Going to the gym for 2 months and NO CHANGE!!!

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  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
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    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.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    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.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    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.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    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.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    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.
  • LickyNees
    LickyNees Posts: 101 Member
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    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/
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    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. =)
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    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 kids
  • mdfeller
    mdfeller Posts: 135
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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?

    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!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    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.
  • SexyCook
    SexyCook Posts: 2,253 Member
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    Eating is the key!!! The working out is the accessory to the benefits of eating right!! Check your diary...don't cheat yourself with the splurges just yet!! Focus on creating a healthier eating system so you wont think you have to splurge. You can so do this!! I love the gym and I know it works along with the clean eating!
  • kcwonder
    kcwonder Posts: 57 Member
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    I try to stay under my caloric intake goal based on MFP's limit for me. On days that I work out, I rarely try to "eat back" all the calories I burned, but I eat enough where I am under MFP's caloric limit for me by 500 calories or so (really depends on the type of workout).

    There is a lot of good advice about what to eat. So no need for any additional suggestions on types of food to consume except for one food I love after workouts: Nonfat plain greek yogurt (Dannon is pretty good) and granny smith apple slices. It's my low calorie decent amount of protein sweet snack.

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