Discouraged - Butt, Gut and thighs wont go away.

Some kind of strength exercise isn't going to cut it. Start doing heavy compound lifts. I'm suggest looking under success stories at the post name HALP!!! Lifting made me sup ah bulky (it's name is something along those lines. Replace that fat with calorie burning muscle and you'll see your body transform.

As far as your obsession with calorie counting, your health should be an obsession. Embrace it. You're not going to get the body you want by guesstimating your calories.

Foodwise: You need to weigh and log. It does not mean being super restrictive about the Calories you eat it means being aware of them. I do not starve myself. I'm never hungry and if I am I know it's time to have a snack. You can eat healthy all you want if you are eating more Calories than you are burning or the right amount to maintain your body weight then you will not lose.

Cardio: Do you have a heart rate monitor? It's the best way to actually know how much you are burning. The machines or programs that give you estimates of Calorie burn are always way WAY off in my experience. Even doing the same workout every day you will see your Calorie burn fluctuate. There is no way to know how much you are actually burning without measuring your HR. And get a good HR, the more accurate ones have chest straps. Find an activity that you love and where you can "lose yourself". You are more likely to keep it up and integrate it into your lifestyle. It doesn't matter if it's running, spinning or Zumbaing as long as you enjoy it!


Strength: You need to actually lift weight. Not tiny dumbells. I agree with all the programs that @shadow2soul mentionned. By the books and read them. Even if you don't feel ready to start the actual programs, the information in them is invaluable. I walked around with New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W) for 18 months before I gathered up the courage to sign up at a gym and start the program at age 42. It changed me, I got stronger and healthier but I also felt stronger in all areas of my life. I would add to the lift STRONG (also by Lou Schuler and Alwayn Cosgrove which might be easier to follow if you are a complete beginner at lifting). Lifting HEAVY weights is to only way you can build up bone density (super important for women) and muscle. Think of it as a long term investment in your health while cardio is nice for right now

Like everyone said this is a marathon, not a spring, it's about changing your lifestyle so that it is healthier, not going on a crash diet to get quick results that will disappear as quickly as they appeared.

Good luck!

What are you doing 2-3x per week? You should be lifting weights a minimum of 3 times per week and doing cardio a minimum of 3 times per week. If you do them both on the same day that's up to you but that's the recommended minimum.

However, weight loss is 70% food 25% exercise 5% other (supplements etc.). So, just eat as clean as possible all the time. If you're hungry, overeat on healthy foods like vegetables and lean meats.

Finally, be patient. It will take time. One month is long enough that you should see SOMETHING happening but everything will not go away overnight. Give yourself a break!

How about swimming? Doing at least 1/2 hour of laps will make a difference in your fat composition. Watching your calories and doing weights will help make that difference, too. Start by developing your major muscle groups: legs, back, shoulders, abs; then work into doing compound exercises.

HolyMolyCow wrote: »

What are you doing 2-3x per week? You should be lifting weights a minimum of 3 times per week and doing cardio a minimum of 3 times per week. If you do them both on the same day that's up to you but that's the recommended minimum.

However, weight loss is 70% food 25% exercise 5% other (supplements etc.). So, just eat as clean as possible all the time. If you're hungry, overeat on healthy foods like vegetables and lean meats.

Finally, be patient. It will take time. One month is long enough that you should see SOMETHING happening but everything will not go away overnight. Give yourself a break!

Agree with all of this except the 5% supplements thing. Supplements don't impact weight loss except for a lighter wallet.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

That thread will provide you links to all those workout programs. Many women tend to favor StrongCurves since it works a lot of lower body.

Since there is no picture on your post I am going to assume you are a woman. All these suggestions are good and will work over time. Unfortunately, as a woman you will tend to carry your weight in your belly, butt, and thighs. They will become smaller but once again, it takes time.

I also have all of your problem areas, except the arms. I'm a twig everywhere except those areas. However, I have managed to reduce their pudge significantly--not through spot reduction which doesn't exist, but through an overall caloric deficit. You should read acaloriecounter.com (http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/), seriously; it's a blog and he really knows his stuff. (His sister site is http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-ultimate-weight-training-workout-routine/). I lost 45 pounds in ~3 months after what I learned in his blog (he does not actually recommend this drastic of a weight loss, which was several pounds a week). He really just reiterates what we already know, but in a no-bs manner, so it finally hits home.

Say you think you've got 5 pounds of fat on your mid-section. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories; so, you need to lose 17,500 calories (3,500 x 5). I believe the recommended max caloric deficit is 500 calories. So, how many days will it take to burn 17,500 calories at max caloric deficit? It’ll take 35 days (17,500 calories / 500 calories per day).

So you really, truly need to look at how many calories you’re consuming and burning each day. The deficit includes both those figures against each other. Then you also need to figure out what your maintenance calorie level is (http://www.acaloriecounter.com/calculator.php). This will tell you how low your calorie consumption should be, and/or how high your activity level should be (online should tell you how many calories are burned through which exercises). The calculations above will change based on how much of caloric deficit you go into, and how many pounds of fat you want to lose.