need some help

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my loss has slowed down to about a pound a week and i really need it to be 2 pounds at least, im already exercising almost every day and eating right so what else can i do? i would just live with it because i know its a good healthy amount to lose but i have a deadline to lose 22 pounds by mid april.
i have tried doing different exercises, i dont always eat the same calories or foods, the only thing i can think of doing is drinking more water because i only have 2-4 glasses a day.

Replies

  • childofbodom123
    childofbodom123 Posts: 175 Member
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    Firstly, have you changed your fitness pal goal to 2 pounds? Make sure it is at 2 pounds loss per week.

    I have lost 100 pounds over a year and I have lost 2 pounds a week. I find eating around the same amount really does help. Losing weight is much easier when your metabolism has a routine, it speeds it up and keeps it consistant. Try eating to your goal each day and try keep your exercise the same amount of calories burnt.

    Try having 8 glasses of water a day but remember that on the scales water can play a part too, water weight sometimes gives a misreading on the scales.

    My personal trick to losing weight is bending the rules a little bit. When exercising you are meant to eat your extra calories. However, I burn 1750 calories a week in exercise and I do not eat the extra, this is over 7 days so basically 230 calories a day extra in exercise that I do not eat. I do this so that if I do have a bad week I will 100% lose at least half a pound. if you are constantly losing 1 pound, doing this will help you get 1 and a half pounds.

    But ultimately consistancy is the key. I walk every day, around 30 minutes and I eat exact to my calorie goal, I never have one day where I miss a walk then the next day I walk twice as far, that means I will then eat a few hundred more calories and that is confusing my metabolism. I was 20 stone and I am now 14 stone 4 pounds, this has worked for me.

    Some foods may help too. Try eating citrus fruit. Another good one is green tea.

    Hope this helps :-)
  • hermiony
    hermiony Posts: 49 Member
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    thanks for the reply. i have my goal set at 2 pounds per week, and i have stopped eating my exercise calories, i usually burn 200-600 calories a day and rarely have a day where i overeat. i do mostly tradmill, its just so frustrating when it doesnt go down. i also do some weight lifting but im not sure how it will affect my weight loss.
  • childofbodom123
    childofbodom123 Posts: 175 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat, it is quite possible you are gaining more muscle, which would effect the scales. Do you have scales that show how much fat you have burnt? If not, it may be worth while to use some scales that measure this?

    If that is likely to be the cause, if you need to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain date, it might be worth while to focus on cardiovascular from now till that date. At least if you lose the weight before that date you can then resume with weights to build muscle?

    It may be worth trying just for one full week to avoid weight training and focus more on cardiovascular, running or walking etc or exercise bike and continue the good work with your calorie goal, see if that puts you back to 2 pounds loss a week?

    Hope that helps :-)
  • cesmith5
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    you said that you were mostly concentrating on treadmill - I'd suggest doing some strength training and, also, use the elliptical trainer so that you mix it up a bit and shock the system - it might be used to what you've been doing - good luck
  • janehen12
    janehen12 Posts: 162 Member
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    Muscle DOESNT weigh more than fat. a lb is a lb, end of. Its like saying which is heavier, a tonne of bricks or a tonne of feathers.

    its DENSER, and so doesn't take up as much space, making you appear littler!


    I'd say try something else with the cardio, maybe take a class? I'm not an expert, but from what I've read on here it stops your body getting used to it and shocks it
  • childofbodom123
    childofbodom123 Posts: 175 Member
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    But do keep in mind that by adding muscle it slows the weight loss process, that is what is meant by muscle weighing more than fat. Losing fat makes you lose more weight than when losing muscle, regardless of how much they weigh!! So gaining muscle can slow down weight loss progress but it reduces your body fat percentage, which is what I meant, thought I explained it, so hope you didnt get confused.

    I would still focus on cardiovascular if you have to lose weight by a certain date. Swimming is a good mix of strength and cardiovascular, running or jogging, walking is just as good, skipping is great, just things to get your heart pumping!
  • childofbodom123
    childofbodom123 Posts: 175 Member
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    But do keep in mind that by adding muscle it slows the weight loss process, that is what is meant by muscle weighing more than fat. Losing fat makes you lose more weight than when losing muscle, regardless of how much they weigh!! So gaining muscle can slow down weight loss progress but it reduces your body fat percentage, which is what I meant, thought I explained it, so hope you didnt get confused.

    I would still focus on cardiovascular if you have to lose weight by a certain date. Swimming is a good mix of strength and cardiovascular, running or jogging, walking is just as good, skipping is great, just things to get your heart pumping!

    Forgot to add, for a reference point, check out a show called 'The biggest loser' The trainers on there constantly say that the 2 biggest problems in weight loss is water weight and muscle building. 3 or 4 weeks they lose 8 to 11 pounds, then body fat is reduced and muscle is built and they then lose 1 or 2 pounds. So it even happens to the pro trainers on programmes like that. So once again, i would try a week or so doing cardiovascular and less weight training :-) Good luck.