About two years ago I lost about 28 pounds. Then I fell off the wagon and gained it all back. I started working out again about three weeks ago. I avoided the scale…until today. I weighed myself after my workout this morning…I haven’t lost ANYTHING…as a matter of fact I think I gained a pound or two! How is this possible??? I have worked out non stop…12 out of the past 18 days I have been dragging myself to the gym!!! I have been getting up early and doing 35 minutes of cardio and 20-25 minutes of weight machines. Many of those days I also did a two mile walk. How is this possible??? How could I lose 28 pounds doing the same routine two years ago and nothing now? Now…I will be starting my TOM either later today or tomorrow…so I hope that could have something to do with it. It’s just so disappointing to work so hard and not get any results.
Hey Silver, that is rough, but you should take comfort from the fact that exercising is very good for you, regardless of weight loss.
Did that work? No? Ok. What about your diet? Have you made changes in your eating plan also? It's quite difficult to lose weight through exercise alone.
Hmm. Sometimes I gain up to 4 pounds before TOM. Have you improved your diet? No matter how much exercise I put in, the weight won't budge if my diet isn't improved. Also make sure that you're getting your heart rate up for the exercise. I recommend keeping a food journal. After a couple of days use a calorie counter website such as fitday. Even if you think you're eating healthy, you may still be having alot more calories than you think.
The pound or two you gained may also be muscle if you're been strength training religiously. Maybe try taking your measurements as well. Just because the scale isn't budging doesn't mean you aren't losing fat!
Lastly, how old is your scale? If the batteries are old this can cause a misreading, same with the actual scale itself. If you have no clue how old the scale is I might recommend getting a new one.
That's just my two cents!
How long have you been following your plan? If its only been a week, give it time! Also, how much are you eating? Are you counting calories? You need to make sure you are eating enough with all that exercise, but not too much. What is the rest of your plan like?
Our bodies change over time! The first time I lost weight, it was MUCH easier. But I was 5 years younger! Its harder now, I'm not losing as quick, but I'm still losing. So I'll take whatever I can get
I agree with the others -- take a look at what you're eating. You can work your butt off in the gym, but so long as you're eating more calories than you're burning in a day, the scale won't move -- or worse, will go up. It's widely thought that weight loss is about 80% diet and 20% exercise, so unless you've got a good eating plan in place, you're not likely to see much in the way of results.
Good for you for getting back to exercise! I bet you're feeling so much better now, aren't you?
Thanks for everyone’s comments. I have changed my eating habits. I have cut out most of the pop I was drinking and I am now drinking a lot more water. I have been eating fruit such as grapes and strawberries. I have also been eating Luna bars for breakfast or for a snack. I did have sort of an unhealthy weekend though…some friends were down visiting so we went out to eat a lot.
I tried using Fitday about two years ago…but I didn’t feel like it was very accurate. Especially with my calories burned from exercise. Maybe I will try again.
The scale I am using is in the gym…so it is one of those Dr. balancing type scales. As for measuring…I did that when I was working out two years ago as well. I still have the little pad of paper at home from when I took my measurements! Taking measurements is hard! Even after I lost weight I would still get the same measurements…I must have been doing something wrong!
They say you have to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. I would just think that after working out nearly every single day, (sometimes twice a day) and burning 750 to 1,000 calories a day…that I would have lost something by now! I do feel better since I have been working out…but I want results too. After I got off the scale this morning I really started to question if I really did feel better! Before I weighed myself I felt better and really thought I had lost some weight. Now that I see that I haven’t lost anything I am starting to think that maybe that “feeling better” part was just in my head. How can I feel better about working sooooooo hard and not getting ANY results!?!?!?
Last edited by silversparkle; 09-05-2007 at 10:23 AM.
Are you sore much?? If you are, you're retaining fluids. Usually on Fridays, after working out for 3 days already, I don't see any weight loss. But after taking the weekend off from the gym and letting my muscles rest, I get on the scale on Monday mornings and will see a pound (occassionally 2) loss. Maybe if you want to see the scale drop, you should take a day or so off and let the fluids leave your muscles (if their sore that is, i guess). Just my suggestion. If you don't think you'll get back to excersizing, then maybe you shouldn't take a day or two off. I take the weekends off just because i'm lazy. ;-)
My muscles are not usually sore. They were a little when I started back up three weeks ago. Does anyone think that maybe I shouldn't be doing the weight machines every day like I have been? Evey day I go to the gym...usually 5 or 6 times a week...I do the weight machines. I either do the arm machines or the leg machines. Maybe I should only be doing the weight machines every other day and do an extra 25 or 30 minutes of cardio on the other days??? Hummmm......
Last edited by silversparkle; 09-05-2007 at 10:55 AM.
After reading your other posts now, I think you should start looking at how many calories you are eating in a day and then check your weight again in a couple of weeks. Try FitDay again, you might like it!
I agree with modkittn. You're just guessing on how much you're eating. You need to track your calories, or points, or whatever system you're used to. Exercise doesn't burn as many calories as people would like to think it does.
Use FitDay to figure out your daily calorie burn for your age and weight and activity level, without exercise. Then track your foods for a week--every single thing you eat--and see how much you're really eating.
Well...I am getting the calories burned number from the machines...not the most accurate thing to go by I know. My gym also has a program where you can log in after you work out and enter your activities. This also spits out a calories burned number.
Really disappointed
It's widely thought that weight loss is about 80% diet and 20% exercise, so unless you've got a good eating plan in place, you're not likely to see much in the way of results.
