I'm new to this site

mandmsmom
mandmsmom Posts: 4
edited September 21 in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone,


I'm new to this site and I need some help! I've lost 46 pounds this year and now I am stuck. I have not lost any more weight in more than four months and I'm really feeling discourged.

I go to the gym at my job almost everyday. I do 5 min intervals walking and running and 30 min of weight training. I just came from shopping with my sister and not one pair of size 12 jeans fit me anymore. I almost in tears. My hard work is not paying off and I really don't want to stop but I'm wondering what I'm I doing wrong.

Replies

  • weightlessness
    weightlessness Posts: 35
    I'm so sorry you're stuck on a plateau. I'm really stuck at one as well, so you're definitely not alone! I think you're doing amazing, 46 pounds in a year is PHENOMENAL! MFP should help a lot, and maybe just keeping up with your daily diary will show you areas to tweak things in and maybe push you over your slump. Good luck and welcome!

    :flowerforyou:
  • scarlettsmummy
    scarlettsmummy Posts: 3 Member
    i've heard that for losing weight cardio is better for buring the fat and to steer clear of the weights, maybe you should forget about the weights for now until you are nearer to where you want to be and spend more time on the walking and cardio activities which will help to burn the fat.

    This website is great by the way and well done for losing all that weight, that is amazing, don't give up and keep going til you get to where you want to be! x
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
    Hi and welcome fellow newbie

    Well done on the weight-loss so far, I'm impressed.

    I can't offer any advice on the plateau you've reached but i'm sure you'll get plenty of advice on here

    Cat
  • mandmsmom
    mandmsmom Posts: 4
    Thank you. I really hope this helps. I've tried telling my husband about my struggles but he blames my troubles on my age. I'm only 32 gee whiz!!!! Some tips and motivation from everyone would be wonderful.
  • mandmsmom
    mandmsmom Posts: 4
    i've heard that for losing weight cardio is better for buring the fat and to steer clear of the weights, maybe you should forget about the weights for now until you are nearer to where you want to be and spend more time on the walking and cardio activities which will help to burn the fat.

    This website is great by the way and well done for losing all that weight, that is amazing, don't give up and keep going til you get to where you want to be! x
  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
    i've heard that for losing weight cardio is better for buring the fat and to steer clear of the weights, maybe you should forget about the weights for now until you are nearer to where you want to be and spend more time on the walking and cardio activities which will help to burn the fat.

    This website is great by the way and well done for losing all that weight, that is amazing, don't give up and keep going til you get to where you want to be! x

    This could not be further from the truth, burning fat requires metabolism, and more lean body mass increases your metabolism and lets you burn calories all day long. Strength training is the FIRST exercise you should think about when burning fat, not cardio. Cardio burns calories for that moment, more muscle burns calories all day, which means you can also eat more since your metabolism is increasing naturally.

    Now if you're talking about scale weight (that's not fat), then of course hours of mindless cardio will make the number drop. You just don't see the same results without the strength training regimen.

    My guess is you need to increase the volume that you eat, but it's hard to say since I don't know what and how much you eat currently. Most people that plateau just don't eat healthy enough, or don't eat enough calories in general. No amount of exercise is going to boost your metabolism if you don't fuel your body with the food it's asking for! Hope this helps.
  • scarlettsmummy
    scarlettsmummy Posts: 3 Member
    sounded a little unnecessarily agressive there about the cardio advice!

    Just going on what fitness professionals have told me in the past, surely by using weights when you have more fat you're just turning the fat into muscle which in turn is gonna weigh more?? Isn't it a good idea to burn some of that fat off and then try and turn it into muscle which in turn will increase your metalbolism?? Not only that the cardio will help strengthen the heart and make for a healthier body surely? And as for hours of mind numbing cardio, pretty sure cardio is a lot less mind numbing than staring at yourself in a mirror as you lift weights up and down, wow, sounds thrilling!

    Newbie, I would suggest asking someone at your work gym their opinion as they would probably know better then either myself or the other dude that commented, i've been doing cardio for years as a way to burn fat and was always told to do this and it has ALWAYS worked for me, but it may not be the way for you, just sounds as tho lifting weights isn't really working for you either so thought suggesting trying something else might be an idea hunny. Whatever you do just remember how brilliantly you are doing and that you are 46 pounds lighter than this time last year, go you! x
  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
    sounded a little unnecessarily agressive there about the cardio advice!

    Just going on what fitness professionals have told me in the past, surely by using weights when you have more fat you're just turning the fat into muscle which in turn is gonna weigh more?? Isn't it a good idea to burn some of that fat off and then try and turn it into muscle which in turn will increase your metalbolism?? Not only that the cardio will help strengthen the heart and make for a healthier body surely? And as for hours of mind numbing cardio, pretty sure cardio is a lot less mind numbing than staring at yourself in a mirror as you lift weights up and down, wow, sounds thrilling!

    Newbie, I would suggest asking someone at your work gym their opinion as they would probably know better then either myself or the other dude that commented, i've been doing cardio for years as a way to burn fat and was always told to do this and it has ALWAYS worked for me, but it may not be the way for you, just sounds as tho lifting weights isn't really working for you either so thought suggesting trying something else might be an idea hunny. Whatever you do just remember how brilliantly you are doing and that you are 46 pounds lighter than this time last year, go you! x

    Fat doesn't turn into muscle, and muscle can't turn into fat. You can gain muscle if you're super skinny or really obese, it makes no difference. The myth comes from fact though. You build more lean muscle mass, which requires more energy to maintain, thus burning more calories and "appearing" to turn from fat into muscle.

    As for the cardio, it's great for your heart and lungs, that's why you do it. I just feel that people wanting to lose weight go overboard on cardio, at some point it is redundant -- much like strength training if you do too much of it -- so you need balance.

    Cardio I do because you're supposed to, strength training I do because it feels great. Nothing feels great about gasping for oxygen that your body can't process fast enough! Just my feeling anyway.
  • shelleyfey
    shelleyfey Posts: 17 Member
    Agree with you lordofultima! I would suggest working with a personal trainer 2-3 times a week. Yes, it can be a little bit on the budget busting side, but hey - aren't you worth it? Think about all the money you would spend on doctors and medications - then the personal trainer cost doesn't look so bad. I do cardio 3-4 times a week, 40-60 minutes, and work with a trainer 2 times a week. Seems to be a good balance for me. Good luck!
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