Hi There,

This is my first time posting on here, though I've been a member for a little while. Just a general question about whether I seem to be on the right track, because I'm not really seeing any results!

I do 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, the other 2 days I work so I'm pretty tired by the end of the day.
I've changed my diet so that I'm eating less food and healthier stuff, trying for 5 serves of fruit and veges per day as well as lean proteins. Sometimes I allow myself a treat (maybe once every two weeks) of french fries - I can't deprive myself of them for two long - but I figure one serve every two weeks isn't going to change things too much?!

I've been doing this for over 6 weeks now and have only lost 4kg (about 8 pounds) and I haven't seen any actual results in the mirror.

It's disheartening - can anyone offer any advice or reassurance?

'ONLY' 4kg in 6 weeks! That's a brilliant rate of loss and right on target. You really can't lose more faster and stay healthy. Just stick with it. Sure it takes a long time but it probably took just as long, if not longer, to put the weight on.

Kitty

Do you feel any different body wise? healthier?
When you say your eating less how many calories are you getting a day?
How big are the french fries your eating cos that could hinder you even if it is 2 weeks, cos its grease/oil your puttin in. Slowly is the best way to do it tho, altho thats annoying to hear!
Im workin on building up my exercise, debating on joggin or powerwalkin today
Welcom to the world of posting tho
Jade

I think your weight loss thus far has been awesome. That's exactly the kind of loss you should expect and it sounds like you're doing things the right way... adding in exercise and cutting out the junk in your diet.

I second what Dark Angel said about how many calories you're eating. If you're not paying attention to that it's something you may want to consider so you know exactly how much you're eating. The just "eating healthy" thing works, but I find only for so long. Then, if every little while you want those French fries you can work them into your calories and not feel like you're totally derailing yourself. Google your BMR and maybe try setting your calories around that to start. You can always lower them as needed (never below 1200/day though).

With exercise, cardio is great but I would also suggest trying to work some weight training into your regime as well. Weight training is great because it builds lean muscle mass which can actually speed up your metabolism long term. It's also just a great habit to get into for women of any age because it helps maintain bone density.

Good luck.

8 pounds in 6 weeks is wonderful!!!!! Most recommend a loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week, and you are right on target!!!

You are doing great! It is harder to see the results in the mirror, remember you are losing all over your body. Are you taking measurements? You will be able to see measurements quicker by taking measurements.

I'll echo the others: 9 lb in 6 weeks is great (1kg = 2.2lb). It really is. I know we all want the weight to just MELT off ... but keep in mind that when you lose it slowly and steadily, then it's more likely to stay off than if it drops like a rock.

If you want to maximize your weight loss (keeping it within a healthy range still), I do think you'll have to be a little more strict with keeping track of the calories you're eating, the amount of calories you're burning, etc. It's hard to say what might help you speed things up unless you know EXACTLY what you're eating and when.

But again, as others have said, there is nothing wrong with 9 lbs in 6 weeks. It's an accomplishment you should be proud of!

>

Thanks for your answers! I think the calorie thing is worthwhile trying out, it's just I have no idea how to find out the amount of calories in the foods I'm eating - is there a site that does this easily? I don't really know.

It's good to hear that I'm on target as well, I honestly thought it was so slow. It's just annoying because I really want to wear clothes that I was wearing 5 months ago - I didn't even notice putting on the weight I had until my clothes started getting tighter.

I've used fitday.com in the past.

Thanks! I'm gonna have a look at that right now - today is a new day, perhaps I can start counting today - I just don't want my life to be ruled by calorie counting.

I log my calories in Daily Plate - I think now it's part of LiveStrong.com, however.

It's super easy and not only does it have a huge database of food, it breaks down your macros (percentages of carbs/protein/fat) for each day.

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Thanks for that tip as well! I'm on fitday at the moment - it has a good range of food from what I can tell - it puts everything into a pie chart carbs/protein/fat/alcohol. However my pie chart is always only 3 parts - I quit drinking when I started my weight loss attempt.

Another question I thought about is whether quitting drinking is actually going to help in the long run with weight loss? I used to probably drink upwards of one bottle of white wine a week (no more than 2). Gosh that sounds like a lot.

Well, I chose NOT to quit drinking. I am not a heavy drinker, but I love a good red wine, I like good beer (microbrews and so forth), and every once in a while I really like a good citron martini.

I count calories, so for me, having a drink is just a matter of fitting those calories into my plan for the day. I probably drink wine 3x a week with dinner and I do tend to have a beer or two on the weekends (esp. now that football season is back and as the weather gets colder - nothing goes as well with a big bowl of chili while watching football, than a cold beer! ).

But again, my philosophy is that this is my LIFE. I have to come up with a way of eating that I can do for the rest of my life. And I just refuse to give up my wine, beer, or vodka for the next 50 years.

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I think quitting drinking for me was a good choice, because I'd be binge drinking - that bottle of wine would be put away in one night, followed by other mixed drinks or glasses of wine while out - so it's just a matter of toning down my social life. But it's working out for the best, I feel healthier (I think!).