Getting discouraged....

dewsmom78

I've been using my elliptical 30 minutes per day, 4-5 times per week for 4 weeks now. I have barely lost 1 lb. I've been eating healthier and logging all my calories on here for the past 2 weeks. I drink lots of water and overall I'm feeling stronger and healthier. I just don't get why the scale isn't moving???

raspberryk

Did you take your measurements before you started? How do your clothes fit now? My guess would be that you're lost fat and built muscle.
X

paxbfl

What is your BMR and TDEE? How many calories are you eating? How many calories are you burning on the elliptical?

The nice thing about MFP is that it makes weight loss simple math. But you have to have all the numbers in front of you.

Also make sure you are carefully measuring out how much food you're eating. I thought I was eating ok until I really looked at it and discovered I was eating way more calories than I thought! When I adjusted the calories and kept working out, the weight really came off.

dewsmom78

My BMR is about 1370. I have a polar watch and burn about 230 calories in 30 minutes. I work at home, but I stay pretty active during the day with housework when I'm not sitting at my desk. I am trying to stay right around 1400 calories a day.

paxbfl

I work at home too! I used to snack all day long but lately I've been a LOT better about it!

Have you seen this before?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It's a lot to read but the bottom line is that it's better to eat more and work out harder including LIFTING. Increasing your calories and increasing your muscle mass will both increase your metabolism.

The thread has a whole process that you can follow to get the right numbers for you, but just throwing it out there... maybe you eat more like 1600, burn 300 calories cardio (preferably by increasing your intensity which can also boost your metabolism vs just going longer. Google "HIIT" for ideas) and LIFT.

Because you don't have a lot of weight to lose, this advice is even more valid for you. Because lifting will help you tone up to look and feel great! The last 10 pounds are tough to lose, but maybe you meet yourself somewhere in the middle - lose 10 pounds of fat, gain 3 pounds of muscle, end up down 7 pounds but in much better shape with a much lower body fat %.

Ge0rgiana

Did you take your measurements before you started? How do your clothes fit now? My guess would be that you're lost fat and built muscle.
X

You do not build muscle from an elliptical. It takes lots of hard work with heavy weights.

Mini_Medic

Pax knows what's up. Listen to him he has great advice!

CupcakesAndRazorblades

Don't get discouraged!!!! Screw the scale, if you are feeling better that's what matters most. Keep going

anasantos61

Agree with Pax.

quirkytizzy

Patience is the name of the game. I know it's frustrating when we see other people dropping 5 or 10 pounds those first couple of weeks, but that's water weight - and yours will fall off soon. This is not a race - you're doing the work, you're building good habits - these are in the win column. Keep doing what you're doing, wait. Results will follow.

Lt_Starbuck

Since you are just starting, start by making sure you are working out with a balanced program, not doing the same thing 4 or 5 days a week.

Split everything equally between weight lifting, cardio and flexibility/rest.

If you want 1/3 of the results, do 1/3 of the work - but no matter what plan you pick - stick to this for at least six months to a year.

avgjoe4

I go to a nutritionist monthly and she sent me a 13 page "Efficiency" article of how to properly control your HR and lose weight and gain distance by not going over a certain number for your heart rate. Here are some paragraphs from that article:

Another master of this is Mark Allen. He describes his evolution to this method in his website http://www.markallenonline.com/heartrate.asp. Mark tried to finish each and every run at or near 5 minutes a mile, the pace he needed to run short course triathlons. After seasons of inconsistencies and fatigue, he soon discovered that running harder and harder was not the answer. Convinced though skeptic of Phil Maffetone’s lower effort training he put a heart rate monitor on and at a pace of 8:15 per mile his HR monitor would beep at the preset 155. This was slower than he ever ran. Convinced to take the slow burn approach he took months and ran at 155 HR. During these months he became more efficient and faster at the low heart rate and soon enough he was running effortless 5:30 miles at this easy effort.

Priscilla was a believer of the powerful feedback of the Heart Rate monitor. In her build up for races she did the bulk of her training below HR 150. She would not exceed this even if it meant walking up a hill. She would judge her fitness not by a “time trail” (all out effort over a distance) but by the Maximal Aerobic Function Test. Her HR was set to go no higher than 150 and she would measure her time over a 5 mile course. She knew she was aerobically fit when she would hit her goal times at the easy effort.

So how do you determine what this “go no higher” HR is to maximize fat utilizing aerobic development and all the cellular and vascular changes that occur. Most of us do not sense this until it is too late in our efforts. The high tech way is in an exercise physiology lab. The simpler and more practical way is to apply the Maffetone Method. Phil Maffetone has been the coach and advisor to many world class marathoners and triathletes, as well as thousands of recreational athletes. See the link for a more detailed article but here is his formula:

The 180 Formula
To find your maximum aerobic heart rate:
1. Subtract your age from 180 (180 - age).
2. Modify this number by selecting one of the following categories:
a. If you have or are recovering from a major illness (heart disease, any operation, any hospital stay) or on any regular medication, subtract 10.
b. If you have not exercised before, you have exercised but have been injured or are regressing in your running, subtract 5.
c. If you have been exercising for up to two years with no real problems and have not had colds or flu more than once or twice a year, subtract 0.
d. If you have been exercising for more than two years without any problems, making progress in competition without injury, add 5.
For example, if you are 30 years old and reasonably fit you would fall into category 2c: 180 - 30 = 150.This is your maximum aerobic heart rate for base training. For efficient base building, you should train at or below this level throughout your base period.

Other good references are Joe Friel’s “Total Heart Rate Training” or Edmund Burke’s “Precision Heart Rate Training”. These two books go into more detail about determining optimum heart rate zones for training and are definitely worth the read. Joe Friel’s web site has some great free resources http://www.trainingbible.com/ . The 30 minute test linked under “free resources” and calculating Zone 2 gives the most precise method outside of the fancy exercise physiology lab. Link to tables- http://www.performancetrainingsystems.com/newstips/tips_zone_finder.html

concordancia

How tall are you? Your current weight is a healthy one for most women and those extra vanity pounds can be very stubborn.

avgjoe4

I was only orginally going 3 miles in 30 minutes on the elliptical. Last week i was working toward a 4 mile 30 minute elliptical, this is all on Level 5, I had to cut it short to 20 minutes b/c we had roll call soon and I had to shower and get in uniform, but the most I've done recently was 3.65 in 30 minutes not going over my 154 HR.

Lt_Starbuck

Vanity pounds are where all the real challenges are.

No one cares about the body fat % between naked and clothed.

Except those who REALLY REALLY REALLY care.

dewsmom78

How tall are you? Your current weight is a healthy one for most women and those extra vanity pounds can be very stubborn.

I am 5'2 and 34 years old. My current body fat is 29%, which is on the high end. It is mostly in my tummy and back.


Thank you all for the feedback. I will add in some weight training to gain some muscle.

MrsAngieGuillory

I hear you. I've been going strong for 40 days logging in calories and exercises. I've kept my food intake right at or below my daily goal and increased my water intake (i hardly ever drank water even when I was pregnant with my boys). It's hard work. But you develop a buddy system. You find someone who is in the same boat as you and you buddy up with them. You work out together you go to the gym together, you bike together, you run together. When one of you falters, there's a buddy there to encourage you to do better.

nikkilaw07

Try the website fitnessblender.com, they have a lot of at home HIIT workouts that are easy to follow and deceivingly hard! I have started doing different workouts from their website for the last few weeks, I have only lost a few pounds but my body is tighter, my clothes fit better and I notice I am more flexible and my posture is better! I can't say enough great things about this site, oh yeah it's FREE!!! I hope this helps!