Need an expert here!!! Please read and help!!

I drank my herbalife shake with added protein and blueberries this morning but this time I added organic oats 1/2 cup. I wanted to up my calories because I burn alot with exercise at my current weight of 175. I took pics over a month ago and you can see some inches lost and my side abs starting to come in but nothing in the middle. I sweat like crazy and do cardio everyday. I dont know how many carbs I should be eating but I fall short on calories at the end of the day usually my net is 350 or something like that. What am I doing wrong why am I not losing weight?? *I know I am gaining muscle and that weighs more than fat but I dont want to be 180 pound body builder...lol so any one that can give me advice would be awesome....thank you for taking the time to read
Eva
P.s. I drank my shake before i worked out instead of after is this ok??

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    I'm not real sure what you are really asking. How long have you been in this routine? Based on your post and ticker, it look like you have lost 5 lbs and some inches maybe in a month? If so, that is a pretty good, healthy weight loss.

    Side points:

    - you aren't going to be a bodybuilder - those women really have to try to look that way with specialized nutrition and workouts.
    - you can't lose fat in a certain spot. It will lose where it wants at different rates and if you lose enough fat, your trouble spot will eventually disappear, too.
    - drinking your shake before your workout is fine I suppose. I don't really think people NEED meal replacement shakes, but if it works for you then more power to you. If you are using the weight management line (I looked them up on the website) the powder is about 57% carb, 40% protein and 3% fat, which should give you a good amount of energy to workout. I usually eat protein after the workout though, so adding more protein to the shake before the workout probably isn't necessary. Read this: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-eat-before-during-after-exercise
  • Rambo313
    Rambo313 Posts: 179 Member
    You ONLY net 350 calories at the end of your day? So you don't eat back your exercise calories back at all?
  • lsegatti
    lsegatti Posts: 77 Member
    One thing that helps me reduce mid section flab is to not eat any wheat based products. When I do I feel sluggish, I get puffy and if I over do it I do gain a little bit. What do I use instead, I eat rice bread, use rice pasta when I can (my husband ate it for three years before even noticing the difference), rice chex cereal when I need some crunchy texture, plain rice cakes also.

    It could be my just my system and how I respond to wheat but my sister lost 40 pounds in one year just by eliminating all wheat products and nothing else changed for her. NO added exercise, no counting of calories just No wheat! What have you got to lose by trying it for two weeks?
  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
    Hi, I am NOT an expert, but I know to lose weight you have to take in less calories than you did defore and you have to excersize more. Be sure not to eat any empty calories like sugar, white bread etc. My sister in law who works in a hospital has lost 75 lbs in about 5 months. She said she is on a 1200 calorie diet and must have 80 grams of protein. The protein helps melt the fat. I run everyday and usually have anywhere from 450 calories up to 800 that I burn. I never go into the extra calories burned. I use that to burn the cavities.
    You get a lot of advise here and very few are experts. You have to do what works for you!!

    Best of luck!!!

    Basil
  • evademers
    evademers Posts: 55
    Thank you everyone! I guess I should just be patient as 175 pounds is going to be hard to lose fast. I have been wheat and gluten free and dairy and soy free for almost 3 years. I lost like 90 pounds but have gained back 40 due to medications I am on. So I guess thats going to make more challenging to lose weight. I think I will leave the oats out of my shakes I dont want to up my carbs so much. I will just keep doing what I am doing and hopefully my stomach will come around like one of you said. I enjoy working out I feel great after and I feel healthier so I guess I will focus more on that and keep on going! Thank you for reading everyone!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Also, fat is a first-on-last-off type thing. So, if you got fat around your hips first, then legs and then arms, as you lose weight, it will first go off your arms, then legs, then hips. There is a lot of variation to putting on fat (Inside, outside, concentrated, spread out, etc.) So it really all depends on the individual how the fat will come off.

    Slow and steady will definitely win the race. Too often people get TOTALLY into losing weight and make good progress for a couple weeks, then crash out due to being exhausted with low calories and excessive exercise.

    Just make sure you get enough nutrition in your diet, especially protein, and that you have a calorie deficit overall built mainly through some exercise/eating under TDEE. You will get there.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    Rest assure you'll certainly NOT become a bodybuilder eating net 350 calories a day.