I am 36 years old and joined the gym 2 1/2 weeks ago. I have been on a 1500 calorie diet since Jan. 3, 2011. For the last 2 1/2 weeks, I have been doing cardio (mostly elliptical) for 30-45 minutes 6 days a week. The scale has only moved 2lbs. My clothes feel loser but I would have just expected more weight loss. Can anyone help? BTW I weigh 192lbs.

Just keep at it! You should expect about an average of a pound a week. What does your actual food intake look like?

I post my weigh in and meals every week on my blog and it's interesting to review what my month looked like. It consistently went down albeit slower than my desire sometimes.

You should add weight training to your routine. It really really really does make a difference in your journey. It makes a lot of sense and it also burns calories very efficiently and for upto 48 hours after your workout. You'll read that every where

Good luck! Maybe someone else will chime in with suggestions

Two pounds in 2 1/2 weeks isn't a bad loss. You should aim for 1.5-2lbs/week. I definitely agree with Suenos - strength training is extremely beneficial. I've been researching Metabolic Circuit Training & trying that. Muscle burns fat, so the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. This is the plan I've been following: http://www.realjock.com/workout/1072/

Another thing to is to make sure you are counting every single calorie. I write down everything I eat in a food journal because otherwise my calculations are way off. There are lots of resources online where you can just pop in the foods & it will calculate it for you.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of water. The more you drink, the less you retain. Good luck!!

Oh yeah how could I forget the ever powerful and much needed water? LOL Keeping a food journal is essential it seems to success at least it has been for me. The first time few times I tried it I wasn't as success as I have been when I have planned my meals and logged them!

Thanks...I know the weight loss is pretty good for the 2 1/2 weeks I have been going to the gym but I have been dieting for over a month now. I would have thought that I would have seen the scales move more. I think that I am going to start keeping a food diary/journal like you suggested and see if that helps. Maybe I am taking in more food than I think or maybe i need to lower my calorie intake for the day.

I know you say that you're on a 1500 cal diet, but my question to you would be where are those 1500 calories coming from?

Are you loading up on whole unprocessed foods ,fruits & veggies, and lean proteins or are you eating refined carbs, white flours, white sugars, and high sodium foods? All calories are not equal.

Maybe if you gave us a sample of your diet from breakfast through dinner we'd be able to help you out a little more.

My day usually consists of oatmeal for breakfast, a banana for morning snack, a lean cuisine meal for lunch, maybe 1 rice cake for afternoon snack, and then baked/grilled chicken and green beans for dinner. I probably need to up my water intake...I am only taking in 48 oz daily. I also am a big coffee drinker but I have been using fat free creamer. Maybe that is my problem too.

Sometimes it just seems that the whole weight loss thing is going much slower than we'd like it to be. But just keep at it and you'll see more pounds melt away. Good luck!

def. add wt training. also try HiiT training. it's super intense, but VERY short. great for when you don't have much time. so is wt training.

also, your food is missing some fiber. maybe instead of a lean cousine, make some soup in the slow cooker. lentil or black bean soup is super filling, and gives lots of energy. or throw it in a tortilla or romaine lettuce leaf for a 'taco'. super fast snack or lunch. extra yummy with some fresh basil or basil paste.

MadisonAvePhoto This is the plan I've been following: http://www.realjock.com/workout/1072/


Madison AvePhoto, Do you do this workout everytime you are at the gym in the order listed? I need to get a quick schedule like this together for myself and this one looks pretty simple

you say that your clothes are feeling looser, but the scale hasn't moved much. well, i think for most of us, the inches lost are what really matters. the scale is so fickle. there's endless threads on here about how the slightest drink of water, or sodium, or less sleep or whatever shows a gain on the scale when you didn't really gain fat. even from day to day it fluctuates. so much better to use a range of factors to measure your progress- measuring, weighing, cal counting, tracking exercise.

more importantly we have to just focus on staying on plan. eventually, if it's the right plan, we WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!

also, see what little changes you can make in your day to add a slight more activity or movement. sometimes it's not much of a difference, but it all adds up. for example: i just moved into a new house. it has much more to clean than my old house, and more importantly stairs. going up stairs a few times is nothing, especially, since i have leg muscles like a horse. but imagine if i make up reasons to take extra trips up the stairs? or run up the stairs throughout the day? adding that up during a day or week must really add up.

so you can make small changes too. walking a little more, doing squats while brushing teeth, calf raises while you wash dishes. whatever you think of. more muscle we have, and the more we move, the more cal we burn.