For every 3,500 calories you burn, you’ll lose a pound. It turns out that slimming down is more complex than that golden rule preached by fitness pros.
Shedding pounds isn’t so precise, according to Ralph La Forge, a physiologist and managing director of the Duke Lipid and Metabolic Disorder Training Program at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
Although weight loss does, indeed, depend upon the “calories-in, calories-out” equation, you may at times exercise without losing weight. For example, a brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories – only about half the amount in that bagel you ate this morning (minus the cream cheese).
In addition, gender and genes matter. Women, who store fat differently than men and have a harder time losing fat around the abdomen, tend to lose weight more slowly. And some people are just born with a faster resting metabolism, so they burn calories more quickly.
So what can you do to nudge the scale down? Keep these tips in mind:
Do exercise a little more. Gradually increase the time and intensity of your workouts to burn more calories. Just walking 15 minutes more, for example, will help you shed an additional 100 calories.
Work more muscles. The more muscle groups you work, the more energy your body uses. Thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, hiking, dancing, tai chi and some forms of yoga, burns more calories than 30 minutes of stationary cycling or some kinds of resistance training. It also builds strong bones.
I started my 'diet' one month ago and joined a website called www.caloriecount.com
I made a profile and started logging my calories and exercise and I've lost 27 inches off my body so far. 13 pounds, but I've gained muscle and have gone down a size and a half in pants!
I really recommend this site to everyone on here struggling with weight loss, especially those ones who were saying they need support. You can join groups of people with similar weight loss issues/goals/age etc and they give you support and hold you accountable.
It's great. Please check it out, it's helped me SO MUCH! I'd be more than happy to 'support' you on Calorie Count :) (SLCASE90 is my SN)
Good luck!
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I need help, I am starting to think why bother anymore. Any other time in my life if I went to a gym I would drop the lbs quickly, but 3 months I should have definitely noticed a difference atleast in my clothes.
I really do need someone's advice though.
I am: 5'6"/160 lbs
I exercise 3.5 to 4 hours a day (i burn 2,100 cals a day according to my hrm)
I eat btwn 3000 to 3200 a day but I am gaining weight. I haven't lifted in the past month. Why am I gaining weight?
Watching what I'm eating. Also I'm working with pulleys, lifting weight.
I believe it's because women's bodies store fat for more than just energy storage. Dr's don't think about the fact that women's bodies store estrogen in the fat cells. Our fat is not used in the same way as mens and yet they think the same rules apply. And, yes, if you present them with facts to the contrary, they think you are liars.
I never had trouble with weight until I got older and my hormones changed. I was a runner and athlete and began gaining a couple of pounds a month until I was 40 pounds overweight!
What I've discovered is that what you consume (not how much) and how you exercise (not how often) has a lot to do with how healthy and balanced your body chemistry is. I started taking soy and doing weights instead of aerobics and it adjusted my hormones just enough so that my body stopped clinging to that weird fat.
Dr's are stupid. They want all bodies to act the same, which is obviously a mistake. Pay attention to your body. That weight gain is a symptom of an imbalance which could be more dangerous than the extra pounds.
Good luck!
Muscle is more dense that fat is the truth...
in my experience i have lost 40 pounds in about 3 and a half months. I did this by working out 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. I had a strict diet and only took in about 1200-1400 calories a day with a cheat day once a week. I also took xenadrine which is a fat burner. I only took 1 capsule before a workout. Which was only 1/9th the recommended dosage. Losing weight is all about confusing your body so it never achieves equilibrium in your calorie deficit. I would confuse it by: decreasing calorie intake, increasing workout intensity, trying new workouts, increasing xenadrine dosage and having a cheat day to confuse my metabolism. Also its important to eat 5 small portioned meals which allows your body to drop weight because it knows its getting food constantly. When i started my workout plan i would ease my way in so everyweek i would work harder and harder. Its imprtant to do this to avoid a "shock" from your body for the sudden change. That way your body wont put itself in starvation mode and hold on to all the fat
I come to you very confused and frustrated. May as well throw some discouragement and aggravation in there as well.
Starting last February I got a trainer so I could lose 40 lbs. I am 6ft and weigh 279. When I started with this qualified trainer I weighed 277. I trained with her 3 times a week and then went down to 2 times per week. We did weights, cardio, I changed the way I ate and I have never been a big sweet eater, pop drinker, not big on breads and such. Not saying I never eat them but they are not a normal part of my diet.
So we trained 9 months, cardio, weights and such. Different exercises daily. When I didn't train with her, I did the elliptical machine and cardio. Sad to say I LOST NOTHING! NOT 1 POUND! I was pissed! Weighed myself throughout and added more cardio and still nothing!
Dropped her and started working out on my own and still nothing. Started working out consistently in Novemebr towards the end then Thanksgiving hit for 2 days. Back on the grind. Christmas hit for 2 days. Back on the grind consistently since then. Included a couple sessions of INSANITY and now I have picked the weights back up and I have still lost 0 pounds.
To break this cycle of no weight lost I started exercising double this week. One time for 40 minutes at 5am and when I get off work for about an 1 or more. Haven't seen results yet. It's been a couple days.
Why haven't I lost weight?! Blood work done, thyroid checked and there is nothing wrong.
PLEASE HELP ME!
I have been doing crossfit for 8 months now and have only shed about 5 lbs BUT I am getting loads slimmer, I can easily crank out 20 pullups and 20 pushups and when I started I couldn't even do a single one of either. I was feeling bad that the scale hadn't dropped when my instructor pointed out how strong and slim I was getting and I realized.. I could care less about how much I weighed as long as I was looking good and strong..
So.. DO NOT GIVE UP JUST BECAUSE THE SCALE ISN"T GOING DOWN! Start taking measurements and i'm sure you'll see your getting slimmer and getting stronger too.
Good luck to you all!
Most people on here are right, if you’re eating a healthier lifestyle than before and you are exercising, you are doing well.
It doesn’t matter what Salter the scales say, it’s how you feel in you. It’s about you and your body, the way you maintain how you look and feel.
Just think if you hadn’t started it where would you be now / still feeling sad for one ’s self maybe? who knows, but you started eating healthier and living a more active lifestyle for one reason, because you wanted too.
If you continue this regime for at least one month, make sure you take a before picture. So you have a now and before picture. You will be surprised how much toning your body can really improve your looks.
I struggled with my weight for years, or I thought I did until I educated my mind and dumped the scales.
I am almost 40, I had two ectopic pregnancies, and two children now aged 19 and 17, I then had a hysterectomy at the age of 25. I then added insult to injury and broke my hip ( femur ) and my elbow in a tripping accident in 1999, I was using a zimmer frame and had a commode for about six months , I didn’t think I’d walk again. Thankfully there was a god. I was given two choices, don’t walk again or push yourself to the limit and try and get back on your feet.
Back to my weight, I weigh two stone lighter, over 4 years, however the mid abs have gone. I almost have a six pack. This is where I stored my fat, I am toned from head to toe, I go to the gym three times a week, I go to the sauna once a week to sweat those toxins out, a year ago I have given up smoking 20 cigarettes a day, and I feel the best I have ever felt, and considering I have two pins holding my joints together I have the best toned arms and legs and the best abs in the world. (Well my world anyway compared to the skin sag that used to sit there. ) anyway to cut a long story short she says, I am now also on a netball team. So those who say they can’t lift for x amount of reasons, I don’t listen too, you can do it, but you have to want to do it to succeed, you won’t obtain anything saying you cannot, it will take time, but you can do it.
Thank you,
Jennifer
What does that mean? It means, I'm not tracking calories honestly. Apparently study, after study, after study shows that it doesn't matter what food rules you apply, if you want to be overweight (subconciously), you're going to find ways to eat the same calories.
If you make people eat a light version of a product, that has half the calories, over time, they just end up eating twice as much from the light version :D And all of this happens without us noticing.
If you get people to exercise, what happens over to the person exercising is that they simply start cutting calories throughout the rest of the day (do more couch surfing), and this is all subtle, and you do it without even noticing.
You could be on the most-restrictive diet ever and exercise like mad, but still be on the same calorie level as you were when you were careless and ate what you wanted.
So you have to count calories by your BMR (not rmr!) and always under-estimate exercise because most equipment lies about it. also over-estimate calories in foods. Round up, not round down.
When I did all of the above, I finally lost all the weight, after struggling for years. Oh, and I did it with no restrictions or special foods :) When you can honestly see exactly how many calories you're eating, burning, need to eat... Its easy to get to the right number of calories with any food you like :D
God Bless Everyone! :0)
Lastly, it means staying a little hungry all day long. That's right, you should have a little pang in your stomach all day long if you're going to lose weight and keep it off.
We live in an indulgent society where one trip through the drive through can exceed our daily caloric needs...and many people do that 3 times over plus snacks and it shows.
Getting to your prime weight is going to probably be really hard work for most people. It's better if you know that up front.
Lastly, it means staying a little hungry all day long. That's right, you should have a little pang in your stomach all day long if you're going to lose weight and keep it off.
We live in an indulgent society where one trip through the drive through can exceed our daily caloric needs...and many people do that 3 times over plus snacks and it shows.
Getting to your prime weight is going to probably be really hard work for most people. It's better if you know that up front.
Thanks for your comments. The article clearly states that exercising more, along with what and how much you eat, is the best way to lose more. The calories burned from everyday tasks are not meant to encourage readers to replace their routine exercise with household chores. It's simply meant to encourage more physical activity to not only lose or maintain weight, but to retain mobility and independence.
And keep in mind, the amount of calories burned depends on many factors, including but not limited to age, weight, sex, intensity level, etc.
In simple terms, less weight and more movement means less aggravated joints and less pain.
Thanks for all your comments.
The Editors
Arthritis Today
You are going to give people the idea that keep their houses clean is a replacement for exercise which is absolutely not the case.
I've tried everything! Even going down to 500 calories a day to see if that would shock my system. Nope, I gained a pound that week.
I excercise everyday, don't eat processed foods,no sugar, most things organic and most days calories intake is around 1300 calories a day. I write down everything, wear a bodybugg (which clearly tells me I'm burning more calories then I take it) and I just keep gradually gaining weight.
Girl that pudge around your tummy is probably your uterus. Some womens female organs are pushed forward just a little. No amount of diet or exercise is going to make that go away. A super flat tummy is not achievable for a vast majority of women. Don't worry about it!
Thanks
Introduce weights in your workouts, dont just stick to cardios.
Your target should be to get your body fat percentage down not your weight.
Eat low glycemic index carbs. Wheat breads, brown rice and the kinds. Stay far far away from sugar and white carbs.
kay i dont really have a dilemma juss more of a question.
im 17, 5"4 and 140 pnds. i dont really care about my weight cause i know i have an insane amount of leg muscle . ive been working out at the gy for about a week, have a membership and all. i basicaly only do cardion for about 2-3 hourse every single day. will i eventually see results ? like how long should it take before my waist line and stomach area start decreasing inch wise ??
any ideas ?
A 12 oz glass contains almost 1 lb of water!
Remember that 1 litre of water is 2.2 lbs. In my case it seems that the scale is saying I am no longer losing weight but my clothes are getting loser.
So don`t rely on the scale, take measurements at different places on your body (waist, arms, neck and hips).
In my case, it seems my body is retaining more water than a few months ago - at least according to my body fat analyzer electronic scale.
1: Dont weigh yourself every day, just do it once every week or 2 weeks.
2: Increase your intensity of your excercise, your body gets used to the same intensity. Increase a little every 3 days.
3: As stated in previous posts, watch and record your calories. There are a lot of hidden calories in foods.
4: Totally give up chips, these put pounds of weight on. If you must then oven bake them.
5: Add weights to your excercise plan. Even though it may look like your not losing. Which does put people off. Dont be put off as more muscle really does make a difference when burning cals.
6: Drink plenty of water, even when your hungry. The higher your water percentage the better your body works. Also muscle needs water and infact is 75% water.
I was having the exact same problems as listed and started to increase the intensity and it did make a difference. I was 249 lb. Have now cut down to 217 and still going.
I decided to join the gym about 3 weeks ago now because i want to tone up (im 18 years old by the way). at joining i weighted 49kg and am 5ft1 in height however the trainers their weighed me again about 4 days later and i had gained 1.5kgs?? and ever since joining i have gained and gained weight. weighing myself yesterday i am now 52.7kg thats 2.8kg since joining. what gives? i go roughly 5 times a week and at best do about 2 hours there.. i do classes their every work day that include things like yoga, pilates, step (dancing that involves a step) and some trampiline work outs. ive noticed im alot more hungry and am consuming more but that really doesnt account for my weight gain?? id say my diet isnt the best but i noticed before i joined the gym id eat things like m&ms and mcdonalds etc everyday and seem to be lossing weight and now that i goto the gym im gaining? HELP please :)
Best wishes to everyone!
I am frustrated at this point and need some advice. I have 9 year old triplets and want to be able to keep up with them as they get older :)Thanks! Shannon
You should add weights into your exercise routine!
You complete a 6 mile run in 30 minutes, 4 times each week?? Wow. That puts you in pretty rare company. At that pace, you'd finish a marathon in just over 2 hours. Can't imagine why you wouldn't be losing weight. Have you increased your caloric intake to fuel your runs? Sometimes running makes people feel depleted and they tend to unwittingly eat more.
Started at 247lb (female)
Current weight: 158 lbs. and still losing.
I think a good mix of weight lifting (more muscle = more calories burned no matter what you do) and cardio (around 1 mile before working out, and 20 min spinning) are necessary for success. Just an opinion, otherwise I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Also I'm wondering - for those who are working out but struggling to lose weight, were you active growing up? Playing competitive sports or skiing, etc? I really wonder if years of being active while young makes a big difference in the ability to lose weight when you're older. Anyway, I think my current weight success is due to being young (24) and having a previously active lifestyle (oh, and starving myself). I'd seriously suggest taking up a sport if anyone is having trouble. Racquette ball (sp?), skiing, basketball. Sports are whole body workouts so it's a lot more calories burning and muscle forming. Or try a triathlon? Also more fun for anyone who loathes mindless running like I do. :) Will update to see if this losing weight continues...it could backfire. Good luck and remember to weigh yourself in the morning only!
I now have been jogging everyday and can run an entire race track without stopping, which is a major deal for me. In addition to this I do brisk walking and other aerobic exercises. Since I have started to become healthier I have lost 10 pounds and can fit in my clothes. However, my weight hasn't changed since. I am no where near my proper weight for my height. I have changed my diet for the better and exercise but my weight is still the same. I don't want to loose focus of my goal because of this. What else can I do to shed the rest? Also, is this weight simply toned muscle that will eventually shed after more exercise?
I weigh 130 lbs. and I am 5'4 which is a bit heavy. But the thing is that I am not slow,even though I weigh that much and I am not super muscular, I have a lot of fat around. I would just like to get slimmer.
I don't eat very unhealthily. I excerise every day for at least 2 hours and it's pretty vigorous excering.
What should I do to lose weight?
Going to try to get my cardio up and start running and see if that changes anything. Either that or i'm taking weight training again. Weights>walking it seems and i used worked out a lot of different muscles.
I started back a weight watchers 1st week lost 1lb 2 weeks later only .4 after walking treadmill for 1 hour for 5 days. Started at 120
5 weeks later i weigh 118 i walk the tread-
mill every other day now. I am 48. My doctor
me today i am loosing inches i can see my clothes fitting and feel lighter but the scales
are the same i am met a lady early forties and
she was totally fit i talked to her she told me
i am doing something right and that with some
people the inches come off first if i keep at it i will see the weight come off this has really given me hope and i am doing just this.
Hope to see the scales do down one day to 110
Thanks
for example, I spin 3 times a week and I do weights the other 3 times, and the last day is my day off the gym. I eat very healthy, and I take all my vitamins plus, fibers (oatmeal, brown rice green tea extract pills) and I drink about 1/2 gallon water everyday, for the first month I only lost 4 lbs, and I was very disappointed despite all my hard efforts. But I didn't give up my second month I lost 7 lbs, and 4th 13 lbs, and then the 5th my body was used to the routine again, So i had to mix things up a bit, but if you are not seeing big weight loss in the first month, don't give up just keep going, drink lots of water, burn atleast 1500 cal. per week, and eat healthy, give it 3 months, and you will be happy.
Thanks
Damon
scale or even look at it, it still shows the same dang weight. I don't even need to
step on the scale to know what I weigh because it hasn't changed at all.
I'm on weightwatchers just to keep a running track of what I'm eating. I don't use this
as a crutch to eat whatever I want. I don't eat at fast food places. Funny things is I
don't even have a taste for that crap anymore. I don't eat fried foods, I watch my
fats, don't drink soda, and trust me, if I haven't put it on here it doesn't mean I'm
not doing that too. This whole diet thing sucks so bad because it would seem I have to
get a fat pump to get this weight off of me.
I can't believe it when people say it takes a long time to lose weight (of course now
I'm second guessing this now) because when I went to basic training in the military, in
six weeks I lost all the weight in like record time. My body was freaking amazing man. Now, I don't even want to talk about it or I'll throw this keyboard. I have no idea
what I'm doing wrong. I'm watching my calories, walking everyday for hours and the fat just laughs and says "she'll give it up, just ignore her guys and grab that salad...
you know where to put it."
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