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Angeladobush
Angeladobush Posts: 58 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello,
My name is Angela and I have been eating healthy and working out since the first of the year. I have lost a whopping ten pounds. My workouts vary from 40 minutes of cardio (elliptical, spin bike), to resistance and weights. some days I do both. On days when I want some exercise but want a break I will swim half to a full mile. My problem is with the scale.....while the pounds are not flying off, my clothes are fitting much better because of the inches that I have lost. It seems that the belly fat is going to be the last to go and it doesn't want to budge. How long can this go on without seeing results on the scale? I am 5'7 1/2" tall with a good size frame, and I weigh 178 lbs. There is definitely weight to be lost here. I would like to weigh 160-165. Does anyone have any advise for a frustrated 47 year old that is fighting to find the body she knows is in there?

Replies

  • Harleydiva68
    Harleydiva68 Posts: 50 Member
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    When I first started losing my weight, I noticed the inches first. I got frustrated too. I then went to the trainers at the gym I go to and asked them. They said that although you are not losing pounds, you are losing inches. That is how it starts and then the pounds start to come off. Don't get frustrated, it will happen. If the clothes are fitting looser, then you know you are doing something right.
  • susancelli928
    susancelli928 Posts: 190
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    You are doing great. The same thimg happened to me and I decided to up my cardio and lowered my resistance and the weight is starting to come off. Remember you are definitely losing something if you are losing inches. Keep up the good work and you will see it all gone before you know it.
  • laurenlei
    laurenlei Posts: 96
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    I have only lost 8lbs since mid-jan so i am in the same situation as you.... no need to be down about it though because i have lost over 4% body fat! I exercise at least 5 times a week for an hour a time, so while the weight may not be flying off, it may be because i am building muscle! Dont pay too much attention to the scales - if your clothes are fitting better, that is a much better sign than seeing how much you weigh!!! Just remember, it more than likely that you are building muscle, hence why the weight isnt flying off!
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
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    Maybe you should check out this post http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/202392-a-visual-about-mfp-and-net-calories
  • broadsword7
    broadsword7 Posts: 411 Member
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    Hi , even though it may not seem like it's happening fast enough, the fact that your clothes are fitting much better means improvement. And that is a REALLY good thing. I have only been at this three weeks, but I have noticed that sometimes the scales seem odd, like they just aren't moving even though I KNOW I am improving. I wonder sometimes if it is increasing muscle mass, too, but not sure about that. I have read various posts that say the important thing is to actually take measurements and watch your progress that way. I think what happens is our weight gets redistributed to the right places, and again, that's a good thing. The belly fat, I have heard, is one of the last things to go, and I am in the same boat. But I have faith that if we keep working, we will get there, so keep up the good work! Everybody's body is different in the way we progress and make changes. The really cool thing is how your body feels...it has to feel better when you work it and reward it with good food, in the proper amounts. The energy has gotta feel good, right?
  • Shmookalink
    Shmookalink Posts: 68 Member
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    Short answer: you are probably building muscle and burning fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. When you start an exercise/weights regime your muscles are fairly quick to respond. Technically, your muscle density increases slightly whilst your fat stores decrease and because muscle weighs more than fat you rarely see any reductions on the scales (you may even get slightly heavier!).

    Concentrate on how you look and feel for the first few months. :wink:
  • bryanstewart
    bryanstewart Posts: 7
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    Keep at it, at the moment you're turning fat into muscle, but muscle occupies less space than fat, hence loosing inches but no weight, but it will happen, when I was in the same situation as you I actually gained weight. 2 1/2 years and 50 lbs lighter now.

    Yes the belly fat is the last to go, it takes more to shift than just hours in the gym, there'a a battle in the kitchen to be fought too.

    One thing you might try is to vary the type of weight exercises, after about 4 to 6 weeks I switch to a different set, same muscle groups, but different exercises.

    You're doing it right, carry on.
  • goldspaula
    goldspaula Posts: 161
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    I have the same problem but ran across and article about targeting belly fat and tried it and it worked so well for me. I do it every day. On the treadmill you walk at a nice easy pace for three minutes and then bump it up to as fast as you can walk for two, then back down for three and then up way fast for two. Do that for twenty minutes. You will be astounded at the results after a few weeks. I do this with whatever else I'm doing for the day. I have gone from a 22 to 16 in just a few months. Even though the weight loss has slowed a bit, the tummy is still shrinking. Good luck.
  • pvesey
    pvesey Posts: 55 Member
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    I know it is frustrsting...a lot of us experience the same thing. Just look at how healthy and fit you are. And ten pounds is A LOT of weight. Take a 10# bag of potatoes and carry it around for awhile. Age enters into the picture because the older we get the harder it is to lose weight (more reason for you younger ones to get the weight off now) Also, are you taking any medications that could mess up weight loss?.. Keep on keeping on, change up your exercise, eat enough calories, be patient, and be happy with yourself!
  • kimmey9
    kimmey9 Posts: 17
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    I have been at it for a year and have lost only 27lb went down though 2 pants size. I get frustrated but better going down slow than adding on fast lol

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