I am always exercising but I'm not reducing weight. What should I do?

[MikeP]

It's already 3 weeks of exercising, but I've just noticed I'm not reducing weight.
What should I do?

[mandalinn82]

Are you monitoring what you're eating?

If you're not, you can easily out-eat any exercise benefits for weight loss. Weight loss is about eating fewer calories than you burn.

[Heather]

Yep. What she said!

[xMissTinax]

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

Are you monitoring what you're eating?

If you're not, you can easily out-eat any exercise benefits for weight loss. Weight loss is about eating fewer calories than you burn.

This and keep in mind, your body may gain muscle due to exercising before the pounds fall off. Keep at it!

[sontaikle]

Originally Posted by MikeP

It's already 3 weeks of exercising, but I've just noticed I'm not reducing weight.
What should I do?

Just like everyone else said, you have to monitor your food intake in order to see results. Exercise doesn't cause substantial weight loss on its own.

Take it from me, I exercised hard for years and lost some weight, but nowhere where I needed to get. the last 70 pounds was all because of portion control and calorie counting.

[Aunty Jam]

Absolutely agree with everyone - change your eating habits, I saw a quote in a users sig once that said "You can't out exercise bad eating habits!" and I really believe that is true. What you eat and even when you eat is important.

Something else to keep in the back of your mind, sore muscles retain water and will make you weigh a little more, not a whole lot, but a bit.

[JudgeDread]

It depends on what you are doing for exercise too. Are you doing cardio? How high is your heart rate going? Lifting weights..light or heavy? How long are your workouts..how many days a week?

If you're not breaking a sweat or running out of breath you need to push harder. Don't hurt yourself but to see results you have to make yourself suffer. That's why we all loath exercising so much!


As far as food goes.....

Likely you are gaining muscle mass..enough to balance out fat loss. Best way to tell is either by measuring, or seeing how your pants fit!

But if you are still seeing the inches stay, then yes..you will need to modify what you are eating. A 500 calorie deficit a day from your caloric needs will lead you too loose 1 lb of fat in 7 days.

SO if you need 2000 calories to maintain your weight, eat and or workout enough to go down to 1500 calories.

Measure your foods, and underestimate on your calorie burning (unless you have a good heart rate watch monitor). Write down all your intakes and calories burned. It should put you on a good path in no time!

Remember to eat nutritious foods!

[EmilyRae83]

I have been working out for three months and I have drop only a small amount of weight. What I just found out is you need to count your calories. Everyday Health.com is a great way to count your calories. It helps you see what you are eating and then you add your daily work out to see what you have burned. My problem, I havent been eating enought calories. Weird huh? Never would have thought by eating more calories it would help me lose weight. Your body needs enough so it does not think your starving yourself.

On a side note, kickboxing is a great workout. I burn an average of 700 calories in an hour class. THe first time I did I I thought I was going to die....now I am addicted to it. Good Luck!

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by EmilyRae83

I have been working out for three months and I have drop only a small amount of weight. What I just found out is you need to count your calories. Everyday Health.com is a great way to count your calories. It helps you see what you are eating and then you add your daily work out to see what you have burned. My problem, I havent been eating enought calories. Weird huh? Never would have thought by eating more calories it would help me lose weight. Your body needs enough so it does not think your starving yourself.

With all due respect - you're a bit confused. Lowering calories too much especially when doing a lot of intense exercise is not a good idea for a number of reasons but fat loss is not one of them for most people. ** If you haven't lost much for three months, increasing calories is unlikely to help. Shorter term water retention could be masking fat loss but three months means something else is going on.

If you are only monitoring your weight than it is difficult to measure progress if you're working out a lot. Many things could be happening. Measurements and pictures are more telling than the scale as a measure of progress.


**The exception is people who have very little fat to lose and it is difficult to mobilize for a number of reasons.