Not seeing the results I want

I have been working out 3-4 times a week for the last 2 months.... I am now planning on working out 6 days a week with 1 rest day.... right now I do zumba tues, wed , and thurs... thought about picking up kickboxing on mondays... Any recommendations on workouts... something to help get rid of cellulite on back of legs besides squats??

I have lost inches but I am not dropping weight... My current weight is 144 and I want my weight to be 115.... I am 5"2 pear shaped.. if that helps...


I am in need of recommendations for work outs and diet... to help me actually lose weight.. Please help..I am feeling discouraged and want to reach my goal

Replies

  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Make sure you're eating the right amount of calories. Are you weighing your food, or just estimating? That can make all the difference, really.

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    You say a lot about your workouts but absolutely nothing about your diet. Workout for fitness. Watch your calories for weight loss.
  • fsucrack
    fsucrack Posts: 68 Member
    Its hard to give recommendations because your diary is not open.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Wait, if you are losing inches, why does it matter if you aren't losing weight? :huh: Unless you are an athlete who needs to weigh-in, don't worry about what the scale says. In fact, throw that evil tablet of lies out altogether. Start taking measurements and go by that, and clothing sizes.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Why do you want that to be your weight?

    It sounds like you want a number, not necessarily a physique (despite wanting cellulite gone).

    If you're losing inches, you're doing everything right. The scale WILL eventually catch up, but losing inches is most important--shedding that body fat without losing LBM, or at least as much as.

    Stop looking for results on the scale, and keep looking for them in a mirror, in front of a camera, in how your clothes fit, and how your body feels.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Make sure you're eating the right amount of calories. Are you weighing your food, or just estimating? That can make all the difference, really.

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.

    Just to add to the above for any lurkers -

    The TDEE method includes exercise calories...so if you go with TDEE instead of MFP, make sure you aren't eating your exercise calories back.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    Make sure you're eating the right amount of calories. Are you weighing your food, or just estimating? That can make all the difference, really.

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.

    Just to add to the above for any lurkers -

    The TDEE method includes exercise calories...so if you go with TDEE instead of MFP, make sure you aren't eating your exercise calories back.

    QFT
  • I have just recently cut out soda in my diet... and try and stay under my calorie goal each day... I know that I need a little help in that area on eating a healthier choice ... instead of eating one that may not produce as much nutrients but is still under my calorie goal..


    and I know I may not ever be the size I was before my daughter but she is 6 now , I went through a terrible divorce and custody battle 3 years ago and that is when the weight was put on during stress... etc... I am remarried and happy but not loosing like I would like.. Even if it was 5 lbs would be an excellent start.. I thought maybe Im not consuming enough calories when i work out ... or that maybe I need to do weight lifting along with my cardio I am doing... I just want to be healthy and fit...

    No jiggle here! :)
  • @psych101 I have not been weighing my food but I am going to start now! :) I also want to start preparing my meals for the week on Sunday so that I can have it already planned out and not cheat and eat something else... while at work...
  • MaeRay007
    MaeRay007 Posts: 68 Member
    @psych101 I have not been weighing my food but I am going to start now! :) I also want to start preparing my meals for the week on Sunday so that I can have it already planned out and not cheat and eat something else... while at work...

    This here is the right path! You'll most likely see a huge difference.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    haha work is my downfall too! So I tend to pre-log and plan my days in the mornings.

    For me personally, I got the best results from lifting weights - the scale isn't really doing its thing but I'm fitting into smaller clothes and I feel good about my body too. I use the calorie count from the TDEE calculator mentioned above and I eat whatever while just making sure I hit my protein and fat goals mainly :)
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
    Do something different.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I have just recently cut out soda in my diet... and try and stay under my calorie goal each day... I know that I need a little help in that area on eating a healthier choice ... instead of eating one that may not produce as much nutrients but is still under my calorie goal..


    and I know I may not ever be the size I was before my daughter but she is 6 now , I went through a terrible divorce and custody battle 3 years ago and that is when the weight was put on during stress... etc... I am remarried and happy but not loosing like I would like.. Even if it was 5 lbs would be an excellent start.. I thought maybe Im not consuming enough calories when i work out ... or that maybe I need to do weight lifting along with my cardio I am doing... I just want to be healthy and fit...

    No jiggle here! :)

    If that's your goal, stop worrying about a number on the scale. I recommending weight lifting, but I'm worried you'd come on here in a few weeks with the same complaint, as the scale moves much slower with weight lifting... but clothes start fitting much looser.

    If you want to be healthy and fit, again, focus on what you're putting into your body (a healthy amount of calories, so a smaller deficit) and what you're doing (lifting, running, swimming, whatever).

    Try going a few weeks (or months) without weighing yourself, instead only judging progress by measurements (in multiple places on your body) and photos. See if that makes a difference in your mindset.
  • I have just recently cut out soda in my diet... and try and stay under my calorie goal each day... I know that I need a little help in that area on eating a healthier choice ... instead of eating one that may not produce as much nutrients but is still under my calorie goal..


    and I know I may not ever be the size I was before my daughter but she is 6 now , I went through a terrible divorce and custody battle 3 years ago and that is when the weight was put on during stress... etc... I am remarried and happy but not loosing like I would like.. Even if it was 5 lbs would be an excellent start.. I thought maybe Im not consuming enough calories when i work out ... or that maybe I need to do weight lifting along with my cardio I am doing... I just want to be healthy and fit...

    No jiggle here! :)

    If that's your goal, stop worrying about a number on the scale. I recommending weight lifting, but I'm worried you'd come on here in a few weeks with the same complaint, as the scale moves much slower with weight lifting... but clothes start fitting much looser.

    If you want to be healthy and fit, again, focus on what you're putting into your body (a healthy amount of calories, so a smaller deficit) and what you're doing (lifting, running, swimming, whatever).

    Try going a few weeks (or months) without weighing yourself, instead only judging progress by measurements (in multiple places on your body) and photos. See if that makes a difference in your mindset.




    I think that is an excellent recommendation.. I hate that scale! lol! But I would truly be happy if I saw in the mirror true results ... A couple other friends had recommended me lifting weights but I really do not know where to start . I have some 20lb dumbells I could use and I also have membership to a gym ... just need to devise a plan perfect for me .. I appreciate everyones input!

    How many days do you normally do weight lifting ?
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I have just recently cut out soda in my diet... and try and stay under my calorie goal each day... I know that I need a little help in that area on eating a healthier choice ... instead of eating one that may not produce as much nutrients but is still under my calorie goal..


    and I know I may not ever be the size I was before my daughter but she is 6 now , I went through a terrible divorce and custody battle 3 years ago and that is when the weight was put on during stress... etc... I am remarried and happy but not loosing like I would like.. Even if it was 5 lbs would be an excellent start.. I thought maybe Im not consuming enough calories when i work out ... or that maybe I need to do weight lifting along with my cardio I am doing... I just want to be healthy and fit...

    No jiggle here! :)

    If that's your goal, stop worrying about a number on the scale. I recommending weight lifting, but I'm worried you'd come on here in a few weeks with the same complaint, as the scale moves much slower with weight lifting... but clothes start fitting much looser.

    If you want to be healthy and fit, again, focus on what you're putting into your body (a healthy amount of calories, so a smaller deficit) and what you're doing (lifting, running, swimming, whatever).

    Try going a few weeks (or months) without weighing yourself, instead only judging progress by measurements (in multiple places on your body) and photos. See if that makes a difference in your mindset.




    I think that is an excellent recommendation.. I hate that scale! lol! But I would truly be happy if I saw in the mirror true results ... A couple other friends had recommended me lifting weights but I really do not know where to start . I have some 20lb dumbells I could use and I also have membership to a gym ... just need to devise a plan perfect for me .. I appreciate everyones input!

    How many days do you normally do weight lifting ?

    I personally do four days because I follow a program (5/3/1) that calls for it. 2-3x a week is fine, especially for beginners.

    Ask your friends to help you learn form and/or look into programs if they know about it! Some tried and true "starting out" programs you can (often for free) online are: Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, and New Rules of Lifting for Women. I've heard the latter can be a bit complicated, but I can vouch for Stronglifts 5x5 being pretty basic and solid.

    All of these programs can help you start and continually walk you through the process. For your first "weight," it's whatever's heaviest for you! 20lb dumbbells seems like a good starting spot--the goal is to progress with weights (going heavier every week, or at least making sure to go heavier at a healthy pace).
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    I agree with all that has been said before on this. I'm just jumping in to add that I can relate--I am the same height, but just a few pounds higher weight than you. 115 as a goal weight seems a bit low for someone our height who isn't a teenager/early 20's. Before I went through my stress weight gain I dropped down to 122 and was a size 2 (sometimes 0). I think as we age our bodies change (the "girls" are definitely bigger than when I weighed 115 in my teens and was a size 4!) and our weight number expectations need to change with them. I agree with the other posters to focus on how you feel/how clothes fit more than a particular scale number (although that's good too!).
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    Hey there -

    You could have been describing my starting stats in your original post. I started here at 141 at 5'1. I'm pretty pear shaped, and my thighs were way more dimpled than I would like too.

    What really, really, worked for me was investing in a food scale and a heart rate monitor. I was stuck at 139 FOREVER until I made this switch. Turns out, I was overestmating my calorie burn pretty drastically and really not doing that great on my portion control either. Pasta for example, is mind blowing when you weigh a serving vs eyeballing it.

    Once the weight came off, I started strength training, and that made a huge difference in how my lower body looked. Here's a before after: http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/julieleanne/beforeafterbooty.jpg

    I just thought I would share my story with you since we're pretty similar. Just know that it's within your reach, you just need to adjust along the road.

    You got this.
  • claudie08
    claudie08 Posts: 154 Member
    Make sure you're eating the right amount of calories. Are you weighing your food, or just estimating? That can make all the difference, really.

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.


    So, based on that, MFP calculates my net calories at 1530 and calories from normal daily activity at 2280 for a weight loss of 1.5 lbs per week. Subtracting 15% from each, the calories are 1300 and 1938.

    Does this mean that I should be consuming 1300 net calories with no exercise and 1938 if I DO exercise?
  • Hey there -

    You could have been describing my starting stats in your original post. I started here at 141 at 5'1. I'm pretty pear shaped, and my thighs were way more dimpled than I would like too.

    What really, really, worked for me was investing in a food scale and a heart rate monitor. I was stuck at 139 FOREVER until I made this switch. Turns out, I was overestmating my calorie burn pretty drastically and really not doing that great on my portion control either. Pasta for example, is mind blowing when you weigh a serving vs eyeballing it.

    Once the weight came off, I started strength training, and that made a huge difference in how my lower body looked. Here's a before after: http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a629/julieleanne/beforeafterbooty.jpg

    I just thought I would share my story with you since we're pretty similar. Just know that it's within your reach, you just need to adjust along the road.

    You got this.


    thank you for your inspiration! Love the before and after pic ! we are def similar!! I am going to invest in a scale and start really watching my portions! I appreciate all the help!
  • georgecarl7
    georgecarl7 Posts: 42 Member
    You might try making yourself a list of foods you will eat every day and the calories/carbs/fat/prot/ etc. before you eat, maybe every morning, or the night before. That way you know what you 'can' eat and stick to the plan. Just a suggestion. :smile:
  • thanks everyone for your input!