15 days an I've not lost a thing!!!!!

ThePhoenixRose

i didn't lose for the first few weeks at all. but i kept at it, and then it started to fall off really quickly. i lost 29 lbs in just over 3 months, and that was with not losing the first 3 weeks. so, stick with it! you'll get there. your body just has to adjust sometimes.

tigersword

My trainer told me no more than 35 grams of fat, sorry if I got the percentage wrong
I usually burn between 500-1500 of my calories with exercise depending on the day (some days are 3 hour sessions)

If that's a personal trainer that told you that, 99% of personal trainers are completely unqualified to talk about nutrition. 35 grams of fat sounds low for an upper limit. Fat is a good thing. 35 grams of fat for a 1500 calorie diet would only 9% of your calories.

"99% of personal trainers are completely unqualified to talk about nutrition" There's an unfair blanket statement! Have you ever even worked with an educated and certified personal trainer? Angel79202's trainer knows what she is doing and I've seen proof.

I said 99% for a reason. Personal training certifications don't require any kind of nutrition education. Even several trainers on this site have admitted that personal trainers are unqualified to discuss nutrition. Heck, to put it in total perspective most DOCTORS only take 1 nutrition class in all of their medical training, so the majority of doctors aren't really qualified to talk nutrition either. A nutritionist is a better choice than either, and if you work out or play sports, a sports nutritionist is the best choice.

Kim55555

I"ve lost 25 lbs and been stuck there and it IS frustrating BUT I've lost inches........I'm not looking at the scales anymore...I'm losing inches...I put on a blouse today (even after a few days of having sweets for the holidays) and I've not been able to wear the blouse in several years..it was gut tight....even a few months ago it was gut tight...and today, I WORE IT TO CHURCH!!

Good work!!

Over the past 21 months my pattern has gone something like this!

Week 1 Gain .3 kg
Week 2 Stay same weight
Week 3 Lose .2 kg
Week 4 Gain .1 kg
Week 5 Lose 1.5 kg

It is hard to know if you are progressing when the number on the scale is not moving. Good to see you taking measurements and going by how your clothes are fitting. You need to have a lot of patience when losing weight because it just doesn't happen every week. Its best to take the monthly average.

Anyway I've lost nearly 30 kg now and it has been a huge test of my patience.

I'd say in regards to progress > IMO If you are not noticing the difference in how your clothes are fitting/measurements in a period of 4 - 5 weeks then you need to adjust your calorie intake/diet/exercise. If you are noticing your clothes are feeling looser then keep doing what your doing and the scale eventually will catch up.

Keep up the good work, well done!

Edited to say: I have found it a great motivation to buy a top a size too small and to try it on every couple of weeks to see if I notice any difference. This helps when you dont see the scale moving. So if the new top is feeling looser then you know you are on the right track and losing body fat.

TrainingWithTonya

My trainer told me no more than 35 grams of fat, sorry if I got the percentage wrong
I usually burn between 500-1500 of my calories with exercise depending on the day (some days are 3 hour sessions)

If that's a personal trainer that told you that, 99% of personal trainers are completely unqualified to talk about nutrition. 35 grams of fat sounds low for an upper limit. Fat is a good thing. 35 grams of fat for a 1500 calorie diet would only 9% of your calories.

Actually, 35 grams of fat in a 1500 calorie diet is 21%. (35 grams x 9 calories per gram = 315 calories from fat / 1500 total calories = 0.21 = 21%) If it were in protein or carbs where it is 4 calories per gram, then it would be 9%. Technically, at 1500 calories, 20% is the bottom of the range and the top end is 35%, so 33 to 58 grams for a 1500 calorie eating plan.

That being said, I totally agree with you about the personal trainers being unqualified to give nutrition guidelines. In some states it's actually illegal. Certifications only give a brief overview of nutrition and prescribing nutrition plans is outside their scope of practice. Even personal trainers who have a degree in exercise science aren't qualified to give nutrition recommendations as they may only have 1 nutrition class (same with doctors). That's why I added a certification in sports nutrition to my personal training and group exercise certifications and took my minor in nutrition while doing my bachelors in exercise physiology, so I could legally help people with their nutrition as well as exercise.

Kim55555

Girl, Im in the same EXACT place right now and its SOOOO frustrating! I do Insanity DVD's and kill myself every single workout and my measurements and the scale dont really change. I personally think Im off in my caloric needs but cant tell if Im too high or too low. So Im going to play around with my intake and see what happends. BTW, I think its important to have confusion in your workouts. If you are a runner, and run often, and have done it for awhile your body can adapt. Try changing it up! The dvds I do are something anyone can do in their home. Ive lost 20lbs in 60 days and have gained muscle and a much stronger core. Im not a coach for Beachbody, Im a user and really believe in their programs. Good luck!

g'day well done on your loss and your exercise program! How many gross calories are you on?

Just remember if you change your calorie intake to give your body a good month to get used to this new amount to see if its having an impact on the scale and or your measurements/how your clothes fit. Body needs time to adjust.

Good luck!

goldfinger88

oh disheartened.... Discouraged.... But I guess a plus is now I have decent looking calves.

You can't really judge your fitness by the scales. How you feel in your clothes, how you look, how you feel health-wise -- all those are far better gauges of your total fitness. Don't let the scales discourage you. Also, it's not unusual to not have a weight loss on the scales for 15 days. You may want to increase your calories for a few days. Your body may think it's starving. That causes it to hang on to fat for survival.

TrainingWithTonya

i didn't lose for the first few weeks at all. but i kept at it, and then it started to fall off really quickly. i lost 29 lbs in just over 3 months, and that was with not losing the first 3 weeks. so, stick with it! you'll get there. your body just has to adjust sometimes.

This is what I see with a majority of my clients. When you add a resistance training program, the body adapts by increasing the amount of glycogen the muscles can store. That glycogen is stored in 3x as much water as glycogen, so if you store 10 grams of glycogen then you also store 30 grams of water to hold it. Since none of that is fat, it shows up as lean body mass when you do a body composition which is why many people think they can build muscle easy. It's not really muscle, just an adaptation in the body to be able to fuel the activity, but that adaptation has to occur in order to eventually be able to add more muscle. But because of that quick adaptation, a lot of people will actually gain the first couple of weeks of a resistance training program or when they've been working longer but have let their glycogen stores get depleted and then their body adapts again trying to store more from wherever they can get them. Once this levels off, if they don't allow themselves to be glycogen depleted, then they will start seeing the scale move downward from their fat loss, but it takes several weeks, usually. That's why I don't re-weigh (after an initial weigh in for their 1st session assessment) my clients for about 6 weeks when they start out.

TrainingWithTonya

I said 99% for a reason. Personal training certifications don't require any kind of nutrition education. Even several trainers on this site have admitted that personal trainers are unqualified to discuss nutrition. Heck, to put it in total perspective most DOCTORS only take 1 nutrition class in all of their medical training, so the majority of doctors aren't really qualified to talk nutrition either. A nutritionist is a better choice than either, and if you work out or play sports, a sports nutritionist is the best choice.

I totally agree, but only if the nutritionist has taken college coursework in nutrition or at minimum a certification in nutrition. Unfortunately, in a lot of states the term Nutritionist isn't regulated so just anyone can claim to be a nutritionist without any actual education in nutrition. Personal trainers, exercise physiologists, doctors, etc. aren't qualified in nutrition. They generally only take one class in nutrition and that only covers the basics and not the specifics of how to prescribe an eating plan. So, when getting nutrition recommendations, ask the nutritionist what their qualifications are, how many nutrition classes they've taken, what scope of practice their education covers, etc. And a registered dietitian is even better because they are regulated. But even when working with an RD, ask them their scope of practice because there are several different tracks that they can take in school too. An RD who has studied nutrition for a hospital setting as their educational track won't know much about how to work with healthy populations, people who exercise, or athletes.

econut2000

Reading these messages gives me hope. I have been doing this for about a week. I have good days but more bad days. I know a lot of my calories are junk food, but I am trying to work on that. I also know I need to increase my water intake. I started back working out about 3 weeks ago and try to do cardio at least 3 times a week (trying to work up to weights). I start physical therapy next week so this will help me get started with my strength training. Any advice is definitely welcome.

Don't beat yourself up over bad days!!! We all have them and quite frankly, if you don't you're apt to suddenly snap and go back to the old cycles that got you on this site in the first place. Remember, this isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle and if you treat it that way, I think you will end up kinder to yourself. Set small goals for yourself: maybe this week you start eliminating that junk food (oh so hard I know!) and swap for healthier versions. My weakness is salty, crunchy snacks. I will make homemade pita chips or tortilla chips (1 loaf/tortilla cut up and bake in the oven until light brown) and eat with some hummus (I make my own but you can just as easily buy pre-made -- there are a ton on online recipes if you want to learn how to make it), salsa or guacamole. This is a great substitute for chips/dips. I only make 1 tortilla/pita at a time so I am not apt to overeat them. Another goal you could make is to make sure you add one additional veggie serving per day. They say doing something regularly makes them habit after just 2 weeks, so even if you concentrate on a single goal for 2 weeks, it may be some slow going but who cares! You are getting healthier even if the scale doesn't budge :-) Good luck! I have a lot of physical challenges that won't allow me to do a whole lot of exercise and I have a lot of other health issues which don't allow me to lose weight so I KNOW how frustrating this can be. Just remember, even just meeting and sticking to small goals are a win! :-)

beautifulbeast11

I totally have a pair of jeans from years ago that I should use for motivation and "tracking". I really want to read up more on health tips/lifestyle. Maybe I should walk to the library hmmmm.

Crowhorse

I definitely eat. Typically pretty healthy and portioned (give or take holiday season). And my main exercise is running as I can't join the gym till January. But I think many good thoughts showed up here.
1. I need to drink more water.
2. I need to do measurements and BMI over scale.
3. Salt and I need to become mortal enemies.
4. Patience and I need to become lovers.


Ending note: thank you all for such great input. It really helps!

People need to quit the salt hate. It is not a mortal enemy, and if you are exercising regularly, it is very needed. Cutting your salt makes your food taste bad, too. Unless you are a person that lands in the small % of a small % of the population that actually does need to truly watch it (and that is a tiny %) I wouldn't hop aboard that mental game crazy train.

vingogly

People need to quit the salt hate. It is not a mortal enemy, and if you are exercising regularly, it is very needed. Cutting your salt makes your food taste bad, too. Unless you are a person that lands in the small % of a small % of the population that actually does need to truly watch it (and that is a tiny %) I wouldn't hop aboard that mental game crazy train.

I have been on hypertension meds off and on since the mid 80s, and what I've found is that my blood pressure doesn't fluctuate based on my sodium input. The biggest factor in my hypertension is weight: the fatter I am, the higher the blood pressure. My doctor recently dropped one of my four meds, not because I'm watching my sodium but because I've lost sufficient weight that I was starting to have faint spells due to my blood pressure going too low. I do read labels, and avoid purchasing prepared meals/soups/etc that have a large amount of sodium in them (and as a consequence many foods now seem too salty to me). I've read that shaking salt on a dish after you cook it is preferable, since you'll be able to taste the salt. But someone who's in the care of a cardiologist should check with their doctor for recommendations.

This site says research shows only about 1/3 of the population is sodium sensitive, and there's no test for sodium sensitivity:

http://www.healthline.com/health-blogs/diet-diva/sodium-sensitive

(let me guess ... someone will now claim that their alternative health practitioner gave them a Magic Test for sodium sensitivity ... )

angel79202

My trainer told me no more than 35 grams of fat, sorry if I got the percentage wrong
I usually burn between 500-1500 of my calories with exercise depending on the day (some days are 3 hour sessions)

If that's a personal trainer that told you that, 99% of personal trainers are completely unqualified to talk about nutrition. 35 grams of fat sounds low for an upper limit. Fat is a good thing. 35 grams of fat for a 1500 calorie diet would only 9% of your calories.

"99% of personal trainers are completely unqualified to talk about nutrition" There's an unfair blanket statement! Have you ever even worked with an educated and certified personal trainer? Angel79202's trainer knows what she is doing and I've seen proof.

I said 99% for a reason. Personal training certifications don't require any kind of nutrition education. Even several trainers on this site have admitted that personal trainers are unqualified to discuss nutrition. Heck, to put it in total perspective most DOCTORS only take 1 nutrition class in all of their medical training, so the majority of doctors aren't really qualified to talk nutrition either. A nutritionist is a better choice than either, and if you work out or play sports, a sports nutritionist is the best choice.

we can agree to disagree, I am going on the recommendations of my doctor and trainer..others can chose to do what they want..what works for me will not work for all..weight loss is not a one size fits all approach, we all need to make the modifications..I also have some medical conditions that I need not discuss that make keeping the fat/saturated fat as low as possible..

Good luck to all.

angel79202

double post

angel79202

I said 99% for a reason. Personal training certifications don't require any kind of nutrition education. Even several trainers on this site have admitted that personal trainers are unqualified to discuss nutrition. Heck, to put it in total perspective most DOCTORS only take 1 nutrition class in all of their medical training, so the majority of doctors aren't really qualified to talk nutrition either. A nutritionist is a better choice than either, and if you work out or play sports, a sports nutritionist is the best choice.

I totally agree, but only if the nutritionist has taken college coursework in nutrition or at minimum a certification in nutrition. Unfortunately, in a lot of states the term Nutritionist isn't regulated so just anyone can claim to be a nutritionist without any actual education in nutrition. Personal trainers, exercise physiologists, doctors, etc. aren't qualified in nutrition. They generally only take one class in nutrition and that only covers the basics and not the specifics of how to prescribe an eating plan. So, when getting nutrition recommendations, ask the nutritionist what their qualifications are, how many nutrition classes they've taken, what scope of practice their education covers, etc. And a registered dietitian is even better because they are regulated. But even when working with an RD, ask them their scope of practice because there are several different tracks that they can take in school too. An RD who has studied nutrition for a hospital setting as their educational track won't know much about how to work with healthy populations, people who exercise, or athletes.

good advice

Helloitsdan

2. I need to do measurements and BMI over scale.

For the love of Bruce Lee and Joss Whedon, PLEASE don't look at BMI. Like...ever. In fact, if you can manage to forget you ever heard of it...that'd be GREAT.

^^^My new hero!