Anyone else exercise like crazy but still can't lose weight?

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245

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  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    Too much cardio. It's putting too much stress on your body and its holding onto your fat. Try taking away one or two days of the cardio and adding circuit training with weights for an hour instead. Crunches dont do much - do planks if you want to see any type of definition in your mid section. It will pull everything in.

    Oh didnt know that x.x your abs are AWESOME
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    yeah if you're that close to your weight goal, you're going to get better results hitting the weights than running.

    new rules of lifting for women, strong lifts and starting strength are all excellent programs
  • theredqueentheory
    theredqueentheory Posts: 10
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    Wow, a 5 mile run is considered a short workout? What is considered a long workout then?
    Like a lot of other people have said, you would do better to do a longer workout versus several shorter ones.
  • quiqui21
    quiqui21 Posts: 19 Member
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    Yep. So I went to the local body supplement shop and asked them what the heck was going on. Apparently I wasn't eating enough! Haha. I had my calories around 1500 a day, while still exercising 5 days a week, and lost nothing. I was also eating too many protein shakes instead of clean food. (I was drinking 3 a day, and apparently your body digests liquids differently than solids..who knew.) Well, I've upped my calories to around 1,700, and eat more natural clean foods, and I lost 2 lbs in 2 days. :) Give it a go..worked for me. :)
  • hausofnichele
    hausofnichele Posts: 531 Member
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    I am doubly insulin resistant (pre-diabetic/PCOS) and eating low carb/low sodium/low sugar. Mostly lean meats, low G.I. foods. I am losing and doing well (however, I do weigh much more than you).

    I'd love to see your diary to see if there is something that could be triggering your stall :) Good luck, I know how frustrating health problems are!!
  • IronBerserker
    IronBerserker Posts: 1
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    Not nearly enough exercise. How is your diet? I would recommend very low to no sugar (no refined sugar), moderate carb intake - complex carbs. Eat your body weight in protein meaning, say for instance you weigh 130lbs; you need to eat 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
    I would put all your exercise into one routine. Start out with a light walk say 10 mins, then a 10 min light jog to warm up. Then stretch. Never "cold stretch" before you work out, you will end up making yourself weaker, also putting yourself in higher risk of injury.
    Exercise for at least 1 hour, DO NOT lift heavy weights. If you’re not use to it, i.e. your ligaments and tendons you will severely injure yourself.
    Do cardio routines such as stationary bicycle, treadmill, elliptical and Stairmaster. Try interval training such as walk 5 mins sprint 2, jog 3, and then walk. Do this for 20 mins.
    You can add some weight training in but after your cardio, since you goal is weight loss. Do "Light" reps with moderate light weight to max out at 12-15 reps for about 4-5 sets. When you start with weights do a whole body routine to condition your body to the stress of lifting, say about 2 months and no more than 3 workouts a body part. Doing this you will tone your body.
    It's all about diet as well; if you have further questions or comments you can message me.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I work out for 15 minutes in the morning before work; 10 mins cardio and 5 minutes of crunches, pushups and leg lifts. After work, I run 5 miles at 10 minutes per mile. I cook all of my meals at home and eat a high protein and low carb/no sugar diet, and find that I only lose about 0.15 lbs per week. I am insulin resistant and have had my genome sequenced, and have 3 different variations of genes that promote obesity, which also is in my family.

    It is SO frustrating to be working so hard and getting such slow results! Is anyone else in this situation?

    So what several studies have shown for those with a propensity to get fat again, their body slows metabolism far too easily, and then causes less daily activity calorie burning by slowing down what else you do.

    Don't assist that effect by eating too little for your level of activity.

    Also, diet is a stress on your body.

    Hard cardio is a stress on your body.

    Stress is handled by hormones, cortisol being the one that will backfire on you and cause more problems.

    Also, if not eating properly for that level of cardio, you can slip far too easily into burning muscle. You mention eating lots of protein, and doing 10 min miles. How many calories does that burn for you?
    If 15 cal/min, then you are probably burning easily 80% carbs during that workout.
    If you don't replenish that before the next workout, after 4 days probably, your muscles are low on glucose and muscle is going to be broken down to help convert to glucose for energy use.

    So now you are making your metabolism worse too. If you have genenic predisposition to obesity, don't be doing all these things that will make it worse.

    Reasonable deficit caused by diet and/or exercise.

    Lifting weight to maintain muscle mass.

    Appropriate rest days so your body can actually get stronger. Day after day isn't useful either, especially at deficit.

    Get the stress level down by applying above points.
  • theredqueentheory
    theredqueentheory Posts: 10
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    Thanks for replying! But I think maybe you are replying to the wrong post...65 minutes a day is not nearly enough exercise? And my diet is low carb/no sugar...maybe you misread something. I know you mean well though! :)
    Not nearly enough exercise. How is your diet? I would recommend very low to no sugar (no refined sugar), moderate carb intake - complex carbs. Eat your body weight in protein meaning, say for instance you weigh 130lbs; you need to eat 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
    I would put all your exercise into one routine. Start out with a light walk say 10 mins, then a 10 min light jog to warm up. Then stretch. Never "cold stretch" before you work out, you will end up making yourself weaker, also putting yourself in higher risk of injury.
    Exercise for at least 1 hour, DO NOT lift heavy weights. If you’re not use to it, i.e. your ligaments and tendons you will severely injure yourself.
    Do cardio routines such as stationary bicycle, treadmill, elliptical and Stairmaster. Try interval training such as walk 5 mins sprint 2, jog 3, and then walk. Do this for 20 mins.
    You can add some weight training in but after your cardio, since you goal is weight loss. Do "Light" reps with moderate light weight to max out at 12-15 reps for about 4-5 sets. When you start with weights do a whole body routine to condition your body to the stress of lifting, say about 2 months and no more than 3 workouts a body part. Doing this you will tone your body.
    It's all about diet as well; if you have further questions or comments you can message me.
  • theredqueentheory
    theredqueentheory Posts: 10
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    Thank you, good advice. I avoid carbs like the plague...but you have a good point. Will take it into much consideration!

    I work out for 15 minutes in the morning before work; 10 mins cardio and 5 minutes of crunches, pushups and leg lifts. After work, I run 5 miles at 10 minutes per mile. I cook all of my meals at home and eat a high protein and low carb/no sugar diet, and find that I only lose about 0.15 lbs per week. I am insulin resistant and have had my genome sequenced, and have 3 different variations of genes that promote obesity, which also is in my family.

    It is SO frustrating to be working so hard and getting such slow results! Is anyone else in this situation?

    So what several studies have shown for those with a propensity to get fat again, their body slows metabolism far too easily, and then causes less daily activity calorie burning by slowing down what else you do.

    Don't assist that effect by eating too little for your level of activity.

    Also, diet is a stress on your body.

    Hard cardio is a stress on your body.

    Stress is handled by hormones, cortisol being the one that will backfire on you and cause more problems.

    Also, if not eating properly for that level of cardio, you can slip far too easily into burning muscle. You mention eating lots of protein, and doing 10 min miles. How many calories does that burn for you?
    If 15 cal/min, then you are probably burning easily 80% carbs during that workout.
    If you don't replenish that before the next workout, after 4 days probably, your muscles are low on glucose and muscle is going to be broken down to help convert to glucose for energy use.

    So now you are making your metabolism worse too. If you have genenic predisposition to obesity, don't be doing all these things that will make it worse.

    Reasonable deficit caused by diet and/or exercise.

    Lifting weight to maintain muscle mass.

    Appropriate rest days so your body can actually get stronger. Day after day isn't useful either, especially at deficit.

    Get the stress level down by applying above points.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
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    Try switching up your exercise if it is not longer strenuous for you and just because your body has become accustomed to working the same muscle groups.

    I think what most ppl are saying is in the shorter work-outs you are not getting your heart rate to where it needs to be for a long enough period of time.

    Try some pilates, weight lifting, using resistance bands.

    Just my thought.s.
  • LishaCole
    LishaCole Posts: 245
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    You seem to have gotten some good replies. So all I have to say is that its neat that you have had your genome sequenced. That is all. :) haha.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    Like a lot of other people have said, you would do better to do a longer workout versus several shorter ones.


    THIS /\

    a workout session does not really do too much good unless it's at least 20 mins long! x :flowerforyou:
  • jessgumkowski88
    jessgumkowski88 Posts: 189 Member
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    I'm not insulin resistant, but i did have a lot of medical problems and medications that made me gain weight (Not to mention i crave horrible food like a pregnant woman). I was where you were though and pretty much gave up because i could eat clean and healthy and GAIN weight after a month. However after rekindling my desire to change I tried insanity. I have seen DRASTIC changes weekly and i have lost 8lbs in three weeks- without changing my diet (Although I may soon because I'm drooling over the thought of what I'd look like if I wasn't eating hamburgers and duff's wings like the typical college student.) I know this totally sounds like an ad, and I was super skeptical of programs like this, but I have tried diet pills and boot camp videos, and I didn't hate any of them as much as I hated Insanity when I started it (that's right, I HATED it.) But I guess that's how I should know it was working. I hate cardio, I hated feeling like my chest was gonna collapse, and I hated how weak I was, but with my friend there to support me, I have changed soo much. And I LOVE doing the workouts now. I have a bad day when I miss one. More importantly I love the results. It may not be for you, but it certainly was for me, and I'm sure you can find a cheaper copy somewhere if you look, but if you're willing to put in the hard work for like 40 minutes of your day, I'll be VERY surprised if you don't see a difference.

    Honestly, it doesn't even have to be Insanity- it could be something similar, but I know the frustration of not seeing results, and I do not feel that with this exercise program
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    I came back to note something, then saw that lots of you people have reading comprehension issues. 50 minutes running + 15 minutes calisthenics = 65 minutes. Low carb + no sugar = low carb and no sugar. I swear.

    Anyways, since you're pretty close to your goal, I bet you just have to switch the calories around and try switching your activity, too. If you've been at a 10 minute mile for a long while, it may be time to pick up the pace, or take time to cycle or lift weights. A lot of people seem to have success increasing their calories during the final stretch. Who knows. Probably time to experiment. :)
  • joannaorgovan
    joannaorgovan Posts: 71 Member
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    You're not working out hard or long enough. I work out and hour a day, 6-7 days a week and bust *kitten*. You shouldn't look as pretty when you're done as when you stated. If I don't look like I've gotten out of the shower when I'm done I didn't work hard enough. I've lost 55 pounds pretty easily.

    Kick up you workouts and you'll see results.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    oh yes - after a month's inactivity because of an accident with my hip I did 105 minutes at the gym on Wednesday - still stuck on 110 kilos. I have tried eating my limit - I cut my goal by telling it I wanted to lose TWO lbs a week so it set me 1300 calories. Now up to 1500 because I moved again.

    So, after losing 10 kilos in the first 10 days - nothing for a month.

    Have tried eating at target, have tried 1200, have now tried cutting to 800 - still no loss.

    changing shape but my scales HATE me I bit like this keyboard, really) - good luck.

    I this goes on I will probably get into the mindset of the anorexic and conclude that I don't deserve to EVER feel full again.

    It is frustrating
  • cragen01
    cragen01 Posts: 22 Member
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    Wow, a 5 mile run is considered a short workout? What is considered a long workout then?
    Like a lot of other people have said, you would do better to do a longer workout versus several shorter ones.

    You had mentioned taking them at 10 minutes per mile, I read that as several 1 mile runs at 10 minutes. If you just meant that as your speed, and it's one consecutive 5 mile, please disregard what I said.
  • Girl_Bomb
    Girl_Bomb Posts: 195
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    Oh girl, cut that cardio in half, add some weight training and I'm only going to assume you don't eat enough so eat enough to fuel your body. Don't do anymore then 45 mutes of cardio or else your body is going to eat your muscles. DO NOT weigh yourself every day, pick once a week, same day, same time and take all your measurements. Don't depend on the scale it's a lying sack of ****. I weight 155lbs but fit into a size 5 and I eat almost 2000 calories a day. You weight 160lbs, not 300, you don't need to starve you need to train. Also if you make your diary public more people will be able to help you.
  • Girl_Bomb
    Girl_Bomb Posts: 195
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    oh yes - after a month's inactivity because of an accident with my hip I did 105 minutes at the gym on Wednesday - still stuck on 110 kilos. I have tried eating my limit - I cut my goal by telling it I wanted to lose TWO lbs a week so it set me 1300 calories. Now up to 1500 because I moved again.

    So, after losing 10 kilos in the first 10 days - nothing for a month.

    Have tried eating at target, have tried 1200, have now tried cutting to 800 - still no loss.

    changing shape but my scales HATE me I bit like this keyboard, really) - good luck.

    I this goes on I will probably get into the mindset of the anorexic and conclude that I don't deserve to EVER feel full again.

    It is frustrating

    Your 63 male and eating at 1200-800? Your body is going to shut down!!!!! EAT EAT EAT!!!!!!! Fuel your brain, fuel your muscles!! Of course your not going to lose any weight, your body is holding onto every morsel of fat you have in order to survive.
  • JJ_450
    JJ_450 Posts: 3
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    The problem may be that your body is not "fat adapted".
    See this link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/#axzz270ztkWK9

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