Muscle vs Fat

You could always go to your doctor and ask for a skinfold, it'll tell you what your actual BMI is. That would answer your question with 100% accuracy. I'd say just stick with the diet and exercise, its good for you and teaches you self discipline that you'll use to lead a long healthy life.

according to other posts that I have read if you are cutting calories too much you can impede your weight loss efforts. When you exercise your calorie count goes up that you can have. I find it hard to hit the extra calories as well as we have all been trained to cut as much as possib le. Have you measured yourself to see if you are in fact losing inches? Many times we are doing that when we are not loosing pounds. Hope this helps - stick with it!

It's easy to tell yourself that you are busting your butt, but the reality is very different. I thought I was busting my butt 3 times a week at the gym and wouldn't lose any weight. Fact is, that it wasn't till I made a real sacrifice and started going 6 or 7 times, getting at least 5 days of cardio for 45min-1hr, that I didn't really start losing weight. If you do that, there should be no reason why you can't at least lose your first couple of dozen desired pounds. I don't know how much you want to lose, but in my case, I needed to lose 40 lbs. I lost the first 30 working out like that and I've sort of plateaued. I'm now working on conditioning and toning so I can put more into my workouts and get those last stubborn pounds off... but your first chunk, if you will, should come off at a pretty good pace if you really "bust your butt." Hit that gym 7 days a week, always making sure that you rest your individual muscle groups. In other words, don't work out chest and work out chest the next day. Muscles need time to recooperate. Don't do spinning two days in a row. Do the stair climber or elliptical to change up where you put the stress on your legs. I recommend running outdoors. It may be tougher on your legs, but you'll get used to it. You'll find that when you can run a couple of miles outdoors, the treadmill becomes too easy. Don't tell yourself that you are doing everything you can, when you are not. It's easy to fall into that trap... I've done it many times myself. Have at least one meal that really satisfies you every day, that way you don't crave more food. (My biggest meal is usually lunch) If you want to lose 30 lbs, then work out 7 days a week till you get close to it. Make a real sacrifice for a couple of months and you'll see that it will pay off. Also, very important... never settle for doing the same work out time or intensity. In other words, if you are lifting 40 lbs 10 times today, the next time you do that exercise, try to lift 45 10 times. If you can't make it to the 10 reps, do it 8 or as many as you can. eventually, you'll get to 10. when you do, move up to 50 lbs and so on. Don't ever stay at the same weight or intensity. If you can run a mile today, try to run 2 next time or 1 1/2. Try to keep pushing yourself beyond what you are comfortable with, every single time. If you follow all this advice, I guarantee you will lose the weight. Good luck.

Are your clothes starting to fit differently? I'm back at my original weight that I was a couple of years ago, but my clothes from those days fit so much better now than they did back then. Which means even though I'm the same weight, I have more muscle now but I am smaller than I was.

Please remember that being HEALTHY is much more important than being THIN. There are many thin people out there who live unhealthy lifestyles. Learn to be happy with who you are and not what you look like. Negativity can have a detrimental effect on your weight. Keep up the good work!