Yo yo weightloss

sarahfournier50

I have been going to the gym for a month now (3 times a week) and eating approx. 1500 calories a day. I have only lost 2.5 pounds and my weight "yo yos" because it will be going down and then POW its up a pound. I can't seem to get it to keep going down and this is making weight loss slower than I think it should be. Is it suppose to be this hard??? My weight loss goal is 45 pounds.

DanaDark

What is your sodium intake like? Water weight makes huge variations. You may actually lose fat but GAIN weight.

Take up keeping track of your measurements as well. Hips, waist, chest, arms, thighs, and neck. Or some combination of those. Seeing those numbers go down but weight stay the same or go up will mean you are still making good progress.

K_Hilscher

I find the more lean protein I eat the more weight I lose. I've been battling with my weight since I was a child and it always seems easier to eat carbs because they are low fat or fat free. As I got older I realized this might not be the best way and find more protein helps to keep me fuller longer and I lose more weight.

DanaDark

Protein is definitely the way to go to aid weight loss. If your body doesn't have enough protein, it can't do a ton of stuff it needs to do, and thus, spends less energy.

If you don't have enough protein in your diet, and you up the protein, the body will actually spend more calories than you take in with the extra food.

sarahfournier50

I was under the impression that your body uses carbs as energy first and protein is the last thing you would want to burn since it could result in muscle loss. I'm a vegetarian and I eat about 59g of protein a day and on exercise days I would eat an extra 10-15 grams.

Sodium could very well be a problem. I have been drinking V8 and enjoyed some soy sauce in my rice last night :P We'll see if the extra pound drops in a day or two!

jbella99

If you are new to weight lifting and lifting heavy. Your muscles will retain water for repair. This is absolutely normal. You may also not be eating enough... Check out the group Est more to weigh less.

jbella99

I was under the impression that your body uses carbs as energy first and protein is the last thing you would want to burn since it could result in muscle loss. I'm a vegetarian and I eat about 59g of protein a day and on exercise days I would eat an extra 10-15 grams.

Sodium could very well be a problem. I have been drinking V8 and enjoyed some soy sauce in my rice last night :P We'll see if the extra pound drops in a day or two!

You should be eating aT least 30% of your calories in protein. Try a 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat split.

DanaDark

I was under the impression that your body uses carbs as energy first and protein is the last thing you would want to burn since it could result in muscle loss. I'm a vegetarian and I eat about 59g of protein a day and on exercise days I would eat an extra 10-15 grams.

Sodium could very well be a problem. I have been drinking V8 and enjoyed some soy sauce in my rice last night :P We'll see if the extra pound drops in a day or two!

Your body is made of protein, fat, and water. Cells get damaged EVERY day. Walking, jogging, touching things, even simply breathing actually damages your cells. To repair, your body needs proteins.

The body CAN use protein as an energy source, but it will first use protein to repair the body. Many times when people don't get enough protein, the body starts taking it from the muscle to be able to repair the cells, as a fully repaired heart, kidney, liver, etc is FAR more valuable to the body than extra muscle to lift weights. Eventually, as muscle mass gets too low, the body no longer has protein sources to complete repairs, and then calorie usage drops dramatically (this is the plateau many people hit when they don't eat enough/properly).

In exercise, the body quickly runs out of readily available carbohydrates stored in the muscle tissue and must begin using fat stores as well as some protein to make energy. The protein usage here is not a big issue at all, as these fibers all become damaged due to it and provided you are eating right, will get repaired and even grow.

If you are doing any exercise activity, you should set your protein intake to at least 20%. The FDA suggest between 20 and 30% based on level of physical activity.

Being vegetarian will make it VERY difficult for you to ensure you make your protein goals. So, you make want to look into protein shakes of some sort. I"d personally recommend Low Carb Slim Fast, as it is high in protein (20g a can!) at about 180 calories and loaded with nutrients. Do not be afraid of the fat in it as well, it is mostly unsaturated fats which are good for you.

sarahfournier50

I should also mention that i'm not weight lifting but doing cardio three times a week. I meet the required protein intake recommended on my food diary. I will try increasing my protein to see if it helps, however, I don't want to overload on protein if its not necessary. I usually eat carbs before my workout and then after my workout i'll have a meal involving lots of protein for repair so I have no idea what i'm doing wrong. My body is just being stupid right now :P