cant seem to lose the pounds but yes the inches. HELP!!!

I think your body might be getting used to the routine. During the 3 days with the trainer, ask them to do different exercises every 6 weeks. So for example instead of using machines, try dumbbells for certain exercises. Also maybe try a different routine where you maybe stop zumba for a little while and try a different aerobic activity. I know when I plateau I need to change up exercises and I kick start another spike of weight loss.

If you're still losing inches it's good, right? Those should be the priority, not the weight on the scale. Muscles weigh more than fat

However perhaps you are not getting your pulse rate high enough? Like mentioned before, when the body gets used to a certain kind of exercise it's easy to stay in a comfortable heart rate zone. Perhaps despite not noticing you're not pushing as hard as you should be?

I always said I'd be content to weigh 400 lbs, as long as I could still be a size 6. haha I hope you get it figured out. Good luck!!! And great job getting in a workout everyday.

KETTLEBELL = Problem Solved

If you are losing inches, you're losing body fat, so you're doing great. How long have you been on this program? When you first start a program of lifting like you are doing with your trainer, your initial strength gains will be from neural adaptations. Then within the first couple of weeks, your body makes adaptations to energy storage. For several weeks, up to a few months, you will store more glycogen in your muscles. That glycogen is stored with water. The more you workout, the more your body will demand that extra glycogen, so the storage of glycogen is the body making sure it is optimally able to fuel the activity. When the glycogen is being used to store as energy like that, then it is able to be used during exercise. That usage during exercise is good because the process of fat burning needs a by product of glycogen conversion to ATP in order to even start. Since you are losing inches, you are obviously using the glycogen to get the pyruvate by product to burn fat during your workouts. Eventually, your body will get to the point that it is maxed out on the amount of glycogen it will store. Then your strength adaptations will come from increasing the actual muscle fiber size. But also, when you get to the point where you are maxed on glycogen storage, you will start to see the scale go down because you are still burning that fat, but not seeing it negated on the scale by the added glycogen and water storage. You are doing it right, so keep it up!!!

Now, as for getting those extra calories, I recommend a piece of fruit or two that you can eat at your desk. Or maybe some baby carrots. Or any other item you'd put on a veggie tray as finger food at a party. Another option is a ready to drink protein shake. Some of them are pretty good and others are absolutely horrible. Go to your local GNC or similar store and see if they have some individual ones you can try to see which ones you like. Personally, I like EAS Myoplex Lite in Chocolate Fudge. Tastes like chocolate milk. Chocolate milk is another good snack for after a workout because it's been proven to be very helpful in recovery.

Really good info on this thread, I find myself in the same boat....Gonna change some things up on my routine and see if that confuses my body enough to drop some more on the scale. No problem dropping the inches though!!