Well,you don't mention what you are eating. About how many calories a day are you taking in, and in what form? Also you may want to try increasing the length of your cardio workouts, and adding some light weights, to increase intensity if possible. Are you in fairly good health? No thyroid or hormone problems? Maybe give us a bit more information about the diet and we can help you "tweak" things a bit, so you can see some progress. At any rate, you are developing healthy habits right? And you haven't gained any. So, you are on the right track. Just don't give up! You are worth the fight, so keep trying and changing, until you hit on the right formula for yourself. It will happen. ((HUGS))
You have to give yourself time and give your body time to adjust to its new routine. Also, like Lainey mentioned, you didn't say what you're eating or how much. It's possible you're still taking in too many calories. Weight loss boils down to taking in fewer calories than you're burning. You can bust your butt in a gym every single day, but if you're still taking in more calories than your body needs, you're not going to lose anything.
It's possible you're still taking in too many calories
Or, could be not enough!
At 5'1" (or any weight, really) you should never dip below 1,200 cal/day. And, weighing 168, you could probably lose weight eating as much as 1,400 cal/day as long as you're exercising.
Randee, first off, you need to give yourself a break! 4 weeks is NOT enough time to judge your successful eventual outcome and proclaim that NO matter what you do....
I would rather see you patting yourself on the back for doing the exercise regularly--that is such a healthful thing to be creating a habit of in your life--not just until the scale surrenders, but for the rest of your life!
You would be so much better off viewing everything that you are doing as permanent changes towards a healthy lifestyle than short term "dieting for 4 weeks". Diets come and go, healthy living lasts forever--thus the weight lost will also stay lost forever if you adopt that mindset vs a diet mindset!
You should start drinking water if you don't already, 1/2 of your body weight in fluid ounces is the rule, and 64 ounces minimum per DAY.
and, gradually work on your food, replacing your worst habits with healthier ones.
4 MONTHS from now--you will see a lot of progress has been made if you are just consistent! don't be in such a hurry. Think the tortoise/hare story--be the hare!
Ditto on the water (much more important than most think!) calories (too much? too little? personally, I started losing weight faster when I *increased* my calories to 1600 or so).
More on exercise: change up your routine--get a mix of different activities going, and make sure you're continually being challenged (e.g. at some point those 2lb weights are going to be too easy). Researchers have found that you can get into exercise plateaus (which doesn't help in breaking those weight loss plateaus) by doing the same thing every time you exercise. Your body gets too accustomed to the activity, and you're always working the same muscles the same way, and the result is you actually burn fewer calories than you did initially when you were challenged and it was new. Just like you need to continue to increase your weights in strength training as you improve, you need to keep yourself challenged in cardio. That doesn't mean abandon your cardio routine forever, but just add other things into the mix and keep your body guessing.
Speaking of weight-loss plateaus, it's discouraging but hang on! There have been some points where I've lost weight consistantly every day, but there have also been times when the scale has refused to budge and then suddenly I get a huge drop all at once.
Don't freak.
1. You don't have that much to lose, so you can relax a little there.
2. Calories ARE important. Make sure you are in the correct range.
3. Sometimes our bods get off to a slow start. I did Atkins once for about a month, and lost NOTHING!!!!
Do you keep a food journal? I don't always do it, but if I feel like I'm going too off track it helps. Sometimes it's good to see what you eat on paper, to keep track of calories and stuff, but also to make sure your body's getting what it needs.
Keep in mind what the others have said. It's all very good advice.
But IF after a few more weeks of keeping a food journal while doing the other healthy habits you still lose no weight, no mass, then I would probably recommend talking to your doctor. My oldest sister was having that problem once upon a time, only to discover she had a thyroid problem! It was a sudden onset of hypothyroidism.
It's rare, but it can happen. Follow the advice the others have mentioned in this thread, but if you're really concerned still after a few more weeks, go see a doctor.
Wow I was so happy to have seen so many responses....THANK YOU LADIES!!!!
I am pressed for time at the moment...(going shopping with my girls) But I will write back shortly....
There were a few comments in regards to my thyroid....My Mom has issues with hers...She has hypothyroidism so I may be predisposed.....
I often wonder about that....Past tests showed all was fine but haven't had it checked in probably 3-4 years....
I have gained much weight in the past year....more so in last 6 months....I've recently resigned from my position in Nursing and currently am a stay at home mom....even though my kids are in school full time....
I have been keeping a journal for the past 4 days now and have noticed that my calories per day average between 1200-1400....
Ok...they're waiting for me....I shall return with more...
I really didn't want to log in today at all....I'm at an all time low...
My wonderful boyfriend went out and bought me a new scale yesterday...one that measures your body fat and water....Although I don't pay much attention to the fat and water as I don't feel that it could possibly be very accurate...Anyways, I got on the scale and it said my weight was 174.6??!!!!
I cried.....I literally cried......
My old scale said 168....
Today I feel like giving up...I have been working so hard at this....
I think I might make an appointment to see my doctor too run some blood work...
Is it possible that I am gaining muscle?
Again, I have been between 1200-1400 calories/day.
I am also using Whey Protein....could that be the cause of me not losing one single pound??
Scales vary. Don't take that as a gain. You have to weigh on your old scale. If you still have the same number, then tell yourself that your new scale's starting point is the number you see. Also don't change locations in the house. Different surfaces affect it.
Why don't you try monitoring your body fat levels for a bit. We're not too dis- similar heights and weights and I've spent the past few weeks getting really frustreated with my slow slow weight loss.
I tried body fat scales (that I'd been weighed on once in the gymn last April and the results were so horrific (39%) that I never went back on them) When I tried them last week, my body fat was actually down to 24%! So 14lbs has equated to a massive change in my body composition.
Hopefully all of this muscle will kick start my metabolism as I exercise and the number on the scales will go down.
I just want to cry!!
