Why am I not loosing weight?

**~.stella.~** · 09-01-2010 09:11 AM

Hi! I'm hoping someone out there can give me some advice. I've recently made some huge life changes - quit smoking, started going to the gym again, and eating healthy again. I work out 3-4 times a week, sometimes more depending on work, and eat fairly healthy. I'm overweight and could stand to loose about 60Lbs. It has been almost 2 months since I've started this new lifestyle, and I have gained 8Lbs. I'm not loosing inches either, I had to buy a size bigger than I was BEFORE I started working out. Am I doing something wrong?!
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

**KMonte85** · 09-01-2010 09:32 AM

Congrats on quitting smoking and starting to get yourself in better health! That's a huge step to take and the most difficult so good for you!

It is so hard to tell someone what they can do/change to be more successful in their weight loss without a little background...

Can you give us a breakdown of what you eat (and how much) in a typical day? Fairly healthy as you mentioned, is good, but if you're overloading yourself with calories you're not going to lose weight. Even "healthy" foods can sometimes be loaded with carbs, fats, and calories that put pounds on instead of taking them off (some granola bars and juices come to mind). A healthy mixture of lean proteins, whole grains, and fresh produce is the best way to lose weight and not have to starve yourself or go on any "diet"

What kind of exercising do you do, and for how long each time? A mixture of cardio and strength training will really help you lose the pounds, the cardio helps you burn calories and the strength will allow you to build muscle which will shoot up your metabolic rate.

Lastly - have you measured yourself? You might be gaining weight, but depending on the type of eating/exercising you're doing you could still be losing inches - measure around your waist, your hips, and your upper arms and thighs... sometimes this can be a a better indicator of your progress than the number on the scale alone..

**~.stella.~** · 09-01-2010 11:19 AM

Thanks for the input, I was thinking about measuring today actually!

Because of the line of work I'm in, and the fact that I work nights, I'm not on any kind of regular eating schedule, which may play a role in my issues. For breakfast I try to have either peanut butter toast and some kind of fruit (I've been forcing myself to eat grapefruit) or cereal (usually mini wheats or cheerios). For lunch I'll have a sandwich on light rye (extra lean chicken or turkey slices), a garden salad with light dressing. And for dinner, since the weather is so nice, I generally BBQ something. Usually boneless, skinless chicken breast, sometimes steak and veggies and salad.. sometimes a baked potato with margarin.
I think a big problem is snacking and coffee. I try and have healthy snacks like carrots and low fat cheese, almonds and raisins... but sometimes I just need a giant glass of chocolate milk, or a bag of microwave popcorn.
As far as drinks are concerned, I drink diet pepsi (usually one a night), and I drink alot of coffee with milk and sweetner (I know this is bad for me..)

When I go to the gym I do a 30 minute warm up - broken up between the treadmill and eliptical machines. I set the machines to "fat burn". Then I do 20 minutes of strength training (there's a circuit with the machines that works out all muscle groups)

I guess I'm just feeling discouraged because I've seen fast results using these same methods in the past. It's sometimes hard to keep motivated.

**Kallygirlie** · 09-01-2010 11:32 AM

Well I'm thinking you can find most of the problem in your drink selection alone. You didn't list that you dring water. Water is a key role i weight loss. Coffee actually dehydrates your body. Ur wanting to snack on popcorn is not so bad as long as you limit yourself to like a cup or so, dont eat the whole bag (i've been guilty of that). Also, could you be dealing with the dreaded weight gain from quitting smoking. Its actually a very common to gain after you quit smoking. My Mom, Dad, brother, Aunt and uncle are just a few of the people I know that gained shortly after putting down the cigs. Your body will need to adjust. I've learned to be careful with peanut butter, raisins and nuts. They are good for you but have quite a few calories so you need to watch your portions.

Trust me, I'm no expert here. I'm on the weight loss journey myself. I've lost some weight but I can feel the difference in my energy. If you aren't drinking any water, my best advice is to start. Your body needs it

**Knishtha** · 09-02-2010 08:41 AM

look, firstly I think its gr8 tht u hve quit smoking and working out really hard, i think the problem here majorly is because of the irregular timing, try having black coffee and black tea instead of using milk and sugar. and yes have some patience, i think have lot of determination. You'll do just fine

**sourpuss** · 09-02-2010 10:48 AM

I think you're on the right track. The weight gain can be partially attributed to the strength training, so don't worry about the scale so much.
If you make some small adjustments, I think you'll see some results.
You can easily eliminate 400+ calories a day just by changing what you drink and snack on. Try getting rid of the soda completely, maybe one a week. Switch to water with a squeeze of lemon, I know, boring, but that will cut out A LOT. Start to cut back on the milk and sugar in your coffee until you get used to just drinking it black. If you need a little milk, use skim and no sugar. I think those two changes in themselves will cut out a good 200-300 calories a day. Like Kally said, popcorn is ok if you don't eat the whole bag.
I love popcorn and have some every day, but I make it dry on the stove and it's about 300 calories less than a bag of microwave stuff. I know you're at work, so maybe you can get your own to make there. There are single serving bags you can buy that are about 1/2 the size and you can get the light version. (way less calories)

Lastly, add a bit more to your workouts. Try doing a 10-15 minute warm up and then up the intensity for a cardio workout for another 30 minutes. Make sure your heart rate is up the whole time and you're sweating. Then do your strength program and after that, hop back on the elliptical for another 15-20 minutes, but make it intense.

Basically, cut a few more calories and burn a few more.

**Shadow38** · 09-02-2010 11:39 AM

Another thing that may help is to make sure you're getting protein with each meal/snack. It will keep you fuller, longer and help you to avoid the less healthy items. One thing to consider too is that you may not be eating enough. You might want to check your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and then do the Harris Benedict equation (you can google it). It might help to give you a better idea of how much you should be eating.

I think one of the hardest things in weight loss and fitness is finding what works for you. Keep up the good work and congrats on quitting smoking.

**KMonte85** · 09-02-2010 12:04 PM

stella, it looks like you already know what you should do - the stuff that you're eating (the snacking stuff, sodas, and the extras in your coffee) really will add up if you think about how much you eat them and the calories you're taking in when you do... just cut out the stuff that you know is junk, or replace it with healthier options like sourpuss suggested.

And increase the exercise! You would be surprised what even 15 or 20 minutes added on to your workouts will do for your body! And start measuring yourself instead of just relying on the scale, our bodies fluctuate so much its is hard to only base our improving bodies by weight alone!

Best of luck - it really sounds like you're on your way!

**jessie1234** · 09-08-2010 09:02 PM

from my fitness background, ive learned that people who quit smoking generally gain weight because smoking increases your metabolism
you will need to give your body time to adjust to all of the changes before it is able to react
its most likely in a bit of shock!

**asdkf** · 09-09-2010 05:59 PM

In general you lose weight when calories in < calories out. In general, that's the equivalent of reducing the amount of calories you get in your body, and increasing the amount of exercise you do.

First, it is possible that you're consuming too many calories, so look at your diet.

Second, it is possible that you're actually consuming too little calories, causing your body to go into fat retaining mode. I've seen many people cut their calories drastically in an attempt to lose weight (with the word "fast" usually thrown in there), and it's just not the right way to do things.

I'd recommend you track what you eat using fitday. If you think you're eating too much, try eliminating ~400-500 calories from your daily intake. If in a week or 2, you increased in weight, then try going back to consuming the same amount of calories and add ~200-300 to that.

I hope that helps. You'll figure out soon enough what works well for you.

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