Don't know what I'm doing when I work out

renattadawn
renattadawn Posts: 15 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey guys... Ok so I am 22 years old and I have a lot of weight I want to loose ... I've been counting calories, and also cut out a lot of sodium especially from my diet. So I work hard at my diet ... And try to work out. But the last couple weeks I haven't lost much weight, and it's really discouraging me ! I thought the beginning especially would show a lot more results since the first few pounds are always easiest. So I'm starting to think that my exercise is not enough.

So let me ask some advice, and please tell me what you think!
I usually have fruit/granola bar in the morning ; rice and maybe chicken for lunch / and a supper of chicken, rice, sometimes just an apple and peanut butter, or whatever else I have on hand that fills up my calories for the day. Then usually a yogurt and some veggies In between for snacks. I should mention that I usually eat supper later, since I work till 7 pm and then go to the gym right after for an hour, then go home and eat.
My exercise usually consists of elliptical for 20-40 minutes, then I make up the rest of the hour working out on machines. (Weights/squats/pull down/leg machines). I'm wondering if this is not the right program for my body type or something. I'm 5' 3'' and 245 pounds so I need to start out where I can manage... But I need results !

Replies

  • sammyantics
    sammyantics Posts: 191 Member
    You're building muscle, so it could be you've simply been replacing fat with muscle. Do you measure yourself? you might be losing inches and just not seeing a difference on the scale!
  • renattadawn
    renattadawn Posts: 15 Member
    sammyantics wrote: »
    You're building muscle, so it could be you've simply been replacing fat with muscle. Do you measure yourself? you might be losing inches and just not seeing a difference on the scale!

    I haven't measured myself because I didn't want another way to be dissapointed. Maybe I should though, thanks :)
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    When you exercise, your muscles can retain water and lactic acid which are heavy. So you may show a temporary slight gain or stall on the scale even while you are still losing fat. Since you belong to a gym, do they have personal trainers you can hire once or twice to set up a personal exercise program for you to meet your goals? I, personally, don't lose much weight from exercising; it's all from dieting. But the exercise makes me stronger, feel healthier, keeps the metabolism humming, and makes me stick to the eating plan better.
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    Also, make sure you aren't over-exercising. Your muscles build strength when they rest and repair themselves after a workout. Don't workout the same muscle group every day. 2-3 times per week is enough for each muscle group.
  • jediguitarist
    jediguitarist Posts: 73 Member
    sammyantics wrote: »
    You're building muscle, so it could be you've simply been replacing fat with muscle. Do you measure yourself? you might be losing inches and just not seeing a difference on the scale!

    This :)


    Another thing to notice is how different your clothes feels. Belt to the next notch...etc.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Stalled weight loss is nearly always because of diet, not exercise. Are you weighing your food?

    Exercise will help you feel better and it will let you eat a little more, but less than you think. The results from exercise are increased vitality, cardiovascular improvements, flexibility and strength. I blogged about the contrasting perception of effort before and after success, below.

    http://jgnatbuzz.blogspot.ca/2015/02/before-and-after.html
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You are probably not building muscle. You have to eat at a surplus and lift heavy weights to build muscle. It doesn't happen in a couple of weeks, especially not for women. If you aren't losing weight, it's because you aren't in a calorie deficit. Make sure you're logging the correct amounts of food.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    you are most likely not building any measurable sort of muscle. it is most likely your diet.

    here is a guide on building a work out routine: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/15/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/
  • brisingr86
    brisingr86 Posts: 1,789 Member
    Agree with above poster who recommended measuring yourself because you can sometimes see results there (and in clothes) you don't see on the scale. Others are also right, you lose weight from diet, you get more fit in the gym. A few points based on my experience and reading in the forums:
    1. Don't get too freaked out about not seeing difference over a couple of weeks; a lot of women (including myself) sometimes see nothing for a few weeks and then one week you drop like 3 lbs. Hormones are weird. If you've been at this long enough you may start to see trends correlating to monthly cycles.
    2. Are you eating back all of your exercise calories (you noted you eat supper to fill whatever you have left in calories)? There's a tendency to overestimate exercise calories in various calculators (MFP database, machines, etc) so many people only eat about half of their exercise calories (unless you find yourself really hungry or feeling more weak or irritable). If that helps, find the balance of what works (eating half, eating 70%, eating 30%) that you are feeling full/nourished, but still losing. Allow at least a month to see trends before changing.
    3. Are you measuring your food to make sure you're logging accurately? If you're eating a little more than you think and burning a little less than you think, those can add up to not being at deficit-->no weight loss.

    Good luck! Hang in there and good for you for starting the exercise early so you can both lose weight and get stronger.

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