This may sound weird, but I lose zero weight when I exercise, but I can lose almost a pound a day when I don’t.
I used my elliptical for half an hour and ate my usual 1,250 calories. The scale didn’t budge. I tried adjusting my calories and watching my sodium, with no luck.
Exercise takes time to show results, it doesn't happen overnight or even in a week. It can actually make you gain weight short term as your body retains water while it builds muscle (and muscle weighs more than fat). You could realistically look more fit yet weigh more. Look into body composition! Its better than referring to the BMI scale for many people. I technically am overweight by the BMI but I am 22% bodyfat, which is perfectly healthy. Whereas someone who weighs 20 pounds less than I do could have 30% bodyfat and be considered unhealthy.
You may lose weight fast while not exercising, but I doubt that all the weight you lose is fat - a portion of what you lose is muscle. Stick with exercise and give it a few weeks, if you continue to eat healthy while exercising you will see results. But, you may need to alter your expectations away from numbers on the scale, and look into measurements and how you feel overall.
Also, note where you are on your cycle. I have had times when the bloat of impending menses counteracts gym efforts. This can last 2 weeks sometimes. However, once it's over I can drop 2-3 pounds rapidly. I take one or 2 rest days per week (depending on how bad I have been about my food choices). It is often my rest days that I notice the scale budge. I suggest keeping up the exercise and keeping a diary so you can compare the outcomes of 2 solid weeks of exercise included vs. strictly watching your diet so you can figure out what works.
Are you exercising REGULARLY? when you add new stress to your muscles, they hold on to water and glycogen. This can add up to several pounds of water weight. If you see it through for a few weeks, you'll probably notice your measurements slowly dropping while your weight stays roughly the same, or even increases at first. At week 2 of beginning an exercise program, I had gained 2 pounds on the scale, but lost half an inch on my waist. By week 3, I had lost the weight gained from beginning exercise. by week 4, I was down more pounds and had added an extra mile to my jogging.
If you're only eating 1250 calories, It may not be a bad idea to consume more in there on days you exercise. Your body needs energy to exercise efficiently. It may seem "counterproductive" to eat back some (or most or even all) of the calories you're exercising...but the purpose of exercise is to help prevent muscle loss. Fat is generally lost in the kitchen, not in the gym. You cannot outrun a bad diet. But without exercise, your body is prone to losing more muscle than when exercise is included. Muscle loss leads to a decreased metabolism.
At the end of the day, though, your body will tell you if you are doing too much to it on too little energy. Make yourself aware of the symptoms of over training. When I am not eating enough and training, I get lightheaded easily and even get tunnel vision sometimes. I get lethargic during the day and have trouble concentrating on work, to the point that it interferes with my tasks. At the beginning, you'll be tired...but stick it out for a few weeks and exercising should energize you instead of zapping you of energy.
You’re eating wrong foods. If you’re not losing weight, the first place you should be looking is the kitchen. Some people focus all their energy on burning off calories that they don’t take the time to consider what they’re putting in as fuel. Diet is at least 80% of the battle. While the exact foods you should be eating depend heavily on your body type, metabolism, and other factors, a good rule of thumb is to stick to all natural, whole foods.
Eat most of your starchy carbohydrates (like potatoes, brown rice, grains) on days when you do strength training or more rigorous exercise. On your rest days or when you’re doing light cardio, try to stick to just protein and veggies and not a lot of those starchy foods. Avoid excess bread, sugar, and anything else that's processed. Look for foods that have the fewest ingredients on the label—if you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not something you want to be putting in your body.
I believe is your body metabolism. We are all different and what works for one person may not work for you. It is good you took note of what your body needs to lose weight. Surprisingly is doing the opposite.
This happened to me when I did Insanity. Crazy cardio, burns tons of calories. With the cardio, I was CONSTANTLY hungry and I am pretty sure I gained weight while doing the program because I unknowingly ate all my calories back. Haha!
Also, 1250 is really low. Try 20-25% decrease from your TDEE. Good luck!
In my opinion, they key to losing weight is finding something that helps you stay consistent.
Whether that be a coach, a trainer, or a program. I've tried several diets, but nothing seemed to work for me because I would just get back to how I was eventually.
I needed something to give me consistency or push me to stay consistent. What helped me was a program.
There are some that don't require any more than a little bit of advice and they are able to stay consistent and strict. Some need more. I sure did.
I finally found something (by chance), a program, that helped me lose weight and keep it off without it feeling like a diet (I still do it).
If anyone's interested, here's a review on the program I took (not a solicitation offer or anything but an actual review I looked at before I decided to jump): healthyandfitreviews.wordpress.com/2018/06/28/red-tea-detox-review-2018-lost-weight-without-starving-myself/
Hope it helps someone as much as it helped and changed my life.
Hi, I'm +60 yrs old & I'm within the dumb body scale range, but my body is curvy instead of straight.
Nobody has a 'perfect' body & I get wanting a 'perfect proportioned because my calves aren't thin & I wear a size S jeans & a size M/L top. I've always wanted to fit into a size S or size M on both my bottom & top like when I was in my 30's, but my body does what it wants no matter what I tried.
As far as weight loss exercises go, I walk & play: in the winter; pickle ball, shoe shoeing, shoveling snow & lift handweights. Summertime I:walk a 5K, swim, kayaking, pickle ball, horseshoes, stand-up paddle boarding, bocce ball. When I ran I got shin splints & when I did kickboxing I tore my knee meniscus being told I needed surgery or I wouldn't be able to exercise ever again, that was 6 yrs ago. I know athletes whom had that surgery & their knees tore again in the same area. So I decided to Play at my own pace doing my own style instead of 'exercising ' as ppl are instructed to do. Whenever my knee hurts, I rest it & apply ice & heat for a afternoon I'll never get the surgery unless I'm unable to stand up for 24 hrs.
I raised my daily grams of protein & fiber, I eat half the daily % of recommended sodium & carbs & fruits. I feel good, like when I got married 25 yrs ago. My hubby is 12 yrs younger than me & ppl think we're amazing together & he's got a fit body too.
My only health problem is I have a bad hayfever allergy & so I get 2 upper body/neck/head massages monthly so I won't have to take a RX prescription.
I hope this makes sense for some of you & that you realize our bodies aren't made to be 'perfect ' or act as a machine when we try to program it with exercises. If your weight is at plateau, Shake your activity up & maybe just Playing having fun will work for you as it has for me since I began this enjoyable lifestyle in my 30's.
Happiness & Good Health Blessings to Everybody reading my post
That's really weird, the only reason I had in mind that you're eating a little bit more when you're exercising but you're saying that you've tried eating the same amount of calories with no change. I don't get what's happening, try to consult a nutrition specialist about this and tell us what was his advice.
Your body burns so many calories when you work out that your body keeps everything it can so that it can survive. Try lifting weights and doing a tad less cardio. Figure out your maintenance calorie intake and eat that for a few weeks while living weights and doing some cardio. Then decrease your calories by 200-400 and stick to that for a month and then alternate.
if you need any more help feel free to ask any one of us!
I don’t lose weight when I exercise?
