Not losing much weight, need help!

Eleanorjanethinner

Three pounds in three weeks for a not very overweight person is brilliant! You shouldn't expect 'Biggest loser' results a) at all and b) if you're not massively overweight and making a huge lifestyle change and working out 8 hours a day.

Keep up the good work and give yourself a big pat on the back!

PS 'Comparisons are the thief of joy'. Just don't do it!

SRH7

Just a thought... we are so programmed to believe that we should be shedding several pounds a week that anything less seems like a failure. Truth is, a pound a week is exactly what you should be aiming for. I eat 1500 calories a day (I weigh 177lbs) and I'm losing 1lb a week (I also exercise around four days a week and eat back about half my calories burned). To lose any more I would have to drop my calories to a scarily low amount, which would not be healthy and would be unlikely to stay off long term.

Sounds like you are doing great - keep doing what you are doing and those 'pounds here and pounds there' will continue to come off till you hit your target. Weight loss takes two things - consistency and patience.

jennkain97

Definitely add some strength training. Check out "The New Rules of Lifting For Women". I started a couple of weeks ago -- INCREASED my calories by 250/day, and I'm down 2lbs already!

saw1969

Shellybelly 3 - thanks for your comments

erin_leslee

I'm going through the same thing (weight hasn't been budging for at least a month), but I've stopped looking at the scale and looking at my body and how my clothes fit. I've found that I'm losing fat and it's becoming muscle (body fat percentage went from 30% down to 24% in 3 months) but my weight hasn't budged very much besides about 0.1-0.5kg or so.

But think about all the questions you need to ask to find out about why you've hit a plateau in terms of your weight.
- have you been doing the same exercise routine? do you switch up your cardiovascular exercises (ie. doing running one day, uphill walking another day, skipping rope another day, swimming another day, etc)
- are you getting your heart rate up to 65-80% of your maximum when you do cardio training?
- have you tried other types of training (examples: plyometrics, functional training, suspension/rip training, VIPR, bodyweight training)
- do you do any circuit or interval training?

Functional and suspension training exercises using Tabata protocol interval training is something I use during my workouts and I've found that it's been more than helpful for me in terms of building up and testing my personal strength as a lot of the moves rely on your own body weight.

I look at a few websites when I'm trying to come up with exercises to incorporate into my interval routines:
- www.bodyrock.tv (lots of moves to choose from, equipment-free alternatives are provided and some of the interval workouts actually come with beginner, intermediate and advanced routines; there's also information on food/diet and even emotional support and an online store to purchase some of the equipment and supplements that some of the video bodyrockers use in their routines)
- www.acefitness.org (large exercise library, with and without equipment)
- www.livestrong.com (so much helpful advice in one website, this has to be bookmarked)

Hope this helps.

shivles

Well having a look at your diary I'd say there's too much refined sugar (muller rice, sugar in coffee) porridge with honey is better for breakfast if you need the sweet fix, try to wean yourself off sugar in coffee (but don't switch to sweetener, that can make things worse) also by cutting out the white carbs you might notice more of a shift so only wholemeal bread and pasta but try to use other carbs instead like grains and pulses. Also your exercise is a little hit and miss, do something every day even if it's just a walk and alternate between cardio and strength training (don't be scared to lift some weights, it's good for fat burning!). Hope you see some results soon, but your weight loss isn't bad at all really!

Trewski

thanks Shiv, the Muller rice has really only been this week as i've been pushed for time with work, normally it's weetabix. I found porridge a bit bloating, but have bought some gluten free stuff, so will keep off the Muller rice. If i have coffee at home i do have sweetener, perhaps I'll go back to tea, I can drink that without sugar.

I only have brown everything at home ( eating out, I haven't seen wholemeal pasta on any menu) , rice, pasta, bread, not that I eat that much of it.

you're right too about the exercise being hit and miss, so next week will try porridge for breakfast, tea not coffee (if i have either, I'll try not too) exercise every day alternating cardio and strength and see how it goes. thanks all for the advice people x

mrsjay4life

I have read that the less weight you have to loss is the harder
It is then if you were bigger, but you will lose it!