches and 20 lbs in 8 weeks. IDK why but exercising does not make me lose weight. So, I just eat healthy, watch my calories and don't exercise.

Nonetheless, I hit a plateau of where my body weight is comfortable and should be....and now I can't lose weight. So, I started working out 2 weeks ago to see if I could jump start my weight loss again. Yeh, the holidays happened, so it isn't a fair accessment, but I'm gaining weight and my clothes are fitter tighter.

For me, exercise just doesn't work, apparently.

KendalBeee

I went back and read many of your old posts..you might want to as well and and really see how this whole thing sounds.

You have been trying to watch what you eat and exercise since Dec 20th? and here it is the first week of January and you declare you are incapable of losing weight?

I think you are looking for instant results, I am not sure that is possible. A few days of exercise is not going to help to lose weight. It takes commitment of exercise, change in eating habits, burning more than you are taking in, and TIME. If you aren't willing to give it these three things, your body will not change.

I'm sorry, but this is my opinion.

agreed

LJCannon

When I started this Journey I firmly believed that I COULDN'T lose weight. After all I had tried nearly every diet known to man, plus my entire Family is overweight. My mother even had Gastric Stapling and never lost any significant weight.
I started exercising only because I believed that it would act like Physical Therapy to decrease the pain in my knees and make it easier to walk.
I was FLABBERGASTED when after One Month I had lost 16 pounds!!
:noway: I think the secret is to be consistant, and change up your routine every so often.
:flowerforyou: Stick with the exercise, and you will see results. Change your diet gradually, and log in here often for support and motivation.
:drinker: Good Luck!!

kbefit

Yes still exercise! Don't ever give up. You will lost that weight and in the meantime you are doing such great things for your body - inside and out!

Connie48

I went back and read many of your old posts..you might want to as well and and really see how this whole thing sounds.

You have been trying to watch what you eat and exercise since Dec 20th? and here it is the first week of January and you declare you are incapable of losing weight?

I think you are looking for instant results, I am not sure that is possible. A few days of exercise is not going to help to lose weight. It takes commitment of exercise, change in eating habits, burning more than you are taking in, and TIME. If you aren't willing to give it these three things, your body will not change.

I'm sorry, but this is my opinion.

I didn't realize such a short time span was involved here....I should have paid more attention. I agree, instant results are not likely to happen

ginnyroxx

1. you know you haven't eaten enough calories to gain weight, right? so rule that out.
2. you know you've been working out, right?
so think about it. what can the weight be?

it's not muscle gain...not this early on. But what you're not thinking about is what happens to your muscles when you start using them. they kinda go "whoa, wtf is going on?" They totally hold onto water to repair themselves after your workouts.

also, have you been eating under 1200 NET calories? this means eating some of your exercise calories back. Your body needs its fuel to burn. Don't let it burn your muscle that you're working so hard to create.

and with all that said....are you drinking enough water? Make sure you're AT LEAST getting 8 cups of water a day. it wouldn't hurt at first to go 12 or 14 glasses to flush yourself out. (are you tracking your sodium in your diary?)

I'm looking at your post and the same thing happened to me. 2 weeks into my start here on MFP I gained and was as confused as you are. Keep going. You will get there.

DinahD144

Absolutely!! Keep in mind that diet and exercise are lifestyle changes. Whether you're doing it to lose weight or not, the health benefits of getting in the recommended amount of exercise far outweighs seeing the scale move, in the long run. I would recommend taking your measurements and tracking those in addition to weighing yourself. You might see faster results that way, and they're just as rewarding :happy:

Good luck to you and don't give up. You're worth it!