Losing more from light-moderate exercise

Is this normal? On weeks that I work out hard (30 min cardio, 20 mins weights and abs 4 days at minimum) I retain a ton of water and see the scale go up at elast 2-4 lbs. I am even on a diuretic from Dr for a hormone imbalance. On weeks I take leisurly strolls for 30 mins a few nights a week, I drop more lbs!

What do you think, should I stick with just walking 4-5 nights a week if that's when I lose most?

I am a big supporter of limited exercise for fat loss. If the workout is intense, make it brief.

Just make sure your doing the weights first then the cardio you will burn more calories and lose more weight. And honestly you can run 30 minutes and I could walk 45 minutes and we will burn about the same amount of calories.

But the hormonal effects on the body won't be the same.

Care to explain?

I'd say stick with the walking... but I'm sure doing all those other workouts you are toning a lot, and that would be good! You don't want to loose a ton of weight and then be 'flabby skinny' I know you are losing more weight with just the walking but I'd still keep up the weight training as well... maybe slow down the other exercises to every other day or something?

You could also be not losing enough weight like you want, when you are burning those extra calories, maybe you aren't eating enough. When I first started I exercised 2 times a day, minimum and wasn't seeing any results from it, once I slowed down I saw lots of weight loss... but looking back I'm willing to bet I wasn't eating enough because when I burn off that many calories it's hard to eat them back.

good luck

When you do a hard workout, your muscles swell and retain water. This does not mean that you're gaining weight, it just means they need to heal. The calories you're burning with a tough workout will benefit you. Just limit the really tough workouts to a couple per week, and never weigh in the morning after a tough one. Don't worry... you're doing fine!

Hormones yes will be different but people think they have to workout extra hard to where they are out of breath and they aren't. You have a target zone that you are suppose to workout in and if your heart rate gets above that zone your over working yourself and your bodies reaction is to hang on to the fat for storage and burn muscle. So therefore since she isn't doing as hard impact she is loosing weight. Everybody's bodies work differently.

So maybe thinking I should just keep alternating weeks. One hard week and then one light week for recovery?

yes. for variety. so your body doesn't get used to the same exercises.

Just make sure your doing the weights first then the cardio you will burn more calories and lose more weight. And honestly you can run 30 minutes and I could walk 45 minutes and we will burn about the same amount of calories.

But the hormonal effects on the body won't be the same.

Care to explain?

More prolonged stress on the body will result in bad hormonal things......higher cortisol and lowered thyroid to name a few.

When I have a break from school I start exercising an hour a day and usually don't lose until the beginning of the next quarter when I slow down my exercise schedule. Somehow I feel that the periods of more exercise are part of the equation and even though I don't lose then that is when I start to see the difference in slimming down from the losses at other times. Sometimes we see alot of progress when we maintain a weight we acheived especially when we are exercising. I guess it makes me feel that this weight loss is here to stay. I have enough weight to lose that I am concerned about not having loose skin and this seems to be working.

I went to Fitness Ridge in CA for a week. While I was there I hiked 5 miles/day up and down mountains and worked out about 5 more hours. I only lost 1.5 pounds while I was there. They told me that the weight would catch up with me in a few days. I left on Sunday and on Tuesday, I have lost several more pounds. It takes time for it to come off. Your Metabolism is reved up with the intense exercise but it may take days to see the pounds drop.