So I've been dieting/exercising since Monday--I mean sweat, hunger, nothing but veggies and brown rice--and I've only lost one pound!
Yesterday I did the biggest loser workout dvd routine and THEN went and did day one of c25k, and I didn't even lose an ounce (I weigh each morning after I pee). What gives?
I don't get why the weight falls off when I'm stressed and simply don't eat, but when I'm exercising and eating right I get a measly pound. I'm sore, my muscles hurt and I'm wiped out--and today it feels like it's for nothing.
Your weight can easily fluctuate 5lbs due to retained water, etc. If you expend more calories than you take in and do that consistently you will lose fat but sometimes the scale doesn't reflect that.
Track your weight and look at the trend over a months time. That will give you a much better indicator of what's going on.
Another thing to remember is the adage "Lose weight in the kitchen; get fit in the gym." Just increasing exercise may help a LOT with fitness: strength, flexibility, and endurance. But unless you're running or working out for hours each day, it may not have that much impact on your weight. In fact, the "common wisdom" for many years was that if you were dieting you should do LESS exercise, because it would make you hungrier.
I wouldn't go that far, but if the major change you're making is in exercise rather than cutting back on food, you may not see as much of a change on the scale. Water fluctuations, hunger, hormones, all can impact the scale as much (or more) than "just the fat, ma'am".
Also, please give it more than a week before you get frustrated. A pound a week is nothing to sneeze at. A pound a week, over a year, results in over 50 pounds gone! Most people don't lose faster than a pound a week, except on very restrictive regimens. And very restrictive regimens tend to be very difficult to maintain over time.
So please don't be discouraged! You sound like you're doing something right, to have lost a pound already. Keep on keepin' on!
Also, don't kill yourself to get the weight off. The changes you make should be ones you can stick with long term so if you're doing something drastic, the chances of you managing to follow the same routine once the weight is off are low. It also kind of sets you up for failure when you finally get sick of it a week or two in.
Personally, I don't like when people say, "I've been so hungry!" I don't think you should be hungry. I think you should manage what you're intaking and when and should be aiming for a healthy calorie intake.
I started at 181 pounds and lost the weight by hanging out between 1200 and 1300 calories. My workouts weren't OMG intense but at least I was moving. And I would usually nibble all day long. I'd just grab some almonds here, soup there, a salad, a "healthy" tv dinner, etc.. I'd eat in the morning, during class, after class, at home...kind of everywhere. I was never really hungry either.
I have a whole host of thoughts and opinions after working out for so long but I can't say that any of them are right so take what I've said with a grain of salt.
Give yourself more time. All of the PPs have said it best, you need to trust the process and let it work it's magic. Your weight will hold or fluctuate for a number of outside reasons, so stick with your plan, stay consistent, and you will see results!
I doubt it will make you feel any better but when I first started eating healthy and working out I was sore every day for a month. At the end of 30 days I had lost exactly ZERO lbs.
I then started educating myself and over the next two months I lost 25 lbs.
Calories matter for fat loss. Not eating healthy. Not how hard you workout at the gym. What you eat and exercise affect your health but at the end of the day a caloric deficit causes fat loss.
When you're new to exercising your body starts to make adapatations which slow weight loss but ultimately speed up fat loss so it is likely you've lose some fat dispite what the scale says.
Stick around and keep learning. Don't hurt yourself at the gym.
Expecting results in 4 days is a sure way to quit in 6 days.
Eating nothing but veggies and brown rice doesn't sound like a sustainable eating plan.
This isn't the Biggest Loser where you are going to step on the scale after a week and be down 17 pounds.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Make a sustainable plan, come up with an eating plan and exercise plan you can stick to long term, and settle in for a long ride.
For me, exercising a lot does nothing for the scale, it changes my body for sure, but for results on the scale it's all about what I put in my mouth.
I agree with the advice you've already received - veggies and rice is not sustainable long term nor does it give you all the nutrients you need to be healthy.
I find if I exercise too much I'm heavier the next day cause my muscles need the water - this week we had an unbelievable amount of snow and I've been shoveling for hours every day this week and I'm up three pounds and I don't care cause I know why.
Expecting results in 4 days is a sure way to quit in 6 days.
Eating nothing but veggies and brown rice doesn't sound like a sustainable eating plan.
This isn't the Biggest Loser where you are going to step on the scale after a week and be down 17 pounds.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Make a sustainable plan, come up with an eating plan and exercise plan you can stick to long term, and settle in for a long ride.
For me, exercising a lot does nothing for the scale, it changes my body for sure, but for results on the scale it's all about what I put in my mouth.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Most importantly, get yourself a food plan that will actually accomplish something. You say you should lose weight because you're eating right. Problem is, you're not. There is no reason to eat just brown rice and vegis. Eat some protein, eat some fruit, maybe some whole grains, eat a variety of foods that will nourish your body while cutting back on the calories.
I must say, I was being dramatic and kind of over exaggerating about the veggies and brown rice.
Like yesterday's meal plan was english muffin with 1 tbsp honey, strawberries and blueberries. Lunch was pineapple and brown rice, snack was cauliflower and dinner was a weight watchers meal.
Today so far was a whole grain waffle with 1 tbsp honey and bananas on top, strawberries and blueberries and a weight watchers meal. I plan on having steamed sugar pea snaps with garlic for an afternoon snack and spaghetti squash for dinner.
I guess I was just frustrated but I'm going to keep on keeping on and be patient. Today I chose to just go out and shop for a bit and rest my muscles from exercising.
I feel like getting out and focusing on other things for a bit really helped so that was nice
VERY Frustrated
I was never really hungry either.
