When Do I See Exercise Results?

donnasmith62
donnasmith62 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I have been logging my calorie intake on MFP for 2 years, so I have a great perception of what I eat. And it is all fantastic... Two years ago I started walking 10,000 steps a day which I have increased over time to 12,00 and now 15,000. 7 months ago I started a weight program with a trainer, 1 month ago a 10km per day bike ride, and am 2 weeks into the Couch to 5K program.

End result? 3 pounds heavier than when I started. 52, years old, deep into menopause, and will not give up, but seriously what else can I do????

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    eat less...
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    You lose weight by eating less than you burn. Open your diary for personalized advice, but you're probably underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    The Sexypants post should be required reading for all MFPers: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • katykat79
    katykat79 Posts: 24 Member
    Hi! Here is my advice....if you can, get a resting metabolic rate test by indirect calorimeter (some gyms do it, but if possible, find a hospital-caliber machine administered by a nutritionist). Once you know your resting metabolic rate, you will have a great idea about how many calories to eat... Now, there are estimates of RMR available online, but for me, they were wwwwaaaayyyy off and as a result, I got stuck with my last 10 pounds. Once I got tested (and I got tested 3 times because I am neurotic :)), I knew how much to eat after factoring in daily activities and exercise. My working theory is weight loss is calculus, not arithmetic....it follows the rules of arithmetic, but there are other influences. Best of luck to you! Keep at it!
  • laratacita
    laratacita Posts: 53 Member
    7 months ago I started a weight program with a trainer

    You might be gaining weight because of muscle mass. However, I'm not exactly sure what you meant by results. Some of the results of exercise I notice after ten minutes or so when I start sweating. Other rewards aren't always as tangible. I experience less joint pain and have fewer problems with my sinuses if I get some exercise in on a regular basis.
  • Corsetopia
    Corsetopia Posts: 307 Member
    52, years old, deep into menopause, and will not give up, but seriously what else can I do????

    I'm not sure if menopause has any effect on weight loss or gain, but that would be interesting to find out. You never know with hormones.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    You lose weight by eating less than you burn. Open your diary for personalized advice, but you're probably underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    The Sexypants post should be required reading for all MFPers: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Agreed! Also, 10,000 steps a day is awesome. But for me I found that I must sweat to lose weight. When I was doing the step method, getting 10,000 steps in every day, I didn't lose! I started walking FAST and getting those 10,000 steps done in a shot amount of time rather than all day.

    You have to take *in* less calories than you burn *out*

    Try knocking off 200 calories per day and working up a good sweat for at least 30 minutes 5X a week, and you will lose weight.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    donna, the bottom line is no matter how much you work out, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. you may be putting on some muscle, as well, and you don't mention your height or weight, but you're not satisfied.

    also not all steps are the same. i find that i lose weight doing continuous steps, for me the number of steps one takes at work or walking around the house going to other rooms, etc, doesn't do much. going for a walk without stopping lowers my blood sugar, while simply doing a bunch of random steps doesn't, a sure sign that my body is burning more on continuous walks.

    i'd suggest losing 500 calories per day and check the results in a couple weeks. i very consistently lose a pound a week eating 500 less calories than i burn, which makes sense since it takes about 3500 calories to burn a pound. you may be able to lose those calories by substituting lower calorie foods for the ones you eat now. i lost about 50 pounds substituting - it does work.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Two years ago I started walking 10,000 steps a day which I have increased over time to 12,00 and now 15,000. 7 months ago I started a weight program with a trainer, 1 month ago a 10km per day bike ride, and am 2 weeks into the Couch to 5K program.
    If you're using an activity tracker like Jawbone UP or Fitbit, connect your accounts & log exercise in the tracker, not MFP: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps

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