Going to the gym for 2 months and NO CHANGE!!!
Jennis0212
Posts: 37 Member
I have been going to the gym for 3 months now with an average of 3-5 times a week. I work full time and have two small children in school so its not always easy to find the time but yet I have been making it a point to go. I take zumba classes, body combat, weight training and elliptical or bike. I am finding it very hard to stay motivated because i am not seeing any positive changes. In fact i went on vacation (and splurged A LOT) and I am two pounds heavier than what I was. How long is it supposed to take to lose some weight????
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everyone's different. it took me 4 - 6 weeks to really notice the changes although I wasn't really weighing myself in the beginning. but 3 months is a long time to not see anything IMO. maybe you need to change something up. if you make your diary public, one of us may be able to suggest some changes that could help?0
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I have found that going to the gym may help me reshape my body, but I don't lose weight that way. The only way for many women to lose is by dieting. Exercise is great, though, because you build muscle, which increases your BMR (basal metabolic rate), so you may be able to lose at a faster pace than without exercise. Also, study after study has shown that people who exercise regularly are more successful at sustaining weight loss long term than those who don't. The upshot? To lose weight, you'll have to cut calories.0
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Your diet needs to be 110% in check before you even walk into a gym. Do you know how many calories you are burning in a day? Are you tracking your foods and eating at a 500-1000 calorie or 20% calorie deficit?
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I'm too distracted by your Wax!Rob to respond.....heehee0
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It would help if your food diary was accessible. Exercise alone may not be enough to lose weight without tracking food intake.0
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fitness is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise! this is my downfall also..0
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I would speak to a trainer in the gym who can advise on some good fat burning exercises. I see a lot of people in the gym not really knowing what they are doing or focusing more on the tv or even reading a book. I learnt to go to the gym for less time (I used to go for 2 hours at a time), but work my *kitten* off through interval training. Or doing a dvd like Jillian Michaels, they really fat burn! Try to keep positive. The other thing people do a lot is because they've been to the gym 'reward' themselves with something to eat. Most classes I do only burn about 400 cals which is obviously great but if you then eat a 'treat' like a chocolate bar on top of your normal diet, your body will still be taking on more than it needs. I hope this is of some help. It must be frustrating
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Your diet needs to be 110% in check before you even walk into a gym. Do you know how many calories you are burning in a day? Are you tracking your foods and eating at a 500-1000 calorie or 20% calorie deficit?
Questions needing answered.
This is the key. Gym is for fitness, diet is for weight loss.0 -
Your diet needs to be 110% in check before you even walk into a gym. Do you know how many calories you are burning in a day? Are you tracking your foods and eating at a 500-1000 calorie or 20% calorie deficit?
Questions needing answered.
This is the key. Gym is for fitness, diet is for weight loss.
Further reiteration may be needed. Exercise does not cause weight loss. A Caloric deficit causes weight loss.0 -
I have thought about putting my diary public but i am not sure i am quite there yet. lol. At first i was trying to stay around 1200 calories but i found it to be pretty difficult and when i went to my doctor she suggested maybe 1500 calorie diet so i am trying to stay under that. I dont think I would ever be able to live on a 1000 calories as a lifetime thing and I dont want to yo yo. i have done enough of that. I got my blood tested and the only thing that came back was that my vitamin D was low. So now i take supplements but i am not even sure what role that has with weight loss anyway. I used to take a lot of diet pills from high school on and this is also the first time i am trying to get completely off of those because i know they are unhealthy but time to time i take one still because i think thats the reason why.0
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LOL that really made me laugh at the Rob wax. we can only dream0
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thisYour diet needs to be 110% in check before you even walk into a gym. Do you know how many calories you are burning in a day? Are you tracking your foods and eating at a 500-1000 calorie or 20% calorie deficit?
Questions needing answered.
and thisfitness is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise! this is my downfall also..0 -
I know the feeling all too well! I had been working out 4-6 days a week for around 8 months and my pants were still choking me. I talked to a personal trainer friend and, unfortunately, she said I definitely had to modify my diet and of course, eat less (I was really overeating when I started login in my meals in MFP ). I haven't given up any food, except maybe baked sweets for now. I disagree with depriving yourself of foods you will definitely eat again at some point in your life. Portion control has been very effective for me and not eating my kids' leftovers. Good luck!!0
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Your diet needs to be 110% in check before you even walk into a gym. Do you know how many calories you are burning in a day? Are you tracking your foods and eating at a 500-1000 calorie or 20% calorie deficit?
Questions needing answered.
Amen! What's in your diary? I was the same way, taking Zumba, step, working out with weights, running, cardio and I didn't change much, but my my diet changed and the weight is slipping off me like hot butter
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This is completely true. If you are not putting enough fuel in your body then your body won't lose weight.fitness is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise!
You're Dr is correct, you need to eat at least 1500 calories a day on the days you work out, and probably more! For example I've lost 55 + lbs since May 2011 eating back 95% of my calories, and the weeks I over do it and do not eat back most of my exercise calories I do not lose.
Try it for a week, eat 1500-1800 calories and you may see a downward shift on the scale.0 -
My trainer has always said, the change shows in the way your clothes fit first. You are building muscle and most likely losing inches. Don't give up, I have been going to the gym for 4 years and I know that even though the scale has not always reflected my efforts, I am healthier then I have ever been. Good luck.0
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Now I can relate to this but I am a little different I cant eat all of my exercise cals, because I have a BMI scale at home, it says to stay my same weight, I need to eat 1503 cals but if I eat that I dont lose....I try to stay at or below 1200 and if I exercise, a little more. YOu have to find what is working for you and since nothing is working, then you need to change something up(maybe your diet) the healthier you eat, the more you can eat.0
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So for everyone that has lost weight... you are just cutting back calories or are you following a specific diet? there are way too many diets out there, its confusing sometimes. And if you are exercising and earning calories are you "eating" them or still sticking to your daily goal?0
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So for everyone that has lost weight... you are just cutting back calories or are you following a specific diet? there are way too many diets out there, its confusing sometimes. And if you are exercising and earning calories are you "eating" them or still sticking to your daily goal?
You don't really need to follow a specific diet. These are the things you need to do:
1. Find out your TDEE which is Total Daily Energy Expedenture. It's the amount of calories you burn in a 24 hour period doing everything from exercising, walking around, showering, eating food, having sex, sleeping, walking your dog, yell at your significant other...whatever you do.
2. Eat a 20% deficit under that TDEE calorie number.
3. Get a minimum of .5-1g of protein per lb of your bodyweight.
4. Get a minimum of .35g of fats per lb of your bodyweight.
5. Consume 2-4 servings of fruits and 4-6 servings of vegetables every day.
6. Drink enough water everyday so you are peeing clear.
7. Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.
8. Exercise doing strength training 2-3x a week for 60 minute sessions, and then cardio 2-3x a week for 30 minute sessions. Take atleast 1 day off completely.
9. Get yourself a GOOD multivitamin, and also take fish oil.
10. Be consistent, patient, and determined. The weight will come off.
/the end0 -
So for everyone that has lost weight... you are just cutting back calories or are you following a specific diet? there are way too many diets out there, its confusing sometimes. And if you are exercising and earning calories are you "eating" them or still sticking to your daily goal?
Specific diets are basically cheat sheets for getting healthy. Yes, they can work, but they only work as long as you have the cheat sheet with you.
Learn how to eat well and learn what works for you and it'll be MUCH easier to have long term success.
There are 100 tips and rules for losing weight. The more of them you do, the better your chances will be for success. But ultimately getting started is all about trial and error until you find what works for you.
I'm a perfect example. Yes, all those rules posted above are generally considered to be keys to sucess. But they are not hard and fast requirements for EVERY person ALL the time.
I've have great success and I only follow about 3 of those points. I don't eat enough fruit. I eat NO vegetables. I don't sleep enough. I don't drink enough. I don't take a multi or fish oil. I don't lift.
I eat a lot of protein and try to monitor my carbs and fats. I do a lot of cardio because, frankly, it's what I enjoy. I watch my daily caloric intake and log my foods/workouts. My goal is long term progress, not short term "wins". I don't care if my weight fluctuates day to day as long as the long term trend is down. This is what works for me.0 -
I have thought about putting my diary public but i am not sure i am quite there yet. lol. At first i was trying to stay around 1200 calories but i found it to be pretty difficult and when i went to my doctor she suggested maybe 1500 calorie diet so i am trying to stay under that. I dont think I would ever be able to live on a 1000 calories as a lifetime thing and I dont want to yo yo.
1000 - 1200 calories?! That's not enough. ever. no matter what. never. ever. ever.
If you're going to the gym 3-4 times a week, unless you're eating like crap you need more than 1200 kcal to keep your body going. I go to the gym twice a week for weight training and typically eat 1800+/day. Sure i'm not losing significant weight but im stronger, im faster, im healthier, im better than i was 6 months ago. I'm stronger than I was last week. To burn calories you need muscle. Otherwise you'll end up being 'skinny fat' which is pointless. Those tiny little model at 5'9 x 100lbs barely have the strength to literally hold their own body up right. If you eat right, check out Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution book, exercise, and build muscle you will see results. the number on the scale doesn't matter, it's the number on the tape measurer that does.
I weight 4 pounds more than I did a year ago today. But I went from a 32" waist (measured right above my belly button) to a 28" waist. Eat right, eat well, eat clean and continue busting it at the gym and you'll see results.0 -
I've have great success and I only follow about 3 of those points. I don't eat enough fruit. I eat NO vegetables. I don't sleep enough. I don't drink enough. I don't take a multi or fish oil. I don't lift.
I'm not going to recommend this to someone trying to lose weight and be somewhat healthy. To make changes in someones life for the better regarding whatever goal they may have would be to eat fruits and veggies, sleep enough, drink enough water or "fluids", take a multivitamin for any micronutrient deficiencies. Also there's this thing called "body composition" and while just doing cardio may help your cardiovascular health as well as burn more calories, adding some strength training into ANY regime would give someone a more robust body composition then without it. That's a fact.0 -
I've have great success and I only follow about 3 of those points. I don't eat enough fruit. I eat NO vegetables. I don't sleep enough. I don't drink enough. I don't take a multi or fish oil. I don't lift.
I'm not going to recommend this to someone trying to lose weight and be somewhat healthy. To make changes in someones life for the better regarding whatever goal they may have would be to eat fruits and veggies, sleep enough, drink enough water or "fluids", take a multivitamin for any micronutrient deficiencies. Also there's this thing called "body composition" and while just doing cardio may help your cardiovascular health as well as burn more calories, adding some strength training into ANY regime would give someone a more robust body composition then without it. That's a fact.
right... and I'm not arguing the truth of your post. My point was that everyone is different - how they respond to different diet strategies, how they respond to different workout routines, what they short and long term goals are etc.
My point was that the O.P. needs to figure out what works for them based on their goals, they lifestyle, etc etc. They need to learn how to be healthy, not just to go out and buy a bunch of Jenny Craig meals and expect results.
If you looked at me and told me I had to do all of those things to get healthy and lose wight I would have said forget it... I'll take fat and happy over thin and miserable. Getting healthy is about shades of gray. It's about principles and practices, not about rules and absolutes.0 -
I'll take fat and healthy over thin and miserable. Getting healthy is about shades of gray. It's about principles and practices, not about rules and absolutes.
Fat and healthy do not belong in the same sentence. Just saying. Not trying to argue or beat a dead horse. And I do believe in a standard practice for EVERYONE. Yes people have different genetics, but the standard guidelines still apply for EVERYONE to be fit, healthy, lose weight, gain muscle, whatever their poison is (no pun intended). Again no offense but just because you don't eat any vegetables at all, nor do you take a multivitamin, and still think you are healthy just by doing cardio doesn't mean "do what works for you" obviously this isn't the best "practice" in the world...you either have amazing genetics or you aren't as healthy as you think you are.
Anyways I'm done.0 -
I'll take fat and healthy over thin and miserable. Getting healthy is about shades of gray. It's about principles and practices, not about rules and absolutes.
Fat and healthy do not belong in the same sentence.
Sorry, that was totally a type-o... meant fat and happy.0 -
I have been going to the gym for 3 months now with an average of 3-5 times a week. I work full time and have two small children in school so its not always easy to find the time but yet I have been making it a point to go. I take zumba classes, body combat, weight training and elliptical or bike. I am finding it very hard to stay motivated because i am not seeing any positive changes. In fact i went on vacation (and splurged A LOT) and I am two pounds heavier than what I was. How long is it supposed to take to lose some weight????
These might be helpful to you.
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/0 -
I'll take fat and healthy over thin and miserable. Getting healthy is about shades of gray. It's about principles and practices, not about rules and absolutes.
Fat and healthy do not belong in the same sentence.
Sorry, that was totally a type-o... meant fat and happy.
No worries. Just caused an eyebrow raise. 0 -
Echoing what's already been said...
diet is 80% of it
Do NOT go under 1200 calories, your body goes into starvation mode and will fight against you to hold onto what it has.
Its really simple, eat fruits, vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats and whole wheat breads
Track your carb/protein/fat levels in your diary
moderation is key...maybe a Jillian Michaels dvd would work out better b/c 30day shred and ripped in 30 are only like 20mins long...easy to fit in with work and kids0 -
So for everyone that has lost weight... you are just cutting back calories or are you following a specific diet? there are way too many diets out there, its confusing sometimes. And if you are exercising and earning calories are you "eating" them or still sticking to your daily goal?
Specific diets are basically cheat sheets for getting healthy. Yes, they can work, but they only work as long as you have the cheat sheet with you.
Learn how to eat well and learn what works for you and it'll be MUCH easier to have long term success.
There are 100 tips and rules for losing weight. The more of them you do, the better your chances will be for success. But ultimately getting started is all about trial and error until you find what works for you.
I'm a perfect example. Yes, all those rules posted above are generally considered to be keys to sucess. But they are not hard and fast requirements for EVERY person ALL the time.
I've have great success and I only follow about 3 of those points. I don't eat enough fruit. I eat NO vegetables. I don't sleep enough. I don't drink enough. I don't take a multi or fish oil. I don't lift.
I eat a lot of protein and try to monitor my carbs and fats. I do a lot of cardio because, frankly, it's what I enjoy. I watch my daily caloric intake and log my foods/workouts. My goal is long term progress, not short term "wins". I don't care if my weight fluctuates day to day as long as the long term trend is down. This is what works for me.
I love love love your goals in your quote!0 -
I have been going to the gym for 3 months now with an average of 3-5 times a week. I work full time and have two small children in school so its not always easy to find the time but yet I have been making it a point to go. I take zumba classes, body combat, weight training and elliptical or bike. I am finding it very hard to stay motivated because i am not seeing any positive changes. In fact i went on vacation (and splurged A LOT) and I am two pounds heavier than what I was. How long is it supposed to take to lose some weight????
You are doing something horribly wrong. I would suggest learning how to properly count your calories. Not trying to be rude, but if you aren't losing weight with your activity level, you are simply eating too much food.0
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